The Roofus Special

[bob w]

Your patience in bending the tubing is resulting in a very nice fit. It is coming together nicely. Thanks for documenting your build so well.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I have a little bit more to do to the rear frame. I want to add a second horizontal tube at the very end. It will be lighter weight material than the cop car stuff.

I would have done it this weekend, but I wanted to put more thought into the vertical piece at the very rear. It needs to have a neat way to mount the sheetmetal ...and maybe the ability to mount a "push bar" type bumper.

Anybody have suggestions for making the vertical?

 

[hotrod preacher]

truly an amazing build-and build thread-keep up the good work!

 

[Flipper_1938]

I realized I forgot a pic. I didn't have room to get full spline engagement, it hits the table. It is just hanging on the threads.

The car should be a little lower with weight on the springs....probably right at the scrub line.

 

[rainman]

This is my favorite build I have ever watched, just one question when you replicate side load does you're springs bind? It seems like you made you're spring boxes a little tight. Keep us posted you're the man.

 

[Flipper_1938]

This is my favorite build I have ever watched, just one question when you replicate side load does you're springs bind? It seems like you made you're spring boxes a little tight. Keep us posted you're the man.

Cycling it with a jack, it seems to do OK. As light as the car is, the suspension will probably be stiff. I am anxious to get it on the ground.

 

[Flipper_1938]

This thing is turning out lower and sleeker than I had first imagined. I think the front end sheetmetal needs to be swoopier than the first cars I pictured.

Would a nose kinda like this Alfa be too far of a stretch? a clash of eras/styles?

I think I can get close to this by using the hood off of the Cadillac, by splitting it down the middle the way I did with the roof.

 

[pushrod249]

amazing

I'm in awe!

 

[CORPO]

I really like this build.. lots of ingenuity.... very unique.. keep up the good work

 

[BigIrish]

I think that front end would look awesome. Not sure what year that alfa is - early 50's? Whatever it is...sweet.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I think that front end would look awesome. Not sure what year that alfa is - early 50's? Whatever it is...sweet.

1938 according to where I got the pic.

 

[Flipper_1938]

quick chopping of caddy hood in "paint"

 

[Tripper]

This thing is turning out lower and sleeker than I had first imagined. I think the front end sheetmetal needs to be swoopier than the first cars I pictured.

Would a nose kinda like this Alfa be too far of a stretch? a clash of eras/styles?

Flipper,
Dude... I'm with ya on the Alfa look!!! I think that'd be totally awesome!!!

Be ashamed to cut up that pretty green caddy though!!!

BoB

 

[Flipper_1938]

I'm debating on sticking headlights above the pods or in the pods like this Mercedes from the same era, except I would use smaller lights and move the grills outboard a little.

The pods may help me speed up the build quite a bit too. I may be able to modify the jag front crossmember enough to fit in the pods. If I can, I will be able to use the jag steering and lower control arms (save lots of headscratching time). I think I can get away with cutting off the upper mounts and the spring pockets and then make new upper arms and mount a transverse leaf spring (maybe 2 quarter eliptics) that runs between the upper and lower a-arms. The barely exposed leafs will give it that old racecar feel that the rear leafs have.



Footage of the real racecars in motion....for those who aren't familiar with 1930's european racers. They were monsters! ...and the guys who drove them had balls of steel. The Mercedes pictured above made 590 horsepower and didn't have a rollbar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdVdRMwwRXI&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SpVuRSCUYs

 

[rainman]

Don't know if its the set-up or just deflection but check out the camber angle on the left front of that Mercedes.

 

[Flipper_1938]

I cut the caddy hood apart and mocked-up the front end (I'll post pics tomorrow night when I get back home). It really changes the look of the car. I think it is cool.

I also realized the low seat/high & wide dash thing sucks for visibility. I have trouble seeing stuff from the present seating position. The cowl is going to be a little lower and a little slimmer.

Overall, I think the car is moving from the late 20's to the late-40's - early 50's sports racer feel.

I also need to figure out how to take a little length out of the nose/cowl...right now it looks to be about a 115-120" wheelbase. The engine may get set-back a little more.

 

[Flipper_1938]

Death to the Caddy hood!

 

[Flipper_1938]

It doesn't fit as well as I hoped it would. The shapes would do better on a single seater. It's gonna take some pie cuts to make the nose act right and the the back line up with the shape of the main body. I think I can make it work.

 

[Flipper_1938]

The thought crossed my mind to build it like a 2 seater bonneville streamliner... move the nose forward so the end of the caddy hood ends at my original firewall. It would probably be a 140" wheelbase but it should be very fast looking.

What do y'all think?

 

[rockb1]

I think it looks sleek right now. Ya I like the overall length. I think I would make it a two seater.