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Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 15, 2017, 10:30 pm 
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One more rod end showed up today. That makes four. They still show two more packages to be delivered. This after I cancelled the order. Blows ones mind. And wouldn't you know it, all four that showed up are left hand. All I need is two right hand so I can make up my box section for the dog bones. Is that asking too much?.... :BH: Well, at least Mcmaster delivers when they say they will. My plexiglass for the dash showed up yesterday. So I got started laying out the dash on that. I used the bezel from the '88 Camaro as a pattern. Once I had it traced out, I looked at it and remembered why I had originally considered the Speedhut gauges... If you run the top or the bottom square, parallel to the top or bottom, the opposite side is WAY out of square. Like, 3/16" out in what, 10 inches? Mulled it over, and decided on this: I used a slide square to establish a distance from the top edge of the plexiglass to the bottom of one of the Tach. Then I slid it over, and rotated the bezel to get the speedometer at the same distance. That makes the two most obvious gauges parallel and level. Then I traced them out, along with the other gauges, screw holes, and an outline of the bezel for reference. I won't use the factory bezel. When I make up the carbon fiber piece, I'll just drill out the holes for it, and cut out for the gauges. This way, even if the housing is slightly askew, the gauges are level and parallel, and if the screws are not, there really is not any reference line for them to align to and won't be noticeable. Well, not to anyone else, anyway. With that laid out, I cut it out for the steering column.
Speaking of the column, I got a nice solid support made up for that. The column is from a 2000-ish fourth gen. Camaro, and it is pretty long. For best position, wheel height, etc., I ended up pretty much laying it across the top of the bottom scuttle tube and firewall tube, and raising the point at the scuttle tube about 3/4". It puts the end of the column a bit close to the factory exhaust header, but I may get some block hugger headers to help with that, and may have to fabricate a heat shield. We'll see. The upshot is that the end points almost exactly at the FU1 tube. A u-joint on the column, short piece of DD, a carrier bearing on the FU1, another u-joint, 12" of DD or so, one more u-joint and it drops right into the rack.

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 19, 2017, 9:10 pm 
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A few updated pictures, you know, to prove it actually happened... :roll:


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 20, 2017, 4:31 pm 
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Hey, you couldn't ask for a better view of those gauges. That instrument panel look like it was practically made for your Locost. Nice fit.

Cheers,

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Damn! That front slip angle is way too large and the Ackerman is just a muddle.

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 20, 2017, 4:37 pm 
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You have to get lucky once in a while! I think I've actually gotten lucky a few times this year on this project, so I'm probably done for the year. :wink: We'll find out if the streak continues in a few days, I just put the ball in motion to order a Haynes nose from Jack.

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 27, 2017, 3:56 pm 
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Looks good! Curious how low your engine sits below the frame. Right now I'm oil pan flat with the frame on my 350 but I cut the top firewall bar for bellhousing clearance. I plan to make a bolt in brace later.


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 27, 2017, 4:21 pm 
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Cardot60 wrote:
Looks good! Curious how low your engine sits below the frame. Right now I'm oil pan flat with the frame on my 350 but I cut the top firewall bar for bellhousing clearance. I plan to make a bolt in brace later.


I'm right at 1-1/2" below the pan, at the bottom of the drain bolt / bellhousing. I plan on running a 6 to 6-1/2 ride height, so that should be good for ground clearance and still may yet get the tuned port under the hood...maybe. You may want to look at the Corvette oil pan if you want to drop the engine another inch. After that, the bellhousing becomes the limiting factor.

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: September 30, 2017, 8:56 am 
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Quite the busy week, but did get some work done on the car. I had to install a gauge board type tank gauge on a 150,000 gallon storage tank (Basically a big tape measure on the side of the tank). They sent it with all of the attaching hardware, including these nice L shaped brac*ets that get welded to the tank. Since this was a replacement, the brackets were already on the tank. So I have about a dozen or so of these nice 1/8" or so thick brac*ets just left over. Found a home for three of them right away. Cut the one leg down to 1" on all three, and the second leg on the third one to about 2", welded them together, and made a stiff, ribbed base for the pedals. Drilled four holes, and bolted them to the new bra*ket. Clamped a piece of plate to the lower crossmember and set the assembly in place. I can't say I'm thrilled at this point with the floor mounted units, but swing pedals are not an option with the steering column where it is, which determines where the gauge cluster ends up.... Maybe once it's done and I'm driving it, I'll get used to them. There is, however ample room for my feet, with adequate spacing of the pedals.
Then, on Friday, a guy that I do some certification work for had his final testing session for the guys that were left, and he shut down the business, as he got a nice job at PSE&G.(Or as we know it, Park, Sleep, Eat, and Go home) :wink: I swapped him $1,600 worth of invoicing for a Miller XMT-304 that was in great condition, as well as a Millermatic 30a spool gun, stick leads, 200# of fresh E7018 stick electrodes, and some other misc. stuff. A good week, all in all!


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: October 2, 2017, 7:37 am 
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Yo! Nice lookin' pedal mounts. Like you, I'm not used to floor mounted pedals, but they seem to work just fine in Porsches, so they can't be all bad... I guess... I agree, after you drive the car for a while, they will probably not even be noticeable. (Because you'll be having too much fun!)

:cheers:
JDK

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Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: November 17, 2017, 8:16 pm 
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So I just heard from Jack, and my Haynes nose is going to ship on Monday! 8) It's starting to look like the week between Christmas and New Years is going to be VERY productive! The Man Cave is going to be crowded with the 7 AND the Vicky chassis for Juniors build. :thmbsup:

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: December 17, 2017, 11:12 pm 
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Got a few hours in on the LoCost today. Took a page from the guys that developed the "Shark Bite" setup for the C3 'Vette rear suspension. I found a way to use a simple rocker arm to get the shocks under the fuel tank, horizontal across the frame. Leaves me plenty of room for a 12-14 gallon fuel tank with room to spare. I finally got the transverse leaf out of the front subframe. Stuck a small scissor jack under the front and set it up at 7", with the back at 6". I like how she sits, looks proportional.

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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: April 27, 2018, 5:20 am 
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Wow, been a while. Again. But not without good reason, making good headway with Justins's Vicky. However, look what just showed up the other day! My Haynes Nosecone! Thanks, Jack. I set it on the front of the chassis, and I think it is going to be perfect without having to cut it, but I don't want to count my chickens...


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: March 8, 2020, 7:20 am 
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I can't believe it's been almost two years since I've posted here (or done any major work on the Locost). Life certainly does happen. One of the things that happened was I picked up an unmolested 1969 F250 for my younger son JT. The truck needs a lot of work, but it's solid. Rockers, cab corners, door bottoms are all sound. Top pieces and front of the bed are immaculate. Needs lower bed sides and tailgate straightened, but other than that, not a lot of metal work. He started UTI for Auto and Diesel Technology last November, so I just keep her running until he has time to work on it with me. Last July and October, JT, Omterry and myself attended a Coachworks metal shaping class up in Mass. A place called Proshapers. What a fantastic experience! Anyone thinking of attending something like this, I highly recommend it. His pricing is very reasonable too. Be prepared for some long days though. He runs the basic class Thursday thru Sunday, 9:00 am to 10:00pm! Tiring, but a good kind of tired. For the second round, the finishing class, I took the nosecone I got from Jack and we patterned it to make an aluminum one. We didn't have enough time o finish it, but we still have I think another 60 hours on our clock for "Free Working" so I think we may finish it then. Don't know if it will be good enough to put on the Locost, but I can always hang it on the wall in the Mancave! It got both Omterry and I interested enough to pick up some metal shaping tools (He already got an English Wheel), I'm getting ready to order my English Wheel and a Bead Roller, make a beater stump and bag, and a good mallet. I just grabbed some 1/8" round bar for Omterry and myself to use for making a wire frame for various parts. Yesterday I grabbed some poster paper and foamboard to mock up my dash and some of the other panels. Wrapped the scuttle with poster paper, duplicated the dash (already had a basic mockup in plexiglass with the gauge cluster mounted, but its hard to make small adjustments with the weight of the cluster on it). I really like the shorter Cateringham dashboards, but two things are in the way to do that. First, the '88 Camaro gauge cluster is too big. I'd have to pony up for smaller, individual gauges to do it. Second is proportion. It's a 442, and I raised the top rails another 3/4" to clear the C4 front suspension. If I cut the dash down any more than it is now, It will open up the distance between the tunnel and the dash, and I think it may look way out of proportion. Pictures for reference. I'm also not sure I want to keep the Camaro steering column. It's a tilt unit, and with it placed to properly clear the dash, it does not allow me to rotate it down towards the rack. It sits level across the scuttle and firewall bars. This leads to the wheel being in a position only one or two clicks from all the way up, so not much of an advantage for getting in and out, and also sits back from the dash about 4 or 5 inches to clear the dash, further hindering entry / exit. If I can get it through inspection like that and then add the removable wheel adapter, It should be ok. If not, I think I need to get a straight column from Speedway and get it angled / closer to the dash. Of course then I have to do my own directionals, high beam , wiper / washer, etc. that are already in the tilt. Have a look at the pictures, and please comment on how you think it looks as it sits now. It feels good to be back on it, and since I've been to no less than half a dozen funerals this year, my perspective has changed. Especially with the loss of JD Kemp. I'll seriously miss his missives and commentary on life's happenings. I want to stay on this on the weekends as much as possible, and get her on the road.


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: March 8, 2020, 9:08 pm 
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"Forest for the Trees" moment. I WANTED to have the gauges in front of me, but the reality is they can be in the center just as well, and that allows me to raise the column to tilt it down, making the tilt effective. One problem solved. I think that the dash height looks ok as it is, especially when you consider that the shorter dash is going to effectively cost me another seven or eight hundred dollars. Keeping it this height is a compromise I can live with.


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: March 29, 2020, 8:37 pm 
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Home all weekend, soooo.. I got my arse in gear, and tackled one of the problem areas that kind of got me stalled in the first place. The Boot. The C4 rear suspension made for a problem with supporting the bottom of the boot. The lower control arm extends way down, too far to get any kind of support below them, and tie into the chassis. I really did not want to hang the boot with the fuel tank, etc., just hanging off of the top extensions, and I wanted to be able to drop the whole rear suspension and differential out from the bottom as a unit. What to do...Then, as if Collin Chapman came down and slapped me upside the head, I saw it! Don't HAVE to go under the control arms. The mount on the differential for the transverse leaf spring was available to run a 1-1/4" tube across, and tie in the bottom of the Boot. Use the differential as a "Stressed Member". They used it to support the whole rear of the car, so I don't think supporting the Boot will be any problem! I drilled two holes in the cross tube, sleeved them, and made bra*kets to bolt the lower portion to it. Thus, I can take out the two bolts, pop the toe links, and drop the entire rear out of the car as a unit. Had to do it three times (First time lower boot structure interfered with the tow link, second time the bottom was TOO low, and the third time I was looking at the top of the boot, and it didn't look quite right. It needed that little slope downwards). I'm really happy with how it is turning out. Makes my gas tank smaller than I wanted, but I'll still get a 10 gallon or so tank in there. Also tweaked the steering column height, angle, and was able to raise the steering wheel to an acceptable height in the tilt down position, moved the gauges up another inch or so, and marked a line where the dash will end. Close to "Catering Van" height as I am going to get, and I'm happy with it. Last but not least, ditched the idea of the Super T-10. Too much hassle and compromise with leg room, so I am going to rebuild the World Class T-5 I have, and go with it. Also picked up a 2.59 Dana 36 posi center section . With the low first gear on the T-5, and the .64 overdrive, She will be exactly what I set out to build. A highway flyer.


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 Post subject: Re: SBC +442e build
PostPosted: April 12, 2020, 10:06 am 
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Ok guys, looking for comments and opinions. Started making the fuel tank today. Bent up two pcs. 10" x 38", with a 7" leg .080" 3003 aluminum for the sides, sheared two 7" x 38" strips for the top and bottom, and made two baffles. Looking for commentary on the baffles. They are more for fuel slosh and structure than fuel pickup, I'm going to use Holley Hydramat to make sure there is no fuel starvation and get the most out of the tank. Using a Holley in tank pump.
Thanks in advance!


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