The "Whatever" Project

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

More later

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Everyone ready for a good chuckle? Tuesday November 30, goes down as big toe day! you say?

I'm going with coilovers on the front as well as the rear. Which means that I had removed the buggy spring and its big ugly mount from the whatever project. Put it on a chair in the garage. Tuesday my next door neighbor asked to use the garage to change his oil. So I was neatening up the garage. Went to move the chair with said parts on it, and was rewarded with a that big ugly mount and spring landing on my left foot.

Now you ask, why didn't you have on safety shoes? Good question. Answer, just a quick little clean up. Nothing's going to happen. Remember those words...

So I take the left shoe off, and the sock is pretty bloody. Pull the sock off, and the toenail is barely hanging on.

So into the house trailing blood, and say to SWMBO, I think that I better go to the hospital and get this checked out. The good news is that I have very little feeling in my toes due to back damage, so I drive myself to the hospital.

5 hours later I'm finally back home, no broken bones, but the nail is almost gone. And a bandage that won t stay on because they don't really teach basic first aid to nurses anymore.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Steering, steering, steering! Started tinkering with little stuff for the steering shaft and column. I redid the runners on the neighbors Xmas sled from last year, but it used up all of the 1 inch tube I had for the upper column support. But the good news is that I used the new bender die for 1 inch tube, and it worked great. So this week I'll try to get some more of the 1 inch tube. I have enough left to make a layout piece like I did for the 1.5 inch tubing. I'll use that to lay out the under cowl support hoop before bending.

Oh well it's just as well I can continue with the lower support bracket.

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Pumpkin pie! That's how easy it was to make spacers today. That's it between the axle and the bottom of the coilover. One for each side.

Also started on the panhard bar and mounts. Oops, it's not in this picture. Oh well it was box cake easy. I already had a section of 7/8 heavy wall dom that is so close to the perfect length that I said to myself self I said better is the enemy of good enough, and just threaded in 2 rod ends. Tomorrow I'll make a weld spud for the axle and a bracket for the other end to attach to the frame.

And last, I promised a picture of the Konis on the back. Okay so not too exciting. I got you guys a picture or two of the progress so give me a break!

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

[dave.g.in.gansevoort]

Made the 2 coilover spacers today. Real machinists and woodworkers would cringe seeing how I opened up the ends of the conduit to fit the spring seats on the coilovers. Using the 4 jaw chuck on the inside of the conduit, and the woodturning tool rest to center the conduit, I figured would be good enough. Then using a round nose woodturning chisel I reached into the opposite end of the conduit and cut out enough for the conduit to fit over the spring seats. Oh and I had the lathe turning at its slowest speed just in case I had an oops, and the conduit popped off the chuck.

Next was to take the rear shocks off and move them to the front and loose the buggy spring and its big ugly mount. I gained a lot of territory up front and that's before removing the 2.5 inch crossmember. That's for another day because I have to do a little restructuring up front.

Then setting up the Konis for the rear suspension was easy. Right now the rear ride height is set so that when I put the springs in, I can adjust the spring seats to get it back to this setting. I need to machine a couple of new spacers for the front to get the coilovers to clear in one spot, but it's not a big deal. Currently the upper shock mounts are not weldedto the frame, and I set the ride height where I want it with spacers. Again that's for tomorrow.

And finally I have to make a panhard bar and mounts for the front. Piece of pie as Dan would say. Cake is easy, pie takes a little bit more effort... Pictures tomorrow