Datsun Roadster: 2020 Challenge Build

In reply to Robbie :

I'm loving this project.

I wonder if the body will need to be cut at the bumper /door line?

* Edit - Good point about no front engine - new and improved with front aero 

OjaiM5 said:

I'm loving this project.

I wonder if the body will need to be cut at the bumper /door line?

 

It might. The car will certainly be low!

Did you draw that? If this car ends up half as awesome as that drawing I'll be happy.

Yes, thanks! I did a quick sketch to see what it would look like cut.

I have some great memories of ripping around with my dad in his Fairlady 2000. They are fantastic cars

that reminds me... with the motor in the back... and that... sloped front formula frame...

there's a lot more room in the engine bay for... ulterior? alt-erior? air-path-convincing activities

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

Yep!!

Not quite sure we can call the ''puck" suspension with the fulcrum shortening the travel, a suspension, but I've rode a few hardtails along the way! A hardtail can be better than a poorly done suspension.

I got my thoughts from a tadpole trike chassis I have. It does have a shock on either side of the wheel, but I've been thinking 'bout a K75 single sided swing arm I have... (beemer, not bimmer -yes even some of us backwoods hillbillys know the difference!) while doing my poor dwg. I realized yours would be better with 2 coil overs, just have'ta find' em pretty light.

What's the rule on... harvesting ... corroplast?  Seems like a lot of it's going to be littering public spaces... but maybe challenge is too early this year to really take advantage of that?

In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :

In the Town Hall Meeting this past year, Tom endorsed theft at junkyards so strongly that I was considering figuring out a way to heist an entire car- he later clarified online that they don't actually want people stealing things so I'm not sure where "cleaning up" those "littered" signs falls.

I’m confident post-election coroplast harvesting is completely acceptable. 

It’s a public service. 

Pre-election harvesting is also a truly honorable public service, but probably crosses into theft. 

In Jacksonville there's a law stating that anyone can remove election signs from a public right of way at any time. Dusterdb13 got my stash from last year. 

OjaiM5 said:

I'm loving this project.

I wonder if the body will need to be cut at the bumper /door line?

* Edit - Good point about no front engine - new and improved with front aero 

Dude, that is such a badass rendering.

Yeah, I had the same question about total height in body VS chassis VS ride height.  On 10's, or sub 10's, its gonna be lol.  If it were to go to 13's from the Fiat, that would help with total height.  I anticipate needing to cut a few inches off the bottom of the body/doors in order to make the body and chassis not have such a large delta.  I'm no body-swap-kart-rig-bike-powered-thingy whiz, but I figure you would want the body to practically "set" on the chassis.  Not have mile long extensions from the chassis to the body...

Also visibility (I'm short) popped in my head.  If your butt is a few inches off the ground, I doubt you can see out of the Datsun?  But then again, I'm not there, so maybe the datsun height is that low...

Robbie is on the taller side, so he would have to ultimately comment.

Datsaniti's coroplast air dam was straight up stolen from random street corners in my 'hood. To piece together larger sheets, you can butt two edges together and overlap a piece on the back with hot glue. Add rivets with fender washers so they don't punch through, then paint over everything. The hot glue alone does not hold up to cone strikes or vibration - you will need the rivets. It's a nice material to work with.

Just watch out for curbs

I've got some ideas about how to add downforce, and I started trying to sketch them into OjaiM5's drawing... and kind failed miserably.

I think I'm going to breakdown and get an electronic pencil device this weekend.

So, I took some liberties with OjaiM5's drawing instead... and without any idea what Robbie's going to do.  Hope y'all  aren't offended, and I'll take it down if I've crossed the line.  But, it was a good excercise for me... and hopefully you see it as my being awed by your own abilities.

Dude, looks like the Pink Panther or another EMod crazy-train!  Love it!

If I know Robbie, you've just excited him like a little school boy on Christmas...I can see his head nod in agreement from here.

Robbie, we must make this...this...thing!

Love all the art suddenly in this thread. Seriously keep it going guys. Awesome.

Also, I have no need to wait for election day because I happen to be a packrat extrordinaire:

Also, no work this morning because I've had to drive to O'Hare and back twice in the last 12 hours. But I did stop for supplies!

12 ft is about all you can fit in a minivan and have the back door still shut.

Oh, I did take a quick measurement as well and the top of the datsun door (at standard ride height) is about 34 inches off the ground. Other than the windshield thats about as tall as the body gets.

In reply to Robbie :

That’s funny. (Thinking Europa)

Ok, did another quick one. Wanted to see velocity stacks sticking out the back!

In reply to OjaiM5 :

Stop it.  Stop it right now!

That is so legit...I can't even right now.

In reply to OjaiM5 :

 You're really talented. Robbie has his work cut out for him!

OjaiM5 said:

Ok, did another quick one. Wanted to see velocity stacks sticking out the back!

 

berkeley me running!

Do it in that funky patina blue of the car from early in the thread and robbie has a concourse winner !!

maschinenbau said:

In reply to OjaiM5 :

 You're really talented. Robbie has his work cut out for him!

I'll say! Holy moly.

Wife is out of town for the week, so it's been me and the kids this weekend, amd will be until Friday. I didn't let that stop me from putting in an almost-hour today, however.

I relieved the center mount from the old lower rails. It took nearly a full 30mins of sawzall action (I started with a grinder but found the saw to be easier). I think my arms might stop shaking soon...

Another partial hour in tonight. I didn't do much except take a bunch of measurements and mock stuff up and move things around. Frame rails are going to be 18.5 inches apart (outside to outside). Roll hoop is going to be 24 inches wide outside to outside. This is because the roll hoop needs to go around the rear swing arm and the swing arm is 19 inches wide. So 1.75 tubing X2 is 3.5, plus 19 is 22.5. I'd like to give 1/2 inch clearance on either side, so 23.5 inches. Might as well make it an even 24 to gain the extra 1/4 inch clearance inside. Each rail needs to be about 76 inches long.

Posting this for my own memory. Didn't have much time today because my bil needed to change the brakes on his edge and needed some of my tools.

That said, I made more measurements.

On the right side of the motor ("passenger side"), there is a 5mm difference between the planes of the mounting bosses, and thus a 5mm spacer is required. On the left side, an 8mm spacer will be needed. I'm really really really hoping the bolt hole bosses are machined in a plane parallel to the output chain. They look like they are, but if they are not that will cause some monkeying.

Also I need to clearance the right motor mount plate a bit more, as there is an oil hole I didn't see and the banjo fitting interferes.