Author Topic: Australian Belly Tank  (Read 3171260 times)

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Offline Greyboy

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #165 on: December 27, 2006, 11:15:19 PM »

Congratulations=canopy acquisition. I hope your right arms are Schwarzenegger, or your lefts if your lefties .. lol

Offline Dr Goggles

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Cheese welding
« Reply #166 on: January 06, 2007, 05:44:58 PM »
.....doing nine days straight on the tank ....yesterday we plumbed the cooling system finally ....although the rudiments have been sitting around for ages there were certain little "in-betweenies" that needed to be sorted out ....it's a bit like watching moluscs on a rock . Last week we chopped the top off the inlet manifold and moved the throttle body to a downdraft position .....Argon , a mini sand-blaster and a dedicated torch for Al wire in my Mig and it was a cinch( Mill?? who needs a mill when you've got this handy angle-grinder and a body file :wink:)....it was also useful to alter the neck of the thermostat housing to point straight up .Likewise the sand blaster has been critical when welding the bodywork as it's only 2mm .

We've chopped up one of the canopies ...it's very close to what we want but not perfect.Any suggestions on making slight bends to the edges???...it's 3/8 thick...um yeah :-o
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Greyboy

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #167 on: January 07, 2007, 05:42:57 AM »
If I understand you right, you can make small bends on an edge by c-clamping it between 2 pieces of wood and evenly heating the polycarbonite across the entire region that will need to take the bend. Attach a couple of stick handles to the wood while you're at it to make the bending easier.

Pass a heat gun (not a blow dryer) back and forth the area until it is heated enough, wear gloves and test on a scrap piece first by doing a test bend of an identical arc. We're trying to avoid stress lines and bubbles forming both of which are irreversable. Also, something like thick felt might be good to line the inside surfaces of the clamping bars.

That canopy is probably polycarbonate, although I could find no info on the Maachi Trainer itself...anyway you said you had two of them right?

Click pic to enlarge



Grey

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting
« Last Edit: January 07, 2007, 05:47:56 AM by Greyboy »

Offline Dr Goggles

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dine nays straight
« Reply #168 on: January 14, 2007, 07:49:06 AM »
...just finished a bit of a " lock in ' on the tank and we've got most of the body sorted out ,  the screen is roughed , the exact method of mounting it , the upper nose body panel,and the superstructure that it all hinges on are still a little "fluid" but it's a lot closer than it was , um , nine days ago.An old friend dropped in while we were at the screen , he 's in the forces and used to be a Blackhawk mechanic...watched us muck around for an hour discussing how we'd join the pieces of screen with these strips of Al , before telling us ...... "how it was done" ...we were on the right track , thankfully.The top cowl is welded to the body and it has been re-cut as the " bonnet" and tail sections....We've finished the tub by welding a 3mm floor of Al as a skin.We had to add about 50mm (2") down one side because as the tank is a wing-tip fit it wasn't entirely symetrical along what we wanted to use as the floor line , it looks pretty scummy ( the welding) but it all gets ground , bashed , bondo'd and painted in the end I guess .

Some dill got sand in all sorts of places that has made our engine man most unhappy with said wielder of sand-blaster....like everywhere dude!!! :oops:
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Sumner

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #169 on: January 14, 2007, 11:44:53 AM »
Sounds good Doc., do we get to see any pictures???

Is the Rev. helping or still playing in the Middle East :wink:?

And I hate to ask this as I know how many times I get asked the question myself :cry:, but does it look like you can make it by the 1st of March???

Good luck and c ya,

Sum

Offline Dr Goggles

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Back In Town
« Reply #170 on: January 14, 2007, 03:36:56 PM »
The Rev is back and in high gear .The answer is no it doesn't "look" like we'll make but I think we will...if that makes any sense.I can see us rolling up to the start line at about 2pm Friday just as Cled starts packing up the caravan ....." oh , sorry guys that was the last run ......there's always next year" :cry:

Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline PJQ

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #171 on: January 16, 2007, 01:17:44 AM »
S'pose I'd better get your spray guns back to your place where they belong. What kind of paint are you thinking of using?
Is Acrylic faster than Enamel?

PJQ
Velocity Science Laboratories

Regards,
PJQ
Velocity Science Laboratories

Offline Reverend Hedgash

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #172 on: January 21, 2007, 10:01:52 PM »
I've got some cans of ten year old Pink Primer that my dad used to do the gutters in which might just make an appearance...

Yes Sum, I made it back from O.S. safe and sound.

So much to do and so little time... I did a list last night and it is feasible to get it running by March... but now the road to the lake has been washed away!!! Surrounded by bushfires one minute, drowning the next.

If the weather doesn't get you, then the stingrays, crocodiles, snakes, spiders, jellyfish, sharks, drop bears will.

Rush time.

Rev. H+
« Last Edit: February 01, 2007, 01:26:21 AM by Reverend Hedgash »

Offline Dr Goggles

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hup hup hup
« Reply #173 on: January 25, 2007, 05:24:11 PM »
Today is "Australia Day"....yes , a holiday and yes that means we're back on the tank......who'd a thunk it , crikey ! will it ever be done??? We'll be framing the canopy as we're now happy with the shape and alignment , attaching it to the bodywork still needs a little consideration but it's mostly sorted.As for paint , the way it's going at the moment I'll be painting it on the trailer , on the way there.....

farewell fast friends , I got stuff to do..............
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #174 on: January 27, 2007, 06:25:14 PM »
We're acting as if the race is on and we're going flat out to get the tank up and running....I'll finish the frame paint tonight while today we're working on the flip front getting the screen attached to the skin and sorting the catches for same.Picked up a car yesterday that we'll gut for the motor  as the 2 V6's that we have are the early version and I'm not convinced that a crankshaft adaptor that I had made up is properly balanced , in a curio the early versions of this motor had a different crank in the auto and manual versions , the one I got yesterday has a bigger( eight bolt) crank boss that fits the flex plate OR the flywheel , I drove it yesterday , it'll do for licensing which is all we'll be up for this year.The new variable valve timing motor that we got will be kept til next year , we will run it stock , unmolested as it has about 320 hp and will get close to 7000rpm, the older versions will be built and probably run forced induction in fuel class.

The Rev is here , see ya :wink:
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline Reverend Hedgash

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Belly Tank canopy photos
« Reply #175 on: January 29, 2007, 10:15:21 PM »
OK, now it is starting to get serious.

Our canopy has been cut and folded in. Yeah we probably should have heated it as everyone said but it is a half inch thick our test with a heat gun yellowed it before it got enough heat into it to bend and we running against time to build something to bend it.

We are happy with the result anyway as we have made a suitable face with a suitable attitude for the car which was the one design element missing from the rendered designs.

The whole canopy hinges from the nose.

Spent a couple of hours with the Lady Hedgash on the couch last night polishing the scratches out of the canopy in front of Top Gear. Going successfully but the couch is getting a bit messy.

Reverend H+
« Last Edit: January 29, 2007, 10:20:08 PM by Reverend Hedgash »

Offline Reverend Hedgash

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Belly Tank photos
« Reply #176 on: January 29, 2007, 10:18:05 PM »
Dr Goggles aluminium skills are coming through with the body coming together nicely.

We have also put side windows in to assist vision when turning into pits, etc. These we have based on chopped hot rod style windows and will be a piece of curved lexan screwed in.

Firewall has been completed to the body edge and have clad the top of the rollcage in steel to protect from intrusion there.

Our seat is also attached and the back is louvred. coooooooool.

rH+
« Last Edit: January 31, 2007, 06:48:23 PM by Reverend Hedgash »

Offline hitz

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #177 on: January 30, 2007, 11:55:58 PM »
Rev, Dr,

 Cool, Cool, Cool! Looks like you might make it this March. All the luck in the world to you both. Just a trip down the salt will make it all worth well.
 
  Harv

Offline Reverend Hedgash

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frame and bottom of car
« Reply #178 on: January 31, 2007, 06:40:09 PM »
Thanks Harv,

We have taken the step to undercoat the frame while everything was out so we didn't have to do it later and we can just assemble, assemble, assemble.

In these photos you can see the 5mm steel base which protects the bottom, helps brace the car, is a form of natural ballast (we have followed advice to make things bigger and heavier than necessary) and gives a flat surface for the aluminium flat bottom of the tank to fix too.

The plate wrapping up around the sides is the bottom half of our scattershield built in as a brace.

As per discussions elsewhere on this topic we have chosen to have the car 50mm from the ground at the front (to maximise driver compartment) then at the 1/3 point the base gently slopes up to cater for the increasing boundary layer size.

You can also see the front framing of the canopy in open position. It still needs a bit more bracing but you get the idea. Greyboy, I understand your Schwarzenagger statement now, the canopy is indeed heavy. Might whack a couple of hatch gas struts onto it...

The frame is going to be Golden Yellow in colour (Dr Go is spraying it this week) because it is good to find dropped screws and things,and yellow looks good on the salt.

rH+

« Last Edit: January 31, 2007, 06:49:50 PM by Reverend Hedgash »

Offline PJQ

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Re: Australian Belly Tank
« Reply #179 on: January 31, 2007, 06:41:17 PM »
<<  pic of Dr. Goggs peering through the side window >>

Looks like Mr. Ramjet needs a Proton Energy pill.


Regs,
PJQ
Velcoity Science Laboratories

Regards,
PJQ
Velocity Science Laboratories