Hot Rods The "Whatever" project

Bentrodder said: ↑
I was going to run a hoop under the cowl for a column support also but decided I did not want to sacrifice the room. I ended up making a support that bolts between the windshield posts and tucks high into cowl so not hopefully not interfere with gauges when I get to that point.
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And I’ll be copying your setup soon! Picked up a length of 1 inch square tube yesterday.
RodStRace said: ↑
So the floor outline is yellow, but the entire are between the orange lines is raised.
Seems like not a lot of flat floor. With careful measuring, it should have enough for 4 panel trys!

You have to put the cursor (flashing placeholder) AFTER the [/quote] part. Otherwise it gets tucked in the quote.
That was my ***umption too. Just took a look at the surplus shower surround sitting serenely sideways softly on the lawn. (My old college expository writing professor would be so pleased with that sentence)
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Anyway, there’s also a top to the surround. So there’s probably enough for at least 2 fowl up try’s before I have to get it right.

 

part. Otherwise it gets tucked in the quote.
That was my ***umption too. Just took a look at the surplus shower surround sitting serenely sideways softly on the lawn. (My old college expository writing professor would be so pleased with that sentence)
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Anyway, there’s also a top to the surround. So there’s probably enough for at least 2 fowl up try’s before I have to get it right.[/QUOTE]
Man! That was quick…

 

and now you can see how the markup language I typed in my quote ended it and left the original end quote!

 

The above discourse inspired me to start the fabrication of the inner windshield support structure. Got it partially cut out, but need to do CAD next. You know, cardboard aided design. There is a lot of angles going on inside the body up inside the cowl and dashboard area. And getting the shape of a piece of cardboard to fit into the space is easier than the final chunk of steel.

And I am using the new hydraulic lift table. I slid the body on the firewall down onto the table, raised it up and clamped it in place. It’s at a good height to work under the cowl and dash. And while it’s on the table, I can finish up the support structure for the firewall and make a connection between the two. That will add greater stability to the windshield post brackets. I’ll include a couple of tabs so if I need some support for the steering column off of that, I will have a couple of attachment points to aim for.

 

Got the new windshield stanchions today. They fit the body better than the previous set did. I’ll get a couple of pictures of the old set and let you see them, and they are available if you need a set like that.

Meanwhile, I put the body back on the ch***is today, started altering the seat mount to improve the angle of the seats. That was going well, however something was wrong. It was just not working. Standing back I realized that the car was sitting too high. Now I had it on the coil overs, on the setup that also needs work to get the rear brakes on and clearing the coil overs. So, get out the setup blocks, and adjust stuff to get the back end where it is supposed to be. Yup, I had messed up the position of the rear axle, somehow! Now back to square, I took a little bit of time to see if the coil overs were going to have the correct travel. Nope!

Now, I knew I had a little adjusting to do, but it turned out that I had miscalculated when I put the current coil overs on, instead of the Koni racing shocks. Doh! Missed by that much…

Now, this actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I built the rear suspension before I got rear brakes installed. You might remember from a few posts back that I had a clearance issue with the emergency brake cables trying to occupy the same spot as the coil overs. And when I checked total travel in the rear suspension, that was off also. Now if you are really interested in all of this, go way, way back to the earliest pictures of the rear suspension system. Yup, it is going back to that!

Here’s a picture from this afternoon

Picture in your mind’s eye a pair of tabs welded to the side of the frame rails, right about where the top eye is resting. That was the way it was done way, way back in time. And with the angle the brakes will now clear the coil overs. And at that angle the suspension travel is back to where I started. These shocks are 18 position adjustable for both compression and rebound damping, so if they are a little too soft, just turn the knob…

 

Oh, and that hole in both frame rails? Yes, I’ll have to plug those holes up. So a bit of jumping around to get everything in place to make sure I don’t mess up the pedals placement. It’s amazing how each piece has to fit together in the puzzle. The dirt modifieds in comparison were so much simpler in the era that I was involved. That car over there with young fugly leaning on it, it was the first one I built, I started on it at 19, and finished it just before I turned 20.

 

Picked up the disc rotor adapters today. Pictures later. Beautiful work, the water jet company held 0.002 inch tolerances. I don’t think I’ll have a problem with runout.

 

Here’s the promised picture

I had 4 made, just in case I need the extra thickness for countersinking the fasteners. These are so nice, I don’t even have to debure them. More tomorrow after my back lets me stand up straight…

 

If lifting those 4 spacers threw out your back, this project is in big trouble!

 

Sometimes just moving wrong messes it up. I haven’t been in the garage for days, only thing I’ve done is some laundry for us. And even that was 3 days ago.

 

I winced just reading that. I know of those "I didn't even DO anything" moments that can lock you up or drop you from the pain. Here's hoping it goes back into hiding. We both know it doesn't go away.

 

I have taken to using the cherry picker for everything, and I just got an hydraulic lift table also. They are both very handy.

 

That water-jet cutting place looks like it might be mighty handy for other projects... not that I have any in mind, but it's nice to have some options for these things.

Glad to see progress is being made, despite rumors to the contrary.

 

So I got a couple of cutting tools ordered today, a 5/16 inch chucking reamer and a 1/2 inch ball end mill. Bolts and all metal lock nuts are on order. I honestly don’t remember what the real name of those lock nuts is, they will work in applications like this that could experience high temperatures that will melt plastic insert lock nuts. This is all for the brake rotor adapter setup. I’ll get pictures once I have something concrete, or rather aluminum and steel, to take pictures of.

If anyone is curious about where I usually purchase cutting tools like that, the company is Traver Tool, in New York, just put that in your search engine and it will be the first one. I have been buying tools from there since the 1970s, when the machine shop Forman showed me their catalog. You guys remember printed catalogs and dialing the telephone, right? Well, this company still has a huge catalog, and really great people who answer the phone. Check them out, many of the products are American made, some are from the pacific rim, but even those are good quality tools.

 

Stover nuts

 

lots of those on a cat!

 

That’s the name! They haven’t come in yet… I probably could have gotten them by now online, but the local hardware store has been my go to place for 28 years now. I like to support local businesses when I can. The added benefit is that they still take care of their customers.

A for instance. Ratrodder and I built a stand for my Atlas lathe a couple winters ago. It needed a plank of some sort to go between the steel I-beams and the lathe. I stopped over there and asked about butcher block countertop material. The not so young anymore guy said he could get me some, but it would be expensive. Then he asked if I could use something else, like a section of glue lam. And off he went to one of their storage barns. He came back with a section that was a tad wider than I had thought about and as it turned out, it was the perfect length. The only problem was that it had been outside and was a little bit wet. But it was perfect. Asked him how much. Nothing, they were just going to toss it out eventually. After getting it dried out, sanded, toasted, and then oiled, it worked out perfectly. It’s little things like that that are the reason why I go there first.

So, I figure I can wait for a week or so. Those bolts are grade 8 low head socket head cap screws. The od is almost exactly 5/16 inch, slightly over. The holes in all of the components are either 5/16 or a touch under, hence the reamer. I measured the holes in the adapters and they are all 0.002 inches under. They said that their water jet could hold tolerances of 0.002, and I guess they know their machine. I am not complaining, because I can take a little bit out, much easier than putting it back in. The reamer I have ordered should be 0.3125. BTW those bolts are rolled threaded. I might need to get another reamer if the new box measures oversized as well as the two old stock.

 

Yes, the back is a bit better today. I started the garage cleaning today, spent 2 or so hours before I knew it was time to stop for the day. I’ve got a new to me file cabinet, a heavy duty lateral one, that is going to be put on wheels, and will become a new home for as many of my power tools and the accessories that go with them as will fit. A couple of the neighbors have said they will help me get it on wheels tomorrow or Sunday. Yes, it’s one more thing to fit in the garage, but it should cut down on the stuff that just lays around taking up space.

That should allow other things to be stored in a more efficient fashion, hopefully freeing up space. I have to get the two daily drivers in the garage this winter. I might need to jettison some stuff…

 

Closing in on finishing the second Great Garage Reshuffle Kerfluffle, otherwise known as Fase Due. And the stuff that I have found would surprise you. I may have mentioned that I was never any good at keeping files in my office. Lab notebooks were a different story BTW, as we had a physics professor who marked us on our lab notebook with the experiments and the lab reports. There’s just something about putting paper in file folders that I don’t understand about. The same also applies to keeping things organized in the garage.

You may recall that I took suggestions last year and slightly modified the concepts to arrive at a storage rack system for my garage that lines the outside wall. Well, there was a couple of shelf ***emblies that were not used, and some wall brackets that were taken down to make way for the shelves. And it came to me in a dream earlier this morning to make use of those pieces. Here’s a couple of pictures of the garage wall now:

You can see the two shelves in the first and second bays of the shelving unit. The first one uses some heavy duty metal brackets and one of the left over wire shelves, and I put the medium length steel materials on it. The second one uses lighter duty metal brackets and one of the heavy duty brackets and is perfect for storage of my power tools, grinders, drills, reciprocating saws, etc. and it is right over the steel welding bench. Most importantly, it is set back enough so that I won’t bang my noggin on it working at the bench.
Here’s a better look at the two new shelves. Just a few more changes to make, so that the roll around boxes will fit in, and the engine stand and the bender. Now back to work on the car!

 

I'm jealous you take the effort to make things work well in the shop! I haven't had motivation to do that for a long time

 

well, since you asked for critique...
I sure hope all the stuff on those shelves are for the current project and nothing 'just out of the way, off the floor'!!!
In that same vein, no Whatever parts are hiding in other corners waiting for the next earthquake/cleanup/estate sale to be uncovered!

On a more serious note, good on you Dave! It always feels good to straighten up the clutter and have open space. Here's hoping the winter is mild, everyone stays healthy and you are able to make much progress.

 

Thanks guys. Of course there is an ulterior motive. I need to be able to get both daily drivers in the garage as well as the whatever and all of the rest of the stuff over the winter. There is, of course, non-whatever parts. Excess engine parts, misstep parts, V8-60 tube axle, extra quick change parts… things that I have collected and set aside for now. Some things will be going elsewhere for storage, probably the ba*****t. Nothing heavy though. Except maybe the two 12 foot sections of 2x4 tubing. That’s a couple hundred dollars worth of steel that won’t fit in the shed! There’s a ba*****t egress window, 5x5, that is at ground level on the outside, easy access to the ba*****t. And there’s neighbors who have volunteered to help me with the heavy stuff…

 

Jack stands are such a pain when not in use! They don't stack, lay on their side or do anything but be a trip hazard that take up space. He3avy for their size, too. I'd suggest a rolling tree with hooks, but it seems you have plenty of rolling stuff and no great place to tuck another one.
I would try to concentrate all the Whatever parts front and center as much as possible and labeled or visible. Focus!

 

Most of the parts are for the car. The V8-60 axle and other components are on top of the first section with the pile of Buick aluminum brake drums, and all of the other components slated for another project with the nephew. We are collecting parts that will eventually be used on something!

The jack stands are definitely a space hogging item. I’m thinking about making a shelf for them.

See that empty space above the machines to the right of the entry door? I could use some light there for the machines and the shelf could double as a place to put a new strip light. If I use that area for a shelf, it needs to be a smooth surface that allows the stands to easily slide on it. And the underside should be light and reflective. What you can’t see in these pictures is the hydraulic lift table that has Whatever stuff on it. I need to get two new storage bins to empty it off. They have a hole on the third bay top
shelf. And the stuff shouldn’t be too heavy for me to lift! Yes, I’ll buy clear ones and label them…

Vertical space is quite useful when outfitted with adequate shelves. There is still some room over the back door. And above the garage door can be used for storage of light stuff. And we all know the definition of a blivet. Well, I’ve taken that to the next level. 15 pounds in a 5 pound bag.

 

Does said nephew have some storage space?
Shame there isn't enough space under those stairs for the stands, or is there? At least 4 short and 2 tall...

 

No, I thought of that. The short ones could lay on the side, but the big ones won’t fit no matter how I measured. Besides, that’s where I store wood for blocking and drill table protection. And the original staircase is under there too, in case a future owner wants to remove the ramp. It just unscrews from the wall and the platform, the railing has some tapcons. Taking the ramp out would be a half day job for a young new owner.

Today’s efforts got one of the daily drivers in, on the ramp side. I still intend to move those two 2x4 box tubes to somewhere else, but I need help with that. Of course some people will tell you that I need more help than that!

Tomorrow, get some new storage bins, and some shelving material. That will get the stands off the floor and in a reasonably accessible place. I’ve got some parts that will go to the shed for now. And the best part is, I will still be able to walk around most of the cars without moving them outside. So I will be able to continue with the whatever in bad weather. Which, by the way, is expected to be more severe snowstorms this winter due to the intensity of the El Niño this year. We are in the heavier than normal snowfall region up here.

I also am going to talk with my neighbor the former contractor, and see if he has any suggestions for a small lean to next to the house in front of the garage door to cover the snowblower and garbage cans. I think we can make something that will fit between the power supply and the garage front wall. That will help as well.

 

Interesting concept, except for the fact that weight on the library stairs locks the wheels. We bought those when SWMBO was still able to use stairs. This gave her a way to help with painting our previous house safely. Now it’s trickled down to me, as I have some issues with ladders. And I don’t paint anything anymore.