Ian C gets his build underway with a task that isn't even in the build manual!
One of the few niggles that I had after driving and visiting a number of Sumos was the position of the handbrake – it seemed to me to be awkwardly high when off and even worse when applied:
It was something that I intended to alter during my build and the plans varied from cutting the whole top from the transmission tunnel and lowering it, raising the rear of the tunnel to effectively lower the handbrake to putting spacers on the mounting bolts to alter the angle of the lever. As I am planning to paint the chassis I realised that I would have to make any alterations first.After much thought and abortive plans I decided to fit a recessed housing in the top of the transmission tunnel which would lower the lever and, probably more importantly, reduce the angle to nearer horizontal when off. I measured up the tunnel and handbrake lever and did some scaled plans in Visio which I printed off and made up a full size model in cardboard. This was mounted on a piece of chipboard and the handbrake trial fitted. It seemed to have the desired effect so with heart in mouth I took the angle grinder to the chassis and with a cutting disc cut out a rectangular hole to match the planned housing. In review it would have been much easier, though not half as spectacular or warming, to use a jig saw! As a final check I taped the cardboard housing in the chassis and fitted the handbrake- seemed to have the intended effect.
I then cut out the parts for the housing, using the Visio printouts for templates, from 1.2 mm steel (display rack shelves salvaged years ago with the knowledge that one day they would prove useful!). The shelves had been coated or enamelled which proved difficult to remove where I was welding up the box but did provide good protection elsewhere. The folds were made in the vice and a bit of “adjustment was required to get the correct fit. 
The parts were then welded up to form the housing after much practice with scrap bits of metal to get the settings right. The welds seem OK but would not win any prizes. I test fitted the box into the chassis and decided to reinforce the housing with additional cross braces at the front and back across the full width of the tunnel. These were cut, formed and welded and test fitted to ensure they provided the planned support.
All the brackets were then cleaned up with the angle grinder, my new favourite tool, and given a coat of anti rust primer before fitting. 
Owing to the fact that I did not want to rely overmuch on my welding I decided on a belt, braces and elasticated waistband approach and pop-riveted, welded and bolted the housing into the chassis. The whole assembly was then given a coat of anti rust primer paying special attention to the underneath. When dry I bolted in the handbrake and the result was pleasing to my eye.
First job done only another ???? to go.
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