You testing the altenator mounts in the pics too Don. I know its the short side . But it did get me for a minute . Still say great color combo with chrome and aluminum .
Printable View
You testing the altenator mounts in the pics too Don. I know its the short side . But it did get me for a minute . Still say great color combo with chrome and aluminum .
And I thought you were out "chasing women".
Nah, can't afford both. :D Maybe once I get this thing running. These things are "chick magnets" you know. :cool: :cool: :cool:
Don
I work with wood everyday...well almost every day and I think I remember you saying something about boat work or you were doing boat repair......having said that I know that piece of plywood is some sort of 11 layer marine grade plywood if it stays under or in the glass. Or is that just a mold or template?
I may want to put one of these type of machines together and it never hurts to ask or learn.....:D
No, it's actually 3/4 inch regular exterior grade plywood. Marine would be good, but it's expensive and hard to find sometimes. I plan on encapsulating the entire piece in mat and resin, so it will never be exposed to any moisture.
The secret is to seal the edges of the plywood with resin first, that is where water can enter the plys, then after you get the plywood in place put a layer or two of mat and resin over the top, and more on the bottom.
I did my '27 this same way nearly 20 years ago, and it sat in many rains for 7 of those years (guys at work used to joke I needed a bilge pump in it :D ) and the floor is as solid today as when I first did it.
Yeah, I did work in the marine business for a long time (and that is probably where I will go back to for the next job) and it is surprising that even boat builders don't usually use marine grade on things like transoms, and bulkheads. I guess high end boats may, but not the average family boat, even some with very good reputations. My SeaRay had lots of particle board in it, believe it or not.
The first fiberglass car I ever did was my '27, and was determined to do it the very best way possible, using marine grade plywood, biaxial cloth, hi tech resins, etc. A good friend of mine, who is a top notch fiberglass guy steered me away, telling me just what I said above, that most boats don't use or need this stuff. Ended up he was right, and it saved me lots of money.
Good question though.
Don
When i worked at lurhs/ mainship they used standard ply also, if i was not drunk right now i would explain the processes of treating lumber. Being that i was a former building inspector in the state of fla, i was required to know this stuff, but don is right, just seal the out side good, and you will have no problems, struceraly its the same
Somebody gonna have a headache tomorrow.:D :D :D I'm heading for the fridge right now to see if I can catch up to you. :cool: :cool:
Don
It's Sunday night, and I actually made some progress on the T today. Yaaaaaay.:3dSMILE: I have been putting off doing the interior wooding long enough, and finally have gotten started on it.
Whenever you do a car like this, where it deviates from the "normal" T bucket designs, you create some problems for yourself that you have to overcome. In my quest to get this car as low as possible, I ended up with me and the turbo 350 tranny fighting for space in the already small cockpit. Leg and hip room is going to be tight, but I think I have it figured out to where it will be ok.
The first picture below is of the floor my Son just ordered from Total Performance for his T. It has a nice little cutout for the hump that is already fiberglassed into the body from the factory, and the transmission and driveshaft go well below the floor. Not so in mine. The tranny sits pretty high so I could get pan clearance, and the driveshaft is actually on top of the floor. (I will cut out that section of floor once I get the complete interior wooded in, but for now I want it to be as ridgid as possible.
I got the plywood cut to shape, installed my cowl roll bar, and mocked up everything for a trial sitting. Looks like it will work ok. I have knee and leg room, and now have enough hip room too. I slid a boat seat in there and planted myself for a trial run, and I fit ok. (didn't make any rum rum noises.........but I did catch a little rubber on the 1-2 upshift :p )
The shifter position and steering wheel seem to be in good places too, but I am going to use the 15 inch wheel I bought in the Dodge truck, and buy a 13 like in the pictures. I borrowed Dans, and it just looks more proportionate.
So there we are, I am actually moving forward , and seeing this progress is getting me stoked again. I will pick up the cream colored paint that I am going to use on the suspension tomorrow so I can spray the underdash roll bar that color. I originally painted it black, but now that the color choice has changed I need to do that before I fiberglass it into place. Once that is painted I will start wooding the body, which shouldn't take too long, I hope.
Thanks for keeping me moving guys.
Don
Orkin is on the job. :3dSMILE: I should be more worried about the wood rotting from old age from sitting so long. :o
Don
I see one of your bosses laying out there supervising:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
Don, where did you get that steering wheel? I've been looking for a flat 4-spoke and can't find any.
Are you going to the "Speedway Spectacular" run in Daytona at the end of the month? It's not quite as big as the Turkey Run, but still a pretty good one...
Jim
Charlie.....Quote:
Originally Posted by cffisher
Actually had TWO supervisors. :D See picture below.
Jim........
I bought a 15 inch one at Turkey Rod run from some vendor there, but Dan found a 13 inch one that I like better. He's at the shop working on his windshield now, and I will ask him where he got it. I need to order one too.
I'll let you know.
Don
Jim..........
I just called Dan, he got it at Riley Automotive. Here is their web site.
I was wrong, it is a 14 inch wheel, not 13.
Don
www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Robinson
Jim........ missed the second part of your post. I may go, haven't made any plans yet. What is the date?
Nice work, Are you going to make the tunnel removable?
Thanks Ken. No, I'm going to cut out the underside so I have access to the driveshaft. Probably will put two bolt in plates across the bottom of the hoops to act as a driveshaft retainer in case it ever fails. I am going to glass the tunnel over the trans and driveshaft solid to reinforce the body.
Got some more work done today, but forgot my camera. :mad: I got the floor bolted down in preparation to start the glassing, and changed out the rear Model A spring for a Model T spring to give it a little different look at the rear.
I'll remember the camera tomorrow.
Don
I thought I'd throw this in here. My Son Dan has never been happy with the windshield on his '29 sedan turned roadster pickup. At first it was straight up and down, but chopped. Then, in an effort to streamline it a little, he laid it back and tapered it a little.
A week or so ago while I was working on my T, he was at the shop taking measurements, and pondering the situation and I knew more cutting was going to happen. What he did was whack the whole windshield off , buy some '29 roadster stanctions, chop them 5 inches, and use a '32 frame that is also chopped 2 inches.
He still has some finish welding to do, but the major part of the swap is done, and now that I see it, I have to agree that it looks cleaner this way. The first picture is when it was straight, the second is after leaning it back, and the others are after the new windshield is on.
I've got to hide the sawzall, or he will never get this thing done.:D :D
Don
Yep! That's it, he has a good eye for this stuff. Looks like he is getting close, he must of had a good teacher.
Don,did they make two different cowls in 29, early and late or something?The reason I ask is that my 29 cowl and doors are entirely different. Hank
I notice in all three configurations the same array of Klecos on the quarter/back panel joint. Something there he's still mulling?
Hank, the Town Sedans had the different cowl from all the other body styles.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Parmenter
No, he just hasn't worked back to that point yet to weld the seams up.
Bob is right, some '29's had the cowl you are used to seeing, and the Murrays had the one Dan has. I argued with him in the beginning that his was a '30, but then he proved to me that there were two distinctly different '29 cars.
Ken, as for the teacher thing......the teacher is now the student. Not sure when that happened exactly.:confused: :confused: :D
Don
Hey Don,
Sorry I didn't answer sooner. Haven't been here for a couple of days... Anyway, the Daytona car show & swap meet is March 23, 24, & 25. I'll be there on the 24th looking for a nose and turtle deck for my roadster...
Jim
Thanks Jim. I keep forgetting to mention it to Dan and Don to see if they can go. I am going to make a note and do that tomorrow. Hope you score your parts. :) I've never been to this one, I guess by your comments there is a swap meet and all? Just what I need, the temptation to buy more stuff.:3dSMILE:
I didn't get a whole lot done today on mine, I had to revert back to the Model A spring. The T spring dropped the rear an inch and a half lower, and I want a slight rake to the car. Got that swapped out, then tackled some of the little brackets I need to make to wrap up the frame welding.
One of the brackets that I made tonight were the ones to hold the fuel tank. I am going to use a 10 gallon moon style tank that I bought from Speedway. I actually bought this one for my '39, then I gave it to Dan for his, but he ended up using a fuel cell, so I got it back. It is a little shop worn now, so if I decide to go with the original aluminum finish I will order a new one from Speedway, and still use this one on the Dodge. But if I decide to paint it body color, I can sand and prep it and it will be fine. Just haven't decided yet.
I made two brackets out of 3/8 x 2 inch strap, bent the one end to raise it up slightly on the crossmember, and cut them so that they will fit between my rear Model A crossmember and the frame tube crossmember. I figure each one will only have to hold half of the 10 gallons of fuel, so these should be more than sufficient. Tomorrow I will weld them in place, drill the holes for the circular mounts that come with the tank, and be done with that part of it. I also have to make a mount for my water seperating fuel filter that goes before my electric pump, and one for the electric pump itself.
Getting down to the short strokes on the frame, and I am saving the fiberglassing for the weekend, because our industrial park is empty on the weekends and I can take the body outside to do the sanding on the interior, in preparation for the actual glassing.
Here are some shots of the fuel tank brackets I made tonight, and the tank in it's mocked up position.
Don
As I mentioned earlier, I would like to do some fiberglassing this weekend ,when I can take the body outside to keep some of the grinding mess down in the shop. But first I have finish up the driveshaft hoops before the floor is in. Then I can remove the entire hoop structure as one big assembly, glass in the floor and interior wooding, then weld the hoops permanently to the frame, and finally cut out the floor to fit over the hoops.
The reason I want to keep the plywood floor in one piece until all the wood is in there is because it will stay straighter than if I cut it now. Once the backrest and side pieces are glassed in, there will be enough strength there so it should not lose it's shape until I glass the trans and driveshaft tunnel permanently in place.
I was also able to shrink the width and height of the driveshaft hoops. I had originally allowed way more room than I actually needed for the driveshaft to move up and down, and sideways (due to rear axle shifting on turns) I got that down considerably so that I will now have enough hip room . You will notice the very rear hoop is wider and taller than the other two, that is because I needed more room there for the rear axle yoke to spin and go up and down. That portion is behind my seat slightly, and will be pretty much hidden in the backrest. I plan to flare out the driveshaft tunnel there and also in front of the very front hoop, so that it will blend into the transmission tunnel.
Ken Thurm got me thinking when we were discussion the Odyssey Battery we are both using (hey Bob, I called it the right name this time :D ) He mentioned it should be about 3 feet from the starter for best performance. I was originally planning on mounting it on the drivers side, but that run would have been further than if I put it on the passenger side. I still am about 4 feet, but closer than the other way. So, I built a battery box and mounting bracket to put it right on the rear round crossmember. When I weld in the driveshaft hoops I will tie it into that structure for strength.
I made the box that holds the battery unboltable so that if Odyssey ever discontinues this particular battery I won't be left hanging with a welded in box. As you can see in the one picture, the angle iron box I made mounts straight up and down, rather that having the battery sit on top of it, as is usually done. I will slide the battery into this "shelf" and hold it in place with two metal straps that bolt across the back side. It only weighs like 15 lbs, so there should be no problem with it sitting there in this fashion.
Now I just have to clean up the steel for welding, and I plan on going back tonight after dinner and doing some of that. These small chores are a bear to get out of the way, but until I do, I can't go on to the body mounting.
Here are some pictures of what I got done today. Obviously, I have to trim off the excess part of the hoops that extends below the frame. I am also going to cut off the heads of the bolts that are holding on the battery box and flush weld them in so the battery can sit flat.
Don
PS: I also know the real driveshaft will be fatter than the PVC mockup, but allowed enough room for that one too.
Today I spent about 10 hours finishing up the darned driveshaft hoop assembly. In my wildest dreams I would never have thought something so simple could take so much time. What caused that amount of time was getting the parts ground and prepped for welding, and then welding it all up.
The 2 peices of 1 x 1 tubing that run fore and aft were obviously hollow, and I didn't want water getting inside, so I capped them with some pieces of small steel. Then I was able to finalize the position they will lay in on the two round crossmembers, and insert the three hoops. Once those were welded up I made four tabs that will be mounts for the center of the plywood floorboard.
All in all, there are fourteen bolts that will hold the body to the frame. My '27 only has 6 as do most T buckets and the like, but since I have to cut the floor in half after it is glassed, I didn't want any possibility of it sagging or being loose. By bolting it down in that many places it should never move or create any stress on the fiberglass body.
Here are some pictures of what I got done today. Now that this hurdle is done I can do the fiberglassing this weekend like I hoped.
Picture one shows the hollow tube I wanted to cap
Picture two is the cap in place and clamped for welding
Picture three is the welded and ground cap
Picture four are the two tubes with the hoops welded on
Picture five are the four tabs I made to mount the inside of the floorboard to the hoops
After all that was welded up, here is the finished assembly mocked up in place. I won't weld it to the frame until the interior is totally glassed up so I can safely cut out the center of the floor to fit over this assembly.
Now it's time for a shower and some late night dinner. :D :D
Don
Don those little pieces get the fingers warmed up. Some nice fab work keep it up im still learning here.
Its always the little things that eat up the time, but those are the things that show craftsmanship Looking good Don
Thanks Bob and Charlie. I feel lots better since I have that part of the build out of the way. What a pain, but it had to be right to really support the center of the body.
Well, after 6 hours sleep I am back on the job. Today my project is FIBERGLASSING. :D My first stop will be to pick up a paper suit so I can seal myself up and hopefully avoid the itches tonight.
Might have some pictures of a semi-completed interior to post when I get home tonight.:3dSMILE:
Don
You going to have the Michlin Man over doing your work???:eek:
Don---Here's a tip---If you shower in hot water, it opens the pores in your skin up, and the glass particles can get deep into your pores, and not wash off. The obvious solution to that is to shower in cold water immediately after finishing your fiberglass work. Now, thats really good advice, but your a better man than me if you can bear to shower in ice cold water.:LOL: :LOL: I always found that full coveralls and disposeable rubber gloves did it for me.---and a good 'blow-off" with the airhose just before I took off the coveralls.---Brian
Try duct tape. Take a roll and pull off enough to wrap back onto the roll so the sticky side is on the outside. Roll it on your skin, the adhesive will pull most of the fibers. This may be hazardous to you hairy guys and gals.
:LOL: Good ol fiberglass ...you aint living till you have done the backstroke in fiberglass particles.:CRY:
I know very little about fiberglass and I may have not done the right things ,....but the last time I did some glass,I used a paint brush to make sure I had a couple of thick coats of resin on top of the glass to keep the fibre burried deep down under the sanding/ grinding surface.It seemed to help with the itchy /scratchy deal...but it just may have been myself telling myself that it helped to keep a good mental attitude going:rolleyes: :LOL:
I may be a little bit twisted, but the fact is, I have always enjoyed working with fiberglass. the itch factor never really bothered me all that much, and I was always impressed at the results that you can achieve with it. And its one of those things where the more you work with it, the more you realize the potential of the stuff. I scored a whole box full of latex rubber medical gloves, and they certainly cut down on the mess you have to contend with when "wash-up" time comes. I like the smell of the resin. As long as you can get your peices outside for the initial "clean-up" grinding, then it doesn't even make that big a mess inside your garage.
I guess it's time to dredge up my old tip on removing glass "slivers" since we have a bunch of CRS afflicted folks around here. Wipe down any "infected" area with wadded up panty hose, the fine mesh snags the little buggars quick and easy.
How you acquire the panty hose is your business. In Don's case I'm sure it would be harmless.:D ;)
Bob---Its a lot more fun if someone is wearing the pantyhose as you do the wiping----
You forgotten what Don's girlfriend looks like?:LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by brianrupnow
What would be real fun is use them to remove the fiber glass then return them to where you got them,and sit back and laugh.:eek: I know theres a mean strek in me somwhere.:eek: **) In Don's girl friends case I dout shed notice
Ya mean there's another way to do it!!!!???????:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:Quote:
Originally Posted by brianrupnow