Project X71, reheating Stampie's leftovers(FCFC)

jr02518 said:

How are you going to reattach the rear end, differential, that is what has my attention?  Please, carry on.

LAst picture is the first of the mounting tabs for the Lower control arms. 

Took some time to clean the shop today. Picked up all the tools, cleaned the bench tops, and lots of sweeping. I did weld up everything I could get to on the top side of the floor, and then flipped the frame over.

Will the engine be able to see over the dash?  Or is the body going on backwards?  Phenomenal project.  Thanks.

Will there be gussets at the 90's and at the main tube uprights where it attaches to the MGM frame? 

In reply to gumby (Forum Supporter) :

I see a lot of genius in the way you fab. But I can't say that in there!

The 90's are an oddity resulting from a combination of project goals while utilizing the production frame rails. Gusseting will happen as deemed necessary; probably fewer than I would normally employ due to the Challenge-only purpose of the build.

Mounting the body backwards was a consideration in very early brainstorming, but no. We have discussed mounting periscopes on our helmets....

This makes it easier for me to see the flat floor now.

I finished up the bottom side welding, and flipped the frame right side up again. I blocked it to ride height and  tossed a couple wheels on the front to eyeball the suspension. This is why we Z'd the frame rather than simply hacking the back end off; arm angles are not horrendous.

Next I set sights on cutting out three more lower control arm tabs to match the first, and got the rear axle reattached to the frame

Pretty happy with that, this is how I left things today

To save weight and welding on the chassis, you can just u-bolt a pair of cantilevered leaf springs on the floor of the chassis and shackle them to the rear axle. Also counts as your upper control arms. You can even triangulate them for lateral axle support. Then just duct tape layers of rubber floor mats to the leafs to tune the damping. You're a chassis builder, you know all these speed secrets already.

maschinenbau (I live here) said:

To save weight and welding on the chassis, you can just u-bolt a pair of cantilevered leaf springs on the floor of the chassis and shackle them to the rear axle. Also counts as your upper control arms. You can even triangulate them for lateral axle support. Then just duct tape layers of rubber floor mats to the leafs to tune the damping. You're a chassis builder, you know all these speed secrets already.

This post is what happens if you do a line of coke through a rolled up page of Tune to Win.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

yeah I was gonna say "might steal this idea for f-dat"

Robbie (Forum Supporter) said:

yeah I was gonna say "might steal this idea for f-dat"

F-dat was my first thought when reading it! 

You're all welcome!  

- signed, past $2000 Challenge "winner"

Also, I was there in 2013. I've seen what axles and leaf springs can do to an autocross course!

F-DAT is probably light enough for the ultimate troll 1/4 elliptical leaf springs.  Go to Goodwill.  Buy cross country skis for ~$5.  Boom.  Leaf springs.  Use 2 sets with rubber sheeting for some amount of dampening.  Wear neon jumpsuits and ski Goggles for best results.

Bonus point awarded for creative use of roller blades(from the same Goodwill) to allow for the ski-based 1/4 ellipticals acting directly on F-Dat's live axle

In reply to gumby (Forum Supporter) :

"Quarter elliptical" is the term I meant! I've been hanging around the H.A.M.B. too often.

one set of roller blades should have enough abec-7's to make it happen. 

In reply to Robbie (Forum Supporter) :

I remember the first time I bought rollerblade wheels with Abec 5 bearings.  I thought I was the E36 M3 and could "Feel the speed" on breakaways in street hockey.  But those bearings where wasted when it turned out I was the goalie.  

Pretty sure my kids have a fidget spinner with ABEC negative 20 bearings.  They really do have balls in them but the axial misalignment allowed is almost big enough to make the balls fall out.  They are the worst bearings I've ever seen.  

In reply to nocones :

The cool dads bought ABEC 7 bearings for their kids fidget spinners.  Well after putting one ini their own fidget spinner and challenging the kid to see who could keep theirs spinning the longest.

My grinder E36 M3 the bed last weekend, so I made a stop at the hammer store and got a new one. Stepped up to a paddle switch unit with a 5/8" spindle. Now I can make use of this pile of abrasives EvanB put in my 2019 NYG box!

So, let's make a mess

This FCFC is living up to full crappy potential. The points of the body I chose to set directly on the frame are neither equal left to right, nor front to back.....by the time I got the wheel openings trimmed and the body positioned somewhat level all I wanted to do was clean up and turn off the lights, so I did.

In reply to gumby (Forum Supporter) :

You're worried about symmetry? With the engine where it is?

In reply to gumby (Forum Supporter) :

This thing looks more & more like an adult version of a kid's racecar bed every time you drop the body on it & I love it!

Visualize the win

Then, go vertical

This thing is looking amazing!!

I'm not disappointed by the progress, but I'm disappointed by the lack of pictures of Bob laying down on the job.