BluePrint Engines

Visit our community sponsor

Thanks Thanks:  21
Likes Likes:  218
Page 5 of 9 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast
Results 161 to 200 of 338

Thread: Art's 818 build

  1. #161

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    . Yah its a mess but that is mesh screen.

    .Hope my work is not as sloppy as my typing. Those side outlets are for the dash vents, not bottom outlets.

    .

    .

    .
    Last edited by aquillen; 09-01-2019 at 02:42 PM.

  2. Likes Zach34, Mitch Wright liked this post
  3. #162

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    .

    .

    .
    GenAir collector:

    .

    .

    .


    For install / removal each flex duct section is very short between fittings.

  4. Likes Zach34 liked this post
  5. #163

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Glove box and door, floor lamps

    Glove box riveted from simple pieces of 18guage aluminum, bent up with my homemade mini-brake. Inside is glued in black felt. The parts of the box were made from several pieces instead of a single shell and two ends, to make gluing the felt in place much easier. Also pre-drilled all holes so drilling would not snag and ruin the installed felt. The door was to have no visible handle or knobs. From my junk box came a stereo cabinet glass door push-push magnetic catch. The hinge for the door is piano wire inside some brass tubing, all held in to the original plastic cutout plate using my "melt in screen" bonding. The box sits on the steel box frame behind the dash, using velcro.


    .

    .

    .

    .

    .

  6. Likes Zach34 liked this post
  7. #164

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    .

    .

    .

    .
    A surplus store nearby sells lots of flashlamps and worklights cheap. $2.00 flashlights that have a nice LED front end. I cut them down into a small lamp "module" that still has enough aluminum to act as a heatsink (~3 Watts is enough to get very warm without some heatsink/ventilation). I will run 3 lamp modules (left, right, glovebox) in series from a 9V step down postage stamp sized power circuit for efficient and cool running.


    .

    .

  8. Thanks DSR-3 thanked for this post
    Likes DSR-3, Frank818, Zach34, Mitch Wright liked this post
  9. #165
    Senior Member Rob T's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Woodruff, SC
    Posts
    502
    Post Thanks / Like
    You are a wizard. This is amazing stuff.

  10. #166

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Thank you !

    Tried putting it all in there - happy so far. Blower collector is hanging loose, dash mount hangers will disappear up inside the bottom of the console when screwed together. Looking forward to carpeting which will tie it together more.

    So my wife looked last night at the whole thing in and said "you should have used blue around the shifter and under the hand brake/cup holder". I can tell you even heated up that contact cement is hard to pull apart. I stripped those cover pieces this afternoon and changed to blue. She was "correct as usual, King Friday"...



    Going to work on that front bonnet hinge next.
    Last edited by aquillen; 09-01-2019 at 07:32 PM.

  11. #167
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    1,025
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by aquillen View Post
    Going to work on that front bonnet hinge next.
    I was thinking of trying to retrofit a clamshell viper hinge, but I don’t have your fab tools/skills

  12. #168

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Clam Up

    Too bad it's not front engine... or should I cut up the back half of this 818C and clam that too? Just kidding.

    Here is the front hinge. I will be doing a dimensional drawing for my notes, but hoping to not need them someday. If someone needs it I'll post. Also pending is some internal alignment guide/latches most likely with an internal pull latch release for the works. And gas spring assist although lifting is very easy.

    After a lot of ideas including some complex hinges that lifted the whole nose as the back went up, I instead worked out a way to hack up and use the original front lower fender brackets. This made a really simple conversion from what was potentially a big challenge. Considering I cut up the hood before I had any design for the hinge, it was about like diving into a pool without checking where's the deep end.



    Chopped off the front most ear that mounts the fiberglass nose-insert, and get rid of the lengths of square tube from this:



    to this



    A couple short tubes for the hinge housing, with grease zerks are trapped on the long steel cross tube. Then the left and right wings are put on the fenders which are setup on the front of the car. Square tubes were added after working out a suitable angle to make sure there is clearance for these parts when moving the hinge upward. All the parts are temporarily put on the car/frame and tack welded.





    An extra gusset added to the original FFR bolt plate - to each short tube -



    The long tube rotates of course, so both sides of the hood will rise "in sync". And a couple tabs will get added to the front of the long tube to support the bottom lip of the fiberglass nose insert. The bottom lip of that insert will go down about 1.5 inch as the hood opens. No where near what an XKE does when you open that bonnet. I will be adding "vertical" struts from the larger square tube that the left and right wing square tubes weld to. The vertical struts will go up and fasten to mount points on the bottom of the clamshell. These will stiffen the hood, transfer the lifting force and gas spring forces, without stressing the lower side wings etc.

  13. Likes Zach34 liked this post
  14. #169

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like


    When the hinge is raised:



    The front hinge assembly so far, which bolts to the original slots on the radiator frame, and keeps the vertical and horizontal adjustability



    I know it's not needed, but ever since I built a model of the GT40 when I was a kid I've loved this style hood. Not sure how I'll finish out the inside but you sure can get at whatever is in there easy enough...




  15. #170
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Houston, TX
    Posts
    1,025
    Post Thanks / Like
    Very nice, I hadn't considered having a bracket that ran all the way across the front, I was thinking two separate brackets on each side.

    Have you mocked up the splitter to ensure that there is no conflict? Looks like it will be good, but from the angle of the pics I can't tell if the tip of the nose might rub it on the way by.

  16. #171
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Hamersville, Ohio
    Posts
    795
    Post Thanks / Like
    Very nice Art! Now clamshell the back, cause that’s where the goodie basket is!

  17. #172

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Ajzride View Post
    Very nice, I hadn't considered having a bracket that ran all the way across the front, I was thinking two separate brackets on each side.

    Have you mocked up the splitter to ensure that there is no conflict? Looks like it will be good, but from the angle of the pics I can't tell if the tip of the nose might rub it on the way by.
    The under cover aluminum can run right up to the cross pipe, and I used those two FFR brackets to keep the mount holes there for that. Immediately in front of that pipe will be the back side of the nose insert - just touches at the left and right in try fit. But the true add-on splitter that sticks out past the nose would be a problem here. If short enough it could go down with the nose but hmmm?
    Last edited by aquillen; 09-08-2019 at 08:20 AM.

  18. #173
    Senior Member Frank818's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    QC, Canada
    Posts
    5,732
    Post Thanks / Like
    Nice idea! As always.

    Totally off topic question, are those 2 rad fans from your Subaru donor?
    I'm looking into a dual fan setup flowing more CFMs than the rubbish Frozenboost Chinese fan I got.
    Frank
    818 chassis #181 powered by a '93 VW VR6 Turbo GT3582R
    Go-karted Aug 5, 2016 - Then May 19+21, 2017
    Tracked May 27/July 26, 2017
    Build time before being driveable on Sep 27, 2019: over 6000h
    Build Completed Winter 2021

  19. #174
    Senior Member Hobby Racer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Syracuse, NY
    Posts
    1,290
    Post Thanks / Like
    Very nice work. Can't wait to see the latching mechanism.
    MK3.1 Roadster completed 2011
    818R built with EZ36R H6 completed 2018
    818R rebuild with a JDM Honda K24A

  20. #175

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank818 View Post
    Nice idea! As always.

    Totally off topic question, are those 2 rad fans from your Subaru donor?
    I'm looking into a dual fan setup flowing more CFMs than the rubbish Frozenboost Chinese fan I got.
    The fans (and rad) I pulled from a 2003 Outback - LL Bean 3.0 H6

    Note: the ECU controls these fans for 3 different speeds by varying the connections of 2 grounds and 2 power connections. You can connect them to run any of those speeds but need to understand the wiring required...
    Last edited by aquillen; 09-10-2019 at 11:01 AM.

  21. #176
    Senior Member STiPWRD's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Leesburg, VA
    Posts
    1,624
    Post Thanks / Like
    Great front hinge design, nice and simple!

  22. #177
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Oakley, CA
    Posts
    387
    Post Thanks / Like
    Incredible work! Love the creativity for the front hinge.

  23. #178

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    It drives I tell you, it drives !


  24. #179
    Senior Member Frank818's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    QC, Canada
    Posts
    5,732
    Post Thanks / Like
    OMG there are so many defects!!! lolll
    But it runs!

    Love the deep smooth sound, something tells me I'll be jealous once you really drive longer and rev it. Did I go wrong with the VR6.......
    Frank
    818 chassis #181 powered by a '93 VW VR6 Turbo GT3582R
    Go-karted Aug 5, 2016 - Then May 19+21, 2017
    Tracked May 27/July 26, 2017
    Build time before being driveable on Sep 27, 2019: over 6000h
    Build Completed Winter 2021

  25. #180
    Senior Member Jetfuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    392
    Post Thanks / Like
    Well...well...well...I can tell you've been busy
    Congratulations are in order....sooooo glad to see it off-roading...

    Jet

  26. #181
    Senior Member Hobby Racer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Syracuse, NY
    Posts
    1,290
    Post Thanks / Like
    Another H6 makes it to driving status. Congratulations, and welcome to the club!
    MK3.1 Roadster completed 2011
    818R built with EZ36R H6 completed 2018
    818R rebuild with a JDM Honda K24A

  27. #182

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    One thing surprised me already, that 3.0 engine can lug down to what seems to be literally stopped running and pull back out of it without complaining, no lug level valve train chatter or anything, without stalling.

    Seems to be easy to happen so far because the throttle cable/pedal action is stiff and sluggish. I want to find a good smooth & low friction cable setup, definitely not liking what I have in there now, which is a very long sweep curve in the cable to minimize drag as it is. Suggestions?

    Clamshell front is making some progress but a dining room addition we started about 6 weeks back has put the kybosh on my garage time lately.

  28. #183
    Senior Member Hobby Racer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Syracuse, NY
    Posts
    1,290
    Post Thanks / Like
    The H6's have great torque down low. Ideal street motor. I have an electronic drive by wire throttle so I can't help with cable suggestions.

    I do however run Teleflex Xtreme cables for my shifter and they are very smooth and low drag compared to the ones the kit shipped with. They might make them in smaller diameter sizes that would work for a throttle cable.
    MK3.1 Roadster completed 2011
    818R built with EZ36R H6 completed 2018
    818R rebuild with a JDM Honda K24A

  29. #184
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    Saline, Mi
    Posts
    289
    Post Thanks / Like
    Congrats. It does have a nice smooth sound.

  30. #185

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    You remind me, I have a couple of the smallest dia. Teleflex Xtreme cables. Experimented with them on my shifter briefly. Must get one out and see what it does.

  31. #186
    Senior Member Frank818's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    QC, Canada
    Posts
    5,732
    Post Thanks / Like
    When is the next video coming in?
    Frank
    818 chassis #181 powered by a '93 VW VR6 Turbo GT3582R
    Go-karted Aug 5, 2016 - Then May 19+21, 2017
    Tracked May 27/July 26, 2017
    Build time before being driveable on Sep 27, 2019: over 6000h
    Build Completed Winter 2021

  32. Likes Jetfuel liked this post
  33. #187

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank818 View Post
    When is the next video coming in?
    Probably be a while before I drive it again although of course I did determine that it will scoot if asked.

    I need to build my carbon fiber airbox / airfilter before any more excursions. Don't want to keep running that motor without protection, might get pregnant with who knows what getting in there.

  34. Likes Frank818, Mitch Wright liked this post
  35. #188

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    SHIFTER - jack shaft arrangement

    Got a request for some details on the shafts that run behind the driver to transfer the shift motion to the left side of the car. Here are some pictures and a bit of detail. I used some needle bearings in the pillow blocks but that was overkill (I already had them on hand). For the 1/2" shaft I used a Torlon plastic I also had on hand, but that stuff is overkill too (and way $$$). Delrin or other plastic would be just as good and easier to use, so I drew up what it would be if I did another one.

    About using the Loctite to bond the shift levers' tubes to the shaft/tubing. I ran calculations using some Loctite engineering data for this 638 retaining compound. It came out that the bond would support 640 Lb-Ft of torque. I also put an arm and 1/2" shaft assembly in my press and tried to push it apart without heating the Loctite bond. The arm was mangled and the outer tube it was welded to was crushed several percent before the Loctite gave out. A driver shifting like a guerrilla will not break the Loctite bond if it is installed correctly.

    Note that the steel plate "arms" are welded to their tubes and those tubes are Loctited to the respective tube or shaft. At the far left side of the car the shift arm is welded to the end of the 1/2" shaft as drawn.

    The bearings could be made from any of several plastics, but it helps to have a small lathe to cut these parts.


    Sequence: weld arms to their short tubes. Weld far left arm (left side of car) to 1/2" shaft end. Slide trapped bearings onto tubes and insert 1/2" shaft from end. Test fit parts onto pillow blocks and bolt into car frame. Shim the steel top plates holding the pillow blocks until parts rotate smoothly without binding. Test fit all arms and tighten set screws to test and verify good operation. Properly clean and Loctite the arm-tubes to respective shafts, tighten set screws to keep parts secure while Loctite cures. Do not use accelerator/primer on the Loctite in order to maximize cured strength. Allow 24 hours to cure at room temperature before further testing.


    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...
    Last edited by aquillen; 11-05-2019 at 10:33 AM.

  36. Thanks DSR-3, frankc5r thanked for this post
    Likes AZPete, Mitch Wright liked this post
  37. #189

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    The legend again for reference...
    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...

    ...
    Foam to seal air flow around the shift linkage shafts running between fuel tank and left cockpit aluminum:
    ...
    Last edited by aquillen; 11-05-2019 at 10:30 AM.

  38. Thanks DSR-3 thanked for this post
    Likes AZPete, Jetfuel, redbudrr liked this post
  39. #190
    Senior Member Frank818's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    QC, Canada
    Posts
    5,732
    Post Thanks / Like
    What the...??
    What kind of person are you? Got a 400 IQ or maybe you're working for Porsche or Ferrari or some place like that? This invention of yours is absolutely off the charts! Mind boggling and blowing.

    What's your Patent # on this?
    Frank
    818 chassis #181 powered by a '93 VW VR6 Turbo GT3582R
    Go-karted Aug 5, 2016 - Then May 19+21, 2017
    Tracked May 27/July 26, 2017
    Build time before being driveable on Sep 27, 2019: over 6000h
    Build Completed Winter 2021

  40. #191
    Senior Member Jetfuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    392
    Post Thanks / Like
    Quote Originally Posted by Frank818 View Post
    What the...??
    What kind of person are you?
    ..not from this planet Frank...not even sure if he's from this galaxy...
    ...very nice work and tutorial Art...

    Jet

  41. Likes AZPete liked this post
  42. #192
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    197
    Post Thanks / Like
    AMAZING! Love it!

  43. #193

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Thanks for the fun guys !

  44. #194

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like
    Added index to build post #1

  45. Thanks Jetfuel thanked for this post
    Likes AZPete liked this post
  46. #195

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Clamshell hood latches and epoxy bonding tests

    After some unsatisfactory results improvising hood latches from Hyundai and Honda latch parts, I scrapped all those hours and rolled my own. I had a pull release setup under the steering wheel with cables to those OEM parts, which worked ok, but I didn't like how the latches allowed the hood to move around. Long story not worth pictures and details. Here is what I did instead. This holds the hood left to right and up and down in a specific spot. Front to back is taken care of by the hinge. I will be adding some alignment pins at the rear bottom of the hood each side where it touches the side sails. And some rubber bumpers up underneath to support the hood here and there - later.

    Pull on these lanyards (they will hide just under the hood lip with magnets). The lanyards are from scraps of accelerator cable, covered with heat shrink, looped through a wire splice crimp.



    Which pulls these 1/2" dia. spring loaded pins back to release each side hood latch. Lift the hood slightly and it rests on top of each latch pin, then with both released you can fully open the hood.



    From these catch loops which are bonded to the hood with body structural repair epoxy compound. My original catch hoops for the OEM style catches were made by bending 1/4" rod and welding it to plates, glued where these catches are glued. An accidental (short distance) drop broke one of the loops where it met the steel plate. Brittle failure due to the weld altering the steel rod temper. Hence stronger designed hoops, and later on I'll detail the hood drop slowdown device I made to prevent dropping the hood and breaking things in the future.



    The original plates I glued in and then had to remove later were released from the hood by toasting them with a heat gun. Somewhere around 300 degrees the epoxy let go and I could pry the plates free.

    The epoxy I used was available at my local CarQuest store, ordered through their Crest product catalog -
    Ashland Pliogrip Impact Durable Structural Adhesive
    GM OEM approved for body repair.
    #C5770P

    I made up 1" x 3" scraps of 6 layer fiberglass with econo Bondo - 3M polyester resin. Cured about 2 weeks. These were bonded together into T-shape sections along the 1" edge. About 6 different epoxies were tried, including Crest Panel Bonder 3500 (#CEPB), JB Weld original, Devcon "2 Ton", and some Royal flexible epoxy bonds (from McMaster-Carr) that I had on hand. During bending tests using weights, the Crest 3500 panel bonder and the C5770P above both tore the fiberglass apart instead of the joint/bond. All the others failed in the bond = not as strong. Either of the Crest products I would trust with the toughest jobs on this car.


  47. #196

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Clamshell hood lift/drop support arms

    It became obvious the hood needs control when coming down. Sooner or later it would get dropped and something would get altered. I looked for a while trying to find a device that would do the job on the cheap with no luck. No doubt out there (Viper hood device, etc.) but I didn't get a hit before I gave up and made my own motion damper from a cut open gas spring or "strut". Local surplus store had a collection of struts for $2.00 each a couple years back. I grabbed several just because you never know. Don't say I told you to do this, but I take them out back and slowly cut a slot at one end while it it tipped down to keep oil at the other end. They vent suddenly but my face shield never seems to get oily and so far the 5 or 6 I've done were without violence or mishap.

    So my motion damper runs about $2.00 and a day's work...

    I can change the oil in it in about 5 minutes, in order to alter the viscosity and damping behavior of the unit. 20W jack oil was way to fast, household mineral oil was decent but I wanted slower. Lucas oil additive is SLOW, but still in there for now, taking about 30 seconds to lower the hood automatically. Waiting to see how it works in the summer, then may tweak again.

    "Drop damper" design:



    The original gas seal piston on the end of the shaft is cut off, replaced with this piston and valve I cut on my lathe. The shaft has a smaller diameter section near the end so the bronze piston just slides on there, bonded in place with Loctite 638 retaining compound. The piston is a close but slip fit, some oil can get around it and that is fine. The silver (steel) "slide valve" can move slightly to open or close the group of oil passages drilled through the brass piston. A washer was welded to the end of the rod to trap the assembly. Looking back, it could be made with just the piston moving against the washer, but this is how it came out.

    When extending the cylinder's rod, the slide valve moves open, allowing oil to quickly move through the piston and the rod can extend rapidly. When closing the rod into the cylinder, fluid motion and pressure cause the slide valve to close against the piston, sealing almost all the holes (a very slight part of the holes are exposed to allow oil flow). This slows the piston/rod travel to create the damping function.



    Back side of the piston. And all the parts. An aluminum cylinder couples the sawed off end of the cylinder back onto the main cylinder, using 4-40 set screws at 120 degree increments around each side. An o-ring seal on the end fitting into the main body keeps the oil in. A screw and nylon seal on the end of the aluminum coupler can be removed so oil can be pumped in or out to change the performance. Since pulling the cylinder open does not require much force, the small 4-40 screws will do nicely. Pushing the ram rod shut does involve a lot of force, but that pressure is trying to push the split cylinder parts together which already are in contact with each other - the little screws are not challenged. To change oil, remove the three far end 4-40 screws, remove the small cylinder "end cap" then the nylon screw, push fluid out or pull the rod to pull fluid in.



    Eureka - how much oil can you put in this? I was just going to fill it full with the piston fully out. But it can't be filled all the way, because when the rod is going into the cylinder it must displace some volume. At that point I thought it was a total failure. End result is it gets oil filled about 70% with air/vacuum for the remaining volume. When you pull the rod all the way out a slight vacuum is created (the rod actually goes back in some if you let go). So the actuator doesn't function until you move it closed about 30% from full open. At that point the oil gets involved and it controls motion consistently from there on. I setup a bit of angle on the installed cylinder in the car so oil is "running down" toward the "back" end of the cylinder, although it seems to work fine in any position. Installed on the car it works well.

  48. #197

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Clamshell hood operation

    The hood has a slowdown cylinder now so it won't slam down, and a hold open arm to keep it open until released. This is full open:



    Under the hood...


    ...


    The lock-open lever is held flat by gravity - and prevents the hood from closing once it opens to this "flat-extended" position. It also stops the hood from opening further. The cylinder is also capable of holding the hood open but the lock-open lever stops short of the cylinder being fully extended to prevent the cylinder from having that duty:



    To close the hood, lift the lock-lever slightly while moving the hood back, then it can be closed further. After a short travel the drop-damper action takes over.


    ...

  49. Likes STiPWRD, AZPete liked this post
  50. #198

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Upholstery



    So I bought these econo APC racing seats from Pep-Boys a couple years back when they were on super sale. They don't have them anymore, probably due to the low quality. Actually the steel and foam under there is decent. The cloth was not so great. The blue cloth in the back and bun areas is pulling apart at the seams. And then there was that little meteorite that flew across the room from some wire-feed welding that put a hole right under the driver, front and center. But they recline, fold down and slide, and they are low. I actually like them a lot.

    So looking at the hex pattern in the vinyl I put on the dash, I decided I just HAD to get that same vinyl on these seats, then I'd like them again. But vinyl gets hot, so I want cloth in the back and bottom, blue to coordinate with blue in the dash inlet. The bolsters to be the dash's gray hex pattern vinyl. I got the idea that the cloth should be sewed to have a hex shape pattern to compliment the pattern in the vinyl. Went looking for an example in August at the "Art of Automobilia" car show in Carmel, Indiana. I found an example just like I was thinking of. No I did not copy the Lambo Hurican on purpose, it was my idea first. Not the Audi RS either... pure coincidence. That is my story, I'm sticking to it.

    So next - how much? If you have to ask you can't afford it (either the Hurican, the Audi, nor the upholstery guy). But I found a local shop and turns out the guy needed his monster 1970's Miller Tig/stick welder repaired. We struck a deal. I fix the welder and he teaches me the ins and outs of re-doing these seats. I do the work, cause I'm building my car, not him. Oh and the sewing machine is a big old Consew production machine - goes fast. I installed a digital speed control motor system on it so I can run it at my snail pace. We're both happy so far.

    First "practice" on vinyl, a curved peice that would go on a bolster. He said if I can do this I have promise:



    I made a stretching holder tool like an embroidery hoop of sorts and a cardboard pattern tool then traced it onto a scrap of my blue cloth with fine line marker, and sewed this little test. Need a little practice but after that I'm going sailing with the sewing. I commented that "he" would probably get me for about $1000 to do this sewing, he said that's not even close. Good thing I'm retired, this will eat some clock!



    The herringbone pattern is from the low res image = artifacts.

    I found that tracing the pattern was almost more tedious than the actual sewing, and fine sharp consistent lines are essential to getting the thread put in the right places. The tracing just wasn't the best way. After a sleepless night I dreamed up, tested and determined that laser cut stencils, which will be spray paint dusted onto the cloth are the way to get a perfect pattern. Then the seamster can be blamed for final work, not the template work. I layed out the pattern in CAD and transfered it to my cheapo laser cutter. Paper sheets are to be layed over the stretched cloth, pulled down snug over a piece of window screen using vacuum from a shop vac. Then dust with white spray paint. I've tested it and it all works, the paint is a very thin line and thread hides it, so next I'll be doing the "production" run...

    Laser cutting stencils:


    ...

  51. Likes AZPete liked this post
  52. #199
    Senior Member Jetfuel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Location
    Indianapolis
    Posts
    392
    Post Thanks / Like
    ...oh my Lord...warped minds think alike...
    ...doing my seats with the same hexagon...but...only with 3 large ones down the center and butt rest...
    ...drew it on pencil on painters paper...

    Jet...

  53. #200

    Yes, I love Technology
    aquillen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Posts
    752
    Post Thanks / Like

    Smile Custom tail lights

    Another project is the tail lights. Several threads about this got me to thinking in 2017 about going off the rails with this one too.

    I had a couple ideas, influenced by what others posted. My mock-ups included:



    Wife said no.

    .

    And first of all thank you to the owner of these pictures of their white 818. One of the builders posted these and I don't remember who, but they are in here somewhere still.

    Wife likes the 4x, not 5x lights. (The five bar would be hard to do now that I've been "at it", anyway)...

    Goals: have DOT markings as required by DOT section 108, also have the sizing, intensity, etc., also per same. Did you know there is about 700 pages to read there? After buying some bits and pieces of lenses and not being encouraged, I visited the LKQ pick your part again. 2004-2019 Impala 3rd brake light got me the raw material for red lenses. And people wreck those poor things a six-pack at a time I think. There are lots of them. The sad thing is the yards jam a crow bar through the 3rd light to pry open a trunk if they don't have the key. So not every car "gives". But between the Ft Wayne and South Bend lots I got 10 at $9.00 each during a discount day (a couple for experimenting). At about $150 new per unit I trashed about $1500 worth of tail lights for this little project !!! For my back-up lights the clear lens is from the back of some Caddy Escalade license plate surround.

    The Impala are LED based, power is so low it is laughable. My electronics for this are designed and will convert the standard signal controls from the Subaru circuits into combined control so:

    running lights - all red on at normal intensity
    stop - all red on at full intensity
    turn - top and bottom row blink normally at full intensity
    turn - center row pair "sweep"
    hazard - all blink at full intensity

    The lenses and housing are cut on my mill of course after layout in CAD. To get the DOT markings in the right orientation it actually took 8 different CAD sets and matching CNC runs to cut each different lens correctly.

    Chevy donor:


    Getting violated:


    How to get a curve in the main clear acrylic sheet (1/4" thick) to match the Impala's lens curves and a bit of curve to compliment the 818 rump area:


    ... that is a satellite dish, vacuum fed in the bottom center via pinhole, then cook the plastic with a heat gun. The curve is a near match to my need, what luck!

    Milling the curved main sheet. Lube for all this plastic is WD40, lots of it. Cutter is a 1/8" down cut two flute plain steel endmill.

    Last edited by aquillen; 01-02-2020 at 05:13 PM.

Page 5 of 9 FirstFirst ... 34567 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

Breeze

Visit our community sponsor