Mini Muscle Car

[bob w]

Couper, that's the steel trans cover in primer. There's ample foot room for me. Not for a size 14 though.

I spent the better part of today cutting up the radiator support and making it work for the narrower radiator. I left precious little space for it but managed to squeeze it in.

 

[Couper]

Ahhhh thought is was a cardboard mock up. Looks great! Whats that thing going to weigh? Betcha it's gona be fast as hell.

I did a cardboard mock up of mine today. Trying to get a handle on how to get er done. Also did a mock up of how to do the floor framing with 2x2.....which is 1.5. I know where I'm going now with the floor, tunnel and the frame supports. I was in a funk over the weekend and just couldn't seem to get out of my own way. Loss of brain ram....it's a terrible thing.

I am going to go forward of the trans x-member with the extra frame rails and am picking up that material along with the floor material tomorrow. Onward ho

 

[bob w]

If you look back one post you see the front crossmember directly behind the radiator. Well, that proved to be a big problem. No room for a fan in front of or behind the radiator. The solution I chose was to build a new crossmember and locate it close to the engine. It has a drop in it to clear the balancer. Then I wacked the old crossmember. Now there's room. Got some clean up to do.

 

[zzrodder]

Looks good Bob. With so many projects on the go, how do you pick the job of the day?? [P[P

 

[Couper]

Don't know how he does it either ZZ.... I can sleep at night with 1!

 

[bob w]

A little cutting, grinding, drilling and welding and the electric fan is mounted. The radiator bracket is permanently welded too. I found enough hose pieces to make the lower connection.

The radiator sits lower than the engine so I'll have to get an inline filler assembly.

As far as multiple project juggling goes, I work on the Renault as the main project. When I get stuck I shift to the Hupmobile until a solution pops into my small but active brain. Sometimes, when I have a particularly miserable (to me) task to do on one of them, I switch to the other just to delay the misery. I enjoy the process of building so much I don't worry about getting a car completed. I do have a general idea of when I intend to finish though. Building a hot rod is just a series of small tasks strung together. Just pick the task of the day and work on that.

 

[MercuryMac]

Bob, I follow your 'build' philosophy a lot, just not as rigorously. I build things to build things.
There's a microphone in your head, but the logical part of your brain is the bully of your head so it hogs the mike. If you get away from the frustrating dilemma for a while, your brain bully takes a pee break, and your creative side can use the mike temporarily. That side can give you a few different possible solutions, which is good. Now you have to get back into your logic side and analyze those new possibilities, and pick one. ---- How's that for a philosophical hypothesis?
Anyhow that's how my brain works.
Keep up the good work, Bob.

 

[I-R-POPS]

That looks like the perfect solution for the fan.[cl[cl[P[P

I could do the mutiple build thing but my bank account can't keep up with what I've got going on one. [S

 

[DozerII]

Bob you may have to come up here and kick my ass a little. Working on 3 projects at a time, you make us younguns look like slackers. [cl[cl[P[P

 

[bob w]

Shifting back to the Renault. Spring is about to spring forth. I can get this project running in time to enjoy it this summer. Health permitting. So far, so good.
Did all the under the car welding today. No pics cuz it ain't pretty. Then I splashed some primer around. Still have some underneath primering to do, then the gloss black goes on.

Got clean and paint to do on the front axle and associated bits and pieces.

Today I bought a Powerglide found on Facebook Marketplace. It was in a roundy round car but is still a two speed with race parts in it. Not a direct drive. I've been lucky on buying used stuff. Let's hope that continues.

Torchie, How are you doing?

 

[soltz]

Looking good [lc
Stay healthy and enjoy the spring weather

 

[smallfoot]

I like hearing ya'lls thoughts on your projects and how you decide which to tackle for "today"... I'm sure many of you are not thinking about all the things that you do. We all have multiple projects going on. Outside of working for someone else, I don't set time limits. Other people may try to hurry you but if it's "your" project, there is no reason to hurry. I'm reminded of the adage "The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get". I take that into consideration every day. My process is to clear the house first thing, walk around in sight of all the stuff going on, my mind settles on what I'm willing to work on that particular day. If I'm not feeling a project today, I won't start in. I think I have to be "into" it to make any headway.

 

[bob w]

Paint it Black

For those of you that are willing to watch paint dry, I got most of the interior and exterior frame stuff covered with the first coat of Rustoleum.

I PM'd Torchie earlier. No response.

 

[BillM]

I like watching paint dry, it must be an age thing Looks great.
I've been wondering about Torchie as well. I hope everything is ok.

 

[soltz]

I have all that waiting for me [cl
Yours looks good [P

 

[I-R-POPS]

For those of you that are willing to watch paint dry, I got most of the interior and exterior frame stuff covered with the first coat of Rustoleum.

I PM'd Torchie earlier. No response.

Watching the paint dry can be satisfying too if you have a soft chair and a good cup of coffee.

What is the iron work with the speed holes for? It's a nice color. It matches well!

 

[soltz]

Watching the paint dry can be satisfying too if you have a soft chair and a good cup of coffee.

What is the iron work with the speed holes for? It's a nice color. It matches well!

Steering support, I’ll be copying that one [

 

[bob w]

Turned the Corner

Reassembly has begun! Front springs, shocks, axle, brakes and lines are installed for the last time. The heads I was going to use on the .060" over 350 Chevy are missing. Instead I'm using a set of Vortec heads. Engine assembly will begin soon. And I have to pick up the recently purchased Powerglide from a couple hunnert miles away.

Next is the mash up of parts to connect the rack and pinion to the steering wheel.

A trip to the dermatologist Thursday resulted in a biopsy and several "frozen" spots on my face and arms. I look like a fugitive from a leper colony.

 

[soltz]

Coming right along [cl
Heal well !!!!

???[P???

 

[DozerII]

Progress is good, health issues aren't. [P[P