Finalizing the Cockpit Controls

[Hankl]

Working this weekend on Cockpit layout, and controls placement.

The whole plan for the look of this Coupe is my vision of what the Coupe would have turned into if the GT40 had not come along on the scene.
To that end, I've decided to use what would have been leading edge aviation instrumentation at the time. The combination of Analog and Digital
type instruments were just starting to enter the newest Military aircraft, and the Stack system, with some poetic license, provides what I needed.
The plan is to mount it in a arched enclosure that has an outer diameter same as the diameter of the steering wheel. looking from the driver position,
the Stack will be shaded from normal outside light, and provide all the information in one quick look down from the road.



This is a better look at what it will look like.



I also played with the shifter position, I just love that I can move things around! this placed the shifter at the
perfect position when I moved my hand from the steering wheel to shift. The height/length of the shifter also
had the benefit of keeping the movement to change from gear to gear very short.



Orientation of the Steering Wheel, Instruments, and Shifter.




Hank

[Hankl]

Here's the Emergency Brake and Driveshaft Hoop. I can pull both with 4 bolts and lay it back and out of the tunnel for trans R&R.




There will be a lever system above and behind the Driveshaft Hoop, with quick disconnect pins.




Handle down, the top of the lever is 1/8" below the top of the tunnel, it will keep the clean "Race Car" look.



Handle UP.




Hank

[Benji]

Looks good, I have one question though, not specifically aimed at you but, why do American cars always have the handbrake (or e-brake as you call it) come up so far?!

[Hankl]

Benji,

It's not that it comes up so far, in fact, a well adjusted Emergency brake should move just 2 or 3 clicks. When the pads wear,
and the system is not self adjusting, you get excessive travel. In this case, no cable attached, so you see full travel on the handle.


Hank

[riptide motorsport]

Very nice work!!

[Garry Bopp]

Hank,

You amaze me with your fabrication skills and well-thought out designs!

Garry

[tirod]

I like your theme concept. Putting the display up like that keeps things compact -

[Jacob McCrea]

Very cool Hank! That's a great way to do a driveshaft loop, and making the transmission removable through the top should save lots of time and aggravation. Looks like you are coming down the home stretch with frame changes.

[Hankl]

Jake,

It's actually designed to give the trans room to move back, and remove it from the bottom. We have removed TKO's from Roadsters before, after someone said it couldn't be done.
It was just a bear moving it back to spin it sideways to get it out, this way, there is plenty of room to move back till the input shaft clears, and then you just drop it down and forward,
with enough room for the tail to kick up. This way, you just need a floor jack under the Trans, plus there's plenty of room to disconnect electrical connections, and a pair of hands from
the top to guide it also. Just to make it more complex, I had thought of having a harness for the Trans, and a electrical hoist that could attach to the roll bar to do it that way also....
but trying to pull the Trans from inside the Cockpit door, would REALLY be a bear!

Hank