Thread: Everybody that is currently building a car...

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1bad32, you have built a sweet ride! Great job!

Got to spend some quality time in the shop this week. The truck has been under a cover for almost 3 years. Yack cough cough hack hack. LOLs. Lot of clean up work with 3 years of body dust floating around from Dustin's El Camino.

Anyway, I got a few things decided after many measurements. Kinda glad I stepped away for a while. Funny how many things you find that need changed.

Going to cut the frame off behind the IRS and widen the frame so I can make another fuel tank. The one I made isnt but 10 gallons. Not going to cut it for me. I'll be able to make a 20 gallon 6" deep and still see the IRS from the rear if I widen the frame. Don't know why I didn't think about that when I built the frame.

Then I noticed I didn't have the front drive shaft hoop far enough back. Needs to be behind the u joint at least.

Moving the IRS coil overs in front of the half shafts instead of off the rear bottom bolt. Afraid it will eventually shear under load. By moving it forward I can use 3 bolt mounting points.....both dog bone mounts and the shock mount.

This was the first couple days.

David

Yesterday I got the steering mocked up good enough to turn the front wheels. I used a steering column out of a 69 Chevy van. Used a vibration joint at the front, spherical rod end in middle, and a single joint to attatch at the column. Joint is at 28 degees. Also used a 3" column drop. I wanted to keep the factory seat base (which once was filled with a fuel tank) and mocked up the rear seat out of a Dodge mini van on it. The thing that baffles me is, how do some of these guys put a Glide seat directly n the floor and still see over the dash? If I could do the same thing I could drop the column another couple inches which would improve steering joint angle and give me more room for the brake pedal. Unfortunately I started mocking up the headers and noticed now the steering column I'm using will be in the way of the #7 primary tube. Going to get an Ididit same design only 3" shorter.

Which leads me to tonight.

David

Tonight I got started on the headers. Oh crap! That's all I can say. I sure wish I had a little more room. LOLs. I can easily make a ready made set of block huggers work but I really want at least a mid length or better yet long tubes equals. Not sure I'll be able to do the equal length headers. I started out using sucker rod to get an idea for shape. Good grief these guys that charge a grand for a set of headers earn every penny!

I'm trying to think of another way to mock something up without using sucker rod. Seems like I remember using a flex conduit in the industry years ago that was stiff until you force a kink in it (and would stay put). The only stuff I'm finding flexes but tries to return to straight when let go. Then I thought may be alluminum exhaust tubing for gas furnace if I can find it in 1 3/4" size. Or maybe some sort of foam solid sticks that bend easy and will keep their shape? Any one have any ideas?

I bought a huge pile of miscellaneous bends and got the #1 primary ran but now I've got to change it again. If I can find something else to mimic the primary tubes, that is easily shaped, I could then do a whole tube out of mild steel. Once I get the actual primary's where I want them, and feel confident enough, I'll justify buying a decent tubing bender so can make the tubes without a bunch of welds.

David

David,
These guys Custom Headers Built To Your Specifications have a mock up kit that's made up of some adjustable joints coupled with plastic pipe. Wonder if a guy could do the same thing with a basket of 90's, 45's, and unions and a couple of sticks of schedule 40 plastic pipe? Just thinking....

Roger,

That might work. I'm hoping to find something flexible. I've been digging the net for something like memory foam to speed things up for me. Since I'm trying to do equal lengths I'm sure it's going to be quite the conglomeration of j bends etc so I was hoping for something real flexible to help speed the process.

So far it's been fun. I like the fabricating side of anything. It's the grueling finish work that wears me down.....like body work. Lols.

David

Hard to find a mandrel bender that will do the thin exhaust tubing without kinking, most die sets of header tube size will do a minimum of around .080" tube, double the thickness of most headers... They get to be real hi-dollar units to do the thin wall stuff...

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Hard to find a mandrel bender that will do the thin exhaust tubing without kinking, most die sets of header tube size will do a minimum of around .080" tube, double the thickness of most headers... They get to be real hi-dollar units to do the thin wall stuff...

That what I was afraid of. So what kind of bender will work for the bare basics without kinks? What do I look for in their spec sheets before actually calling them? Woodward? Or are we talking the huge floor units like a muffler shop uses. Honestly Ive always wanted a nice tune bender and don't mind spending money on one. I've got a ton of project ideas I'd like to tackle. Reverse trike, rock buggy, etc.

David

I go the cheap route & buy prebent mandrel tubing. Then just piece it together like a puzzle.



Before I pick up the scaffold deck with the tall forks 12', I wanted a little assurance it wouldn't tip over, so I'm building outriggers. There's not a lot of room on one of these things to fit out riggers but I found a place where everything clears everything else, just barely.





I still have some gussets to add & a couple other odds & ends.

Then I have a flow restrictor to build to slow the bucket down when the scaffold is attached.

Originally Posted by Stovebolter

That what I was afraid of. So what kind of bender will work for the bare basics without kinks? What do I look for in their spec sheets before actually calling them? Woodward? Or are we talking the huge floor units like a muffler shop uses. Honestly Ive always wanted a nice tune bender and don't mind spending money on one. I've got a ton of project ideas I'd like to tackle. Reverse trike, rock buggy, etc.

David

David,
Most of the stuff I've seen from muffler shops has all kinds of wrinkles & kinks in it. I think you'll be much better off using pre-bent's like Jerry suggested, especially the J bends as they have a short & long end that gives lots of flexibility. Looking at the units from Stainless Headers MFG they're done with pre-bent sections, at least it appears that way to me. You can always grind the welds smooth and polish if you use SS and TIG them.

Just check the specs on what wall thickness, minimum and maximum, the bender will handle. I've bought some of my stuff from a Company called Trick Tools, all quality stuff and genuine racers to help with your questions!!!! Tricktools.com I think is their website, they handle all the good names. Probably going to end up with a Baleigh bender to get what you want! They're spendy, but super quality. If you call down there, talk to Christian, he's a drag racer and really knows his stuff!!!!

Looks neat Pro!!!! Christian, over at Trick Tools, is an Eddyville racer!!!! Their shop is in Pella. Isn't that kind of around your old home?????

At the site that Roger referanced--they have an group of videos about header fabrication tips--good watching--

I buy my flanges from Chris and also some bends--you can get pretty reasonable costs if you buy J bends as they have some longer sections of straight tube than 90s, also get some different c/l radius so tubes can set inside each other (spooning), and if you want to use step headers it can actually simplify things by sliding tubes together
Another source I use for header bits, collectors and assembly items is ConeEngineering in alifornia====coneeng.com

Working on the pickup for awhile. I got the gouges sanded out of the hood and the dent knocked out of the front rolled pan. Still a bit of work to do on the headlight openings then it'll be time to shoot some paint on all the primered pieces! Would like to find out for sure who the dipstick was that vandalized the truck, I'd like to have a little chat with him!!! Under the hood, all the plug wires were pulled off, the power lead to the distributor was cut, and the short fuel line between the filter and carb was cut half way through with a razor blade..... Fixed things up and ran it for awhile late yesterday, everything works fine now....

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Working on the pickup for awhile. I got the gouges sanded out of the hood and the dent knocked out of the front rolled pan. Still a bit of work to do on the headlight openings then it'll be time to shoot some paint on all the primered pieces! Would like to find out for sure who the dipstick was that vandalized the truck, I'd like to have a little chat with him!!! Under the hood, all the plug wires were pulled off, the power lead to the distributor was cut, and the short fuel line between the filter and carb was cut half way through with a razor blade..... Fixed things up and ran it for awhile late yesterday, everything works fine now....

Dave that would really torque me. I think a security camera catching him in action, followed by a quick callto the police would be a good start.