Mid- Engine Modified Sports

[manta22]

"...couldn't get the rivets to go from the plastic container out back
to the front."

That's a hoot! I hope you didn't tell him how you "fixed" it. 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

I re-assembled my gear shifter and bolted it in, put in the sealed red battery box, and started to make my lower firewall. I cut it out of Inconel 718 sheet and I've started to drill holes for attaching it to the chassis. I'll cut a matching piece of aluminized woven ceramic fiber (similar to the header wrap stuff) and sandwich it behind the Inconel for heat insulation. The Inconel doesn't need any additional protection-- the textile fiber will just help keep engine heat out of the cockpit.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

No Neil, I didn't.

The chassis is looking very good.
You must be having a blast right now?.
To be finally fitting panels and parts is a great feeling, I'm sure.

I checked out that silicone RTV. That is a great product. How long does it take to set?.

[manta22]

I've been re-assembling the car in the last few days. I may or may not have time to drop in the engine/tranny but the inspectors know what those look like anyway. Before I quit for today, I laid out the rectangular hole patterns in my upper firewall for the two shoulder harness brackets to fit through. I drilled holes in each corner by first drilling a 3/32" hole, then a two- step drill of undetermined size (it looked about right), and then enlarged them to 5/16" with a multi- step drill. 6AL4V titanium is tough, it needs a slow speed, heavy feed, and cutting oil. The Inconel 718 lower firewall was worse-- I swear it would work harden if you looked at it crossways. 

This view shows the present state of assembly. the side pod on this side contains the fuel cell and 10lb Halon fire bottle. It is more secure than it looks; there is a thick aluminum clamp around the bottle just under the top panel and the clamp is bolted to the panel. The left side pod contains a dry sump oil tank and two fire bottles slung under that top panel by aluminum clamps bolted to brackets which are riveted to the underside of that panel.

The right side dark green Dzus panel mount two fuel filters. The shift linkage is in as well as the instrument panel & switch/breaker panel. I hope to finish & install  the upper firewall tomorrow.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[tauruck]

That is one of the tidiest constructions I've seen.
I know those joints on the gear selector shaft and they don't come better or cheap.
You do great work Neil.
Awesome photo and you seem to be making great strides.

My water jet sponsor cut me a whole lot of plates from steel (100) I want to use as body mounting tabs.
They needed 3/8" holes drilled though them.
Half were fine but the other 50 aren't.
I can't get a single one drilled.
Tried cutting fluid, slow speed but just ruined my drills.

[manta22]

Thanks, Mike. I wonder what kind of "steel" he used for those brackets? Mild steel (1010/1020) should not be a problem to drill.

I found a handful of those Thompson linear ball bushings just in time to build them into my shift linkage. They work great in this application.

Today I spent much more time than I had planned on getting my upper firewall installed. Previously I had all the holes in the attachment tabs matched to the holes in the firewall-- I forgot about the gussets that I added to the roll cage later after the firewall was taken out so that I could finish the welding on the chassis. Of course now there was interference and it wouldn't fit. In addition, I had to cut out two rectangular holes for the shoulder harness to fit through. What a PITA!!!    I finally got it to partially fit and that's where it will stay for now; I'm running out of time to get it to fit as it should. The inspectors can see it as it is-- unfinished but in place, sort of.

Dressing the cut edges of the firewall has convinced me that this is not titanium as it was alleged to be but rather some sort of really tough stainless steel alloy. The grinding sparks are not a shower of bright white like titanium, its more pale yellow with no spark division, like a 300 series stainless. Whatever it is, it's a b*tch to cut & grind.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Buickguy3]

  Neil,
  Somebody just sent me this story and my first thought was of you and your project. I'm sure that you have seen it, but what craftsmanship on both projects. Hope to meet you on the Salt someday.
   Doug 
      http://bangshift.com/general-news/project-cars/amazing-automotive-metal-working-project-america-recreation-ill-fated-1939-porsche-racer-old-north-carolina-vfw-hall/

[tauruck]

Thanks Neil, He hasn't replied on what he used but whatever it is I'm not good enough.

I also had a little experience grinding Ti when I did the exhaust swap on the bike and there's no mistaking the color of the sparks.
I don't know how Bo manages to machine the stuff. I had to cut a little bracket away and it was no joke.

[manta22]

Well, I had planned to ask the tech inspectors to give my car a once-over to see if they found anything that I needed to re-do. I also wanted to ask about moving the rear edge of the rear wheel well back a few inches so that there was no interference with the race tires. As everyone knows by now, two torrential rain storms caused the meet to be cancelled on Saturday morning.

Oh well.................. 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Neil, at least we got to see your car.  You were chatting with a couple of other folks as we cruised past - in traffic and couldn't stop.  But we SAW it, and now I can vouch that you really do have a build going on.

Sorry we didn't hook up to chat - and more sorry that nobody got to race.  Next time for sure!

[manta22]

Jon;

Sorry we didn't get together. I really wanted a coupler of those new t-shirts. Is it possible to get one mailed?

Yes, the car's real-- not Photoshop! 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Yes, I've got a list going for the shirts to mail.  Before i try quoting a price to include shipping I want to see what the USPS will charge.  As for the list -- how many of what size do you want?

I'll append this note to the post:  We've run out of large shirts already and never did make and size SM, so once we get back to the shop we'll get and make sizes to order.  We have M, XL, 2XL in stock.  We've got a good batch of the heat transfer sheets so can make any size.  Let me know what you want.

Back to your car, Neil -- as we drove past I looked and saw this black vehicle with enough sharp angles and surfaces to qualify as a stealth technology car.  Instantly I knew that it was the Manta.  Looks great.

[manta22]

Thanks, Jon.

I'd like to get two size XL T-shirts but there's no hurry on the quote. Maybe we should call this event "The Epic LSR Meet That Never Was".

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[manta22]

Like everyone else, we're back from rained-out Speed Week, disappointed but looking forward to next year. Towing a race car on an open trailer was interesting. At every gas stop it attracted a few curious people. Their main question was "What is it?" I found it surprisingly difficult to come up with a good answer.

After returning home and unloading, I thought it was a good time to take a couple of pictures, seeing that it was its first time out of the shop. The bodywork was just thrown on temporarily-- nothing fit properly-- now I'll remove it to put on the aluminum panels on the sides of the cockpit and adjust the body attachment points. There is still a lot of detail stuff to do-- wiring, plumbing, engine installation, etc.

I rolled the car into the shop through the sliding "barn door" but I needed to turn it 90 degrees to position it so I can work on it. There is nobody home right now except me since Joline is in Nashville visiting her sister, so I came up with the idea of using two small HF movers' dollies under the rear tires and one larger one under the stressed panel in the front. It wasn't easy but I could push the car around to the right position. Ball-bearing casters & wheels would have made it much easier but it worked.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[bubruins]

Wow. That is an intimidating looking front end. I can't wait to see this car in person someday.