LocostUSA.com

Learning how to build Lotus Seven replicas...together!
It is currently March 29, 2024, 2:06 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 178 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ... 12  Next
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 19, 2018, 7:58 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
Oh, and the dang pinion is offset to the passenger side by about an inch or so... if there weren't enough variables to look out for

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 23, 2018, 10:27 am 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
Raccoonman wrote:
Oh, and the dang pinion is offset to the passenger side by about an inch or so... if there weren't enough variables to look out for


That's not really a big deal.

as far as the driveshaft offset, I was kind of wondering about that. The driveshaft pass-thru to the differential space is 6 inches wide, tonight I'll take the fat end of the driveshaft and see how it fits in there. I can notch the tubing if need be, but I should be okay.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 23, 2018, 11:33 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
It shouldn't be, really, unless your tolerances were that tight. I'm thinking I'm going to need two removeable panels (at least one, anyway) to get to the U-joint bolts. The rear I might be able to fudge, the front is a must. The way I'm going to fab up the body, it should be removeable IF NEED BE.... not exactly -easily-, but probably a two-person job to lift off the frame. Of course, now is the time to think ahead and install some lifting points....

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 23, 2018, 2:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
well, since I didn't know the pinion offset initially, I used the widest dimension of the stock XJ6 driveshaft tunnel, figuring that would be sufficient.

I've also decided that my driveshaft is going to be made from the 2.0 OD plain section from behind the center bearing. that'll allow me a bit more leeway in driveshaft clearance side-to-side.

N^e-w4y...

After I'd finished the engine bay side braces, Iwanted to add the two angled engine mount bulkhead braces on the top side. This proved to be fairly simple, what with my newly improved mitering methodology and skillz. Shown is how I marked the sharp angles on the long side...magnet a straight edge along the side tube, align using Robb's Calibrated Eyeball (tm), apply sharpie. Apply sharpie below, apply cutoff wheel to both sides.

Attachment:
163650.JPG


Et, voila ici!
Thing of beauty, joy forever, etc, etc.

Attachment:
165819.JPG


That done, it was time to flip the chassis over to finish weld on the bottom, and on some other places that would be best accessed from underneath...

...another skill I find improved on this build, is being able to fill the acute tube angles and get good welds in those spaces too.

But - flipping the chassis...the first time I did it by hand. It's not quite too heavy for me , alone, so far.

Uno...

Attachment:
171025.JPG


Dos!

Attachment:
174137.JPG


I gotta tell ya, that thing is feeling pretty sturdy. I fired up the MIG135 and had me a buzz-fest. Gud Tymez, Yo!

...post Buzz-fest goodness

Attachment:
131207.JPG


Lastly I added two bracing diagonals to the floor area beneath the seats...OMFG those were cake, and I like cake, so there.

Attachment:
150910.JPG


Then on to re-righting the chassis, and Pam admonished me to not hurt myself more...than I like, apparently. So I got it in my head that I'd use my engine crane, which worked pretty well...

Attachment:
203243.JPG



...but did complicate things rather more than I found efficacious, and so I did the last bit of flipping by hand as before.

Back where it belongs...

Attachment:
205318.JPG


Tonight, more of the same, although if the weather cooperates, maybe I'll get the steering rack out of the XJ6, and then can attempt pulling the LCA pivots, which I'm sure aren't rusted into place at all, even a little bit. Nope. they're not rusted in AF at all, not at ALL.

I gotta tell ya, those stock cast iron XJ6 control arm bits are heavy AF. Srsly.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 23, 2018, 3:02 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
GREAT PROGRESS! And, yes, XJ6 stuff even in small portions can be quite heavy. "How heavy can I make this car and still get it do 100mph...." seems to have been the Lyons mindset. Not Chapman-esque in the least. "In order to do this, the darn thing will need two petrol tanks!" (Et Voila, the XJ6 failing point)

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 24, 2018, 8:53 am 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
Raccoonman wrote:
GREAT PROGRESS! And, yes, XJ6 stuff even in small portions can be quite heavy. "How heavy can I make this car and still get it do 100mph...." seems to have been the Lyons mindset. Not Chapman-esque in the least. "In order to do this, the darn thing will need two petrol tanks!" (Et Voila, the XJ6 failing point)


"...and the petrol tank drain should be in the middle of a larger mass dump drain plug, just so fuel can be dumped everywhere at once, either in an emergency, or to create an emergency"

"Makes perfect sense to me, why wouldn't one do that?"

Anyway, got the steering rack out last night. T'was a greasy mess down there...

Attachment:
165213.JPG


But, being sufficiently oiled on the exterior, all the hose joints and bolts came undone easily - there's only three holding the XJ6 rack in, two on the driver's side, one on the passenger side - it only leaked about a half-pint onto the ground. There it is, in about where it's new home will be.

Attachment:
201400.JPG


I also separated the two halves of the XJ6 driveshaft, removed the center bearing, and gave each a test fit in the driveshaft tunnel space. It'll fit, and I'll be able to easily create the Jag Spl. driveshaft out of these two pieces.

Attachment:
201941.JPG


More would have gotten done, except a friend showed up with this...

Attachment:
183558.JPG


...and we spent some time swapping rides. I'll tell you right now, that BD-5 bodied thing is utterly ridiculous, and horrible, quite possibly the worst on-road vehicle I've ever driven - though my parents' 1954 IH pickup truck was legendary in its unrelenting awfulness - driving it was brutal. But I admit I came back to the G'raj laughing and with a big smile on my face.

Even better, said friend - named Kyle, and a microcar aficionado - found the B-3 to be such a sweet ride, that he is going to build his own, from my drawings, but with BMW K75 power. ;-)


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Last edited by robbovius on July 24, 2018, 10:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 24, 2018, 9:51 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 24, 2008, 2:13 pm
Posts: 5326
Location: Carlsbad, California, USA
What the heck is that thing? Do you know anything about it? I see it as some sort of concept vehicle that escaped the usual destruction by the big auto company. It's weird, but cool.

Cheers,

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

Build Log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5886


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 24, 2018, 10:12 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
Wasn't that marketed by Polaris? Around 1984-85-ish? Licensed as a motorcycle because only three wheels make contact with the ground when stationary, and up on two when moving? Saw a "dealership" for them in Lockhart Florida

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 24, 2018, 10:21 am 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
Guys, it's a Pulse Autocycle. The body is actually the same molding as that of the BD5 homebuilt aircraft. It's powered by a Kawasaki KZ440 air-cooled twin.

It's brutal inside, crazy loud, hot (even with the canopy open wide), the steering wheel is much too far away from the seat, the shifter doesn't return to the middle detent on its own, and its slow. but, it's a hoot, that's for sure.

As long as the drive isn't more than 3-4 miles, and you wear earplugs, it's pretty bearable ;-)

He's got it for sale, if anyone is interested. it could be made into a much more useful vehicle with some work. The stare factor is sky high, trust me ;-)

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 25, 2018, 12:53 pm 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
I'm actually keeping up with the build log updates this week. what's that about? I must not be working on it hard enough.

So. I'm sure we all remember when I joked around about how the LCA pivot shafts (the veddy British factory manual calls them "pins") would not be rusted in at all, the understanding being that they would absolutely be rusted into place, molecularly bonded, as it were, something resembling permanently, with malice aforethought.

...and so they turned out to be. the fore-end pivot pin nuts unscrewed surprisingly easily - no matter their incorrigible crustiness - and the driver's side pin suckered me a good one when I applied my giant-economy-sized pipe wrench on the butt-end hex, and it turned...but that was just the pressed-on hex head turning on the shaft.

I did proceed to beat on the threaded end with a series of ever-enlarging hammers and drifts, finally stopping when I got to the 3-ft length of 1.0 SQ bar stock and splitting axe. I then knew that the pins were only coming out by being cut out...

...so, I got under there with my angle grinder and cutoff wheel, and began sectioning the subframe to access the pin tubes.

Attachment:
182733.JPG


Then, this conversation occurred:

me: "Did you get a picture of the sparks?"

Pam: "A little. You keep stopping just as I take the picture."

me: "Oh, okay. How's this?"

Attachment:
182907.JPG


Pam: "Whoa!"

me: "Well. That was exciting!"

Then it rained really hard.

After the rain stopped I returned to the mission, but it was getting late, and so stopped with the LCA removal, but did get the spring pans off. Removal was rather more easy than I'd expected, again, with only a single broken bolt.

Attachment:
195716.JPG


Tonight, hopefully the rain will hold off and I can get out there with the torches, cutoff wheel and pneumatic chisel, and get at least one of those LCAs off. It's gonna be messy.


You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 25, 2018, 3:36 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
Why, I simply don't understand why the foolproof British system of rustproofing didn't function as intended.... there's so much grease (or was, at least) on my front suspension I could probably unscrew everything by hand....

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 25, 2018, 3:38 pm 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
This is, unfortunately, one of those places where I say something like "That's why it'd have been easier to have the subframe out on the ground", or something crass like that. Which, of course, I would never say. Out loud.

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 6:58 am 
Offline

Joined: August 12, 2012, 6:38 pm
Posts: 1937
Location: worcester county, Massachsetts
Raccoonman wrote:
This is, unfortunately, one of those places where I say something like "That's why it'd have been easier to have the subframe out on the ground", or something crass like that. Which, of course, I would never say. Out loud.


... but, to take the subframe out, the engine has to come out, as the forward engine mounts are attached to the front subframe. It's not time for that yet. The easiest place for me to store both the engine and transmission right now is in the car.

I could, of course, use Jaguar service tool MS.53A to support the engine while I removed the front suspension on the subframe, but I haven't one of those.

And besides, hardship conditions, man. There is no growth without pain.

_________________
The B-3 build log: http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=13941 unfortunately, all the pictures were lost in the massive server crash

The beginnings of the Jag Special,
https://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19012
Again, all pictures were lost.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 7:43 am 
Offline

Joined: May 29, 2018, 8:43 am
Posts: 184
Location: That point where the humidity and the temperature combine forces to destroy all that is good
I see now, the blind man said, as he picked up his hammer and saw

_________________
Who knew so much time involved in building a car is spent simply staring at the pile of parts you've accumulated?


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: The Pamilcar
PostPosted: July 27, 2018, 9:51 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: October 19, 2012, 9:25 pm
Posts: 3365
Location: Summerville, SC
Robb,
It may be a little late for this advice, but why don't you build yourself a rotisserie? I had one for my canoe building days that got beefed up just a little to restore an MGA frame. Then it got beefed up a little bit more and I put my 67 Sprite on it to do the rockers and floor pans.

Mine was REALLY simple. Sawhorse (homebuilt and sturdy) on each end and a center pivot pole. The MGA was designed to have a pivot pole full length through the car, but the Sprite wasn't. The Sprite got a flat plate that attached to the frame horn extensions where the bumper normally bolted on up front and another in the back.

My kids loved the Sprite swing in the garage for a while.

_________________
Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 178 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 ... 12  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
POWERED_BY