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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 07:56 PM

Work is progressing at a snail's pace. I'm currently hanging the body work on the car. Making all the pieces line up is a PITA. I found that I have to get the hood set in it's final position than fit the fenders and doors to it. I'll expain as I go...

The first shot is the hood which is nearly completed showing the "hump" for the instament pod. This would have been easier if I had made the mold for the hump a little better. This took a lot of bondo and sanding to get to look right.


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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 07:57 PM

Here is another form the other side


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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 07:58 PM

This is the drives door hinge post sheet metal. Very heavy-had to go.


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Posted by: vw505 Apr 28 2003, 08:00 PM

very cool next time i am in tampa i would like to see it

Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:01 PM

This is the "after" shot. No door hinge post anymore. I'm going to have to fab a hinge somehow. This also shows the rocker panel meets the fender, fender meets the door, fender meets the hood.


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Posted by: tahoward Apr 28 2003, 08:03 PM

Very impressive! What are you trying to hit the scales at?

Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:09 PM

You can also see in the last picture when you cut out the door hinge, you open up the fender well. So you have to make a stone shield.

This is where the hood meets right side door/fender. I have to add about 3/16th of a inch of f/glass to the door edge to get it to meet tight and close the gap. This is a PITA.


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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:12 PM

This is the stone guard on the right side on the inside of the wheel well. It is mold into one piece with the rocker panel and the fender.


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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:30 PM

I need to fabricate the mold for the driver's door and than lay up the door. It will be just a skin without the panel on the inside. This will mean it will take some work to get it to hinge and open correctly.

The different colors you see are a mixture of white gelcoat, grey bondo, red glaze, and black paint. I need to sand all the raddle can paint off of it before a can get it painted.

Fiberglass is both a blessing and a cure to work with. If you screw up and cut or sand too much off, you can add it back on. Not too many materials you can do that with. But you have to take you time in making the molds for the pieces or you'll pay for it with hours of sanding and bondo work. I use a yard blower to blow all the sanding dust out of the garage. The stuff gets every where.

I would like to get it down to 1,500 pounds. The plan is to also make f/glass rear fenders and roll bar/hoop. And if get new wheels, (the Revolutions I'm running are heavy), delete the alternater, install a light weight battery, and a light weight fly wheel, I could probably get there.

Stay tuned,
Paul

Posted by: Rob Ways Apr 28 2003, 08:30 PM

Nice job McGyver!

With the door posts gone, is support an issue or is the cage boxing everything?

Posted by: L8Apex Apr 28 2003, 08:38 PM

That looks like fun. I've been playing around with fiberglass for the past few weeks. Just teaching myself some stuff, that's all.

Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:41 PM

The bars now hold it all together. Here is a earlier picture without the body work. But all the bars are not it yet here.


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Posted by: URY914 Apr 28 2003, 08:46 PM

here is a shot with the door bars in


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Posted by: Brad Roberts Apr 29 2003, 02:15 AM

Ha ha... tools of the trade.

Great pics URY.


B

Posted by: Mueller Apr 29 2003, 10:25 AM

A few ideas to save more weight:

1) Convert car to 4x100 bolt pattern using 12mm studs.

2) Ditch the cast rotor/hat assemblies.

3) Convert to aluminum hats with solid ~.375" thickness or .810 max thickness vented rotors (Wilwood or Coleman) (smaller diameter for your application would probebly not be a problem)

4) Use aluminum nuts for the studs

5) Aluminum shocks can be had for about 80 bucks each with your choice of rebound/compression (non-adjustable)
Some fabbing will be needed, not a bolt-on for this price

6) The bolt that holds the rear shocks to the trailing arms is heavy.
Remount the shock or change the bolt to a lighter assembly.
(if you change the angle of the shock mount, this will change the spring rate needed, more angle, more spring rate to get the same effect)

Posted by: tryan Apr 29 2003, 10:53 AM

looks good.

i have been sanding on one of the boats all winter. i put a long hose on the shop vac and plumbed it into the 5" random orbit sander. being careful, it works great on flat areas with the disposable bags. no dust.

still have to use the long board get it level.

are you going to make a hoop behind the driver seat to give it that 550 look?

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 11:27 AM

Mike,

1) I'm using four bolt wheels already.
2 &3) I was thinking about changing to aluminum hats and cast iron rotors, but had never seen it done on non-vented rotors and stock calipers. Have you seen 4 bolt hats and a bolt on rotor that would fit using stock calipers? I've kept the non-vented rotors because thier lighter than the vented 911 5-bolts, but if I can find the pieces to go to aluminum hats and rotors I will. The aluminum hat has to hold the bearings and fit the spindle, right?

4) Where can I get aluminum nuts to use as lug nuts?

5) Aluminum shocks for $80? Where? Who make 'em? I need to have my Konis Sports rebuilt anyway, their old and I need them revalved for a 1500-1600 pound car. I might as well get new aluminum shocks for less.

6) You're right about that shock mouting bolt. I thought about drilling the center out but thats a little risky. I rever really liked the shock mounting on the side of the arm, could be cleaned up a little.

Thanks,
Paul

Posted by: Brad Roberts Apr 29 2003, 11:59 AM

Listen to Mueller (all grown up now)

Mr. Suspension now with his roller bearings ... :finger2:

The weight savings asscoiated with Muellers list might save you 14 lbs total. Good idea's but a ton of work.

You can lighten the front rotors by drilling holes in the flat surface leading up to the actual rotor from the face. You could go with a lightweight caliper.. and save a few pounds. You could also cross drill the current rotors and save a few lbs.

Cut the targa bar off and run a Sheridan fiberglass replica. 20+ lbs there.

B

Posted by: L8Apex Apr 29 2003, 12:08 PM

What about glass fenders? he doesn't look like he has them on his car. Also, who needs a passenger side floor? haha

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 12:37 PM

L8Apex, The front fenders are f/glass, rear fenders will be f/glass soon.

Brad,
I was thinking I could turn the rotors down to that they are the same diameter as the outside of the brake pad. Any metal outside of the pad is just along for the ride. But we are talking oz. not lbs. here.

I'd problaby have better luck drilling on my cast iron rotors than trying to piece together hats, rotors, calipers, adapter pieces, etc.. to save a few pounds. It gets to the question-

If I drill out holes in the rotors to make them lighter, at what point does the surface area become decreased to the point that it effects the braking abillity? Know what I mean?

Last time I checked Sheridan doesn't list the targa bar piece seperatly. Will he sell it seperate and what's the cost?

Paul

Posted by: L8Apex Apr 29 2003, 01:08 PM

Question about the front fenders. how are they mounted? Dzus? screws? bondo? epoxy?

Terrance

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 02:13 PM

The driver's side will be bolted on but the bolts will be small and not visible from the outside. The right side is molded into the door and rocker panel for one big ass piece and will also be held with one hidden bolt, one hood pin and one dzus fastener. This may change as I screw around with the best way to do things.

Paul

Posted by: Brad Roberts Apr 29 2003, 04:20 PM

You dont have to cross drill the rotors (I dont like it...but you AutoX...not road race) Surface area shouldnt be an issue for you. The holes in the flat surface work very well (the transition part from lug holes to pad surface) Not sure yoif you understand which part I'm talking about.

Roger will sell the targa bar separate. Call him and ask him..tell him Brad sent you. You dont need the inside piece he sells... just the outer targa bar itself. He sells a insert that looks just like the insides of the targa bar.


B

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 06:28 PM

Brad,
You're talking about the drilling into the "hat"?
If the rotor was laying flat on the ground this would be the near verticle sides of the hat, right? Not the flat disk section.

Paul

Posted by: Brad Roberts Apr 29 2003, 07:10 PM

Yes !! the hat.

Similar to the way the 2.0S /6 racing flywheel is/was done.

B

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 07:52 PM

Fuckin' A Man, I'm a drillin' fool!!!

Posted by: Brad Roberts Apr 29 2003, 07:55 PM

FRONT AND REAR.. LOL

Go baby. Then check them for balance..


B

Posted by: Aaron Cox Apr 29 2003, 09:09 PM

cool project! didn't jeroen have a set of rear flared body pieces? like has a targa bar and a flare fender in all FG? how many hours ya think you have out into the car?

Posted by: URY914 Apr 29 2003, 09:14 PM

I don't measure my time with this car in hours. I've had the car for 24 years!!!.

Posted by: Jeroen Apr 29 2003, 09:25 PM

The rear q-panels I got include the outer half of the sailpanel, but I don't think it useable as such if you completely cut off the stock targabar...

URY,
Go for Dzus fastners all the way. It'll make working on the car at the track much easier/faster

cheers,

Jeroen

Posted by: URY914 Apr 30 2003, 11:47 AM

Jeroen,
I'm not a big fan of Dzus fasteners. The get abused and look like crap in no time. I'm going to try to pin or thru bolt things and make them all hidden, but easy to get to.

I have to go back and sand some more now,
Thank you,
Paul

Posted by: Mike T Apr 30 2003, 07:16 PM

Paul, Are you making molds for the body parts you are building?

Mike T

Posted by: URY914 May 1 2003, 06:03 AM

Mike,
I have a mold for the passenger door and I'll be making one for the drive's door in a week or so. The front fenders and hood were bought. I'll also be making molds for the rear fenders but not right now.

Paul