Projects Introducing the Roofus Special

Somebody identified the car in this thread as being a french car called a Rally somewhere around a 1930 model. There are a couple more pics posted as well as a video.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385496&highlight=roofus



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How about your dual I beam things with a lower 1/4 eliptical on the bottom and and a link on the top one. Or visa versa with the spring on the top.

 

Thanks Flipper!!!

just over the past couple of days I've learned a lot about these cars and i got to say, i think I'm in love!!!! I still want to learn more though!!

In the previous thread you asked... ("I would love to find out the basic dimensions of these cars (wheelbase, overall length, track width, body width, body height, wheel and tire sizes....etc.)." ... ) Did you have any luck with an answer? How did you get the dimensions for your build or are you just winging it as best you can?? Any good resources or advice for me?? If you would rather this be a "PM" conversation just "PM" me.

Looking forward to some more progress updates!! hows it going on the boattail??

P.S. check out my new avatar!!!

Thanks,
JGRAFF

 

I'm using a lot of real cars for ideas, but in the end, i'm just winging it.

 

....and no, I was not able to find out any info on the general dimensions of a Rally.

 

In the mood for some more front suspension designs?

I was at the Indy Hall of Fame Museum last month and thought you might enjoy
some more ideas ENJOY>

Jeff

 

Thanks for the pics.

Looks like I am going to get two whole weeks off in december. I should be able to dedicated some quality time to this thing.

 

I've got a 4 day weekend coming up and plan on digging in on this thing again. Right now I'm thinking of ditching the hairpin idea and going more A-arm-ish.

For purely asthetic reasons, I want to build my a-arms out I-beams (2x2 tubing split and welded outside-in ...like this --> ][ )

Would the arms be structurally sound if done this way? ...or will it do something funky under load?

....anybody have any guesses?

 

I'd guess it would work fine, but you'll need to watch the thickness of the materiel.

 

if i was to do that i would use the 2x2 tubing your talking about but definitely getting it in 1/4" wall thickness. that will be very strong but i would not be worried about the a-arm itself but make sure its pinned correctly/strongly.

lets see some more pics!!!!

 

I worked on the front half of the frame today. Really happy with what I came up with. Wheelbase is longer than I originally planned, its gonna be 110" or so.

I took pictures as I went. I'll post them when I get home (dad has dial-up).

Forward of the firewall looks kinda like a Bob Bleed sweep 32 ford frame...with my own special twist.

 

Here is where I started the day. A clean table from the firewall forward.

HPIM0954 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

I had to come up with an idea for a frame that would accept an IFS and look good fenderless. Follow along as I work through this thing and see what I finally came up with. ....all of the blue tube is 1.5"

HPIM0955 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0957 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0961 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

HPIM0966 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0971 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0976 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0981 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

HPIM0983 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0986 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0995 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr


HPIM0996 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

Making a second top rail

HPIM0998 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

 

The two outer rails are going to be boxed in and become one.

The lower control arm is going to be mounted on the straight piece that runs parrallel to the motor. The upper control arm is going to be mounted on top of the outer frame rail. The spring is going to be a 1933 ford transverse leaf spring.

I go back next thursday for the next round.

 

My current goal is something along the lines of this car except the front suspension will be 5-10 inches farther forward so that I can get the spring pack out in front of the grill shell. I will probably do the splash aprons too (but only in the front, the "framerails" will be exposed).

 

What you are building was called a "planar" front suspension by Studebaker, and was an option or standard on cars 36' thru the late 40's. Depending on how you mount the spring, you are also following some design elements of the Corvette. I am using a 41' Stude planar front suspension with mods on my car.

http://turbostude.com/Tribaker/P1010003.JPG stripped stock frame
http://turbostude.com/Tribaker/sway.jpg some of my mods

 

By the way, there are some tricks to setting the caster and camber up to be adjustable on the planar suspensions. Think twice before welding the A-arms in place, as they need to be adjustable. Might study the 41 Stude. Call me if you like.....
320-282-4577.

 

So the upper a-arm mounts bolt on and have shims?

 

This build has me all giddy!

 

You're my kinda guy....thinking outside the box..

Love the build. A+++++++++

 

Yes, and I can send you the page in the 41' Stude parts book showing it if you PM me your e-mail address. The caster is set by the angle of the a-arms to the frame, and will change as a function of front/rear ride height, so you will need to put enough weight in the car (in approximately the correct location) to duplicate the finished product.....including body, driver, fuel. This will also help to figure out your springing and shock mount location. The spring mounting angle will duplicate the a-arm angle. I think caster is normally set around 5 to 7 degrees in a street vehicle. You can adjust ride height on the back to change caster with your design. I am setting up an adjustable rear preload on the quarter elliptics to do that on my car.

 

Anybody have toughts on exhaust pipes?

The stock manifolds are already split and are very header-ish, but they point down. Exhaust pipes would go underneath the steering shaft and then exit the body. If I use the stock manifolds, I think I have 3 basic options:
1) merge into one pipe under the hood and exit through a hole in the famerail and run a single pipe down low on the body.
2) don't merge, run one through the frame, one above the frame like harley drag pipes
3) don't merge, run one through the frame, one above the frame and merge into a single pipe outside of the body

The other option is to ditch the factory manifolds and build headers.

This thing only will have a 210 cubic inch or so inline six in it so it doesn't NEED really big pipes.

Stock manifolds. FYI the tubing scraps between the framerails at the firewall are just spacers for mock-up.

HPIM0988 by Flipper_1938, on Flickr

This car is close enough to use as an example for photoshops if anybody is so inclined.

 

Any thoughts of maybe running both pipes out through the hood side and along the body like this (without the header)?

 

The Willys jeepster also use a Planar type front suspension. That design used an upper A arm with the transverse spring being the lower locating member.

 

Mine is actually going to be more corvette style. Upper and lower A-arms with a transverse spring to provide lift.

 

Quit your job and finish this.
I'm getting antsy...

Jeff

 

I'd like to see this thing done too ....but not enough to quit my job.

With a little luck, it might be a rolling chassis by Jan 4, 2010 (two more days of work and then I'm on vacation until then)

 

I really like the cars in the first pic posted, I'd love to have one of those. Two-seater would be awesome.

 

Here are better pics of the first two cars.