Springfield Flyer.

[Rex Schimmer]

Some how, Mike, I don't think you were hunting coyotes!

Rex

[WOODY@DDLLC]

Mike, I just knew there was something else I liked about you! That's a dilly of a ghillie! 

[SPARKY]

Do they call them long cars because of how long they are or how LONG they take to build?.

LONG CARS

Takes a long time
to build a long car
that runs on the long course
for a shorter time the better

[tauruck]

Arma Gear came through!!!!!.

I'm so stressed over this build and lately I'm a little quick to judge.
When one has sponsors you need to be on the ball 24/7 because they've
invested in the project and I won't let them down.

I'm getting the first two parts Monday. I was offered a drive at a testing session
in a single seater race car owned by Veron at Arma on Wednesday but I had to turn it down. I don't have a helmet yet.
Willie and I are still going to the track. He's never been and does so much for me I have to take him.
I'll definitely post pics and when the next test happens hopefully I'll have the helmet back.

I did quite a bit of work on my radiator box today and I'll test it for leaks tomorrow.
One less part on the "long" list. Pics tomorrow night.

Also cleaned the workshop!!!!!. I generated a lot of steel off cuts but don't want to throw them out
because you always need a piece here or there. Packed the stuff in a neatish pile.

I have sponsors coming over next week and don't want drive them away.

[ggl205]

[I want to post pics and show some progress but alas there won't be a thing for a while.
I must be the invisible man!!!. "What we have here is a failure to communicate".

Might be time to go back to the old days. ]

First, allow me to say how well your build is coming along. Very nice workmanship. I am quite excited to see this car complete.

Next, with a ghillie like that, you need to be worried someone isn't hunting you.

John

[tauruck]

Thanks John and the same to you on your build.

Nah, not me in the Ghillie this time!

These days I only hunt sponsorship.

BTW, I also raced a car with a Hewland box (FT 300) and I was really hard on it.
My race engineer was ex F1 and he used to toss ratios and dog rings in the trash
after a 20 lap race. He said I did in 20 laps what it took the F1 drivers 75 laps to do.
I had a 5th gear ratio that was a 24/29 I think??? and recorded the highest speed ever
at the old Kyalami track. I still want to throw up when I smell that gearbox oil.My punishment was
to pull out all the gears and refit the new afterward.

[tauruck]

Earlier I wrote that I was sealing my radiator box.
Pictured is the right side. The top hat mounting bushings bonded in from the inside
were threaded right through so I had to blank them off.
Two layers of 40 gram glass fabric, one carbon, one more fine 40 and some peel ply.
Done!!!. You'll see the shiny areas left and right on the rim. The third is actually behind the radiator
and not visible.
I'll post pics of the various steps on the left side later.

[tauruck]

Left side done.
First pic is of the three bushings.
Second of the mini Makita belt sander used to polish off excess adhesive.

[tauruck]

The bushing after clean up.
Bolt thread dipped in release agent.
Some pink drop can be seen at bottom.
I screwed the bolts in before the release cured.
It seals as well as does what it was intended for.

[tauruck]

The bolts from the outside. Excess release agent can be seen dripping down.
That will be washed off with water on completion.

Resin mixed with filler applied to all three bushings
to give the glass and Carbon a smooth transition over the washer
part of the bushing.

[tauruck]

I laid up the first layer of fine weave glass and used my finger
to flatten the top of the bushing and to create as smooth a surface
as possible. After wetting out the glass I added a layer of Carbon, 2 more layers of
the fine glass and peel ply to finish.

[tauruck]

Job done.

The parts are curing so I'll have to wait a while to remove the peel ply and do the water test.

[tauruck]

Leak test was a success.
I left the tank for about 2 hours and it never leaked a drop.

The drain plug was sweating but I never had a fibre washer on the bolt.
I'll remedy that next week.

Tank capacity without radiator is 85L and it took 40 minutes to drain.
Not sure what displacement the radiator will be but I figure maybe 10L.
All up weight with tank, lid, radiator and coolant should be about 100L.

I'm happy.

[Kiwi Paul]

Mike, that looks great. I can`t do glass or carbon fibre work for beans. I have to use steel or aluminum. Really like your one job at a time approach. The only way to eat an Elephant, as it were....

[tauruck]

Thanks Paul, coming from you it is much appreciated.
This elephant requires Maalox, big time!.

I get help from above for sure.
Say hi to Bob for me when you see him. God Bless.