Author Topic: Milwaukee Midget  (Read 3255028 times)

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Offline Seldom Seen Slim

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6210 on: March 30, 2017, 02:48:45 PM »
They play/we seem 'em up here a couple of times a year - want to seem 'em au naturel, if you will.
Jon E. Wennerberg
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Offline desotoman

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6211 on: March 30, 2017, 03:39:03 PM »
Chris,

For general information, Hagardy is not for daily drivers and they say so on their web page. I have been insured with them for 4 years now, and in my opinion they are more than reasonable. I pay $485 a year and am insured for 40K on loss or accident, and can drive 2500 miles a year, which I don't even come close to.

Back in 1972 I built a ski boat with a blown 454 chevy. It was almost impossible to get insurance on the boat. Had to go to a special insurance company to insure it and at the time was very expensive. I learned the hard way. Ha Ha Ha.

Glad you were able to get insurance for you toy, and have fun.

Tom G.
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Offline jacksoni

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6212 on: April 03, 2017, 08:07:27 AM »
So, what's the status of the K motor? Been couple months and many pages since any comment?
Jack Iliff
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Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6213 on: April 03, 2017, 10:09:49 AM »
So, what's the status of the K motor? Been couple months and many pages since any comment?

Mornin', Jack -

Steve Demirjian still has it.  He works for Darton, and was willing to take it on as a side project.  I understand he's the guy who did the Hondata block set-up.

He's been waylaid by an increased workload from Darton.  I get it - you make hay when the sun shines.  

After that, it gets shipped off to one of his compadres for align honing of the crank journals.  He's got everything to do it - block, girdle, deck plate, studs.  

But again, the damned thing is an orphan - I can't call Summit and order the parts off the shelf, and what we're looking to do is bulletproof the thing.  I'm seeing nowhere - be it turbo 2 liter versions in Great Britain, or even Andy Green's Factory backed EX 255 in the late 90's - where they've gone as far as we're going to assure reliability.

If it's worth killing, it's worth overkilling.   

As it was with the crank, it's a waiting game on my end.  The most irritating thing to me at this point is that I'd like to lock in rod and piston height, but until the block comes back and I have exact measurements to work with, I'm kinda like a buoy - still afloat, drifting a little bit, but still anchored and on the horizon.

In other news, I did a 40 mile excursion in the Frankensprite on Saturday, without having to call a tow truck or an ambulance.  Finally got it into 5th gear - 60 mph = 1800 RPM - just off of fast idle.  But the front tires are out-of-round to the point that they're not able to balance them.  New skins are on order, and I need to figure out some sort of axle retaining strap.  At full excursion - and please, don't ask how I discovered this - the drive shaft, which is boxed, hits on the bottom of the drive shaft tunnel.   :roll:

This is why they call it a "shake down".

I DID surprise a Panamera owner who thought he could outpace me on the on-ramp to I-94 in Waukesha.  I don't think he actually saw me until I was in front of him, but I'm reasonabley certain he heard me comin'.  :wink:

Once it's sorted, this is likely going to be a fun little turd.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 10:13:35 AM by Milwaukee Midget »
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6214 on: April 03, 2017, 11:02:10 AM »
Chris, be very careful how you restrain your rear axle. If the restrain comes on instantly without any compliance you may find that the sudden change in suspension rate results in a sudden change in the direction travel. This is never good and can be rather nasty. If I remember that car uses a quarter elliptic spring. Is it possible to re arch the springs to lower the car a bit and change the area and range of travel? I realize tire clearance may also be an issue. Rubber bump stops installed in some ingenious manner may be a part of your solution. I'm sure you'll figure something out. You've faced greater challenges with the projects you've chosen.  :-D :-D :-D

Pete

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6215 on: April 03, 2017, 12:31:38 PM »
Actually, the factory set up uses rubber retaining straps.  The attachment points weren't included when Terry fabbed up the housing brackets, but brackets are still there on the chassis, the parts are available through Moss, and I know how to drill holes.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline ggl205

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6216 on: April 03, 2017, 04:11:55 PM »
Actually, the factory set up uses rubber retaining straps.  The attachment points weren't included when Terry fabbed up the housing brackets, but brackets are still there on the chassis, the parts are available through Moss, and I know how to drill holes.

I am going to use droop limiter straps for the front of my lakester mostly because I don't want the bottom of my dampers to penetrate the belly pan. We used to use these straps on formula cars as well and never had trouble with handling when the limiter was reached. I like the idea of using rubber straps. It eliminates the abrupt transition from suspension to no suspension.

John

Offline wisdonm

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6217 on: April 04, 2017, 12:30:01 AM »
You were 3 miles from my house and you didn't stop in for a brew and to show off. I'm very disappointed.
Stand on it....brakes only slow you down.

Has a checkered past.

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6218 on: April 04, 2017, 06:01:07 AM »
You were 3 miles from my house and you didn't stop in for a brew and to show off. I'm very disappointed.

midget, er, frankensprite operator . . . . . . . .

I hazard (pun intended) to point out that you are going to have to up your frankensprite game.   To wit:

A/   It's 51 miles, door to door, each way, to get to my place.    (I'll put my disappointment on hold, for the time being . . . . .)
2/   I'm not sure how many miles it is to Terry's place in Hoosier Heaven, but,
d/   On the way to Terry's, a small diversion to 3 Floyds Brewery/Brewpub is in order.    It's kinda like "Holy Hill", except Holier, er, More Holy . . . . and not on a hill . . . well, you get the idea.

PREPARE!!!  To venture, south of the Cheddar Curtain, and thence, to "the Region" . . . . . . . . .

Thirstyboy



Science, NOT Magic . . . .

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"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

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Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6219 on: April 04, 2017, 09:39:18 AM »
My friends - this is a case of walking before one drinks. 

The car already draws way more attention than its diminutive size warrants, I'm poked up out of it like Fred Gwynne, it's louder than most Harleys, and the last thing I need is to have to recite the "LMNOP"s in front of Sheriff David Clark's posse.

People die in that jail, the impound lot isn't covered, the Sprite doesn't have a top, and if I were to put Kate through the headache of trying to fetch it from the county grounds, she'd probably leave me incarcerated in order to drive home the point that our wedding vows made no mention of a sanity clause.

Let's get it to the point that it doesn't shake the steering wheel out of my hands.   I'm actually looking forward to some junkets.

Don - Mark - Jefferson show on the 29th-30th?

 
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6220 on: April 04, 2017, 11:54:01 AM »
My friends - this is a case of walking before one drinks. 

The car already draws way more attention than its diminutive size warrants, I'm poked up out of it like Fred Gwynne, it's louder than most Harleys, and the last thing I need is to have to recite the "LMNOP"s in front of Sheriff David Clark's posse.

People die in that jail, the impound lot isn't covered, the Sprite doesn't have a top, and if I were to put Kate through the headache of trying to fetch it from the county grounds, she'd probably leave me incarcerated in order to drive home the point that our wedding vows made no mention of a sanity Santy (?) clause.

Let's get it to the point that it doesn't shake the steering wheel out of my hands.   I'm actually looking forward to some junkets.

Don - Mark - Jefferson show on the 29th-30th?
 

Details, please.

Am I to presume a "MunsterKoach" like induction system is in the works for FrankenSprite?    Will you and Kate be attired as Herman and Lilly??   Will Don be Grandpa Munster??

OOhh, OOhh, I wanna be SPOT!!!    AAhh, wait a sec . . . . .  even out of hunting season, anything with spots roaming in the wild, could be a danger in Sconnie Nation . . . . .    NEVERMIND!!

 :dhorse:  mit or mitout, SPOTS . . . . . . . .
Science, NOT Magic . . . .

I used to be a people person.  But people changed that relationship.

"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."     Albert Einstein

Offline wisdonm

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6221 on: April 04, 2017, 01:27:41 PM »
When I drove my Arkley SS, with 225/50/13 tires, a backed off steering wheel nut eliminated a lot of steering wheel shimmy. Never re-tightened it in 20 years of street an slalom driving.
Stand on it....brakes only slow you down.

Has a checkered past.

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6222 on: April 04, 2017, 01:47:54 PM »
When I drove my Arkley SS, with 225/50/13 tires, a backed off steering wheel nut eliminated a lot of steering wheel shimmy. Never re-tightened it in 20 years of street an slalom driving.

So, Don - are you implying that there is a loose nut at the wheel?

 :roll:

That was an easy layup . . .

http://www.madisonclassics.com/

A big swap meet - might be an opportunity to clear out that storage space - maybe Tommy might have some pieces he'd want to consign.

I'm going to take the Frankensprite and see if there's any interest.  I have no idea what it's worth at this point.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline fordboy628

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6223 on: April 04, 2017, 03:34:15 PM »
When I drove my Arkley SS, with 225/50/13 tires, a backed off steering wheel nut eliminated a lot of steering wheel shimmy. Never re-tightened it in 20 years of street an slalom driving.

So, Don - are you implying that there is a loose nut at the wheel?

 :roll:

That was an easy layup . . .

http://www.madisonclassics.com/

A big swap meet - might be an opportunity to clear out that storage space - maybe Tommy might have some pieces he'd want to consign.

I'm going to take the Frankensprite and see if there's any interest.  I have no idea what it's worth at this point.


Oboyoboyoboy!!!

Can we get lunch from the deli @ Piggly Wiggly? ? ? ? ?

Suds from the Rock Bottom Saloon? ? ? ? ?

Can I park my Honda in town without fear of it being vandalized? ? ? ? ?    Yeah, probably not . . . . . . . . . .

Maybe I can paint it camo & fit big Amerkin wheelz and tars . . . . . . . .     That'll work!!!

You DO know the focus is:  ALL CHEVROLETS     right? ? ?

Not sure if powered by BOP is even an option . . . . . . .

Sorry, just thinkin' out loud again . . . . . .

 :dhorse:
Science, NOT Magic . . . .

I used to be a people person.  But people changed that relationship.

"There is nothing permanent except change."    Heraclitus

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."     Albert Einstein

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Milwaukee Midget
« Reply #6224 on: April 04, 2017, 05:55:47 PM »

You DO know the focus is:  ALL CHEVROLETS     right? ? ?


Perfect - you can finally sell those turbo Corvair rods and camber compensators.

But think about it - you'd have the only booth on the grounds with "Vintage Factory Lotus and Jaguar castings"!

Brought to you by "Lowest Common Denominator Promotions".



"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll: