The "Whatever" Project

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

'Glass isn't too bad - but working it will make you itch. Long sleeved shirts, long pants, and wash them every day (some folks use moon suits). Also, vinyl (or similar) gloves and a mask. Once you get down to primer you work it like sheet metal so back to normal precautions.

What is the temperature range for working it? I’m not going to do anything during the summer hot days, but if I start in September I can heat the garage to t-shirt temperatures most days except for maybe 20 degree days and below.

I’ll get some pictures of the cowl and the stanchions and post them so better minds than mine can ruminate over the task at hand and make suggestions. As for the ppe I’ll get some throwaway 2x moon suits, got a good particulate respirator and safety glasses. Will nitrile gloves work? I buy them from Harbor Freight routinely for many uses. And my nephew has used West Systems products for his projects in the past. Good, bad, no opinion? Other brands? 3M bonding stuff, what do I call it, and what products in particular do I need to affix things like a plywood floor to the body? Some kind of caulking gun type device? Other brands?

As you all might be able to devine, I’m getting a little bit done again. Want to keep the effort going. I am making some progress on the chassis and suspension, got everything I need to mess with the pile of carburetors, and think it might get a Turbo 350. I’m trying to simplify things, this would help with the controls AND foot room. Not to mention be a decent choice for the intended purpose.

[DanStokes]

'Glass isn't too bad - but working it will make you itch. Long sleeved shirts, long pants, and wash them every day (some folks use moon suits). Also, vinyl (or similar) gloves and a mask. Once you get down to primer you work it like sheet metal so back to normal precautions.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Got a couple of windshield stanchions today. It seems that they are hard to get right now, something to do with tariffs and vendors buying offshore products. I found a new set from Total Performance, company gone, bought out by Speedway, from a guy in Cleveland. And good thing was they are brass and unplated. So I can fit them to the body without any concerns about grinding on a plated part. So Dan, I hope you are good with repairing fiberglass. I’m thinking that I’ll get started with a floor project first, because it’s inside and won’t be too visible. So if I make a mess of it, no big deal! Cut it out and try again. But windshield posts? That is starting on the visible stuff…

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

I like the "Overly Technical Stuff" .......

Overly or overtly? Remember that I was an engineering student, not a liberal arts student. We wernt lernd howta rite or nuttin. An Is am one of them better n most ta no!

Okay, back on my meds…

[Captain]

I like the "Overly Technical Stuff" .......

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Worked on the front axle bits and bobs yesterday, and got about halfway done on ONE of those F1 front spindles. To whit, they need to be reamed slightly oversized for the F100 kingpin bushings. Procured the correct reamer about a month ago (yeah, I’ve been a little slow lately), and started the project. And l got about halfway done with the first one. Only need to remove 0.050 inch give or take a couple thousandths. Took 2 hours. Still got the other one to do also. And I have to tell you, Henry used really tough steel for the important parts.

So, once I get them both done, it’s on to the bushing grinder to straighten them out, then press the new bushings in and hone them to size. And once that’s done, viola I’ll have the V8-60 axle ready to go!

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

So, three stops today to get Simple Green HD (the purple stuff). Online said Lowe’s had it in stock at the local store. Nope! Drove by the local Harbor Freight, because I had seen the regular stuff there in the past. Nope! Carrying a different brand now. Don’t want a different brand, want Simple Green HD. Stopped at Home Depot, got it! And a couple of down spout flex couplings. Lowe’s didn’t have those either.

So now you ask, what the f¥£€ is Dave up to now? Carburetors! Finally! Three deuces and a five speed! Off on a tangent there… Back to the point. The ultrasonic tub is back on the bench. The purple stuff is in the house. The carburetors are off the shelf. Must be something…

Have to blast them first though with carb cleaner in a can to get the heavy grunge off of the outside before I disassemble them. And just think, it’s been over 50 years since I last took a Rochester 2 barrel apart. Which will be the next step once degrunged. Then the hot, sonic soup bath! And if necessary, baking soda blast!

Over on that question thread, you know the one, Chevy Two four bangers, I’m still not quite there yet! Cost isn’t the issue, just the actual need…

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Get Therapy......
OR
Pick a Plan and Run it Through.....

Tried both, hasn’t worked. Beyond repair. System failure, rebooting. Try again tomorrow.

[Captain]

Just stating the facts, as I see it. And you were spot on…

So here’s a question for all of us to ponder. When we get together and bs about car stuff, we call it bench racing. So what should we call it when we are all alone and just way overthinking? Bench thinking? Daydream racing? Virtual building? Enquiring minds want to know…

Get Therapy......
OR
Pick a Plan and Run it Through.....

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Who said I was teasing about overthinking? It's SO true and you know it. An old saying around the Detroit area, "There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and begin production."

Just stating the facts, as I see it. And you were spot on…

So here’s a question for all of us to ponder. When we get together and bs about car stuff, we call it bench racing. So what should we call it when we are all alone and just way overthinking? Bench thinking? Daydream racing? Virtual building? Enquiring minds want to know…

[DanStokes]

Who said I was teasing about overthinking? It's SO true and you know it. An old saying around the Detroit area, "There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and begin production."

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

And I thought you had ALL this "WERKED"
OUT Already ?!!!!

I seem to have even seen pix of a Pooper
Glide with Holes in the Bell Housing for
"Nix Tranny Coolers"
Or was it the 4 speed Side Shifters opposed to
A Top Loader 5 speed
Or the Quarter Spring/Bendy Bars front
Suspension set up from Short Track Racing
Or was that changed when it went from a
Cool Roadster to a 1/4 mile Dragster......

I'm SO CONFUSED......

So am I! I do have a vague direction I’m going in. And I’m playing with ideas in my mind. I have enough parts for another project as well. The current problem is with body issues, my body issues. Which gives me too much time to think. Never a good thing to allow an engineer time to think. I’m tinkering with light weight stuff right now, letting things get as good as they can get. And trying not to hurt myself while helping SWMBO. And of course that is my main concern right now.

So stay with me and enjoy the ride. Btw there’s also a real Mini that needs some work. I’ve got most of the stuff needed for it, just need to make some room for it. It’d be a good alternate project for times when I have thought myself into a corner on the whatever project.

[Captain]

And I thought you had ALL this "WERKED"
OUT Already ?!!!!

I seem to have even seen pix of a Pooper
Glide with Holes in the Bell Housing for
"Nix Tranny Coolers"
Or was it the 4 speed Side Shifters opposed to
A Top Loader 5 speed
Or the Quarter Spring/Bendy Bars front
Suspension set up from Short Track Racing
Or was that changed when it went from a
Cool Roadster to a 1/4 mile Dragster......

I'm SO CONFUSED......

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Any of that stuff bolted together or just sitting around?

I got all that stuff for my truck - in a thousand boxes and piles (but I still call it a truck!). I bet you'll be done before I am unless I give up and put it back together ugly!

Yes, it’s a roller as I type. Yes there’s some welding to do, more fabrication, more cogitation and rumination to accomplish, before I get to drive it down the road. But I have made some progress lately. So here’s one of the quandaries.

Currently there’s a 2 inch diameter tube axle that I fabricated a bunch of years ago. It fits the track roadster part of the concept perfectly. It’s currently located with a hairpin on one side and a straight heavy duty rod on the other side. That was done so that the front suspension won’t bind in roll. The hairpin is fabricated out of 7/8-0.188 dom tubing, same as the straight rod on the other side. However the hairpin has to absorb all of the brake torque, hence the beefed up construction.

It’s good, but then I got a V8-60 tube axle. It had some ugly to repair, no problem. And resize the kingpin bungs, again no problem. It would also fit the design concept, but I think it would look better with a buggy spring, which I have. So, new spring mounting is needed. I think I’m up to that task. The coil over shock mounts will work fine for either, so it minimizes any changes. But if I use it, I will need to figure out another method to unbind the front suspension. The slight curvature of the tube makes the wishbone and the straight rod less than ideal for geometry. Yes, I have an idea how to do this, but the current setup only requires a little bit of finish welding.

Remember way back we kidded about engineers overthinking the issue? Yup, this is one of those cases. I am going back to the rear suspension and installing a 4 bar setup, only because it will remove binding in the rear suspension AND make more clearance for the suspension to the body. That is one thing that needs fixing and is relatively easy just 2 brackets for the frame, the axle brackets are fine as is. And transmission decision time is fast approaching. Structural issues might require some compromise. Those structural issues are not with the car, but with me. An automatic transmission would make sense for an aging body style (mine). And open up some room in the car.

To that end, I have been researching different options for automatic transmissions. Powerglide is small, and with the quick change gears can be selected for use. But who wants to crawl around on the ground changing gears? Turbo 350s are not much larger than the Powerglide, and more gears. Also beefy enough. 4 speed automatic transmissions are good, but a little big for the whatever. I’m leaning towards the 350 with a short output shaft.

So stay tuned for the next installment of the great Whatever Project, as I’m slowly moving ahead…

[cstmwgn]

Okay, so I can dream, can’t I? It rolls, steers, has an engine, body, seats, transmission, a fuel tank even. So there’s some minor stuff that needs work.

Any of that stuff bolted together or just sitting around?

I got all that stuff for my truck - in a thousand boxes and piles (but I still call it a truck!). I bet you'll be done before I am unless I give up and put it back together ugly!