Second Wind - a Packard Gasser

[zzrodder]

Got busy putting the floor together, starting at the rear.
Needed a small drop section to tie to the lower trunk lip, made a nice big access hole to get to the fuel tank, filler, sender, etc.

 

[Couper]

Nice.... Electric bead roller I presume? I have a hand crank and it's worthless.....you need 4 arms (with good shoulders that is). What gauge & material is that ZZ?

 

[zzrodder]

Electric? I wish!! Yeah my shoulder is sore too now.... Using 18 ga. - don’t look too close at the lines - it’s tough to keep it on the line, hold a big piece up and crank it through. I welded a wheel on to it ‘cause it’s often too hard to just move the crank handle .

 

[dutch]

build a table around the bead roller a tad under center level. I have an electric beader but with 2 hands on a big panel it`s still a pain to see where you go.

 

[Old Iron]

Are you pre-stretching the panels before you put the beads in?

 

[bob w]

Mighty Fine! [cl

 

[smallfoot]

Good thinking on the access panel!

 

[lowbudget50]

I love it!!!! This is what I Wana do with our gasser!!

 

[zzrodder]

Are you pre-stretching the panels before you put the beads in?

By stretching, I assume you are referring to the bends?? No - I lay it all out, do the bead rolling, then put the 2 bends in it to follow the floor framework.

 

[Old Iron]

I was just wondering because the panels look nice and flat

 

[zzrodder]

More floor [
Now that the body is stabilized, it was OK to remove all the tube bracing, also making it possible to put in the floors without being a contortionist...
The plates with all the bolts are some of the mounting points for a 10 point cage. Once the floors are done, bracing goes back in before the top chop operation.

 

[lowbudget50]

Very cool!!!

 

[oneeye]

Great looking metal work!

 

[DozerII]

Looks awesome Charlie, I can't believe how fast you get this stuff done.[P[P

 

[zzrodder]

Back to work on it for a bit, knee surgery coming on the 28th will put a hold on progress again.....
I jumped right in on a total rehash of the front end, getting rid of the parallel leafs and creating a 4 link coilover setup. Main reason for the change is that the leaf springs would have projected 3" out of the front fenders on either side of the grill - something my anal self just couldn't live with. Shorter leafs would have possibly worked but would ride very harshly.. The 4 link makes the front end easily adjustable and ride height is easy to change and tune - I may get longer shocks for more travel, have to see once it gets more weight on it, upper mounts are easy to change.
Steering box can now be mounted lower, letting me do a redesign of the engine mounts, something that was also bugging me. Lessons learned from the Hercules steering issues led me to pay attention to the geometry of the Panhard bar and drag link, they will be both in line with each other for zero bumpsteer!
Debating whether to post this change on the pork since I already got flamed for a 4 link out back, this change might get me vaporized [ddd

 

[05snopro440]

Looks good! I'm curious about the configuration of your 4-bars at the rear. Is there a reason you didn't make the bars parallel?

 

[zzrodder]

Good question! Basically I didn't like the look of how low the lower link would be at the rear, and I don't think it will cause any real changes in the castor thru suspension travel....
I guess lookin good trumps geometry...

 

[Bamamav]

I’d skip the front end update over on the HAMB. Some of that bunch would get their panties in a wad for sure. I’ve see coilovers on several pics of old gassers, iirc Ohio George’s 33Willys had them. If it wasn’t his it was one like it.

 

[Old Iron]

"I guess lookin good trumps geometry..."
Almost every time

 

[soltz]

What does pork know [S we like it [cl
!![P!!