LocostUSA.com
http://locostusa.com/forums/

Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19085
Page 16 of 29

Author:  horchoha [ August 5, 2019, 12:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

GonzoRacer wrote:
5/8 of an inch is more than it looked like from my house

I hear you JD, usually what I hear from wifey is "you said it was bigger/longer than that!", bolts are bolts, and gaps are gaps, no matter how long or short or wide they are.

Out to the shop today. Finished installing Gr8 1/2" NF bolts for the drag links, coil overs, UCA's, and pan hard rod. Married the engine to the transmission for the last time installing the torque converter and bolting it up. Spent a couple of hours straightening out the rad core fins on a 50 year old copper rad. Installed new drain c0ck in rad. Installed shifter cable housing assembly, Installed the transmission kick down rod and adjusted it. Installed drive shaft. Adjusted pinion angle. Started thinking about an exhaust.
In the last pic I had to laugh looking at the size of the shop crane parked on the left side of the Topolino compared to the Topolino body size (or even the tool box on the right).
Some black and silver pics.

Author:  rx7locost [ August 5, 2019, 9:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Oh my! What a beauty! Looks great all put together. Nice work Perry, as usual.

Author:  horchoha [ August 8, 2019, 10:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

rx7locost wrote:
Oh my! What a beauty! Looks great all put together.

Thanks a bunch Chuck.

Caulked, primed and undercoated underneath the body.
Oh and here is something I discovered, don't know if it will ever help anyone out. I started using blue auto mask paper for overspay. Sucks to put it around curves without cutting and fitting it. Then I tried some landscape fabric, easy peasy! Holds masking tape nicely, goes around curves, and is re usable. The best thing - works just like masking paper.

Author:  horchoha [ August 10, 2019, 9:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Pulled the 5.0L Seven out to wash it. Pulled the car trailer out to wash it. Washed the motorhome. We are taking some time off from retirement to have a 5 day mini vacation near the mountains starting Monday.
Was able to putz around the shop and the build late afternoon. Started fitting up the rear lower panel to the body. I removed this piece at the beginning of the build due to it sticking out the sides, it surely would have gotten crumpled up. So I attached the rear fenders with some bolts and went to work. It was spot welded to a lip of the spare tire compartment and spot welded 4" either side of the compartment. It then bolts to each rear fender.
Anyhooo, I am convinced body panels are similar to the human body as in the left side is not the same as the right side. Some human body parts hang lower on one side than the other, such do panels. After coming to terms with that, and pulling and pushing and stretching and clamping and tweeking you stand back (as if you were looking in a mirror) and say "Hey thats looks almost normal!".
I'll tweek it some more before permanently attaching it when we get back from holidays.
Some pics.....

Author:  benny_toe [ August 11, 2019, 2:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Must be something wrong with my eyes. Looks right to me.

Author:  GonzoRacer [ August 11, 2019, 6:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

benny_toe wrote:
Must be something wrong with my eyes. Looks right to me.
Yeah, what Larry said...
But ain't those vice-grips gonna catch on your clothes and stuff when you try to walk around the car??? You gonna paint them to match, or just leave 'em chrome? :mrgreen:

:cheers:
JDK

Author:  Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F [ August 11, 2019, 6:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

You have more light at different angles on the right side that can trick the eye but it looks symmetrical to me too.

If you are referring to asthetics with the new bumper, it looks like a great piece of fabrication, but you might try softening the lower corners of the bumper to match the fender radius.

Author:  horchoha [ August 12, 2019, 12:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F wrote:
you might try softening the lower corners of the bumper to match the fender radius.

MV8, what you are suggesting is way beyond my skill set. I'll keep the OEM fender/rear lower panel just the way it came from the factory.
What I was referring to is that each side of the rear lower panel is not symmetrical. But it's not that bad so I say so what? neither am I. That's life.

GonzoRacer wrote:
But ain't those vice-grips gonna catch on your clothes and stuff when you try to walk around the car??? You gonna paint them to match, or just leave 'em chrome?

So I felt so guilty leaving those vile vice grips on I spot welded the rear lower panel on the body. Of course once that was done I had to marry the body to the frame for I hope the last time, thank you very much JD for the words of jocularity/inspiration :lol:

Thanks for the kind words Larry :cheers:
Attachment:
IMG_5332.jpg

Did all this today plus loaded up the motorhome so that we can leave in the morning. I'll sleep good tonight.
Some 'black' pics........

Author:  benny_toe [ August 12, 2019, 1:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Perry, that's going to be a fantastic, fun little car. Good going!

check your PM

Author:  GonzoRacer [ August 13, 2019, 7:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Perry-
I went back up-stream and looked at the pictures for the 3rd or 4th time and I think I can see the "non-symmetric" fitting you're talking about with the panel/fender/bumper etc. I think I see it... Maybe... Probably could find similar "mis fits" on any car of the era if you look closely enough.

I bet when you come back from your road trip, it will have healed itself all up and look perfect. :mrgreen:

:cheers:
JDK

Author:  Trochu [ August 19, 2019, 2:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

You're flying on this thing!

Looks good.

Author:  horchoha [ August 19, 2019, 11:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

So on the way to the mountains I experienced my first tire 'blowout'. Don't get me wrong, I've had flat tires, run flats, and separations. This is the first time I've had a tire fail completely at highway speed, sounded like someone pulled the trigger on a shot gun at the rear of the motorhome. The trailer tires are 225/75R15 Carlisle load range D, rated 2450 lbs inflated to 65psi. This tire had less than 2000 miles on it, it was the spare tire that I installed in Desert Hot Springs because the RS original tire had some uneven wear on it. Anyhoo, I installed 2 new tires on the trailer, Carlisle, load range E, 2840 lbs, inflated to 75psi. Should be good to go.
Attachment:
IMG_5437.jpg


Back to the build today. Got the cooling system sorted out. Mounted rad, upper and lower rad hoses, rad fan, and trans cooler. For now I will loop the heater hose to run the engine and fab a heater later on.
So far I'm happy to say there are no 2 pieces trying to occupy the same space as I put things together - yet :wink:
Some pics.
Attachment:
IMG_5439.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_5441.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_5440.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_5444.jpg

Author:  Lonnie-S [ August 20, 2019, 11:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

I don't know what to say about that tire, Perry. It's both startling and scary. What a mess. I'm glad nothing serious came of it.

The mouse looks fabulous.

Cheers,

Author:  horchoha [ August 21, 2019, 1:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Lonnie-S wrote:
What a mess.
in my shorts. There I fixed that for ya.

Back to the shop today. Cobbled together an exhaust of sorts for now. Had the original exhaust flange, fabbed up a take off from the ex manifold with some big 1 1/2" pipe. Bought a cheap muffler today and incorporated it in the fabrication. Tail piped it to a location just in front of the DS rear tire/fender, like a side pipe.
Fabbed up an old fashioned choke br@cket for a choke cable. You young ones can google that to see what I'm talking about or ask JD :rofl:
Some pics.
Attachment:
IMG_5445.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_5446.jpg

Attachment:
IMG_5447.jpg


Mounted the fuel filter in the engine compartment, no pic.

Lonnie-S wrote:
I don't know what to say about that tire, Perry.

I checked around, they don't make a tire patch big enough to fix this one :lol:

Trochu wrote:
You're flying on this thing!

Thanks Josh, though it seems like I've been on this build forever

GonzoRacer wrote:
I bet when you come back from your road trip, it will have healed itself all up and look perfect.

Your right! There's a hundred other things that take precedence over that. But like we say, one step at a time

benny_toe wrote:
Must be something wrong with my eyes. Looks right to me.

Capt'n Morgan spiced rum helps my eyes :rofl:

Author:  GonzoRacer [ August 21, 2019, 9:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Perry's 4th build, the Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Alter

Quote:
a choke cable. You young ones can google that to see what I'm talking about or ask JD
Yup, learned about 'em at an early age, trying to start a lawn mower... Later it was my 62 Fairlane... Later still, it was my 71 MGB... Y'all tryin' to say I'm old or something???

Ignition on, listen for the fuel pump to pressure up, hit the starter and roll it over twice then pull the choke all the way out. When the engine fired, push the choke halfway back in and let the engine warm up for a bit, then ease it the rest of the way in. -- Starting procedure for the MGB.

Peace, Love and Sidedraft SUs-
JDK

Page 16 of 29 All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
https://www.phpbb.com/