Spirit of South Dakota Lakester

[Tman]

New to the board and just started reading your build this afternoon. Just got finished. Some quality work there Tman, something to be very proud of. Looking foward to more updates as you progress on.

Thank you Frankie, I am new to LSR, been on the salt 3 times, 2 of which were crewing for my good friend Tim McMaster. But, I have grown up around racecars and hotrods, spent some time in the trenches at a rodshop. I don't know it all and this is a work in progress! i have told others that this is like going back to college for an Engineering degree WITH the hands on fab!

[Tman]

PJ was asking in the chat for a picture or two.

Here is the steering "wheel/yoke" I got from Tony in the classifieds. I plan on mounting my parachute switch on the right side. Need to figure out what kind of button or switch I should use? Also considering a safety device so I dont bump the switch at the wrong time! The center is also deep enough I could mount a guage or some controls in it.



And this is the NACA mold it was sitting on. This is for engine air. I used the drawing found online and in Engineer to Win and simply enlarged or reduced them on the copier to the scale I wanted. I am ready to lay glass on this one.

[Peter Jack]

That wheel looks really nice Trent. There's enough room to do some trick stuff. The NACA duct is looking rather good too. 

Pete

[Tman]

That wheel looks really nice Trent. There's enough room to do some trick stuff. The NACA duct is looking rather good too. 

Pete

And the wheel fits the cockpit really well! I am open to ideas on switches and such.

As for the NACA, thanks as well. I knocked that mold out of foam in a few minutes so I am getting better. These are simple one time molds, although the first one is still fixable for re-use.

[maguromic]

Trent, Ergonomically that is a perfect steering wheel, I would put one switch for the parachute launcher on one side and on the other side  an air shifter button or or an ignition kill switch.  In the center I would put some bright LED lights for shift lights, it wouldn't be hard to put a small board together. If you don't like the shift light idea and have a electronic ignition that you can load a few ignition maps to, add a rotary switch so you can go between them.   Just my 2 cents, which wont by a bowl of rice in China.  Tony

[Tman]

Trent, Ergonomically that is a perfect steering wheel, I would put one switch for the parachute launcher on one side and on the other side  an air shifter button or or an ignition kill switch.  In the center I would put some bright LED lights for shift lights, it wouldn't be hard to put a small board together. If you don't like the shift light idea and have a electronic ignition that you can load a few ignition maps to, add a rotary switch so you can go between them.   Just my 2 cents, which wont by a bowl of rice in China.  Tony

Yes, thanks Tony! This wheel just falls into your hands. I like your switch ideas.

[Tman]

I have the first layer of glass on, fabric and some matt for reinforcement, because I had it!



That old unfinished Mark Williams frame hanging behind the car has given up tubing for the rear engine hoop. This frame was never more than tacked together and many tubes were undersized..............we decided that it was not worth trying to finish the frame for the drags but have used the good stuff in this car.

[Tman]

Well, over the weekend I got the large scoop done. Mold release would have been nice But it went well. Part loooks good. But, I screwed up the small scoop. I brushed some remaining resin onto it and warped the piece. It is fixable but I may just ake a new one. 

[Tman]

New smaller cockpit intake. This glass stuff is theraputic. This one turned out better.



2/3rds the size of the old one I messed up.

[55chevr]

Save the mold ... there be a business opportunity.

[Tman]

Sacrificial mold Joe, but with the new foam I can make a mold in less than 15 minutes. A permanent one would be easy.

[pofg]

Hope your NACA duct works better than ours... certainly looks good... but remember to try and consider the pressure in the cockpit, make sure it runs at a positive pressure to stop fumes coming in...

Great build diary, just read it right thru!

Cheers
Rick

[Tman]

Hope your NACA duct works better than ours... certainly looks good... but remember to try and consider the pressure in the cockpit, make sure it runs at a positive pressure to stop fumes coming in...

Great build diary, just read it right thru!

Cheers
Rick

Yeah, I don't need to eat smoke like you did Rick! I think I will be ok since my duct will not be on a flat panel. From what I have learned they work better when "tipped" into the wind. We shall see. Thanks again for letting me look over the Flower, it helped reinforce some things I am doing such as the canopy latch.

[pofg]

Mr Moreau did a great job on a lot of things!

[Tman]

Will post up some shots this week. Yesterday I went over to my chassis buddies place and mitered all the uprights for the rear area (6 of them) and the tube that goes above my legs. When I get them in I will have some diagonals left and putting the rest of the helmet tubes in place. I am over my late summer burnout (a usual occurance in my riding and wreching) and back on things.