Frame Mods to Type 65 Coupe

[Jacob McCrea]

Jake,

There will be a small package arriving at your work Monday or Tuesday..........

I like the caliper!


Hank

Hank, I got it yesterday; the fit is perfect. I really appreciate it and most certainly owe you!

Bill,

I appreciate the comments. As I read the PA vehicle code, the hydraulic parking brake is permissible. I forget the exact language but the bottom line was that the parking brake system had to be separate from the regular brakes. So, something like an inline hydraulic valve, which I initially wanted to use, would not pass in PA.

[loeffler1]

Maybe I misunderstood them as it might be a possibility they would allow this to be done separatly from the regular system. I think I'll readdress this again with the state and clarify that it is a separate system. i might not have been clear originally.

[Hankl]

Bill,

Here's what is on the Maine DMV site.

http://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/rules/16/222/222c001.doc


(4) Parking Brake Performance

Set the parking brake firmly to determine the reserve travel of the hand lever or foot pedal. If the vehicle is equipped with the “band” type parking brake, inspect the propeller (drive) shaft for the presence of oil or grease, the condition of the lining, and tightness.
(a) Reject vehicle if the parking brake does not hold the vehicle upon testing.
(b) Reject vehicle if the method of applying the parking and service brakes are connected and are constructed so that failure of one part leaves the vehicle without operative brakes.
(c) Reject vehicle if there is no reserve travel in the lever or pedal unless designed with no reserve by the manufacturer.
(d) Reject vehicle if there is oil or grease on the drum or lining.
(e) Reject vehicle if the lining is worn through to the steel band.
(f) Reject vehicle if parking brake fails to properly disengage.

HTH

Hank

[loeffler1]

Thanks Hank, Now to decide if to scrap existing and go with hydraulics. Maybe save this for a winter project update. A guy's gotta have something to do out in the shop doesn't he?

[Jacob McCrea]

I'm resurrecting this long-dormant build thread and trying to get back into building, having been delayed and distracted by a staggering number of major changes and major obligations in my personal and professional life. Among other things competing for my time have been serial 50-80 hour work weeks, getting engaged, wedding planning, honeymoon planning, finding a new job in a very different area of law, learning that new job, basement flooding, substantial car repair projects, endless bicycle and real estate repairs, tons of traveling, pro bono legal work to help the needy, helping close friends with everything from trademarks to tree removal - and that's just the very short version.
I want to thank Hank L. for repeatedly checking up on me during what was a very challenging time in my life, for stirring me to post some photos and participate on the forum, and for being the good friend that he has been to many of us. Here are some photos, with more to come:


IRS 1.JPG

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IRS 6.JPG

[smithtlw]

That's awesome Jacob. Congrats on your engagement and new job! I look forward to following your progress. You are an inspiration to me and I'm sure others. I know the whole life thing as I am in a similar situation with my kit.

[68GT500MAN]

Welcome back and starting the build again.
Doug

[Hankl]

Looks GREAT! Jake

Hank

[John Dol]

Yeah I'm coming out of the other end of the same type of tunnel finally. Was able to do a few small things on the car recently and it felt great. Congrats on the engagement and welcome back, keep posting progress big and small!

John

[jkrueger]

Awesome to see you working the car again!

JC

[Plebeian]

I was wondering what the heck happened. Welcome back!

[Fluge]

Welcome Back. Sounds like you have a lot to show for your time away. Many of us have had distractions through the build period. It is suppose to be fun so forcing it isn't right. Glad you are back in.

Marc

[Mark Dougherty]

Awesome job

[Jacob McCrea]

Guys, thanks for the support and vote of confidence. My life really went sideways around the end of 2012 when I got involved in an all-consuming demolition lawsuit at my old office, and from there the litany of issues recounted above took over nearly every moment of free time I had. Thankfully all of the developments and life changes were very positive ones. Having read the forum for a good long time, I know that that's not always the case.

I don't have any new photos but can at least offer some of the Daytona prototype, which I saw at the Simeone museum in Philadelphia early this year. The museum is really cool and well worth the modest price of admission.

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[Sydney Chris]

Has anyone ever check the tonsional stiffness of a coupe frame before and after modifications?

Bill Lomenick

hi Bill,

I had some data post minor mods to the front down tubes to increase the torsional resistance from the windscreen forward.. can PM if you are interested.

Chris

[Jacob McCrea]

Here are a few more photos of recent progress, for the good of the cause. I need to figure out the brackets for the NASCAR-style sway bar, which is a 1" hollow Speedway Engineering bar with 49 spline, 1.25" ends.

The finish on the aluminum panels is POR-15's Glisten PC clear coat (applied with a brush and roller; you would never know it). I prepped the panels by sanding them with 280 grit wet sandpaper, followed by the POR-15 adhesion promoter for aluminum, followed by paint. Adhesion seems pretty decent.


Floors 1.JPG

Floors 2.JPG

Floors 3.JPG

Floors 4.JPG

Sway Bar 1.JPG

Sway Bar 2.JPG

[wallace18]

Very nice work!

[loeffler1]

Nosy Question

What is the wheel weight for without a tire? Couldn't help myself, probably a left over.

[Jacob McCrea]

Bill, the wheel weight was on the wheel when I bought it (used, with no tires).

Here are photos showing how the next panels were fit around the side impact bars.

Outside of Side Impact Bars 1.JPG

Outside of Side Impact Bars 2.JPG

Having no quick access to a shear, I split the panels you see by scoring them about 40 times with a utility knife, then snapping them and cleaning up the rough edges with a hand file. I will make new panels for inside the door jamb out of stainless.

[CHOTIS BILL]

[QUOTE=Jacob McCrea;186351]Here are a few more photos of recent progress, for the good of the cause. I need to figure out the brackets for the NASCAR-style sway bar, which is a 1" hollow Speedway Engineering bar with 49 spline, 1.25" ends.



To mount my front sway bar I used 2x2x1/4 thick aluminum angle which I bolted to the inside of the radiator mounting brackets. I used the standard type mounting brackets that bolted to the horizontal leg and made Delrin bearing half shells.

Bill Lomenick

[vnmsss]

Glad to see you're still making progress. I've been working on a new engine for the Warrior Princess, and am planning some fun track stuff for the Challenge Coupe in the future. K

[Hankl]

Jake,

Russ Foster and Russ Thompson used that position for their sway bars, see if you can get to Russ Thompson website and see what he's done.

Hankl

[Plebeian]

Any updates?

[tirod]

X2 I wanna see that sway bar mount. Will you be using the blade arms that rotate to vary the resistance?

[Jacob McCrea]

Sorry for the long delay in posting; I hope everyone is doing well. Here are the sway bar mounts, which I completed a few days ago. It is 1/4" thick aluminum angle, about 1.5" x 1.5" when I got it all trimmed down to the size I wanted. I'll be using steel Speedway Engineering arms, bent to fit.

Sway Bar Mount 1.JPG

Sway Bar Mount 2.JPG

Sway Bar Mount 3.JPG

The reason for the long delay is mostly as follows: Since I started practicing criminal defense law almost two years ago, much of my time has been consumed by defending heroin buyers, heroin dealers, prostitutes working for heroin, street kids robbing heroin dealers and users, heroin dealers shooting other heroin dealers, people stealing scrap for heroin money, people stealing from stores for heroin money, people endangering their kids because they are high on heroin, heroin addicts breaking into cars and houses, heroin addicts tipping over old ladies and stealing their purses, heroin addicts trading in stolen guns, heroin addicts crashing their cars after overdosing, and so on. I was going to title this post "Heroin, Heroin and More Heroin" but I would probably be rebuked by the administrators. So, between litigating the Western Pennsylvania heroin epidemic and trying to maintain some semblance of health and fitness, time has been tight, but I am digging back in!

Here is the custom fluid reservoir mount I built. I used a "new" tool I bought, a 30" Pexto stomp shear from 1957, to cut the stainless backing plate to size, then drilled and tapped some shaft collars from McMaster Carr and attached the stainless plate to them. The stomp shear is going to put the sheet metal work into high gear, or at least what is high gear for me.

Reservoirs 1.JPG

Reservoirs 2.JPG

[Hankl]

Jake,

Really great to see you back at the Coupe! Great Work Buddy!!!

Hank

[John Dol]

Nice work, keep the progress coming!

John

[jkrueger]

Looks great Jacob. Keep us updated. I like the white frame.

JC

[mjazzka]

Glad you are back, I am impressed you have been able to handle all of that! Looking forward to seeing how your mods work out and this coupe getting built

[Tom Mauldin]

Great to see you back at it!

[Dragonfire]

Very nice work!

[Jacob McCrea]

Thanks for the vote of confidence and support; I really appreciate it. I was able to finish the passenger foot box this weekend, and I also got the e-brake handle (a hydraulic drifting handle with a latch/stop figured out. I just need to get a -3 AN line and run it back to the spot caliper. It should look and work good enough to pass inspection. Here are a few more pictures:

Hand Brake 2.JPG

Hand Brake 1.JPG

Passenger Footbox 1.JPG

Passenger Footbox 2.JPG

I've determined that I could not build this thing without my 30" Pexto shear, the best $275 dollars I ever spent, and would suggest that anyone building a coupe scan Craigslist for such a device. It has really allowed me to move forward efficiently. In the coming weeks I should finish the driver's foot box and the rest of the aluminum right behind the seat.

"I am impressed you have been able to handle all of that!" Yes, it has been pretty crazy and eye-opening. Dealing with society's criminal underclass is one of those experiences that you can't fully get your mind wrapped around unless you've been there and done it. I could write at length about the experience, but suffice it to say it has totally readjusted (downward) my understanding of where the bottom of our society is. I've also developed something of a specialty in working with people with mental health problems, which, perhaps coincidentally, requires a lot of the same temperament and problem-solving abilities as building one of the these coupes!

[John Dol]

Looks good Jacob,
Now that you have for boxes did you sit in it and make vroom vroom noises?��

John

[Jacob McCrea]

Thanks; I'll admit to thinking about it, but not to actually doing it!

[Hankl]

Nice work Jake!

Hank

[Jacob McCrea]

Thank you gentlemen! Here is the final sway bar. These are Speedway Engineering steel arms, cut down about 5" and bent to fit in a press, with the help of a bit heat. I mocked up the mounting holes for the rod ends with the lower control arms parallel to the ground, which I understand is their orientation at standard ride height. The sway bar arms are connected to the lower control arms with male and female rod ends threaded together, like the Challenge Car's sway bar kit. I wanted to paint the arms black but only had white spray paint on the shelf.

Sway Bar Arm 1.jpg

Sway Bar Arm 2.jpg

And happy Memorial Day to the long list of veterans on this board.

[Hankl]

Jake,

Great work, glad you have thee time to get back at it!!!

Hank

[Jacob McCrea]

Thanks Hank, I am plugging away at it, slowly but surely. Here are a few photos of my removable footbox top. I have been having great luck finishing the aluminum by wet sanding it with 220 grip sandpaper, then POR-15's AP-120 prep solution, then cheap Rust-Oleum clear enamel from the hardware store.

How is your car coming?

Driver Footbox 1 .JPG

Driver Footbox 2 .JPG

Driver Footbox 3 .JPG

Driver Footbox 4 .JPG

[Hankl]

Jake,

That looks GREAT!!! I hung out with the BADASS, (Bay Area Daytona Association) yesterday at Jeff's place (Cobrakai) and got to show them some of my new projects, I'm back at it!!

Hank

[Jacob McCrea]

Great, I'm glad to hear you are back at it. I may need to give you a call in the coming weeks for some tig welding guidance. A friend's unfortunate circumstances may result in me storing his Dynasty 200DX and a litany of other light fabricating equipment in exchange for being able to use them. If that happens, your thoughts on using that thing would be great.

And here are a few more new photos, albeit unremarkable ones, for the good of the cause:

Back Side of Footbox Bracing.JPG

Coupe Builder's Best Friend.JPG

Steering Bearing Mod.JPG