Mid- Engine Modified Sports

[55chevr]

Welcome Home.


Joe

[manta22]

Jim;

I spent a few years in Germany, too- with a Corporal guided missile unit in '61 to '63. I was in Babenhausen, near Aschaffenburg, and in Hanau, outside of Frankfurt. Did you ever get into the I.G. Farben Building?

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ  ex-SP5

[manta22]

Thanks, Joe.

It's good to be back in the land of the round doorknob-- the land of the big PX.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

I installed my rear anti-roll bar yesterday but I’m not entirely satisfied with it. The bar and down links are too close to the inside of the rear tires to be comfortable with it. It looks like I can shorten the bar’s length by about 2” and that will give a better tire clearance. I’ll make new downlinks that are a little longer to make the bar ends closer to horizontal. I’ll also grind off the sharp corners of the aluminum bar mounts as well.

Rounded corners and de-burred holes are nice details that should not be overlooked on race cars or airplanes. 

[Frankie7799]

Just finished reading your build Neil. Very impressive. While I havent been to Tucson in several years ive been meaning to get down that way to see the Titan missle museum. Maybe if I get down that way in the next few months I could stop by, say hello and see the Manta up close.

[manta22]

Frankie;

You are certainly welcome to visit any time that we're home. Just give me a call  (520) 822-1485 (H) or (520) 784-3132 (cell).

The Titan missile museum is certainly worth a visit-- I think it's the only intact ICBM silo that a person can go into.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Buickguy3]

   Neil,
   This is in my collection of old junk. It's from an old dairy here in Montana.
     Doug 

[manta22]

Interesting, Doug. I've never seen a milk carton like that! Minute Man was a lot of things but "inexpensive" was not one of them!

The Minute Man program did make a quantum leap in the reliability of electronic components, though--  that (reliability & quality monitoring) was not a Japanese invention.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Buickguy3]

  Mid 50's stuff. They are in the process of deactivating all [most] of the Montana sites at present. There was a time when it was said that if North Dakota seceeded from the Union, it would be the third largest nuclear power in the world. Sorta puts a little perspective on the picture.
   Doug 

[gearheadeh]

  Neil,
   This is in my collection of old junk. It's from an old dairy here in Montana.
     Doug  

Pretty cool keepsake, why does the front side remind me of a Mushroom cloud?  

[Frankie7799]

Pretty cool keepsake, why does the front side remind me of a Mushroom cloud?  

I was thinking the same thing, that and the really bold A near the top. End of hijacking Neils thread talking about ICBMs lol

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Sorry, Folks -- but a week or two ago WA8GDW celebrated 50 years in ham radio.  Well -- I was WN8GDW for a short time and then got a technician.  I've kept the old call forever - so nobody knows what license class I hold.  It's what used to be the "advanced".  I don't know if that's still available, or maybe they've upgraded me to doofus class.  No, I'm not on the air -- but keep meaning to at least use the 2M rig that's in the truck.  Back to the car. . .

[manta22]

Today I shortened my rear anti-roll bar by 2.5” and now it looks OK with respect to tire sidewall clearance. I didn’t want to re-do the bends or the sleeved holes in the bar, so I cut out 2.5’’ from the center of the bar and inserted a 5/8” OD 16 ga tube inside the bar, extending to the area where the bends begin. Then I assembled the bar with the new tube slipped inside and welded the bar back together. The weld extended into the inside tube so they are connected together in the middle. I also had drilled a couple of holes in the bar out toward the ends of the inserted tube and did a rosette weld to tie the tubes together at their outer ends. So now I have a coaxial “tube within a tube” anti-roll bar. It stiffened the bar somewhat as well as allowing me to modify the original rather than make a whole new one.
 
I also was able to mount my fuel filter on the outside of the heat shield. Pictures to come.
 
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

I finished a mounting plate for my Tilton rear brake proportioning valve. It is 1/8” 6061-T6 finished with green zinc chromate. The valve is mounted with 1/4-28 bolts threaded into Nutserts.

...and so it goes.
 
 Regards,

Neil Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

I promised to post a photo or two of my fuel filter mounted on the heat shield so here they are. I may mount the fuel pump intake filter here too—we’ll see.

I also mounted a small aluminum tank for the dry sump breather vent; it will also be plumbed to the valve covers to provide a vent for them. I cut off part of the original mounting bracket as it was designed to mount to a round tube. I cut a flat piece of 6061-T6 and my friend, Wade Musil, TIG welded it onto the tank bracket for me. It is mounted to the heat shield with stainless 10-32 Phillips head screws and steel Rivnuts. I’ll need to mount a header tank for the cooling system high on this panel but the rear body needs to be put back on to see how much clearance there is to mount that tank.

Gettin’ there......
 
Regards,
 
Neil Tucson, AZ