Spirit of South Dakota Lakester

[Tman]

Got my troubled tube tacked in place and now onto the side bars. Got a call into ISP today to order the head restraint. Waiting for a call back about a question I have. Also, the Brown Santa brought my first piece of safety gear! Some swanky Piloti driving boots. The quality of the leather is amazing.

[Tman]

OK, I SWEAR I will not shoot a pic of every tube! Bute the cage is getting there.

[Tman]

I lied, I AM taking shots of every tube only because I work so damn slow! Here is the tube I call a "tie bar" that keeps my knuckles from finding earth. Bottom is coped, upper end needs to be trimmed so thing settle down a couple inches.

[Stainless1]

T, now is a good time to put some roll bar padding above the helmet to ensure you have a enough clearance and them check for 120 degrees of forward vision.  I would tack in those bars where you think they should be, put in a seat height base and back, then put on the helmet, climb in look around and climb out.  Suggest doing this a lot from this point on.

[Tman]

T, now is a good time to put some roll bar padding above the helmet to ensure you have a enough clearance and them check for 120 degrees of forward vision.  I would tack in those bars where you think they should be, put in a seat height base and back, then put on the helmet, climb in look around and climb out.  Suggest doing this a lot from this point on.

Thanks, yes, I am doing that. Next step will be to add my backrest and lower tubes so I can pinpoint the seating. . I also have a call into ISP and am going to use their padding system. Their website has a very detailed form on the measurements they need to build a custom system.

[Buickguy3]

   Trent, Where is this technology when we need it?
      http://youtu.be/yigRgG_NIyU

   Doug

[Tman]

   Trent, Where is this technology when we need it?
      http://youtu.be/yigRgG_NIyU

   Doug

I have watched that before, man would that be nice!!!!!!!! Looks like some pretty high quality tubing as well. Very cool.

[Tman]

I just spent a few VERY INFORMATIVE minutes talking to Bill at ISP Safety. I can already tell what a top notch company these guys are going to be to work with. Thanks to Charles for putting me in touch with them!

 http://ispseats.com/

They will be working with us in designing the helmet support as well as other aspects of driver compartment safety such as our poured seat and some other padding I schemed up. I know several other teams use their products such as Poteet and Main but is nice to know some dude in the middle of nowhere can call up and get the same or better treatment as Force or any of the NASCAR teams!!!

It is little victories like these that keep me pushing forward, I feel smarter than I was 30 minutes ago

[Tman]

Got started on the aluminum base pieces last night. Minutes after talked to Bill at ISP I stumbled upon some .090 al drops at the tool surplus. Just what he said to use! So we are bending up the parts and fitting the other tubes today These will get bent up and then sent in to ISP for covering. Still need to decide is we are using tabs or bungs to mount the panels. I do not know if there are pros for one or the other?

[Stainless1]

Tabs with thru-bolts would be my vote, anything you blind bolt into will get salt in it, corrode and freeze your bolt in place.  Feel free to ask how I know        if you can't figure it out
 

[Tman]

Tabs with thru-bolts would be my vote, anything you blind bolt into will get salt in it, corrode and freeze your bolt in place.  Feel free to ask how I know        if you can't figure it out
 

That was a lingering thought I had as I typed that! Thanks again.

[RayTheRat]

Lookin good, man!

[SPARKY]

LOVE those drops---scrap prices 

[Tman]

LOVE those drops---scrap prices 

I paid a little more than I wanted but walked out with a few pounds of stuff to tide me by.

Also spent time on the chassis today but since it was aluminum day I grabbed an engine turned chunk I was doing to my Tudor, decided it needed to become the dash for this one.

[Stainless1]

You racing on the salt or profiling.... way too many things planned in that dash, you will be lucky to get a peek at the tach....  OK just kidding all those gauges will be useful during warm ups before the runs.  OK back to work on the cage, you won't need a dash for a while.