I thought this would be a quiet week, and it generally was, but some things worthy of this account did happen. First, I went to the monthly Cobra Club breakfast on Sunday. Although it was too cold for anyone to drive a convertible, there were about 20 people there. I picked up my fuel tank as promised. One guy just got his car back from the painter after having spent 2 years building! They all said that's typical. When I said I expected to be done by next summer, including building an engine from scratch, they all laughed. We'll see, won't we...
Next, I'm sure you all remember that I'm supposed to get my frame and suspension parts back from the powder coater this week. Hasn't happened yet. I'm going to call them tomorrow and fully expect to hear that they've been too busy to get to it. Although I'd prefer to have my stuff sitting in my garage over Christmas, I'm not going to be doing any work until after New Year anyway. We'll see what he says...
One of the club members came over yesterday morning to use my workshop. I can't go too much into the details because I'm sworn to secrecy, but it's called Secret Project X (original, huh). While he was over, he helped me with my design for a hydraulic clutch. We'll see if it works...
Finally, I have been building a parts list (mostly bigger ticket items) that I'll need to get over the next month or so to keep things moving. I had hoped that in January, some of my preferred suppliers would have some kind of sale and then I'd pull the trigger. Well, I found a 15%-off promotion code from one of the suppliers tonight. I entered an order, entered the code, it registered 15% off (a few hundred $$$) so it hit "Submit". We'll see if they cancel it on me...
I have a feeling this is the way I'll drift into the end of the year. But it's okay with me. I'm happy to spend so much time with Laurie and the kids. Although I think they feel the same way, Ben may not be so sure since I put old Chinese food containers in his bed today that he failed to clean-up last night. We'll see what happens when he finds them...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Brief Update
Not much has been happening over the last few days as I wait for the frame to come back from powder coating. I did go to the shop yesterday to see how things were going with the painting and to drop off the rear spindles so they could get the blue paint along with the rest. They haven't really done much yet since my job is relatively small in comparison to their normal projects. I hope it will still be done next week.
While I was there I spoke with Bill (the head guy) about fabricating some parts for me. They're small parts that will help me move the rear brake calipers allowing for larger brakes, but they have to be cut out of 1/4" steel plate. Somewhat to my surprise, he said he would do it. All I have to do is give him a drawing and the measurements. This is great because the only other alternative I found was to buy some brackets from a guy in California for $150 (plus shipping)!! Now I'm wondering what else he can make for me so I don't have to scrounge around as much.
I really need to get to work on the engine design. I've been dragging my feet since I decided I wouldn't start the engine work until after the holidays.
I've also been trying to mentally go through all the building steps so I can see where I'm next going to get stuck as I actually start to build. I'll be able to assemble the front end and then will get stuck on the brakes (I have none picked out yet). I can start assembling the rear end, but need brakes there too and the rear differential (I'm still talking to Victor and Diane about getting one from them). I can do the steering. I hope to get my fuel tank tomorrow at the monthly Cobra owners breakfast so I'll be able to start the fuel system, but I still need to decide on a fuel pump. I need to fabricate a heater so I can install the firewall and dash. And I have to finish fabricating all the aluminum panels that will form the engine compartment and have those painted. I'm wondering if I can start running fuel and brake lines, but I'll probably have to wait until I have the missing brake and fuel components.
Lots to do, but I think it will start to come together quickly. I expect I won't really do any construction until after the holidays when I can spend long hours in an unheated garage as the outside temperatures hover around 20 degrees. Maybe my timing wasn't the best, but I still can't wait!!
While I was there I spoke with Bill (the head guy) about fabricating some parts for me. They're small parts that will help me move the rear brake calipers allowing for larger brakes, but they have to be cut out of 1/4" steel plate. Somewhat to my surprise, he said he would do it. All I have to do is give him a drawing and the measurements. This is great because the only other alternative I found was to buy some brackets from a guy in California for $150 (plus shipping)!! Now I'm wondering what else he can make for me so I don't have to scrounge around as much.
I really need to get to work on the engine design. I've been dragging my feet since I decided I wouldn't start the engine work until after the holidays.
I've also been trying to mentally go through all the building steps so I can see where I'm next going to get stuck as I actually start to build. I'll be able to assemble the front end and then will get stuck on the brakes (I have none picked out yet). I can start assembling the rear end, but need brakes there too and the rear differential (I'm still talking to Victor and Diane about getting one from them). I can do the steering. I hope to get my fuel tank tomorrow at the monthly Cobra owners breakfast so I'll be able to start the fuel system, but I still need to decide on a fuel pump. I need to fabricate a heater so I can install the firewall and dash. And I have to finish fabricating all the aluminum panels that will form the engine compartment and have those painted. I'm wondering if I can start running fuel and brake lines, but I'll probably have to wait until I have the missing brake and fuel components.
Lots to do, but I think it will start to come together quickly. I expect I won't really do any construction until after the holidays when I can spend long hours in an unheated garage as the outside temperatures hover around 20 degrees. Maybe my timing wasn't the best, but I still can't wait!!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Death of a Mechanic
It's been awhile since I've posted. I was away last weekend and got to see Katie do a great show with her a cappella group. Go to her facebook page to see some videos.
Over the last couple days, I've been prepping the rear spindles I got from Victor and Diane in Florida. I removed the dust shields and old bushings (which was much harder than I thought it would be). I also cleaned off all the old grime so they could be painted. The hubs needed to be changed since they are the wrong size for the wheels I got, and I figured I'd replaced the bearings while I'm at it since they could have a lot of miles on them. The hubs and bearings are supposed to be pressed out, but I thought I could probably do it with a mallet. I was wrong and the bruise I have on my finger from hitting it with the hammer is proof. This is what they looked like after I did what I could.
The rusty parts are what needs to be removed. I found an automotive machine shop about 20 minutes away and called them to see if they had a large hydraulic press. Fortunately, they did. I spoke with the owner, George, and he said to come right over. I wasn't sure what to expect since he said it was a one-man operation.
When I got there, I found a house with a 1 1/2 car garage. That was George's shop. As promised, he was in there by himself, seemingly not doing any work. His first question was how I found him because he mostly works with other mechanics (using the internet, of course). He told me how he has mechanics who contact him from all over to send him work. Anyway, I described what I wanted done and we went over to his press. He set up the first unit and started applying pressure. And then more pressure. And more. Finally up to about 6000 pounds. Nothing moved. So then he started hitting it with a hammer and the pressure spiked up to 8000 pounds. Still nothing. Before something broke, we decided to try the other unit. Same process and it looked like the same result. I started thinking that my great $60 deal on these things wouldn't be a great deal if I couldn't get them apart. Then suddenly -- BANG -- the hub released and all the pressure shot through the unit at once. It was like a crack of thunder and I hadn't thought to bring an extra pair of pants. But it was out. Now we knew it was possible to get these things apart so we went back to the first unit. Again, George cranked up the pressure and started whacking it with the hammer. Pretty soon, BANG again, and the second one was apart. Now he had to press out the bearings. We both hoped this would be easier, but as he turned up the pressure even higher than before, nothing happened. This time, he decided to heat the exterior ring so it would expand and hopefully allow the bearing to release. Alternatively, the whole unit might crack and then would be worthless. He's heating and heating. Will it work or will it be ruined? BANG, and out comes the bearing. George follows the same process with the other unit and is successful. Having access to people with years of experience is so valuable. I'm sure George will be a good contact to have.
Here's what they look like after I got the parts back home. the silver parts will go to the painter tomorrow. The other parts will be replaced with new pieces.
With everything done, I started talking to George as he meticulously cleaned his tools and returned them to their homes. He'd run this small shop out of his garage for nearly 20 years, but over the last couple years, he's had less and less work. Partly, it's the economy and partly, it's the effects of automotive evolution. People just don't have their engines rebuilt any more. They get another car. When you think about it, cars have become a massive disposable item. George knows this, but he's too set in his ways to do anything else. He can no longer compete with large, automated shops in lower cost regions. So he sits there most days, hoping the phone will ring. His shop is called G&L so I asked him what the "L" stands for. "Lovely Linda" he said. She passed away four years ago.
I asked George how much I owed him, not knowing what to expect since the whole project took well over an hour. He asked me if I was coming back, but I wasn't sure whether he meant to visit or to bring more work. It didn't really matter because I just said, "yes". $45 he said. I shook his hand, paid him and closed the door behind me leaving George just as I had found him.
Over the last couple days, I've been prepping the rear spindles I got from Victor and Diane in Florida. I removed the dust shields and old bushings (which was much harder than I thought it would be). I also cleaned off all the old grime so they could be painted. The hubs needed to be changed since they are the wrong size for the wheels I got, and I figured I'd replaced the bearings while I'm at it since they could have a lot of miles on them. The hubs and bearings are supposed to be pressed out, but I thought I could probably do it with a mallet. I was wrong and the bruise I have on my finger from hitting it with the hammer is proof. This is what they looked like after I did what I could.
The rusty parts are what needs to be removed. I found an automotive machine shop about 20 minutes away and called them to see if they had a large hydraulic press. Fortunately, they did. I spoke with the owner, George, and he said to come right over. I wasn't sure what to expect since he said it was a one-man operation.
When I got there, I found a house with a 1 1/2 car garage. That was George's shop. As promised, he was in there by himself, seemingly not doing any work. His first question was how I found him because he mostly works with other mechanics (using the internet, of course). He told me how he has mechanics who contact him from all over to send him work. Anyway, I described what I wanted done and we went over to his press. He set up the first unit and started applying pressure. And then more pressure. And more. Finally up to about 6000 pounds. Nothing moved. So then he started hitting it with a hammer and the pressure spiked up to 8000 pounds. Still nothing. Before something broke, we decided to try the other unit. Same process and it looked like the same result. I started thinking that my great $60 deal on these things wouldn't be a great deal if I couldn't get them apart. Then suddenly -- BANG -- the hub released and all the pressure shot through the unit at once. It was like a crack of thunder and I hadn't thought to bring an extra pair of pants. But it was out. Now we knew it was possible to get these things apart so we went back to the first unit. Again, George cranked up the pressure and started whacking it with the hammer. Pretty soon, BANG again, and the second one was apart. Now he had to press out the bearings. We both hoped this would be easier, but as he turned up the pressure even higher than before, nothing happened. This time, he decided to heat the exterior ring so it would expand and hopefully allow the bearing to release. Alternatively, the whole unit might crack and then would be worthless. He's heating and heating. Will it work or will it be ruined? BANG, and out comes the bearing. George follows the same process with the other unit and is successful. Having access to people with years of experience is so valuable. I'm sure George will be a good contact to have.
Here's what they look like after I got the parts back home. the silver parts will go to the painter tomorrow. The other parts will be replaced with new pieces.
With everything done, I started talking to George as he meticulously cleaned his tools and returned them to their homes. He'd run this small shop out of his garage for nearly 20 years, but over the last couple years, he's had less and less work. Partly, it's the economy and partly, it's the effects of automotive evolution. People just don't have their engines rebuilt any more. They get another car. When you think about it, cars have become a massive disposable item. George knows this, but he's too set in his ways to do anything else. He can no longer compete with large, automated shops in lower cost regions. So he sits there most days, hoping the phone will ring. His shop is called G&L so I asked him what the "L" stands for. "Lovely Linda" he said. She passed away four years ago.
I asked George how much I owed him, not knowing what to expect since the whole project took well over an hour. He asked me if I was coming back, but I wasn't sure whether he meant to visit or to bring more work. It didn't really matter because I just said, "yes". $45 he said. I shook his hand, paid him and closed the door behind me leaving George just as I had found him.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Here We Go!
When I checked the weather report yesterday, it showed cold but sunny for today. With that forecast, I decided last night that today would be the day I bring the frame to the powder coating shop. I would have to get the frame back onto the trailer and haul it to the shop. It wasn't to hard to get the frame off the trailer when I brought it home since it just rolled down the ramps, but I was really concerned about how I was going to get it back up the ramps. After all, this thing weighs about 600 lbs and even though it's on a dolly, I imagined it would take at least three people to push it up the ramps onto the trailer. So I made a plan. I'd have Laurie, Ben and Chris push from the back and I'd make a winch and pull from the front. I hoped that would do it. The only problem was that the boys had to go to school at 7am! OK, they didn't know it, but I was going to get them all up early to help. I was quite sure they'd be anxious to go outside in the dark at 6:30am during 30 degree temperatures to put their hands on ice cold metal and push my frame. After all, what an exciting step this would be!
I got up at 6am and went outside to hook up the trailer to the car. The trailer had been covered with a tarp, so I knocked the ice off, unstuck my fingers from the metal and got it all connected. By now, it's already 6:30am and I knew there wouldn't be enough time for them to help. Boy, are they lucky and they didn't even know what they got out of. Maybe just Laurie and I can get the frame up on the trailer. We'll see later.
As it turned out, Ben was sick today and didn't go to school. I wondered for more than a few minutes whether I should have him help. I heard somewhere that cold air is good for a cold (or was that fluids?). I thought I'd get as much ready as I could and then have my helpers (whoever they would be) just come and push for a couple minutes. After that, I could take care of the rest.
I rolled the frame out of the garage and lined it up with the ramps. Standing behind it, I thought, "let me just give it a push to see how hard this is really going to be". I pushed, and to my amazement, the dolly started going right up. Then I thought, "should I keep pushing? What if I get it halfway up and then it gets really hard -- the whole thing will come back down and run me over. How would that look to get run over by your own car, especially one that doesn't even have an engine." So what did I do? Kept pushing, of course. To my further amazement, I pushed it right up the ramps and onto the trailer by myself. It wasn't even hard. [WARNING: Physics lesson follows. If you aren't interested, just look at the pictures below. It turns out that I had created a very effective mechanical advantage with the ramps. They were 8 feet long and the trailer is 2 feet high. That gives a 4x mechanical advantage. Therefore, I could move a 600 lb object with 150 lbs of force. Since I weigh a little over 150 lbs, all I had to do was lean on the frame an up it went. Now I can see how they built the pyramids (along with 10,000 slaves, of course)]
I took the dolly out (I won't go into details), strapped everything down and off I went. It took me awhile to find the place, but it was an impressive metal fabrication shop. They guys were all very interested in my project and I felt like they would do a good job. I described the colors I wanted and the owner quickly got the feel of what I was looking for. We went into the design room and there was a wall of paint chips. He zeroed-in on a cool looking silver with black flecks for the frame, a cobalt blue for the suspension and a low-sheen black pearl for the aluminum panels. Now both Laurie and I can have matching black pearls!
In all the excitement of this, I did manage to get one picture of the frame being carried by forklift into the shop.
It's all supposed to be done in about 1 1/2 weeks, just in time for Christmas.
When I got home, I found my rear hubs had been delivered from Victor and Diane. They look good, but will need to be modified to fit the brakes and wheels I've selected. More on that another day.
I got up at 6am and went outside to hook up the trailer to the car. The trailer had been covered with a tarp, so I knocked the ice off, unstuck my fingers from the metal and got it all connected. By now, it's already 6:30am and I knew there wouldn't be enough time for them to help. Boy, are they lucky and they didn't even know what they got out of. Maybe just Laurie and I can get the frame up on the trailer. We'll see later.
As it turned out, Ben was sick today and didn't go to school. I wondered for more than a few minutes whether I should have him help. I heard somewhere that cold air is good for a cold (or was that fluids?). I thought I'd get as much ready as I could and then have my helpers (whoever they would be) just come and push for a couple minutes. After that, I could take care of the rest.
I rolled the frame out of the garage and lined it up with the ramps. Standing behind it, I thought, "let me just give it a push to see how hard this is really going to be". I pushed, and to my amazement, the dolly started going right up. Then I thought, "should I keep pushing? What if I get it halfway up and then it gets really hard -- the whole thing will come back down and run me over. How would that look to get run over by your own car, especially one that doesn't even have an engine." So what did I do? Kept pushing, of course. To my further amazement, I pushed it right up the ramps and onto the trailer by myself. It wasn't even hard. [WARNING: Physics lesson follows. If you aren't interested, just look at the pictures below. It turns out that I had created a very effective mechanical advantage with the ramps. They were 8 feet long and the trailer is 2 feet high. That gives a 4x mechanical advantage. Therefore, I could move a 600 lb object with 150 lbs of force. Since I weigh a little over 150 lbs, all I had to do was lean on the frame an up it went. Now I can see how they built the pyramids (along with 10,000 slaves, of course)]
I took the dolly out (I won't go into details), strapped everything down and off I went. It took me awhile to find the place, but it was an impressive metal fabrication shop. They guys were all very interested in my project and I felt like they would do a good job. I described the colors I wanted and the owner quickly got the feel of what I was looking for. We went into the design room and there was a wall of paint chips. He zeroed-in on a cool looking silver with black flecks for the frame, a cobalt blue for the suspension and a low-sheen black pearl for the aluminum panels. Now both Laurie and I can have matching black pearls!
In all the excitement of this, I did manage to get one picture of the frame being carried by forklift into the shop.
It's all supposed to be done in about 1 1/2 weeks, just in time for Christmas.
When I got home, I found my rear hubs had been delivered from Victor and Diane. They look good, but will need to be modified to fit the brakes and wheels I've selected. More on that another day.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Back on Track
Wow, how quickly time flies! I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. For all of you who were sitting on the edge of your seat, sorry? Anyway, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Laurie's family. Great food and time together. By Friday, Laurie's mother noticed I was getting a little antsy so she gave me a few things to fix around the house and that made me feel better.
While we were up there, I did pick-up the fuel tank tray I had purchased through eBay. It made a great suitcase storage box in the back of our car. I also got some time to continue researching brakes. I thought I had it figured out and then I saw a small reference that the brakes may not fit behind the wheels I ordered. So now my plan is to wait a little while until my wheels get delivered and then I'll order the brake parts. That way I can check the fit and return the parts if they don't work.
Another thing I focused on was the steering geometry. I had a feeling it wouldn't work quite right with the parts I had. So yesterday, I searched around the junkyards and found new spindles that have a slightly different angle that I think will work better.
When I when to pick them up, this is what they looked like.
They literally ripped the whole piece out of the car for me, brakes and all. Somewhere in those piles of rust are the parts I need. As an aside, I may be able to sell the brakes to someone else (in case anyone asks why I don't just use them on my car, they're too small, ha-ha). I tore into it and got the parts separated. Here they are ready to go.
I also had to modify them a little so they will fit the brakes I hope to get.
Here is a comparison between the old spindle (left) and the new one (right). You can see that although they look similar, the new one's left arm is bent up. I hope this helps the steering profile.
I got an email from Diane in Florida that she sent my rear hubs and they should be here tomorrow. Victor had to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital having his third surgery on a broken leg!
And I found a different painter for the frame. They're in Rockaway and I'm bringing everything there tomorrow to get that started. Should take about 4-5 days and then I'm building. Ya-hoo!!!
While we were up there, I did pick-up the fuel tank tray I had purchased through eBay. It made a great suitcase storage box in the back of our car. I also got some time to continue researching brakes. I thought I had it figured out and then I saw a small reference that the brakes may not fit behind the wheels I ordered. So now my plan is to wait a little while until my wheels get delivered and then I'll order the brake parts. That way I can check the fit and return the parts if they don't work.
Another thing I focused on was the steering geometry. I had a feeling it wouldn't work quite right with the parts I had. So yesterday, I searched around the junkyards and found new spindles that have a slightly different angle that I think will work better.
When I when to pick them up, this is what they looked like.
They literally ripped the whole piece out of the car for me, brakes and all. Somewhere in those piles of rust are the parts I need. As an aside, I may be able to sell the brakes to someone else (in case anyone asks why I don't just use them on my car, they're too small, ha-ha). I tore into it and got the parts separated. Here they are ready to go.
I also had to modify them a little so they will fit the brakes I hope to get.
Here is a comparison between the old spindle (left) and the new one (right). You can see that although they look similar, the new one's left arm is bent up. I hope this helps the steering profile.
I got an email from Diane in Florida that she sent my rear hubs and they should be here tomorrow. Victor had to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital having his third surgery on a broken leg!
And I found a different painter for the frame. They're in Rockaway and I'm bringing everything there tomorrow to get that started. Should take about 4-5 days and then I'm building. Ya-hoo!!!
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