The Roofus Special

[Flipper_1938]

There was too much air space between the sheetmetal and the bell housing...that space is needed for a gas pedal.

so I broke out the cop car kick panel sheet metal to build a beefy, close fitting tunnel

I realized I didn't want to run it all the way behind the seats as one piece, so I added a center bulkhead to give it something solid to tie into in the middle of the cockpit.

I really didn't like that, so I cut it out

It needed to be straight across, so that it could be the start of the front of the seat. I had to add verticals to weld to.

I ran out of time, but I figured out/remembered that I needed to have a bulkhead that doubled as a seat front and that the spring boxes need to extend to that bulkhead.

I don't like the new tunnel either.... I think I like the trans out in the open better.

 

[falconvan]

It's getting there; I'm sure there's lots of tried and rejected ideas when you're building from scratch. Jaguar certainly didnt want their trannies coming loose from there engines; how many darn bellhousing bolts does that thing have??

 

[Flipper_1938]

Jaguar certainly didnt want their trannies coming loose from there engines; how many darn bellhousing bolts does that thing have??

17 or so bolts. Not only is it quantity, but also quality. The tolerances on a lot of the parts is near press fit. ...not a chevrolet, that's for sure!

I'm guessing all of the bolts are there to strengthen the bellhousing,as there is a "motor mount" at the top that doubles as a torque limiting strap. My guess is that the bellhousing sees a lot of stress, yet is a pretty thin walled casting.

 

[jfg455]

I love LOVE the fact that you would build a tunnel long before making a trans mount even! That shows confidence in your engineering math aptitude!

 

[bob w]

I'd have a belly pan as the floor and have that chunk of machinery in the cockpit with me. Just have to cage the u-joint and driveshaft so your necktie doesn't get tangled in it.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'd have a belly pan as the floor and have that chunk of machinery in the cockpit with me. Just have to cage the u-joint and driveshaft so your necktie doesn't get tangled in it.

I'm seriously thinking about leaving the trans exposed.

The tailshaft/driveshaft will disappear under the bulkhead that will be the front of the seat. The seat itself will be a bench seat of sorts (think two buckets and a center hump all fused together) and will be part of the structure of the car.

Air cooled VWs used some sort of rubber lip to seal the engine tin to the body sheetmetal. I think I will take a closer look at how they did that.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I love LOVE the fact that you would build a tunnel long before making a trans mount even! That shows confidence in your engineering math aptitude!

Oh crap! I forgot the transmission mount!






Actually it is part of the challenge of building this thing as a spaceframe/unibody car without plans....form and function have to be intertwined. I have to figure it out as I go. A pretty trans cover, that maximizes interior space and that is strong as hell is one of those things I'm working through right now.

 

[Snake Farm]

Always look forward to your progress reports! [cl[cl

[P[P[P

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'm also considering a tube structure around the trans that would not be paneled in. It would add strength, but you could still see the trans and allow for more foot room.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'm making another long weekend to go work on this thing. This one will be a 5 day weekend.

Hopefully, I can get something done that won't have to be undone.

 

[bob w]

The cool and unusual always takes longer than the routine and mundane. Looking forward to the results on Day 6 however.

 

[earthman]

This ain't no T-bucket kit is it What a challenge!

 

[Flipper_1938]

Logging in of Dad's dial-up internet connection ....so no pics now, but I am making really good progress. I made a trans mount!

...and figured out how to finish the front half of the spring boxes (driverside mostly done, cutting pieces for the passenger side) and also figured out the frame for the seat bottoms (driverside is already welded in, passenger side id formed).

I must say, that I am REALLY proud of what I came up with. The drivers side seat feels great...even without seat foam. ....And looks like it belongs in a vintage racer.

Oh yeah, I think I figured out how to seal the exposed trans too!

 

[Flipper_1938]

OK, here's the picture post.

I started the weekend with a simple transmission mount

What Jag gave me to work with

Donor steel

One of the holes is chevy made

Second part

Welded and bolted in place on the trans with rubber pucks mocked up. There will be a body side mounting surface where the silver washer is.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Last time I tried a square crossmember and hated it. I tried round this time and didn't really like it much either.

A plain bench seat just doesn't feel right. It needed to be bucket-like.

Time to break out the Horrible Fright pipe bender

Better. ...but I didn't like the tube just going over and tieing in to the frame on the outside

 

[Flipper_1938]

I didn't really know what to do with it back in the corner, so I just bent it down..it will disappear under the seat cushion

 

[Flipper_1938]

I realized that I really couldn't finish the seat frame without doing the front half of the spring boxes. They had to be there before the seat gets welded in.

The U-shaped section is where the front of the leaf spring sits.

I doubled up on the spring holder

I went ahead and gusseted the tube that this piece welds to at the front...because I have no idea what kind of loads this suspension places on the frame.

I melted the rubber pad under the spring...oops!

 

[Flipper_1938]

Now I could put the seat frame in place.

Time to make a second one. ...that is a little skinnier (I offset the engine and the trans to the passenger side so that I have plenty of foot room).

For the heck of it, I propped up a 36 ford truck grill to see what it looked like.

I did more, but don't have pics ...my camera bit the dust at the Turkey Drags on Saturday.

 

[GJunktionMike]

This is some build looking awsome so far. That grill is killer[ddd

 

[falconvan]

Looks great! Full steam ahead!