Small update. Got the new perch piece welded together, I was hoping I had done enough math to just bend the sides down and weld them up, but apparently I need to use different angles next time... but its ok, it's only metal. CUT IT UP! flip and place. much better. then all that's left is welding it together. now you can compare with earlier pictures, the axle/spring is mocked up in the same place, only the perch has moved. I have a great little plate I made to weld into the top side of the perch, but I'm waiting on some acorn nuts I ordered from Fastenal. I searched all through town, nobody had 7/16 acorns. (except ACE had stainless ones they wanted $11 apiece for, I got 4 of them from Fastenal for less than that) So that will wait till monday. In the meantime I may see about pulling the frame apart this weekend to build the rear kickup.
Not much progress to report, but I did get it up on four wheels to roll it out of the shop. The shorter perch worked to get he front end off the ground. (still waiting on those pesky acorn nuts) I also had some time to mock up the idea for the rear hairpin mount. the bottom hole is too small and in the wrong place, so it will need to be filled/drilled just like the front batwings. It's hard to tell, but the setup here is a heim joint with a high clearance spacer on each side, and in double shear with two brackets. This combined with a panhard bar to control side to side motion, should be a pretty bulletproof solution. Obviously that cross member will be moved forward to where the hairpins will mount. I didn't take the frame apart, cause I was busy this weekend finalizing my frame table to weld it on . its bolted down and leveled, next I just have to put together the stringers for the top. stay tuned! .
It's looking like the easiest way will be similar to my T roadster, behind the radiator. Haha if I put the seat that far back and down, you wouldn't be able to see over the cowl! Believe me, seating has been thought of since the beginning, in part, because Dillon wants to do a healthy chop. T coupes have much more height than T roadsters, and much more legroom front to back. The top of the framerails as they sit, are even with the top of the factory subrails, and will allow him to set the seat on the floor of the car, as far back as you would want to. Without standing the seat back up at a 90 degree angle, you'll never get into the space occupied by these little short hairpins.
Finally back on this project, after a bunch of debacles getting parts and material, and a taking a roadtrip to Arizona. I started getting my head back into the space, by spending a night just sorting the stuff I needed to do out. Once I had the ideas laid out, I started laying them out in tube. I’m going to try and cut the tubing for the rear kickup so that I can just bend the top edge and weld three sides. And that’s when my plasma cutter blew threw its last electrode on another “quick project” on Friday afternoon. So I had to order the electrodes, and they should be here today. With that, I had to move on from the rear, and decided to clean up and fully weld the front crossmember so I could cut the top plate into it once I got my plasma cutter back. I got It smoothed out pretty nice. Having gotten settled in at my welding table, I decided to weld up the rear spring perch that Dillion bought from Bob bleed. I’m not a fan of round tube crossmembers, or adjustable perches, but this is a nice piece, and will give us the ability to tune the rear ride height, at least until we get the car finished. And I was able to lay some pretty good beads on it. Altogether mocked up, ready to get welded the rest of the way around. I should get some more time this week to finish welding it up, and move back to the rear kickup when my plasma consumable's come. .
The Jalopy Journal
