I try to do something every day. Some times it just does not show up much. I got the steering box tacked in then cut out the brake lever which will be bent around the rear end and back up beside the wheel. I also started fitting the rear end mount plates , I will mark them for the holes, drill them and weld into the frame. dwrfab Don Ross
Don, This is going to be fun! Norris is/was close to Skipper and Tony, and I was around this car a few times. Wow! deja vu.......
I did more on the parts I made last week. I marked and drilled the anti rotation plate then measured up and made the steering support plate. i set up my bending dies in the press brake and curved the brake lever around the rear end, this took several fittings. Then I marked the location for rear end bolt holes ,drilled the mount plates. I installed the mount bolts and checked the measurements then tack welded the plates. dwrfab Don Ross
I found this copy of September 1966 Tach magazine cover in my desk Friday. The yellow car is our car when it was 120" wheel base. We are on a run not a burn out. The other car is the Anderson Brothers, we had just purchased the valve covers, injector and Scoop from them. The puff of smoke is from a small pushed out piece of valve cover gasket. dwrfab Don Ross
OOhh Don! Good thing Buster didn't see that gasket letting go, he would have shut you down in the staging area!
One step forward and two steps back. First let me say that this recreation is not a real race car, it's a glorified engine stand. The modifications I'm about to do I would never do to a real car. The first thing I was troubled about is the engine set out from the center of the rear end. It was just too tight. So I decided to remove the upright at the motor plate and slide the engine forward two inches. I will probably get this all tacked up this week in my spare time. The next mod. I will be doing in a week or so is to cut the cage loose just behind the rear end and slide it back two or three inches. This all come s from looking at and scaling photos and trying to get the steering wheel back over the rear end. Also the cowl was around 24" long and I couldn't get more than 19" of space for it. More later dwrfab Don Ross
Don, picky picky pick...................... so what's an inch here or an inch there any way? Mike, where are you in HV? I also live in HV
If you hadn't told us, we would have never known. The car will never make a full pass again anyway....
I try to do something every day. Last week I got the fire wall upright and 1" diagonals tacked in . Then I cut the cage off and slid the top tube up the inside tube 3". I droped the bottom hoop just behind the rear end mount plate. I put a 3" piece over a 9" inside doubler and slid the rear hoop back on and tacked it to the rear uprights. I extended the seat uprights about 1.25" . The brake lever mount is tacked back in and I will re bend the lever to bring the top back about 2". Today I made the steering support that bolts to the center third member bolt. Monday I removed the dummy block and line up bar. Then dismantled the 3.64 third member and put just the pinion in with the female coupler in place I can still put my rear axle bar in and support the cage when I need to put the main rails on the front. dwrfab Don Ross
Friday I got the gas pedal tacked in and fit to me. I had made the pivots earlier this month. Today I worked on the drive line covers. I have a cover that I got from Geri Tarvin in Missouri. I made the rear tube and tacked it to the 1/4" ring. The plan is to mount the coupler "Safety Slider" fork in the bottom of the 3" tube and mount a foot pedal on the top of the front tube to disengage the coupler. dwrfab Don Ross
Well it's tough to make a living and have your dragster project pulling you over every time you walk by. So I cover it up most of the time so I can't here it calling. Last update I got the drive shaft cover installed and tacked in. Then I drew up the foot pedal and kick out fork for the "Safety Slider" which is my version of a coupler disengagement device. This is mandated, Or recommended by the powers that be, to be able to uncouple and lock out the coupler when Cackling or starting up in the pits. Last week I built the pedal then the fork. Next I welded the pedal pivot into the bottom cover. I made a temporary link which will be replaced with a clevis and 5/16" rod end. The photos show the Pedal in the back position which is engaged and forward as in disengaged. Saturday I will machine a bronze coller that will press on to the mail coupler for the fork pins to pull the coupler back and forth. I have also built a clutch pedal similar to the original one but I'm not sure I am finished with it yet. wow did I say all that. dwrfab Don Ross
I finished up the bronze collar for the "Safety Slider" today. Open the pictures and click next rapidly and see it go back and forth. dwrfab Don Ross
^^^That's a cool idea! Would really get in the way on a race car, but could save a lot of collateral damage on a display car. Don, you never cease to amaze me with your build quality.
Mike: It may not be in the way on a real race car. It does raise a question, will it hold it in gear under power? I f you can imagine it happening it could happen. dwrfab Don Ross
Worked some Sunday doing small details, Seat belt mounts, chute pack mount plates, chute line mounts, bent brake lever back some and crotch shield all just tacked it place. dwrfab Don Ross
Ben doing a lot of thinking about the foot pedal for the Safety Slider. We want to put more people in the car besides me. The proximity of the pedal to the throttle could be a problem. I cut the pedal off and drilled it for a rod up to he steering support. this works great and I will install a detente ball to help hold it in and out of gear. Then I wanted some rod end tube adapters more like what Jim Davis would have made for our old car. I made clevises for the radius rods and tacked them up with the front end clamped to my shorty jig. The car is kind of short here, only 47" wheel base. dwrfab Don Ross
Got more done this week. Bent the "Safety Slider" rod down and shortened the handle. Cut and bent the 1/2" headache bars and tacked the chute mounts in place for a look see. Today I trimmed the seat for seat belts and worked out most of the hammer marks ,still some to do just but back in to see if I changed the width any. I started making several old style Dzus tabs but not done yet. dwrfab Don Ross
Some more small things. Small loop to keep crotch belt from falling to floor. We picked up a complete 57 392 , it will clean up at .030" bore oversize. Oops I missed the loop shot but do show a small detente ball to hold the "Safety Slider " in gear or out. Don Ross
group: I hosted the Texas Drag Geezers Reunion last Saturday Dec. 8th. I put our rear wheels and axles on the rear of the U. S. Kids recreation, strapped the back half on the trailer for display. Mi last surviving partner,Tony Fite was there and I think I may be getting him fired up about the project. I made a poster about the car and wasn't afraid to ask for help from other people, still waiting by the phone! Don Ross www.donrossfab.com
I found the metal flake upholstery material . Now what is the stamped sheet metal star off of? dwrfab Don Ross www.donrossfab.com
I've seen those on E bay it's close but not the same ours had a 3/16"or so lip around it with a recess inside. We got this cover from the Anderson Brothers with the Hilborn injector and M/T valve covers around 1965. Thanks Don Ross
The Jalopy Journal
