What, More Math?

I have tried several times to get in touch with the powder coating shop to bring the frame and other parts over for painting.  No luck.  Maybe they started Thanksgiving early and they are all sleeping in front of the TV with triptophan poisoning.  Anyway, I thought today would be a slow day since there isn't anything I can do on the car right now.  I was wrong...

I decided to start researching the next area I've been avoiding, mostly because there are too many options and too many opinions -- Brakes!  Yes, I know they're not optional, but I never expected so many varying opinions on how best to stop a car (I won't even get into it).  OK, maybe just for a moment.  We all know that you push the pedal and the car stops.  Easy, right?  Well, apparently a lot of science goes into actually making the brakes do their job well.  I knew that I wanted manual brakes (as opposed to power-assisted brakes which just about all cars have today.)  I thought that would make the whole design simpler.  Well, sort of.  You see, without the power of the engine to help apply pressure to the brakes, it has to be designed more carefully so a normal mortal's leg can supply enough power.  Back in the old days, all cars had non-power brakes and they worked well enough.  But most of those parts aren't around anymore so I have to do actual math to calculate even more things I won't even get into.  Suffice it to say that after working on it for 4 hours, I didn't make much progress other than deciding I have to chop and reweld my brake pedal to change the leverage it applies (good thing I still have the welder!).  Besides that, all I have is lots of notes and ideas.  The whole morning almost felt like real work.  The only difference is that at work, we'd have 8 people sitting around accomplishing nothing.  (just kidding...)

It's now mid-afternoon and here comes UPS for their daily delivery.  What is it today?  A big box!!  A-ha, my steering rack.  Beautiful chrome.  What, where are the bushings?  Those are the thingies that keep the metal parts separated so they don't rub against each other.  Let me look it up.  What, there are different kinds?  How do I know what I need?  Why couldn't they just send some and I wouldn't have to make another decision.  OK, how hard can it be?  They're just rubber donuts.  It turns out that I've just entered another room in the Twilight Zone -- steering geometry.  Is it possible that I'm going to spend the whole day doing math?  It appears so.

The steering rack is the rubber accordion with the bolt coming out of it.  Somehow it needs to pivot on the same axis as the black part below it.  If not, the direction of the tires will change as the car hits bumps (and that doesn't sound good).  More work for another day...

When I dreamed up this project, I thought it would be just like those plastic model cars kids build, only bigger and with metal parts.

 I underestimated.  Boy, do I have a long way to go...

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Just Like Archimedes Always Says

Before I get to my old Greek friend, I spent some more time today fitting the pedals.

My secret helper

 I finished welding the pedal stops and a place to rest my left foot when I'm not shifting.  The pedal arms will still need to be bent about 1.5" to the left to fit the gas pedal.  Put that on the "to-do" list.

The now the frame and the suspension components are ready to go for paint.  Well, almost.

I had purchased used front spindles and decided to replace the bearings before installing them on the car.  The originals probably had at least 100,000 miles on them and I didn't want to have any problems later on.

Spindles after some initial cleaning

I popped off the dust cover in the center and found the nut holding the hub to the spindle.

That's a large 36mm socket on the biggest wrench I have.  Here goes -- lots of grunts, but the nut won't budge.  I checked the specs and it was tightened to 258 ft. lbs. (that's a lot!!).  Here's where Archimedes comes in.  He is believed to have said that with a large enough lever, he could move the world.  So here goes...

A 4 ft. pipe adds the leverage I needed.  And I didn't even fall on my a$$ when the nut released.

All apart

New hub for comparison

Tomorrow I'll call the paint shop and get that started.  I think I'm all ready to start assembly when I get the frame back.  I'll let you know what the painter has to say tomorrow...

Move Over Paul Sr.

For those of you who don't have time to watch American Chopper (TLC), it's a show about a father and son who fight a lot and sometimes build cool motorcycles.  The dad is a tattooed, muscle-bound, hothead.

They do a lot of welding to build their bikes and that's what I got to do today to build my car!  It's very cool to stitch things together with liquid metal.  Everyone is welcome to come over and give it a try.

I got the parking brake moved (only a week later than I thought I'd have it done!).  Here are a couple of pictures.  Don't look too closely at the welds because they look a little like that Salvador Dali painting.  But after a total of 8 minutes of practice, I decided I was ready to do the real thing.  I actually was starting to get better the more I did.  The important thing is it's not going anywhere!

I really feel like I'm starting to make progress now.  With the parking brake out of the way, I started to test fit the pedals.

And guess what?  I have to do some more welding to get the pedals aligned (good thing I have that welder).

I really should be ready to get the frame painted this week.  And then I'm putting this car together!

PS:  I got an email from Diane in Florida (she's the one with the rear wheel spindles).  I still hadn't received them.  Her mechanic had a car race he was preparing for so he hasn't had time to remove the spindles from the old car yet.  She thinks he'll be able to do it Tuesday.  No word on Victor, but I guess no news is good news.

Roller Coaster Ride

This week just keep getting tougher and tougher.  At this time last week, I had expected to make a lot of progress by now.  As each day passed and nothing seemed to happen, I got more frustrated.  For one thing, I was waiting for parts I had ordered.  Like a little kid who knows a package is coming, every time a delivery truck went by, I looked out the window to see if it was stopping here (and we live on a busy street!). 

But the biggest issue was finding a welder to rent.  I thought it would be easy -- call up the local rental place, pick it up, sign many waivers without reading them and get the welder home.  A couple of quick practice welds (they make it look easy on TV, don't they) and I'd get my brackets welded in place.  After that fantasy began to evaporate (imagine the image getting wavy and me waking up from a dream), I realized that it may be a little tougher after all.  First, a welder uses a lot of electricity.  Where could I plug it in without blowing fuses, or worse?  Second, welding is not that easy.  There are many variables such as the amount of power applied for the electric arc, the rate of wire feed, the rate of movement across the metal, the distance the welder is held from the metal, the type of metal, the thickness of the metal, and the orientation of the metals being welded.  OK, I'm sure I can still figure all that out.  After all, there are a lot of not-so-smart welders out there.  I decide to spend a little time at one of my favorite information sources (after Rolling Stone) -- YouTube!  There I learn how to perfect my welding technique from the comfort of my kitchen table.  But I still don't have a welder...

By mid-week, I'm hitting bottom.  I'm watching yet another YouTube video on MIG welding and I see a video review of a $90 welder.  Huh?  I'm sure you'd all agree that a welder is an essential tool for the home, like a hammer or a screwdriver.  My optimism rose.  A couple of key clicks and I had a welder on the way.  Of course, that meant another delivery truck to look for.

On Friday morning, my clutch and brake assembly arrived and it looks good.  Online delivery tracking said the welder would be here on Friday also.  Well, around 4pm the truck pulls into the driveway and out comes a 50 lb. box.  It's like Christmas for someone going through mid-life crisis.  I couldn't wait to try it out.

So, I realized this project is going to be like a roller coaster with  many ups and downs.

And sometimes I'll feel like I'm upside down and completely disoriented ...

The Waiting Game

I haven't posted anything for a few days because I'm stuck waiting.  The biggest issue is that I still haven't been able to find a welder to rent/borrow.  I'm also waiting for my parts from Victor in FL.  I haven't heard from him since last week so I hope he's OK.

Here's what is supposed to happen when things start moving again:  weld brake brackets to frame, receive rear hubs from Victor, prep said hubs, bring frame and suspension parts to powder coating shop.  After that, I can start assembling and it should go quickly until I run out of parts again.

One small bit of progress -- I bought a brake and clutch pedal assembly on eBay for $75.

In the meantime, I probably will order a few more parts (I need to do a better job of inventory management) and work on the engine design.

Hopefully the next post will be soon and show some real progress.  Also, thanks for all the positive feedback on the blog.

Some Inspiration

This morning I went to the monthly Cobra owners breakfast.  Although the temperature was in the low 40's, five guys had their cars out on display -- all looking great!  Many of these guys have taken years to build their cars but a few have done it very quickly (ie, 6 months).  I was able to confirm some of my build decisions and to see how various parts look on these cars.  It's very helpful to talk to those who have done this before so I can avoid some of the pitfalls.  I got to talk about my engine plan, transmission, pedals, gear ratio, steering, fuel system, parking brake and a few other details.  One of the guys even offered me a spare fuel tank he has so that's one fewer things on my purchase list!

Here is a short video I took for some inspiration.

Good News and Bad News

How many times will I get to use this title?  I have a feeling there will be many occasions.  First the bad news, you remember that great deal I mentioned for the transmission?  Well, I guess they figured it was "too" great.  They called me and canceled the order saying the advertisement was a mistake.  That puts me back in the market for a transmission.  It's not that urgent right now, so I'll just keep looking and hopefully will find a good deal somewhere else.

Now the good news, I spent a few hours today finishing the fabrication of the new parking brake brackets.  I'm happy because I was able to reuse all the old bracket parts I cut off the frame.  I also finished grinding down all the residue on the frame where the brackets were originally mounted.  Next, all I need to do is find a welder, learn how to weld and attach the new brackets.  I hope to do all that tomorrow.

I know you're all dying to see what the new bracket looks like.

Sweet!

This is what it looked like in the old location

I almost forgot that my new friend Victor in Florida seems to be doing better.  We are negotiating the terms for an aluminum pumpkin.  I hope we can wrap it up in the next few days.

My goal for the coming week is to get the frame out to the painter.  Once it's back, I can start to attach the suspension.

Time to Get to Work

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since I got the frame and mostly it's just been sitting there.  I've test fit the parts I have and you may have noticed that the frame is just bare metal.  It will have to be painted before I can do any assembly work.  But before I paint it, there are a few things I have to do.  One of the main ones is moving the parking brake.

The frame has brackets to mount the parking brake next to the passenger's left leg.  In that position, the driver can't even reach it.  I'll be cutting off the brackets and moving them to a new location.  In the picture below, the metal plate in the foreground is where the passenger seat will go.  The driver's seat will be on the far plate.  You can see that the driver would have to reach around the center structure to reach the brake handle.

Here I am starting to cut off the old brackets.  Lots of sparks flying -- this is fun!

The blue thing on the frame is a template I made out of paper for new parts I'll have to make.  That's where the parking brake will go after it's moved.  It will require welding the brackets in the new location.  Good thing I had metal shop in 8th grade!!  After that, I'll put the frame back on the trailer and take it to the painter.

Find of the Century!

The rear suspension is designed to fit parts from a few different models of early 1990's Fords.  I'm trying to find these parts used because new replacement parts are so expensive.  For probably a month I've been looking for the rear spindles (the rear wheels bolt to them).  I knew I could buy them new but it would be about $1,000!  Every day I'd try a new angle -- junkyards, eBay, parts houses, etc. with no luck.  Then last week I found a website for early 1990's Ford Thunderbird enthusiasts.  This happens to be one of the models I can get parts from.  Why there are any Ford Thunderbird enthusiasts at all, I don't understand, but thankfully they exist.

1990 Ford Thunderbird

And right there on the used parts list were my spindles.  Amazingly, only $60!!!!  Someone down in FL was selling them so they'll have to be shipped up here (for another $40, but hey, it beats buying the new ones, right?).

Shortly after I agree to buy them, I get an email response, "Hello Ralph,

Sorry but we do not have these items ready for shipping. We must remove them from the parts car we have here.  If you cannot wait a couple of days...maybe a week, I will return your money in full. Sorry for the trouble, but we were not aware that we did not have these ready to go.

Thanks and let me know what you would like to do. Victor and Diane".  Of course, I let them know it's no problem.  Then I realize that since they seem to be taking apart the car, maybe they have another part I'm looking for -- the rear differential (a set of gears connected to the axle, also called a "pumpkin" by true gearheads).  

I send them an email with my request to see if they have the part.  The next day I get this response, "We do have several 8.8 pumpkins from parts cars 89-93. I am not sure if they are 3.55 ratio or not. My husband just had surgery and he is unable to help me with this question. I looked for tags but they do not all have them. Can you help me figure it out?  If you tell me what to do or look for, I am sure I can help you.  Diane"  I have to laugh because this women is still trying to help me after her husband had surgery.  I send best wishes to her husband and ask her to give me the serial numbers and send pictures when she can.

The next day, I get an email from Diane with serial numbers and pictures.  It includes this "I am missing one picture and if you need it, I can always get it in the morning. I have to cook dinner now! You see...a woman's work is never done.  Thanks and we should have those hubs out soon. I will keep you posted."  I look over the information and ask how much they're asking for each.  The next day she responds, "Hello Ralph, I have to take Victor to the doctors in about 30 minutes. I will take a picture of the third unit and identify the others. I should be back around 3pm. Thanks for your patience. Diane"  I don't know whether to assume Victor is getting better or not so I decide to leave them alone for a couple days.

Yesterday, I sent them a short message to remind them I'm still interested.  They responded with a few questions, to which I replied.  I'll have to let you know if I get my "pumpkin" from them and how Victor is doing. 

Decisions, Decisions

I had no idea how many decisions I'd have to make.  And I'm not even talking about simple decisions like what color to paint the car.  I constantly ask myself what do I want this car to be, how is it going to be used, how will it look, will this part work with that part.  I even have to do math to figure out fuel flow rates, gear ratios, steering geometry and more.  The engine design takes it to a whole new level.  Don't get me wrong, I love it.  I just wasn't expecting it.  I won't go into details, but it already seems like it takes me a week of research just to make one decision.  At this rate, my grandkids will have to finish the car.

But I am making progress.  I have the front end geometry figured out and have all the parts for that.  Of course, this doesn't include the actual steering itself, just how the front wheels are going to connect to the car.

I've been working on designing the rear end too (that's where the rear wheels attach to the car).  I decided to install independent rear suspension (which turns out to be a lot more complicated) to improve handling.  I'm still searching for those parts and I'll leave that for another post.

eBay is where it all started (remember the engine block?) and it continues to be a primary source of parts.  I'm getting deliveries almost every day.  So far, I picked up a parking brake handle (another post coming on this too) and front spindles.  I bought a few new parts too.  Overall, I'm trying to keep the costs down (a little) by spending time scouring around for parts and trying to buy just what I want/need.

Another big buy this week -- a new 5-speed manual transmission!  25% off and free shipping from CA.  Wa-hoo!

Just to give you an idea, here's what I'm currently in the market for and feel free to let me know if you have any of these parts laying around.

Front brakes, rear brakes, gas/brake/clutch pedals, steering linkage, gas tank, fuel pump.

Oh, I almost forgot that I found a plastic shield for the gas tank (on eBay) being sold by a guy in MA.  Rather than having him ship it, we're going to pick it up while we're up there for Thanksgiving.

It's been fun dealing with all the people selling their stuff.  Everyone has been so cooperative, but my new friends in Florida are over the top...

Time to Get Set Up

I plan on using one of our garage bays as the primary work area.  The frame will be on a dolly so I can roll it around as I work on it.  The body needs to be stored on supports so it doesn't warp or crack.  So before I can really start on the car, I have to put my woodworking skills to task.

Here I am building a stand for the body

 The body on the stand

I'm going to have to get all these parts organized too.

And the frame can't sit under that tarp forever...

Here is the frame on the dolly I made.  It's designed to support the entire weight of the finished car.

I decided to put the body up on stilts so it can be stored over the frame.  Everything is on wheels so I can move it around easily.

I got my parts organized too.

Here's everything in it's place.  I even built the rolling work table to the left in the picture.

Now I can get started on three parallel paths -- finding/fabricating parts, assembling the mechanical systems, and building the engine.  If it was only that easy...

The Big Day Arrives!

Actually, I hope this is the first of many "big" days with this project.  Laurie and I got started on the road around 7:30am with coffee and bagels, a map, David's truck and our "new" trailer in tow.  It would be about a 5 hour trip to the factory and we wouldn't be able to use the Garden State Parkway due to the size of the trailer.  That meant going over the George Washington Bridge instead.  No problem, I thought.  We were going to pickup some of the key pieces of this project and nothing would stand in the way.  We also couldn't use EZPass at the tolls since we had a trailer.  But it was early Saturday morning so we didn't expect much traffic.

The trip up there went smoothly.  Only one construction detour that added about 30 minutes to the trip.  We stopped about 45 minutes from the factory for fuel and lunch.  Everything looked good until we got to the factory building around 1:15pm.

There was no one there!  How could this be?  I confirmed that I would be there and they even called our home to confirm that we were on our way.  I got "the look" from Laurie, but she remained calm.  All I could think was having to do this all over again and the disappointment of traveling all the way home with an empty trailer.  We walked around the building and banged on doors, and tried convincing ourselves that everyone was out for lunch, but by 3pm, it looked hopeless.

I was going to other buildings to see if anyone had a way to get in touch with someone who worked at the shop.  Then Laurie found me and said that someone who worked there had come by.  By luck, a young women who worked at the factory came by to use the hose on the outside of the building to wash her car.  She made some calls and within a half hour, another guy showed up.  He opened the shop and told me that we could load the parts, but I would have to help since no one else was around.  Of course, I said!

The body was temporarily attached to the frame so the whole thing could be loaded together.  Here are the pictures...

The red one is mine (red is just undercoating)

 Parts (windshield, seats, etc)

 Here it comes!

 And it's loaded.  Thanks Nate!

Turns out, they close at 12pm on Saturday (but no one told me that).  We were so lucky to be able to complete the pickup.

I'll just throw this in.  Another car they're working on and it was featured on Horsepower TV a month ago.  (maybe a future project for me?)

Now for the ride home.  Good thing we had the truck to hold all those boxes and have to power to haul everything.  Because of the delay, it was dark before we knew it.  I noticed the left rear light wasn't working on the trailer.  Hope the police don't.  There was considerably more traffic on a Saturday night as we went over the GWB.  Since the trailer is designed to carry a car, it is much wider than a car.  That means it takes up the full lane.  So here we are in heavy traffic, going over the George Washington Bridge, at night, with a trailer that is wider than the lane we're in.  And I have my new car parts back there, too!  OK, I admit it -- I was STRESSED!!!

Besides making it home unscathed, the highlight was the three thumbs-up we got from other drivers on the drive home.  I'm so glad Laurie came with me, for the company and encouragement to do what we set out to do.

So here it is in our driveway.  Now what?

Maybe $800 for Shipping Was a Good Deal After All

As October 23 approached, I had no way to get a 600 lb. car frame and a fiberglass body from MA to NJ.  I would have to rent a car hauling trailer and I would have to put a hitch on our car.

OK, got the hitch (that was "only" $900).  Now the trailer.  I mentioned to Laurie that I'd have to rent a trailer about 12 times during the building process (to take the car for paint, inspections, and so on).  She smartly recommended buying a trailer.  Several days of searching local dealers and the internet and I find a used trailer offered on Craigslist that seems just right.  But it's already Wednesday and we're supposed to pick up the parts on Saturday.  I'm on the verge of delaying the pickup another week, but I keep pushing forward.

I see the trailer that night and $2,500 later, I have my first car hauler.

On Thursday morning I go to get it registered, I don't have the right paperwork, so I wait for the seller to get off work that night so he can get a bill of sale notarized.  I hope I have everything the MVC wants because I only have Friday to get it registered and get insurance.

Fortunately and with some help from Laurie, it worked out and we got the trailer home.

David Cohen lent us his truck for the trip to MA (and I was smart enough to say yes!).  All system were go.  Just drive to MA, load everything and drive home.  Right?

Like I Always Say, "If you have an engine block, you might as well put a car around it"

It's now August and I haven't done much to move the project forward.  I spent some time researching engine components.  After all, I eventually have to put pistons, carburetor, crankshaft, and a hundred other parts into that engine block.  I quickly found that the decision I make on a certain part effects the decisions on many other parts too.  Seems complicated.  Therefore, no decisions yet.

I knew I wanted to get the frame and body parts from a company in Massachusetts named Factory Five Racing.  I just couldn't get myself to place the order.  Then the push I needed came out of the blue.

Factory Five decided to put their parts on sale for one week.  It was the sign I was looking for.  I placed my order and scheduled to pick it up on October 23, about a week after Laurie and I got back from our big trip to Australia and Tahiti.  You see, by picking it up yourself you save the $800 shipping charges.  Boy am I smart (or am I?)

You Really Can Find Anything on the Internet

Back in April 2010 (after I got our income taxes done), I thought I'd search around for old engines.  I had decided I wanted to have a Ford 302 in my car. Those engines were first manufactured in 1968 so I had to find a '68 or '69 to avoid emissions testing.  I imagined that all those engines were stuck in vintage Ford Mustangs and I'd never find one without blowing the whole budget.

As I searched, I found lots of new engines, but no old engines.  Then I tried eBay and what came up -- a 1969 Ford 302 engine block!  Well, it wasn't an engine, but it was close enough.  I followed it for a week and with 5 minutes left in the auction, I threw in the minimum bid.  There I was, the winner and only bidder.  I was the proud owner of a 180 lb. engine block... in Bad Axe, Michigan!  In case you haven't been to Bad Axe, it's a small town in the northern part of Michigan, just a little too far from Detroit that most people don't venture up there.

So my next project was getting that heavy metal object to NJ.  FedEx and the other wouldn't touch it (too heavy) and the freight lines wouldn't pick it up in Bad Axe.  I did get a few quotes but they were 3 times what I paid for the engine!

I was just about to get in the car and drive there myself when I came upon another hidden secret of the internet -- uShip.com.  uShip is a shipping auction site.  You list what you want shipped and shippers bid on the job.  You select who you want to work with based on the terms they offer.  Since all the bidders can see what the others have bid, it is very competitive.  The winning bidder was a guy with a pickup truck who drove to Bad Axe, picked up the engine and brought it to my driveway (all for $100!).

Here it is, right off the truck...

Right after this picture was taken, I remember thinking "OK, now what?"

How to Title a Car in NJ

After lots of reading and talking to the state motor vehicle commission, I find that there are three steps involved to get a car on the road:

1.  Pass a detailed safety inspection performed by specialized motor vehicle agents.  They spend a few hours with the car on a lift checking all aspects of the car's construction.
2.  Pass the mechanical inspection (lights work, brakes work, etc.).
3.  Pass the emissions test.

I wasn't worried about the inspections, but knew I couldn't build a car that would pass current emissions requirements.  Cars today are super-computers on wheels and anyway, that's what I'm trying to get away from.

Then I found the answer.  In NJ, the emissions test level is based on the year of the engine, not the car.  So a new car with an old engine (like pre-1970 when there were no emissions standards) can easily pass.  The secret is to have an old engine in my new car.  But where can I find an old engine?

In the Beginning

I guess I have to start with an admission -- I'm a car nut.  Although it's been suppressed for a long time, I've been car crazy for almost as long as I can remember.   I think it started when I was about 12.  Our new car (a classic Cadillac Coupe de Ville) died in the garage for no reason and we had to have a tow truck come to tow it away.  All I could think about was that we had no idea what happened to the car and couldn't do anything about it.  So I started reading everything I could about cars.  It was probably the next Christmas when I got a car tune-up kit (tachometer, timing light, etc.) and off I went.  Fortunately for me, Mom and Dad let me work on their cars (or maybe they didn't realize what I was doing the the garage all the time).  Who lets their 13 year old kid do tune-ups on the family Cadillac?  Anyway, I learned a lot and maybe even did some good along the way.

Tom (my brother) got hooked too.  We also had a classic Ford Pinto (bright green) and we did almost everything to it -- brakes, exhaust, clutch, engine work, interior and numerous bodywork repairs (none of which looked very good).  We had a lot of fun with that car.

Then I was off to college and got the reputation as the car guy from NJ.  I fixed my friends cars in return for rides.  After school when Laurie and I got married, those guys gave me a full mechanics tool set as a wedding gift (and I still have it!).

When I could finally afford my own car, I bought a 1973 Chevy Nova (partly because it was only $550 and partly because it would be something I could work on).  I wish I still had it, but I eventually sold it to a kid who sold his pet pig to raise the money.  It was time to move on.  I got $600 for the car and was off to Chicago for business school.  I still worked on our other car a little, but it was getting harder to do as the technology advanced.  Combined with school, work, family, house, etc., etc., and the increasing complexity of cars, I thought my days under the hood were behind me.

Fast forward 20 years and I find myself on the other end of my work career.  Hey, what if I bought an old car to restore, work on and drive for fun?  It was an intriguing idea.  The problem is that those cars now cost $50,000 or more, and are more likely to be found in museums or car collections then being driven to the grocery store.  Then it hit me, I was thinking too small -- why restore a old car when I could just start from scratch and build my own.  That was early 2008.  I started researching to come up with a plan.  After I finished work in 2009 and took care of some long-neglected projects at home, Laurie gave me the thumbs-up and it was a go -- I was going to build a car!

This is what I decided to build -- a Shelby Cobra!

Then I started to panic.  Even if I can build a car, how do I get New Jersey to let me drive it?  Time for more research and the answer I was looking for.