Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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Ooooh, the excitement is almost too much to stand. Quick, Don, bolt something together before we all die of anticipation. I like that orange so much I'm starting to vascilate on the colors I've planned for my roadster...

I almost had windchimes trying to hang up the axle with one hand last night and using the other hand to tie a knot in the wire. Working on cars is quite a workout sometimes.

Ok, you want stuff bolted on? How about this?


Don

Or maybe.................

It poured rain tonight, and I couldn't paint anything, like the front spring, so I took the time to start bolting parts on. Got the battery box and battery, fuel pump and filter (still not sure what I am going to do to the filter to make it blend in better), the taillights and license plate light, brake pedal and master cylinder, transmission cooler, front shock mounts, and finally, the front axle assembly.

I can't hang it until the spring is done, but at least it is mocked up in place. I also have some chrome front heim ends coming for the wishbones, so I can't bolt those down till they come.

But it really feels good to finally see some stuff going on it. By the weekend I should have even more painted and hung, if this weather front goes away.

Oh, one more picture. Here is where I have been dining for the past few months. Isn't working on cars glamorous?


Don

You bolted a cat onto your frame? Just kidding (first pic)

I'm getting excited. It's looking like a car already. The black and orange you chose make a nice clean contrast. Lookin good Don.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

. Got the battery box and battery,
Don

Don, what model Odyssey battery is that? I just put an Odyssey in my Harley and really like it. Thinking about one for my T roadster and am curious which one you're running. My T is powered by a 4.3 Chevy V6 so I don't need a zillion CCA.

Bob

Looking good don, i think you did good on the color choice! Are you going to add a seat for your supervisors?

Don once that engine is in the frame the color will flow more from top to bottom . You sure picked them right .

Originally Posted by hotroddaddy

Looking good don, i think you did good on the color choice! Are you going to add a seat for your supervisors?

Thanks John. No, when I moved one time I took them in the car with no carrier, and Scooter got a little scared and, how do I put this......for a few months her presence was still known. Used every odor killer known to man.

Bob, the Odyssey is next to the smallest they make, a PC680. I had no room for a regular one, and the head guy at Odyssey assured me it would be more than enough to start a small block Chevy. I sure hope so.

Thanks Brian. Yep, I am thinking of something like scallops, or flames, or pinstriping. Once it's painted I will have a better idea.

Thanks Nitro. Put my tools back? I can't even convince Scooter to hit the litter box every time. Good thing I love her, she's a handful.

Thanks Brad: Pizza, I hadn't thought of that. Maybe that will be my celebration meal when I fire it up.

Thanks Bobby. Today was one of the days I liked the orange. It is growing on me.

Brick: It really isn't all that bad to sit there and eat on a box. It gives me a chance to plan the next steps.

Thanks guys for all the posts and encouragement.

Don

I had to close out that post because I never know when my computer is going to freeze up on me. When this car is done I've got to buy a new one.

Got some very good progress done tonight. The rain we were supposed to get never materialized, and the night was beautiful. Nice painting weather.

I've mentioned that I didn't buy a Posies Superslide front spring because I was trying to bring the car in within budget at that time, and now that I have the regular Speedway spring it just makes good sense to use it. Uncle Bob offered a solution, in that Chassis Engineering sells these poly buttons that are made to insert between the spring leaves to give you a poor mans Posies spring. I ordered enough for the front and rear spring, and they came in today.

Thanks for that heads up Bob. These really are a good way to go.

What you have to do to install them is drill a 7/16 hole through a spring leaf, and the head of the button pops in that hole. Then, when you put the spring together, the buttons get trapped between the leaves and can't come out. The concept is that the buttons "slide" more easily that just metal to metal.

Drilling spring steel is sometimes very tough, and Chassis Engineering suggests a drill press that turns 100 RPMS, and lots of cutting oil. I didn't want to use cutting oil because with all the problems I have been having priming stuff, the last thing I wanted was oil on a spring I planned to paint. So I decided to just buy a very good titanium drill bit, and if it burns up, so be it. That is what I did, and luckily, the drill bit made it through all 8 holes I had to drill.

Here are some pictures of the buttons and how they insert into the spring.


Picture one shows the hole I drilled, and the plastic button that will be popped into it.

Picture two shows the button loosely put into that hole.

Picture three shows how I drilled the holes so that they would not show on the top of each leaf. I drilled the holes so that the leaf on top of each one extends out over the hole, hiding it.

Picture four show that same relationship.

Picture five shows the leaf installed on top of the one with the holes, and how the holes are not visable.

I did that on each leaf, so that no holes I drilled are exposed. Right after this was done, I sandblasted the entire spring and started over with a clean spring. I was not happy with the orange on it because I ran out of paint before I got some heavy coverage, and it came out bad.

Don

Here is the entire spring after grinding it clean, and you can see how no holes are visable in any leaf.

Don

And, as I mentioned, the weather held out, so I got quite a bit of priming and painting done. The rear axle is all done, and so is the front spring. Tomorrow the parts should be dry enough to at least get the front end totally hung.

Here are some pictures of what I got painted tonight. More windchimes. Not too many big parts left to paint, all small stuff now.

I've got a chromed 10 bolt rear center cover, chrome shocks, and chrome shackles to install on the rear axle. Should contrast nicely against the orange, and break it up a little.


Don

Don---I like your colour choices. Have you given anythought to painting scallops on the black body in Fusion Orange?

Don, at least you get a chance to eat and a place to do it...... ....it's looking good bud.....Do your "helpers" put the tools back? I need your secrets if they do. I don't care if mine eat like pigs, just wanna find my tools.... P.S.......Wouldn't Orange and blue work better? (Sorry, Bronco fan here....)

Bolt more, bolt more, I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! lol
I didn't see any pizza boxes or beer cans, so you must be eating top shelf fast food. What's with the table cloth, next you will have a bottle of wine and candle. I like the color choice.
Brad