The Gentleman's Roadster, Bismarck Build

[Highplainsdakota]

Rear swaybar mounts:

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[Highplainsdakota]

Update:

I finished the assembly of my pro M fuel hanger with the sleeve around the Walbro pump so it's nice and quiet. That pushed the return fuel line out a bit and made the install somewhat tighter. I cut the recommended areas out of the gas tank and decided on a 45 degree cut on the end of the return so it would fit better. I'm waiting on my breeze vent for the fuel tank to finish that part of the install.

The power steering unit has been installed, and the rear brakes are finished. I haven't ran any lines yet. Battery box is up next along with the next few panels of the drivers foot box and firewall. Fuel filter placement with some of the soft lines can also be completed.

I haven't looked into adjusting the alignment yet so I'm leaving that for another day. Here are some pictures.

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[Highplainsdakota]

Update:

Front driver panel is riveted in place. Flexible brake lines are on the calipers. Those 45 degree elbows don't thread in very far but they seem to be in enough. My vent for the tank is in. I found out I am missing some brake parts. All four brackets that connect the hard lines to the flexible lines and their clips, the brass T fittings and other fittings for the brake line flares. Maybe it's because I ordered the wilwood brakes from Mike Forte, but I still at least need the brackets to rivit on. I'm going to look again tonight. I bought an AGM group 51R battery. Not sure if the positive or negative terminal left or right matter but the "R" was all I could find. The front swaybar is still giving me headaches. I believe I have it centered, but the rod ends don't have enough angle to fit on the bolt thought the bottom shock mount. Maybe I need to shorten the spacer from the swaybar hole to the bottom rod end. I'm using the third hole on the front sway bar as it seemed to line up the most directly under the bolt. I also bought some alignment tools. Not sure I'll get more than one use out of these but I'm kinda excited to see how this works. Some of this project is just to gain some knowledge.

Progress has been slow because my brake parts are missing, Forte still has my pedal box for hydroboost upgrade, many of my panels are still at powdercoat, and the swaybar hook ups keep giving me issues. I'm still finding smaller things to do though. My Prothane supergrease just came in! I'll attach some pics in a bit. Thanks again for everyone's help as always!

[Highplainsdakota]

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[Highplainsdakota]

Update:

I made a decision on the EStopp location. I cut a 1x1" tube to run as another cross brace in the high area of the trunk, giving me extra metal to rivnut the mechanism to. I'm painting it black and I'll weld it in place. I'll have to make a large S bend for the driver's side e-brake cable, but the passenger's side will be a short direct run. Looking up from under the car the cables will be visible and serviceable. Just need to get some of these decisions made.

Anyone know what the plate with three holes in it is for near the rear of the rear tires on the chassis? Nice place to put a fuel filter but I don't want to block a future part. Can't think of anything that goes there. pic below.

I put the wheels on to check impingement and everything looked fine. Battery front mount from breeze installed. Steering also installed. I took advice from other builds and cut 3/4" off the lower steering shaft. Drilled detents in every spot there is a large set screw. Blue locktite around. I mounted the flange bearing on the driver's side footbox with the set screws in the box. Added two washers to the pillow bearing with set screws towards the back. Seems to work out well. Without the 3/4" cut the U-joint was impinging on the flange bearing on the foot box wall even when it was placed on the footbox side.

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[Highplainsdakota]

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Also added a crappy used leather loveseat to my shop today. The team was getting a little annoyed not having a place to sit. We decided breaks are a mandatory OSHA mandate in the shop.

[F500guy]

Looking good! One note on the upper steering shaft bearing, you will need to get to those 2 set screws with the dash on, I think it is easier to reach them when they are on the firewall side.

[Highplainsdakota]

Looking good! One note on the upper steering shaft bearing, you will need to get to those 2 set screws with the dash on, I think it is easier to reach them when they are on the firewall side.

Interesting. I took a look at this today and I can see what you're talking about. I can't think of a reason not to do this, other than having to remove it after removing the dash but not the body. That may be difficult, but if I'm removing the steering something's messed up and will be difficult anyway. I think I'll change it. Thanks for the advice!

Also, I drilled my extended firewall today and used Cleco's to hold it in place. Some say there's no real benefit riveting this in place right now and can be done later. I'm just trying to knock off tasks. I'll wait for a while and rivet it on when I get impatient. Oh well. I'm going to start tackling the pedal box next even though I don't have the bracket back from Forte yet. I'll see how far I get.

[Highplainsdakota]

Update:

I fabricated a vapor canister from PVC, scotch brite pads, and activated charcoal. I decided to use the mount for the original fuel filter mount across one of the cross bars. I was able to weld in the extra cross bar under the trunk top level for a secure mounting place for my estopp. I used stainless rivnuts and silicone with some blue locktite. I haven’t chosen the exact orientation of the bracket so I can see where the near cable wants to go. I also installed the new fuel filter along the passenger side.

No I just need to learn how to terminate that braided fuel hose from breeze with AN fittings. Then I can install the tank and start to run fuel and brake hard lines.

Speaking of that. Still waiting on my pedal box to return so I’m stuck there. Still waiting on e brake cables and an extra kit from FFR with the parts I need to install the brake lines. Since I didn’t buy the wilwood brakes from them they didn’t include this necessary parts kit that I would need either way. Those ordering it’s should be aware of that. Once I get them I can move ahead.

I have picked out the correct panels for the drivers and passengers side foot box but I didn’t have time to drill and install them yet. That’s next up before I can do the hard lines.

I’m working hard on speaker placement. I’ve read a lot on this forum about the futility of this but I don’t care. I need music and there are ways to improve it. I also have a 427 hardtop coming so that will help when it is on. My current plan is to install either competition level tweeters or high end (and higher frequency end) 3” mods in the dash pointing directly at the driver and passenger. This, appropriately powered should get the bulk of the sound to the listener. I think I’m going to cut off some of the under door x brace and weld a round-a-bout support so I can fit a 4 or 5 1/4” mid in the kick panel. Finally I may install some 6x9” or other speakers either directly behind the seats or back inside the cubby between the seats. We will see.

[Highplainsdakota]

Update:

Last night I installed the parking brake cables. They were the cut to length variety from wilwood and went very well. It took some time to figure out how to install the cable on the lever arm of the brake itself but in the end was simple. I was looking for a bracket that fit the arm but the cable drum end fits right in the lever arm itself. Pictures below. I bent and installed my first brake line connecting the rear calipers. I'm not very good with the bendy tool and ended up with a bit of manual manipulation of the line to get it to fit but it looks fine. No one's going to see it anyway as long as it doesn't leak!

I'm looking for recommendations on setting the initial tension of the estopp system. I know it's pretty powerful and I don't want to ruin something when I first initiate it. I will probably just snug up the cable bracket so the cables aren't floping around. Should be plenty tight. I brought my dash home to start placing paper circles for gauge placement. I've settled on installing speakers in the dash, now I'm wondering if I can get away with just tweeters and some mids near the floor, or if I need to put 6" or 6x9" speakers in the rear cubby to round out the sound.

Passenger side aluminum panels are next.

[Highplainsdakota]

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[Highplainsdakota]

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[Highplainsdakota]

Ok guys, I need some quick help.

I found out yesterday my 3/8” tube bender is for 3/8” outer diameter tube, not 6AN steel tube that is just over 1/2” OD. I can’t find a bender on line and the forums are talking about filling the line with salt and hand bending it. Really? I only need about 4 bends total for both lines but if I need another tool oh well. Recommendations appreciated!

[Mike.Bray]

Ok guys, I need some quick help.

I found out yesterday my 3/8” tube bender is for 3/8” outer diameter tube, not 6AN steel tube that is just over 1/2” OD. I can’t find a bender on line and the forums are talking about filling the line with salt and hand bending it. Really? I only need about 4 bends total for both lines but if I need another tool oh well. Recommendations appreciated!

Tube is measured on the OD, pipe on the ID. If your tube measures 1/2" OD it is -8 AN.

It is true, you can fill a tube with fine sand and seal the ends to bend it. The filling will keep it from collapsing or kinking. I've done it many times.

[Highplainsdakota]

Yes, sorry I meant 8 AN. Maybe I’ll give the salt method a try and bend it around a socket.

[Highplainsdakota]

Well, I ended up buying a tubing bender from harbor freight, and while I was there, a 36” metal break to fabricate some aluminum panels. The brake ran me $300 but it should pay for itself after my drop trunk, speaker boxes, and a few other gadgetry items I plan to build. I have half of the passenger foot box installed, so I’m going to try my hand with the koolmat and contact cement next. Things are moving along.

[Highplainsdakota]

Updates:

I finished the tensioning on the E-Stopp, jumpered the control box and fired it up. It worked great. Love the location and seems to have the right amount of tension. I did add the springs over the parking cables under the lever arm for some extra "return pressure". Probably not needed but it seemed like a good idea. I started installing a lot more panels. I really want to fabricate some gadgetry into this car but it's hard visualizing early in the build. Problem is, now is when I need to place the servos and cutouts in the aluminum. I guess I can always go back and fabricate.

Still waiting on the pedal box to return from Forte for the brake booster install. It has stopped my progress as that's an early step in the build. Hopefully next week. I glued a few koolmats in place with contact cement, but I'd like to get the pedal box in before I continue much more. Folling Matt's lead from the MN roadster, I bough a steering wheel from VSW steering wheels. I went with a thicker smaller wood steering wheel in chrome with the old cobra center emblem. That helped me decide the dash and pick the gauges. I decided on the antique beige color gauges from speedhut. A 4" speedo with brights and turn signal LEDs, 4" tach, and 3 3/8" quad gauge for the rest of the info. Simple and clean as I will have a lot more stuff mounted in my dash.

That brings me to the audio update:

It seems many on this forum, diyaudiomobile.com, and other places recommend against installing a stereo in the roadster but I'm going for it anyway. I will report my satisfaction with it as I cannot imagine driving without music. I fully understand the limitations but here I go anyway. So far, I have decided to mount a pair of 1" tweeters and 2.5" mids in the dash. They will be left of the steering wheel and right of my custom glove box. I went with Audiofrog GB10 tweeters, and Audiofrog GB25 mids. That covers most of my range and they will be pointed on axis for a better chance to hear the music. They are rated 100 W RMS and will be powered with an Audiocontrol amp with digital signal processing at 125 W RMS per channel.

I'm going to mount a Morel 8" 804 Primo subwoofer in the cubby between the seats. It will be in the rear wall of the cubby in a sealed box, although I may port it with the ports facing forward into the cubby for more SPL. I hope this rounds out the midbass as a sort of three-way system. I'm collecting opinions on whether I also need two 6" midbass drivers in the cubby in addition to the sub. My plan is just the sub for now, bridging the last two channels of the audiocontrol amp to 400W RMS.

I powdercoated way too many aluminum panels that will never be seen. Oh well. I'm still glad I did so it looks put together. I'm still designing my drop trunk that I will make myself. I'm still in the process of designing the glove box and dash layout as well. I have ordered a Redline Escort 360 custom install radar detector. I plan to have a toggle switch turn in on and operate a servo that opens a gate in my dash exposing the detector screen. With a flip of the switch it hides the detector and shuts it down. I decided to opt out of the laser shifters as I will probably not be driving this on the highway in North Dakota too much.

Finally, the fuel lines. OMG the fuel lines. So I bought steel fuel lines that are 1/2" outer diameter because I thought I needed a 3/8" ID for my engine. Apparently nothing else I bought was -8 AN. The Pro-M hanger is -6 AN, my fuel filter, fuel regulator, and all my connections are -6 AN. No biggie, I'll just have a larger hard line. Then it came to bending it. After straightening it all which went well, my harbor freight bender immediately kinked the line. I filled the line with salt. Still kinked it. Then I decided to anneal the steel. So, filled with salt, MAP torch until red hot, then as it cooled I started to bend it. OOPS. Melted my harbor freight bender. It didn't completely ruin it but I didn't realize part if it was plastic. the rest was aluminum. Anyway, I finally had a salt filled steel fuel line, annealed and cooled, lubed, and finally bent without kinking it. Problem is, the salt is now rock solid in the tube. I've been soaking it but can't get it all out because I can't run water through the tube.

I think I'm going to give up. I'm leaning towards flexible -6 AN PTFE fuel line for the whole system. Less connections and -6 AN should provide for over 500 hp. My SBF 363 won't do more than 415 likely. It's been a frustrating go with the fuel lines but most here on the forum seen to say the flexible lines all the way are no problem at all.

Pictures to follow.

[Highplainsdakota]

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[Highplainsdakota]

On the dash picture with the wood steering wheel, the left 3" and 1" circles are the speakers, the three to the right are the gauges. Two 4" on top and one 3 3/8" below in a triangle. The 3 3/8" will be the 4 part gauge and is a little hard to see behind the steering wheel but I'm good with it.

[Highplainsdakota]

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Here is a picture of the dash with right and left speaker locations and gauges.

[Highplainsdakota]

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Here are the speedhut gauges I’m planning. I chose a needle with a black center button.

[Highplainsdakota]

Just for fun…. I was brainstorming how to keep my buddies involved with the project as we went along and I came up with a small incentive. When I ordered the MK4, I also purchased the entire year of playboys from 1965 to stay period correct. Since my kit was delivered in late December, I have the “current month issue” out in the shop for some light reading on breaks. It seems to be as effective as pizza and beer anyway.IMG_4680.jpg