I have had serious hits fixed a few times. No matter how good the shop, there were always spots that showed the extent of the damage. I can't unsee them, and then its all i see.
If they pull it straight can you live with the tells?
I have had serious hits fixed a few times. No matter how good the shop, there were always spots that showed the extent of the damage. I can't unsee them, and then its all i see.
If they pull it straight can you live with the tells?
Dusterbd13-michael said:I have had serious hits fixed a few times. No matter how good the shop, there were always spots that showed the extent of the damage. I can't unsee them, and then its all i see.
If they pull it straight can you live with the tells?
thats a fair point too!
and then, just like that, there was but one option...
met up with the shop owner today, he had finally had a chance to get the kart up in the air and assess it over the weekend. besides needing the driveline pulled to get at the inner frame he was finding more and more contortion. He put odds of it straightening at less than 50:50.
That was all i really needed to hear to change course.
So. heritage kart will be parked inside and stripping of soon to be kart will commence with a bit more urgency than it has the past week...
Our club's first event date hasnt been set yet, but its probably going to be early Feb. Calling that a soft target date, that truly, i dont expect to make. which is fine. No shortage of co-drive offers!
After talks with the shop owner, are you planning to clip your chassis or start fresh and port everything over to the new chassis?
Have you verified you didn't snap any chunks off the block or bend/break the torque tube or transmission?
gumby said:After talks with the shop owner, are you planning to clip your chassis or start fresh and port everything over to the new chassis?
Going to use the entire 'new' chassis. the form and construction of these jsut doesnt lend itself to clipping. Plus, the majority of things i would change if/when i did this again pertain to the rear of the kart...
sucks to hear but at least its a clear path forward. New build thread, or just gonna piggyback it onto here?!
golfduke said:sucks to hear but at least its a clear path forward. New build thread, or just gonna piggyback it onto here?!
yea, it is a reduction in stress at least knowing which way i am going know... gonna keep it here! reckon its chapter 2.
Lets all remember, it absorbed a lot of energy hitting that wall. All of that bent metal meant less of that energy transmitted to the driver. That's a good trade.
759NRNG said:Yes it's that time of the year, but would you entertain a thrash event to start the new year right?
there will be probably be a series of mini-thrash efforts.. i kinda fail to the meticulous side, so all out thrashes arent actually in my comfort zone... lol...
Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:Lets all remember, it absorbed a lot of energy hitting that wall. All of that bent metal meant less of that energy transmitted to the driver. That's a good trade.
this is true. surely that impact would have totaled any vehicle..
A double thread bump up to Patrick's post. Use your meticulous side to examine all of the driveline super carefully. It is so long and attached across a large part of what is known distorted.
TurnerX19 said:A double thread bump up to Patrick's post. Use your meticulous side to examine all of the driveline super carefully. It is so long and attached across a large part of what is known distorted.
for sure. and, unsurprisingly, there is long neglected maintenance that need to be done while its out... trans and diff seals primarily..
So... here is the progress on the carcass so far...
Since its not crystal clear... this is the view from where the engine should be, looking aft.
and here is the view from the B-pillar looking forward
As you can probably imagine, the bulk trash guys are not going to be happy with me the next several weeks.
The part of this evolution that is stressing me the most is the A-pillar.
Ole GM Engineers didnt do me any favors.
The windshield surround and pillar are aluminum. The surround structure is bolted and super-glued to the steel a-pillar base. Then the sheetmetall forward floor pan is attached to the steel a-pillar and the fiberglass firewall and pedal box... which is absurdly well attached to both the lower steel components and the upper aluminum structure.
i dont think i will be able to get the aluminum structure to non-destructively detach from the steel a-pillar base... 5lb sledge aint makin it budge (and obviously its already been subjected to heat).
Current plan is to cut the steel a-pillar at the same height on each vehicle and weld it back. Plan of attack on the fiberglass firewall has be detaching it somehow from the steel lower section. thats going to get messy.
In reply to Go_Gators (Forum Supporter) :
All of the structural adhesives should fail with heat at a temperature a little less than aluminum annealing, I.E. 500F . Cook and chisel with a shallow taper.
TurnerX19 said:In reply to Go_Gators (Forum Supporter) :
All of the structural adhesives should fail with heat at a temperature a little less than aluminum annealing, I.E. 500F . Cook and chisel with a shallow taper.
So... indeed, i worked various thing into the crevice between the steel and aluminum and it did end up separating! how hard it will be on the more intact one... tbd.
bumpsteer said:So when are you planning on breaking out a big tarp and hammer store sandblaster?
thinkin it will be moved into the garage this week. finished the dirtiest work this weekend. A & B pillars got removed and i burnt/scraped all the adhesive that held the body on the frame.
golfduke said:) Fast progress!!! Looking great!
Indeed, this part has gone quicker than expect!
Have decided its time to ditch the ABS on iteration. On early C5s, (heritage was a 98)(burn victim a 04) ABS pump was located behind the diff. that location made exhaust and radiatior placement difficult. furthermore, i would like to stick the battery there. selling the actually functional ABS pump/controller looks like it will mitigate the expenses i am about to describe...
have had great comms with finishing-line sales and i am going to go full flexible line, sans-ABS, with a rear prop valve (accessible in car) and....... hyd hand brake...
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