No, Not really, but I can lean a bunch of crap together to make it look like I am doing something! With Christmas and all the gatherings I have had to go to progress has been slow. I haven't been feeling too motivated some days either. I have been doing some drinking out in the garage though! I built the frame last thursday night. I used 1/8 wall 2x4 square tubing and a stock A crossmember. I tapered the framerails by cutting out a wedge of material and squishing the tube back down and welding it. I used a template that I made from a stock A frame and a plasma cutter to do this. I haven't z'd the frame yet because I want to see how low it is going to sit first. I plan on getting the spring mounted in the wishbones and the bungs welded in and mounted this week if all goes well. I will just start at the front and work my way back until everything sits where I want it. I also nothced out the body to fit over the frame. I have not cut the framerails at the back yet because I am not sure if I need some length for the Z yet. Like I said, front to back.
Here is a little better pic of the front. I want the axle just in front of the grille. The spring will get mounted about 8 inches back in the wishbone. Since this thing will not have any doors I want it to be low. I am going to try and get the scrub line about 4 inches off the ground if at all possible. I was wanting to go with some cheater slicks on the rear but I am having some clearance issues and I need to use some wheels with little to no backspace so I may go with some tall skinny whitewalls. ! would like to have the tires taller than the body anyway. you know how people like that on e-bay!
Looks great Aaron! One thing to think about is the radiator, sitting that low I had a hard time getting mine under the grill shell and still having the grill shell at a good height compared to the cowl. Cheater slicks would fit the style of the build better, but I'm sure what ever you do it will look right in the end.
From that side angle it looked like you were going to have closed fenders on the back and open wheel on the front. But then the front picture showed that those aren't fenders sticking out from the body. Looks interesting.
Gus, that is one of the things that I was drinking and thinking on. The good thing about that 34 Olds grille is that it is thick and I can probably put the radiator behind the crossmember and still have the grille cover it. I plan on using an electric fan to take care of moving enough air through it.
They'll never let you into the Hunnert Car pile-up with that. Just joking. The Lunar Lander is gonna rock. Have you thought of any colors for it yet? (I want to build one now.....hmmmm...)
My buddy makes chassis for race cars and works on Lolas and Ferraris. He seemed to think 1/8 (.125) was plenty heavy. A stock A frame is only 1/8 and most people box with 1/8 so it seems to me that it will be plenty strong, especially after all the crossmembers are in it and all. It will at least be as strong as a boxed A frame.
[ QUOTE ] Is 1/8 inch tubing heavy enough? Seems like you should use 3/16...... [/ QUOTE ] my one ton crew cab dually has a 3/16" C frame. i've used 14gauge 2x4 (i think 1/8" is about 12ga) tubing quite a bit on some back halved air ride equiped trucks that see some severe abuse from the yahoo owners playin with the bags, and they have held up fine. the guy at the steel place told me alot of roundy round guys use the 14ga 2x4 tubing all the time, thats why i decided it was ok to use. proper crossmember go a long way to making it strong.
It seems to me the thinner tubing would have more of a chance of fatigue and cracking next to welds... It will probably work fine, but I would use the thicker stuff.
That is crazy. This is the first time I'm seeing the whole body and not just the rear. I'm not sure if it's the first time you've revealed the whole thing, but it sure is wild. Do you have a clear vision of this thing as a whole? I'm seeing it as a 60s show rod, with bubbletop, wheel fairings and lots of flake. What are your plans?
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