Right up there with; Here...…..hold my beer...……...……….watch this...………….
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Great beer story!:rolleyes::3dSMILE:
Compared to the bottom and sides, the top parts were a piece of cake! I made a 14 gauge angle section out of some of the scrap left over from my earlier fails (I sure had plenty!) for the front and used 16 gauge for the rear. This kept all the thicknesses the same as the other parts. The top glass groove is just a simple welded channel.
https://i.imgur.com/r6XVCc0.jpg
The rain gutter was made from more 14 gauge scrap. There were some tapped holes in the backside of the posts where the convertible top buckles attached and I used them, as well as some 1/4" studs to pull everything down and hold the frame the together. Eventually, the 1/4" studs will be capped with some dowels to locate my convertible top. The large rear bolts will be replaced with studs for top buckles, just as in the original cars. There are also a couple of #10x24 cap screws that go in from the side near the bottom of the post to anchor the frame to the posts.
https://i.imgur.com/BwKAScH.jpg
Of course, the original Classic Roadsters top won't fit as it is now. I will have to make a wooden header bar to mate with the windshield frame. This is commonly how a lot of roadster type tops were made. I may have to get a little help from a trim shop for that job.
And here it is all assembled. I'm pleased with it after all the work and frustration.
https://i.imgur.com/NkGavwb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AOtUPsg.jpg
I did make some angled brackets to butt against the rear of the lower section for some extra support. I was surprised to see a picture of an original AC Cobra after I did this that showed something similar. I guess great minds really do think alike!
https://i.imgur.com/2wnskfo.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/AengGns.jpg
They say hindsight is 20/20 and that certainly was the case here. It all seems so simple now that it's done, but what a crazy struggle it was to get here.
Here's what nearly 3 months worth of precision scrap looks like. Sure doesn't look like a lot for all the work that went into it!
https://i.imgur.com/KQS9MHp.jpg
You might feel better if you refer to that last picture as stock for future doodads.;)
That windshield is a beautiful piece. People will glance at it not having a clue how much effort, skill, and persistence it took to fabricate it. But you have the satisfaction of knowing.
Reminds me of being at the NSRA Nationals in Columbus, '96 I think. My late buddy Bubba and I were walking about looking at the various cars. We'd stopped at a '32 Ford coupe. As I looked inside the column drop caught my eye. Not because is was one of those lumpy, hacky, carpet covered abominations that were all too common, but because it had proper scale, and a graceful yet uncomplicated shape. A simple piece of function that was so well suited to it's environment it almost disappeared. So Bubba and I are commenting about how nice it is, and how similar it was to a couple we'd done together for projects when I see a guy out of the corner of my eye. We turn, and this guy says, "You noticed that column drop. Do you have any idea how much time...….. Oh, yeah, you noticed it so you probably do." It was the rightfully proud owner. I think that simple little observation made his day.
Nice job, it looks really good.
To quote Uncle Bob, "That windshield is a beautiful piece. People will glance at it not having a clue how much effort, skill, and persistence it took to fabricate it. But you have the satisfaction of knowing."
Thanks for sharing the ride. So far it's been a great roller coaster trip.
Thanks a bunch folks. Sorry for all the long posts, but it was a long story. It was also very humbling to fail so many times.
It means a lot when seasoned veterans of car building say your work is beautiful. I hope that the rest of the car turns out as well.
I hate to say too much, but I feel like I'm kind of on a roll with this project. Many pieces seem to be falling into place. I've felt this way before and have had "life" setbacks beyond my control derail my progress. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't happen again. I'm ready to drive this thing!
I realized just a couple of days before leaving to take the parts to the chrome shop that I had to add provisions for some sun visors that I bought from an online MG parts place. They are tinted Lexan and look like very proper British sports car parts.
I had to weld a small strip on the back of the upper windshield channel for the mounting screws. Of course, the welding caused channel to warp where the heat was even though it was clamped down. I had to apply some heat to the opposite side to shrink the metal and get it to straighten out. Luckily, that did the trick and it came out OK. I cropped out this pic to show where I had to shrink it. That is the blue marks just below the gutter.
https://i.imgur.com/Zjbq32M.jpg
In the pics, the visors still have the brown protective paper stuck to them. They are actually heavily tinted.
https://i.imgur.com/misUcGF.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/oFsrd9s.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8CXYY2P.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9UHufzI.jpg
I just had to repost the picture of the original 100-6 frame. Mine is not an exact copy, but it's pretty darn close.:cool:
As you read this, the parts are at a chrome shop in Tennessee about a 7 hour drive from my house. After all the time I put into them, there was no way I would trust them to UPS or Fedex. Looks like 5-8 weeks before I can pick them up. I hope that doesn't turn into 10-16, but it's not like I don't have plenty of other work to do even if they did.
Oh boy my heart was sinking when I read that word... warp!
But you save the day, all's well and about to get better I think.
Thanks 34. Yeah, that was an "Oh, S#%^&" moment when I saw the bow. I was actually going to put it in my press and attempt to straighten it when I thought about trying to shrink the opposite side. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks!
The frame and sun visors really look right for the car, very well done!
Wow, great work on that frame. it sure looks nice. I bet it will look a lot better in 5-8 weeks though. Here's hoping it is only 5 weeks for ya. :LOL:
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Based on the total lack of posts, I'm pretty sure most of you probably thought that I had given up on this project, but I haven't. Much has happened in the past months since the last update. I will be posting a bunch of pictures in the upcoming days in an effort to catch everyone up. I will try to keep the write-ups brief, but I will be glad to answer any questions. I have been forced to make several changes and here is a partial list and the explanation for them.
Some of the changes were because of the change to the 2 x 4 intake. I was forced to lower the engine for hood clearance and this required new motor mounts since the old ones weren't long enough to make the drop. The engine drop also caused problems with forward half of the exhaust and my decision lower the ride height because I realized that the car now sat too high for the new 15" wheels. This resulted in the pipes interfering with the rearend which resulted in scrapping nearly the rest of the exhaust.
Say what you will about me and my apparent quickness to make changes, but I want this car to be as right as I can make it, both in looks and performance. I suppose I could easily qualify as having some form of OCD when it comes to my builds. If it doesn't look or work right in my mind, I just won't ever be satisfied with it and it will nag at me until I fix it (in my mind at least). Plus, the fabrication and engineering is a big part of this hobby for me. I don't mind doing it if it makes the car better. In fact, I enjoy it.
The next thing that has happened is that my back problems seem to have worsened. I have a bad disk that occasionally presses on a nerve. This causes varying degrees of muscle spasms in my lower back that can be pretty debilitating when they are bad. Add that to the arthritis in my lower vertebrae that continues to stiffen my lower back and my progress in the shop sometimes drops to what I think is a snail's pace. Jobs that should only take a couple of hours take most of the day. I simply can't get in many positions that require me to bend at the waist unsupported and this constantly forces me to plan my tasks to allow me to stand or sit upright. Not always easy.
These back issues have also forced me to make changes to the car. I realized that I just wasn't going to be comfortable on the long trips we were planning for it. I had to have more leg room. This resulted in much rework of the area behind the seats because there was no more to be gained in the foot well area. My back may also force some more changes, but I haven't completely decided to make them yet.
There has been some bad luck, too. My LS engine block got some water in it at some time in it's past and ruined 3 cylinders. This was a very early block that could not be bored, only honed no more than .004. I had to find another block. No aluminum blocks could be found, so I had a 5.3 iron block bored to 5.7 specs. The rotating assembly in my engine was practically new and I wanted to reuse it. No one in my area would do it with a torque plate. This meant 2 fourteen hour round trips to the Gulf coast to get it done like I wanted it.
I also had the LT1 T56 converted to LS configuration. I had been told by several transmission people that mine couldn't be converted, but I found a company in Dallas, TX that actually pulled it off. This required 2 sixteen hour round trips to TX.
In addition to these changes, there were regular build things too. I'll start posting pictures ASAP. Hope ya'll are still interested.
Holy Cow ! I you sure had some stuff going on ! I know I'm not satisfied till I redo stuff at least twice lol Just curious, couldn't you have shipped the parts instead of the long trips? Maybe your like me and call them " vacation s "
Two important lines of thought there Mike.
Some of us have seen it, and I'm sad to admit there have been a couple times I've succumbed myself, where a guy just got impatient (or whatever) and convinced himself to live with something he was really not satisfied with. As crazy as it might seem to some, redoing something to "get it right" is almost always the thing to do for longer term satisfaction. No matter how wasteful it seems at times.
As for the back and arthritis issues I can't offer you much encouragement. As younger folk I suspect many of us would hear "the old guys" talk about these issues and not give it much thought or even found it mildly humorous. But then we get our turn if we hang in long enough. I find the loss of productivity, time wise mostly, frustrating, but it is what it is in the end. Adjust the expectations and keep on truckin'. Your arthritis comment reminded me of the other night when I was assembling something and had to take 5 or 6 shots at starting a nut on the end of a bolt...…………...might make a funny video. Gettin' old ain't for sissies, as they say.
Considering the weight and size, I decided to just deliver them myself. Also, I could get them there essentially overnight without the super high cost.
My wife did go with me on one of the trips to Texas and we spent the night, so I guess that qualifies as a mini vacation. I did stop by the Summit Racing store in Fort Worth. What a cool place for a gear head! I highly recommend it!
https://i.imgur.com/8E32ZFp.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/UMPPyBQ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5iz2NpY.jpg
Sorry to hear of these troubles. I know firsthand the back issues, L-4 & L-5 for me. Had to have a discectomy so I could keep walking. Now I am so overly cautious about lifting / twisting / moving / working... it sometimes almost paralyses me.
More changes to the car.. of course we're interested!! Just been patiently waiting for you share an update or two.. many of us are also a bit anal when it comes to the building and what we expect or want it to look or perform like. It took me 12 years of putting it together and taking it apart just to put it back together with more changes... I really believe if the state of Mass. hadn't put up a deadline for these project cars to get titled - mine would still be in some state of assembly/disassembly! 8-)
Hope you can find relief soon, back pain is really a hidden suffering. You can look so normal on the outside and be a complete wreck on the inside. Take care of yourself.
Thanks for the words of support guys. I'm not anywhere close to giving up. Nothing to really be gained there. Staying active seems to help the flexibility. This is just a new phase in my life that I'm having to adjust to. Just damned frustrating.
I think when they called it "the GOLDEN years", they mistook the color of RUST for gold.
OK. Let's start this off with the new motor mounts and exhaust. I decided that if I was going to do this, I might as well make another improvement. The headers I was using dumped too close to the starter to suit me. It was one of those things I could have lived with, but now I didn't have to. I picked up a set of LS6 exhaust manifolds and a set of GTO motor mounts. The manifolds wouldn't fit before due to the mounts I was using. The manifolds are essentially cast steel Tri-Y headers with long merge collectors. They even have dividers internally to keep the runners seperated. The steel casting makes them nearly as smooth as tubing. I know they will support over 400 HP through cats, since that's what the LS6 put out. They'll probably do more with no cats. FWIW - I am considering a Lingenfelter cam and the tech I spoke with seemed to think my planned engine could make over 450 at the crank through these manifolds. They also have the advantage of well made OEM flange seals with a steel fire ring.
https://i.imgur.com/xLPWGeJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HU3XSg7.jpg
I used polyurethane biscuit type body mounts for cushions with the GTO pedestals. The frame mounts need a little more bracing when the engine comes out next.
https://i.imgur.com/VPzbobF.jpg
Wow great update. Sorry to hear about the pain issue. I agree certain things I obscess over delay completing things long term.
Sorry to hear of your set backs, and the issues with your back. Back pain effects a lot more than a guy realizes until he's hurting. Nice progress. That'a some big things to over come to keep going and I commend you. Sorry I haven't gotten an email back to ya but I will. I have a lot of info for you on that project. My computer crashed so I am stuck using my phone most times and that is a pita. Take care. Ryan.
Thanks again guys. I hope I have as much grit as my 82 year old mom. She doesn't give up until she just can't go anymore.
Ryan - I was wondering if you got my email. Hope it turned out well for you as it was just an idea I thought might work.
Back to the updates:
There was a small problem with the manifolds, though. They didn't come with companion flanges or stubs to weld on the new exhaust. The only parts I could find to fit cost $150 a set and that was just for 2 flanges and 2 short stubs of pipe! The flanges have an asymmetrical bolt pattern and as far as I could tell, weren't used on anything else. So, I made my own. I used the tapered die from my homemade dimple die set with a quickie made guide to form a 45* bell and the roughed out companion flange to sharpen it up.
https://i.imgur.com/IVzHuuO.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/axCN2Ta.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1gNu6v2.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5O1d1j4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3ldgBvv.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/NN8jeiq.jpg
It’s good to see the progress Mike. Having the car this well engineered is going to make this car a true “driver” when it’s done. You’ll be looking for any excuse to pull it out of the garage and put some miles on it. That’s the best kind of hot rod in my opinion.
I’m sorry to hear about the back issues man. I’m really fortunate to have a good back, my knees on the other hand have seen much better days. Some days those really slow me down. As you said, you just adjust to the “new normal” and keep plugging away........
Thanks 50X. I'm looking forward to driving it one day.
The new exhaust is also 409 stainless. I had intended to get the old exhaust ceramic coated, but it was actually cheaper to do the new pipes in stainless and skip the coating. Some of these pictures are of regular steel pipe before I decided to do the stainless. I figured I had better add that before I had some folks scratching their heads saying that it didn't look like stainless.
The exhaust currently stops just in front of the axle. After I lowered the car to where I thought it should be, there was simply no room to go over the axle without cutting into the trunk and that ain't happenin'. I'm going to wait until I am completely finished with any suspension mods before going any further. I will have to run it under the axle. Not my preference, but the reality of available space sometimes overrules what you want to do. Maybe I'll do an exit like the XKE. Two in the center!
There is also now plenty of clearance around the starter. That's important to me both for heat soak as well as ease of service. Very important if you're laying on your back in an Auto Zone parking lot on the Power Tour!
One thing to note - I was on the phone with a Holley tech discussing my idea to mount the ECU. Almost as an afterthought I asked him about using the O2 sensor provision in the LS6 manifold. He recommended not using that hole and adding another bung a few inches downstream from the manifold since they felt that would give a better reading on the gasses. Interesting and surprising (to me anyhow) to say the least, that the OEM sensor location wasn't considered good enough for the new wideband O2 sensor.
https://i.imgur.com/2U1HQzi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/MGGQdKX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/89PBM5T.jpg
Nice work! I like your flange maker. Did you make that die on a lathe?
V8nutz - Thanks and yes, I made that. I actually made it to go with a female die to do dimpled holes in sheet metal.
When I needed to expand some tubes, I came up with making some simple guide plates that fit inside the tube and center the tapered die's stem. It works really well if the ends of the tube are square.
I made the male die with a long taper because eventually I want to make some different sized female dies. When I make special tools like this, I'm usually in a hurry so I can get on with whatever job I'm working on, so they're not often "finished" to high degree. Just enough to be useful.
I use a set of hole dies that are intended to punch holes for electrical conduit. It's a little more time consuming to do it this way instead of a one step die, but it's not too bad once you get the hang of it. I have a pneumatic jack in my press, so I don't have to do bunch of pumping by hand.
https://i.imgur.com/asxlj8j.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/0UyGaVV.jpg
That is cool, I need a small lathe.
It's an addiction unto itself! BTDT... now I cannot afford the Tee shirt. You'll start with a lathe, then a mill, or two, cause one is vertical and then there is a horizontal... and the tooling cost more than the machines.
As I said, it's an addiction. And I suffer HAPPILY! LOL
We just got a machine shop at work. A personal best, I threw virgin chips on the horizontal band saw, the drill press, and the milling machine. I got sloppy seconds on the lathe, but three out of four ain't bad. Plus I was first to throw sparks on the welder. Pretty cool. I never thought I would get to knock the cherry off a machine tool unless I had bought it. Anyway, now the company is experiencing the secondary growing pains of purchasing the tooling.
Me, I like a quick change turret for the lathe. John wants the one with the little new moon that you can swivel to adjust. Anything is better than what it came with.
I moved on to the grille. Actually, this was done right after the windshield frame since it had to go to the chrome shop to fix the badly pitted plating. The chrome surround went on easy with four 1/4" studs and some small U-shaped washers. I also needed a grille. The original Sebring grille didn't really appeal to me so I went off the page and made a mesh insert. I found some unusual aluminum expanded metal and used a wood male die and the surround itself to form it into a 3D shape. It's held in with the same hardware that attaches the surround. The insert will most likely be painted or powder coated black.
https://i.imgur.com/3KEQV2S.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XltDBhi.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/HKYqKpZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sNPdZwn.jpg
To be honest, I'm not completely sure I like this setup. We'll see what the future brings. I've grown to like the uncluttered bare opening. In my mind's eye, I kind of see a thin polished or chromed aluminum (or steel) surround that hugs the body, mimics the contours of the opening and eliminates the mounting flange . My skill set for forming sheet metal hasn't reached to point to where I feel I could pull it off cleanly, but I keep rolling it around in my head. When I come up with a plan that feel will work, I will give it a trial run. The best idea I have right now is to form some radiused strips in the bead roller and then shrink and stretch them to fit. It would make for a larger opening and give the front a cleaner, racier, and more serious look in my opinion, but I have many more important things to do right now.
Here's a pic of a Sebring with no grille surround. Keep in mind mine will most likely be a darker shade of red. I would probably still do a black mesh insert just to protect the radiator from rocks. I'm kind of using the Healey Works rally cars as inspiration on this build and I think this look fits with the race theme. Definitely looks more aggressive.
https://i.imgur.com/7wgnwOq.jpg
Nice work. I see what you mean about the open look, but I think coated black it would look pretty good in there.
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Next on my todo list was the gas filler.
Some time back I bought a Lemans style filler off of Speedway Motors garage sale area. I'm not really sure why it was there since it looked pretty good right out of the box. I had intended to use it as is, but I read online that Superformance (high end Cobra replicas) used a similar type of filler and had a fatality due to the cap. Seems that a SP Cobra in a vintage race got upside down and the cap popped open on the pavement. The sparks from the roll bar ignited the gas and it didn't end well. SP had gone to a secondary cap inside the flip cap and I thought that might be a worthwhile modification.
I started by sourcing a J-lock twist gas cap and a short section of filler pipe for the cap. Unfortunately, it was 2 3/16" OD and my filler pipe in the tank is 2" OD. I bought a couple of sections of 2" steel exhaust bends and set about grafting the J-lock to the tubing. I used the same technique to swell the tubing up to match the J-lock section as I used on the exhaust stubs and welded them together. I have to say that the tubing was some of the poorest welding metal it's been my misfortune to attempt to TIG weld. It may have done better with MIG, but I got it done, such as it is. Not my prettiest welds, though.
https://i.imgur.com/enV4Hmq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/RsTI6ch.jpg
Then I put the flip cap in the mill and hogged out the inside to make room.
I also made an aluminum disc that holds the tubing and fits into the bottom of the flip cap base. The tube has a dimple that takes a set screw to lock the two pieces together.
https://i.imgur.com/GOIWXI5.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/1u0vDHL.jpg
I also needed a fill vent. I put a 3/4" vent hose on the tank for a reasonably fast fill and I needed to graft that to the filler pipe near the cap. There is another 5/16" vent in the tank with a roll over valve that is the running vent, the large vent isn't open unless the fill cap is open. I had to be able to fit the vent through the cap mounting hole in the body, so I had to make a very tight bend. I would up making a 90* tubing connection.
I started by swelling up a piece of 3/4" tubing to keep the hose on. I used a modified 5/8" bolt and the hydraulic press. Worked out fine.
https://i.imgur.com/s2gcnu3.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yBTxScX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/IeeqEhF.jpg
Next I whittled a short section of 3/4" square tubing to take the round tube and welded the parts together.
https://i.imgur.com/f2Rk9A6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dVa7WhL.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/cL6jmRU.jpg?1