Author Topic: Mid- Engine Modified Sports  (Read 784789 times)

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Offline vette#128

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #15 on: June 22, 2008, 06:32:46 PM »
Looks like a great start to a real innovative car. When do you hope to have it in race trim Neil?
Ed
Ed Van Scoy
Four Deuces
(Salt,Dirt & Pavement)

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #16 on: June 22, 2008, 10:36:52 PM »
If all goes well I plan to get it into tech inspection at Speed Week 2009. I'll be there again as a spectator this year. I hope to see you there, Ed.

I finished welding on brackets for my steering column support bearing and cut the tubing to length for the column—3/4” 4130N. I used a Borgeson aluminum u- joint to connect the Wilwood steering rack to a short intermediate tube and an Apex U- joint to connect the main tube. I’ll not cut it to length until later—I don’t want to get the length wrong. I drilled & reamed the U-joints & tubing and cross- bolted them with titanium & stainless hardware—good ol’ surplus market!

Yesterday I also made a support bracket for the RH rack mount and today I tack welded it in place. The Mustang II front spindles are a PITA when it comes to placing the steering rack. To minimize bump steer it has to be mounted low since the steering arms are low but this leaves little room for mounting the master cylinders. I think I have an idea of how to do it but we’ll see….

Earlier in the week I made a front chassis cross- brace from 2” x 2” tube and tack- welded it to the top chassis tube; there will be a few gussets added at the tube intersections for strength. It should stiffen the Mirage chassis somewhat and satisfy the SCTA rules about keeping your body parts inside the chassis if the fiberglass body separates. Friday I picked up the front hoop for my roll cage. I finally found someone in Tucson who would try bending a non- constant radius bend in 1 ¾” 0.120” round steel tubing (SCTA requirement). The guy has an off- road (4X4 & rock crawlers) shop and does his own fabrication. I made a template out of Masonite and he followed it better than I had expected. It will fit inside the Mirage windshield hoop and be braced to the front & have tubes connecting it with the existing Mirage Roll bar. It should be fun getting in & out of these monkey bars.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline vette#128

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2008, 11:37:08 PM »
Keep at it Neil, we'll be following your progress.
Ed

Ed Van Scoy
Four Deuces
(Salt,Dirt & Pavement)

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #18 on: July 18, 2008, 10:46:58 PM »
It's getting there-- slowly. I found someone who could bend 1 3/4" x 0.120" tubing along a non- constant radius for my forward roll cage hoop. It has to follow the curve of the windshield. The steering column and support bearings are tack- welded in place along with everything else. The joints are only tack welded now but the flux is everywhere-- arrggghhh.
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #19 on: July 19, 2008, 01:16:28 PM »
Neil,  So glad to see you finally getting to work on your car---looking very good---best of luck on continuing to find the time--hope to get to see your car next year---have fun and enjoy the "JOURNEY"
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #20 on: July 26, 2008, 05:32:17 PM »
To increase my chassis strength and protect from side impacts, I added a shear plate across the top of the chassis tubes. It's 0.050" 6Al-4V titanium that I had cut by a friend, Wade Musil, using his plasma cutter. I had tried to cut it with an abrasive wheel but that attempt was an abject failure! I trimmed the cut edges with an abrasive flap wheel-- that made beautiful white sparks!

Here is a photo of the plate held on temporarily with Cleco fasteners. These are cylindrical Clecos; they tighten with a screw acrion so they hold the sheet much tighter than the usual spring type. There is a small had tightening tool visible in one corner. It works by a roller bearing sprag clutch; turn it over to remove the Cleco. I drilled 50 #10 holes and learned the trick to drilling titanium-- make a starting dimple with a heavy center punch and use a slow speed but firm pressure. High RPM or a light feed will only let the drill spin and work harden the metal. I used a few drops of "Cool Tool' lubricant that I've had for years. I think that little bottle was even a free sample.

Why titanium? Well, I needed something strong and I had some titanium that I had bought surplus some time ago. I'm finally using up some of the junk that I've acquired over the years!
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #21 on: July 26, 2008, 07:11:33 PM »
It's always nice to have some junk titanium lying around. :roll:

Pete

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #22 on: July 26, 2008, 08:42:39 PM »
...and some A-286 Cherry rivets!  :-D

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Sumner

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #23 on: July 26, 2008, 08:47:32 PM »
Wow, I finally found someone that drills as many holes as I do and they even do it in a lot tougher material :wink:

Looks neat how about more pictues of what you have done.  I'd like to see them,

Sum

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #24 on: July 27, 2008, 07:57:48 PM »
Thanks, Sum. If a rivet pattern is going to have any strength it has to be closely- spaced and that means a lot of holes! A few hardware store Pop rivets isn't going to do it.

I like those cylindrical Clecos. For installing or removing lots of them a hand tool gets tedious and is slow. I found an Ingersol- Rand air tool on eBay for doing that job and it really is slick.

Clecos are like garage space, closet space and hard drive capacity-- no matter what you originally thought, you never have enough.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #25 on: August 01, 2008, 09:48:45 PM »
I just received a battery disconnect switch that I ordered- a Moroso 74102. This thing is REALLY heavy duty, rated at 300 amps continuous and 2000 amps intermittent. The other ones I've seen look like toys compared to this thing.

Believe it or not, the best price I found was Amazon.com and they had free shipping! I just thought I'd pass this along.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #26 on: August 02, 2008, 03:32:02 PM »
Lots of little things are going on-- got my battery box from Speedway Motors and put in the sealing gasket and drilled the box for the top fasteners. I ordered a few Rivnuts to install in the box so taking off the cover will be easier.

The instrument panel is coming along. It is 0.060" 2024-T3 and stiffened by two 1/2" C- channel extrusions. These are Cleco'd on right now. I put in the tach and shift light into their mounting holes and mounted (temporarily) two Roto- Tellite indicators and my FIRE indicator. This will be lit by a Kidde Aerospace fire detector mounted near the engine. Here is what it looks like now:

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Offline Jonny Hotnuts

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #27 on: August 02, 2008, 10:07:01 PM »
Quote
This will be lit by a Kidde Aerospace fire detector mounted near the engine. Here is what it looks like now:

I do alot with Kidde stuff for work...didnt even know they had something like this.

So you gonna have that fire detector automatticly shut off the motor and release agent or is it just a dash light?

I have a mid engine car as well the idea of a fire detector seems like a good one, I could see the motor on fire for a few miles before I would even know it was burning!

Will look into one for next year....I ask myself...."why didnt I think of that!"

-JH
jonny_hotnuts@hotmail.com

"Sometimes it is impossible to deal with her, but most of the time she is very sweet, and if you caress her properly she will sing beautifully."
*Andres Segovia
(when Im not working on the car, I am ususally playing classical guitar)

dwarner

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #28 on: August 02, 2008, 11:51:54 PM »
The rear engine streamliner I drove in 2004 has inspection windows like a Funny Car. The deal was you looked in two mirrors under the dash back to the windows to check for fire.

A lot of nervous adjustment while sitting in line. I figured if the car nosed over it was time to shut down everything fire or not.

DW

Offline manta22

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Re: Mid- Engine Modified Sports
« Reply #29 on: August 03, 2008, 01:52:54 PM »
JH;

The fire detector sensor is made by the Aerospace Division of Kidde in Wilson, NC. I'll have it turn on a bright red light only so I can use my judgement as to whether it is a false alarm, only a minor problem, or a full- blown (pun intended) catastrophe.

Yes, If you are driving a rear- or mid- engine car then you are the last to know that you're on fire. I lost a Porsche 911 just that way.  :x

Here is the indicator lit.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ
Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ