Tires and wheels together for the first time
Going to the tire place to get everything together wouldn’t make for much of a story. Don’t worry, I can spice it up a little.
I have retired from pipeline construction and industrial pipefitting after almost 40 years. Now for me not doing anything won’t happen so I have started teaching high school vocational education in Plumbing and pipe trades.
The job has many advantages, such as summers off and a lot of free time when the students are on their work experience. One afternoon when I had some free time I ran up to the tire shop and got the job completed. While driving home the radio reported that there was a traffic hold up due to an accident. I knew the area but it wouldn’t be an issue because I wouldn’t have to go there. Not more than 2 minutes later I got a phone call from one of my work contacts to tell me there was some bad news. One of my students had gotten into an accident with the company truck. OOH that’s bad! Oh and he had gone over the sidewalk. OOH that’s bad! Oh and he hit a pedestrian. OOH that’s bad! Oh and he lied to us and he doesn’t have a driver license. AH CRAP, THAT’S REALLY BAD!
That devoured several days of my time and landed the student back at the school for 2 weeks when he should have been at his work experience.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1611517183

Rear end salvage
Remember that I said I wasn’t using the old floater rear end? Well I needed the center housing so out came the grinder and I salvaged the housing.

https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1611797941

RON EFFIN SUTTON, there I said it.
While the man is a taboo subject on a lot of forums I used several ideas from him that were actually useful. While designing the rear suspension certain things like the width of the rear frame rails were taken directly from his drawings. Turns out 34 inches is perfect width for the speedway engineering rear sway bars. It also allows for a lot of rear tire clearance.
These are my drawings, because any project even though they mostly happen in our heads needs direction. You will see that later on some of the parts are not the same as the drawings. A piece in your hand quite often looks significantly different than the drawing.
I am far from perfect and you will see what looks like the same drawing but it will be a revision. After acquiring 3 red seal trades and attending several drafting courses I love to do drawings anyways.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1612118421

While most of the pics are self explanatory the tape measure ones may seem weird. I am the guy who hides his own Easter eggs. The 26 was the height of the rear tires and the 69-1/2 is the stock measurement of the rear tires outside of sidewall to outside of sidewall.
All questions are allowed and what you see isn't necessarily what you will eventually get. The revisions continue and her are some more suspension pics.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1612118792

I am no longer a spring chicken. I don’t like bending over to cut tubing and my gut doesn’t allow me to breathe very well if I do. I had a plan in my head for years to make a stand for the chop saw so that wouldn’t be an issue.
With the turn of a set screw we can angle the saw or change the support for the tubing. Loosen a few more set screws and we can take it down to where it doesn’t take up any space. While I have a decent sized (Albeit very shoddy) garage, I run out of space just like the rest of you. Later on I will show you how bad the garage really is. I just never think about it because the garage doesn’t regulate the project. Mind you it was -46 with the wind-chill last week so I am obviously not working out there when that happens.
By the way no matter what the temps I like the noisy and dirty chop saw outside. With the stand all I have to bring in is the saw itself.
Managed to drag over a variety of tubing and you can see that I have a large selection of cuts laid on the scissor lift. These will become the basis for the rear suspension and rear frame section.
I told you this was not a “bolt a few parts on” type of build. BOYS this is about to get serious!!
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1612490157

Woke up Saturday morning to a temp of -50F.
My water was frozen and the cars wouldn't start, well almost all the cars!
My dependable Pontiac Wave (A Dae-Woo In disguise) fired right up. It didn't like it but it ran. If you had to guess which one I got running next I don't think you would have come up with my diesel yard tractor. That's right, after less than 20 minutes of being plugged in it fired right up! Of course it has 3 full size batteries on the front of it for weight to balance the snow blower and they are all wired in. Then the wives car needed to be plugged in for 2 hours and get a new battery. The old battery was slightly larger than it was supposed to be at this point. Then after surveying the water problem at home I called a local plumber to fix it. That's correct the plumber called a plumber! Don't worry it gets funnier. My nephews wife called me with a plumbing emergency of her own, so off I went to help her. That's correct, I was doing a plumbing job for free while I paid for someone to do my work.
These are the reasons that a lot of Canadians wait to start posting their build threads because a lot of time is spent staring out the window at ice fog and snowstorms.
I knew that would be the case when I started posting and I have a library of posts to come yet. That's right I endure these winters just for you guys, LOL
Those of you in the great white north, stay warm! Those of you in the south, well the heck with you EH!

Stay warm! lol :D

I told you this build was about to get serious. We are talking a full frame build and this is the first domino to fall. I am a modular style of builder and the rear section will be completed and a roller before we start on say, OH I don’t know, “The front section”?
There are 1x2, 2x2, 2x3, and 2x4 sections in this frame section. Because most of the rules call for a roll cage of 1-3/4 .120 wall I have chosen for the frame to be .125 wall as well. Obviously a chromoly cage would be lighter but many ruling bodies discourage, or don’t allow a lighter wall tubing for the 4130 cages. Extra expense with no weight advantage. NO THANKS!
With a layout table we build the first side. PEOPLE, that’s really easy! The hard part is when you have to make the second side match. Just use the first side as a pattern. That’s the easy way, LOL.
I know I mention this a lot but squares levels and tape measures are a staple of the pipe fitting trades and I am well versed in using them to keep it all straight. I kinda like using a piece of string once in a while also.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613085417

Just a few more pics for the thread.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613085554

While there isn’t much to see here, this is vital!
These pieces will hold the rear end exactly where it needs to be for the foreseeable future.
Nothing more than some 2x4 tubing with a 3 inch hole saw drilled through and then cut in ½ and cut to length. This locates the rear not only laterally but also at ride height. That’s why I have the tape measure picture of the tire and wheel diameter. By the way there was no trust in the cut at the bottom. All measurements were taken from the 3 inch DOM tubing set on top. Overthought for sure but if there are no variances to chase down later then we can concentrate on other stuff later?
This will not be the last time you see me do this to center pieces exactly where they will end up later.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613184476

While you have heard me go on and on about the garage not being an excuse for the project, well!
My dad and I built this garage when I was 17. It was built from the lumber that we salvaged from a 100+ year old barn that was at my auntie’s place.
The fact that it was built almost 45 years ago from 100 year old lumber isn’t even the real issue. We also didn’t have a clue what we were doing. It is amazing it has been upright this long.
The south wall is bulged out about a foot at the top. The ends are rotted out and let in more daylight than the windows. They also let the wind and cold in and that stops a project when the overnight low in Rosser Manitoba was -50F. Frequently it is warmer outside if the sun is shining.
Americans already think we live in igloos and ride moose to work. An igloo would be significantly warmer. And a moose wouldn’t have a frozen battery!
The steel beams are probably the only reason the roof hasn’t dropped and combined with the chassis jig is probably why I feel the car is safe in there.
The insulated side has a hole that extends from the roof right through to the ceiling. It also is so rotted that the door spring isn’t attached to anything. The entire door is lifted only because I am quite strong. There is no mechanical advantage to take care of me.
There is also an Easter egg here for those that read the text and carefully look at the pics.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613322936

Just a few more pics, LOL
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613323151

SOOOO somewhere along the line it was suggested that you couldn’t use the Corvette parking brakes on a 9 inch floater. Well, maybe you can’t? Undeterred I forged forward with my Schreiner spindles and the brakes and stuff that I received from the Corvette supplier.
Naturally you missed me putting the spindle ends in the 3” .188 DOM tubing. HMMM I thought I had pics of that? This portion of the build had me running to my friend Doug’s place about 14 times a day to use his lathe and have him plasma stuff for me. I can actually be kind of a pain in the arse apparently.
The measurements are not for your use and I recommend that you don’t do what I do. That people, is a “DISCLAIMER”.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Do...!4d-97.0844968
You got a big truck project or something that need to be straightened after a BOO BOO! This is the guy to do that for you. I actually worked for him for a few years and we went to school together.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613615311

More pics more ideas more work...............
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613615417

Enjoyed the shop tour! At least you got roof and walls! Gives me vivid memories of a cold rainy driveway and swapping dead starters 10 minutes before I was supposed to be at work....I forget how many "lifetime" starters I went through. But at least my bone stock 305 had headers!!

Jeff-

I built a greyhound bus into a motorhome using that shop. I like the guys that talk a bout a brisk 50F day in the south, LOL

Corvette independent rear end brakes fitting on a 9 inch floater rear with working parking brakes! I was told it couldn’t be done, but I get told that a lot. My plans and measurements say that THEY are wrong! More lathe work come Monday. There is a guy who charges about $4000 to do what I am going to (hopefully) accomplish for several hundred. It actually turns out to be just a few dollars more than the parts.
By the way soap and water doesn’t touch brake grime at all!
Also if you can’t figure out what I am doing with the old spindle, they are going to become spacers and the brackets for mounting the brakes on the rear end. Nifty, huh?

https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613925046

Just some more pics.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1613925627

These should be the last brackets that will allow me to use the Corvette C6 ZO6 brakes and E-Brakes on the 9 inch floater for the Cougar! Going to get them cut probably next week with all the other brackets for the rear suspension.
I cheated and made it so one drawing allows for the cutting of two different brackets. You can see what I did in the cutting instructions in the lower left corner. The double shaded drawing is the revision...... kind of. Both will need hand trimming.

So just minutes after posting that I had it all figured out I double checked the measurements.
Yesterday this stuff was so hot that it burnt my hands just to carry it in the building. (That was just from sitting in my truck not even in direct sunlight!)
Now that the calipers and the bracket have cooled down. My measurements didn’t remain the same. Double and triple checking still won’t prevent all mistakes but should help reduce the overall number a bit!
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1614562689

Nice work and tuned in, but I want to know where that thing is right now. Dammit I’m not a patient man and something about knowing this car is further along than what you are showing is just eating at me! [emoji38]

Anyone from that area see this thing on the streets? Probably looks something like this:

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ca6ca93147.jpg


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Transcona, the Dirty Old Cougar
 

Deleted duplicate.

It has been a roller but its not quite that far along. Although that car and the Whistler one are motivation for sure.

The internet is a beautiful thing. I can find almost anything.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615063380

While there is a lot to see here there isn’t much to explain. BUT I can get long winded anyways LOL.
You should be able to see how I am using the stock spindles cut down as a bracket and spacer to allow them to be used on the floater.
I love the look of the Corvette calipers and I will make no effort to hide that on my Mercury.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615164701

I manage to score a piece of 2024 t351 billet for a damn good price. 1-1/2 x6 and 12 feet long for 50 dollars, Oh and I GOT 2! This stuff drills like steel though, it’s tough! Thank you Air Canada for deleting old stock.
If those cuts look crooked, it’s not your eyes. A dull blade in the band saw resulted in that. We are cutting the spindles down and making the rocker for the watts linkage. I just printed out my drawing and taped it to the block. Cut and sand, cut and sand.
The larger squares that I cut out will be explained later. Some may figure this out, and well ……… some may not? I mean they have lines on them how hard could it be?
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615264241

There are some more pics here.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615264389

I told you a while ago that I was going to use my methods of using hole saws for creating holders and jigs. This stuff is for welding the axle tubes to the housing. There were about ten thousand measurements taken at this point and I hoped that was enough to get it close to right. The welds you see on the jig were placed there to get the jig to pull to straight. 1 super-hot weld and some water and the jig pulls back to straight. The 3 inch DOM is straight so let’s align the jig to that right?
While you don’t see it in these pics I actually screwed this up the first time. Being steel it’s easy to fix though! That drawing didn’t allow for enough room for the reclaimed center section. I also built the whole rear end as a long piece on the DOM first so I could get the outside of sidewall to outside of sidewall correctly positioned. Not a good place to guess and the reason that a few posts ago I had the 69-1/2 measurement on the tape measure posted.
Please notice that the brake brackets are not mounted yet.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615425479

I seem to maybe add too many pictures but I just don't want to leave anything out. I promised a lot of pictures and I hope that everyone has a story behind it. There was a ton of agony related to cutting the rear end tubes so the width would be right on! It turned out within a few fractions of an inch. Tire sidewalls are a very loose measurement in the first place, LOL.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615426006

That bench top vise is definitely getting a workout! Impressive. I like the controlled distortion method to get to where you need to be with alignment too!


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Hey I am a pipefitter its what I do LOL!

Nothing like when you see some positive results.
The rear end with the tires and rims attached just plain looks cool.
We tacked it all together and then checked for straightness. Then we welded a quarter at a time and switched to opposite sides and checked for straightness. If it couldn’t roll cleanly in the jig we moved the welding around until it did. While I don’t do it here we did a roll test later and the tape measure never moved at all. VICTORY is mine, BOW BEFORE ME!
Ok I got a little out of hand……………………..
All welding to this point was done with a Lincoln SST machine at my Union hall. Nice to have the big power machine when welding this stuff. Thanks to my friend Brent Johnston for telling me the good settings for that machine. These are not your Harbor Freight welders, you actually have to know what you are doing to set them. That will seem funnier much later, believe me.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615687249

Pics and more pics, LOL
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1615687359

More going on here that it appears. Now I could have borrowed my buddy David’s belt sander and effed it up royally or I could go on KIJIJI and see if anyone has one for sale. Yes a quick check found on for 60 bucks and it had a few belts with it. I learned years ago from watching a sprint car builder named Jerry Frantzen that sanding aluminum looks good and gets rid of weight. I actually raced one of his sprint cars for a few years when I was a hero in the division. Well at least as far as drinking beer and telling stories makes you a hero.
Those 4 drill bits and that tap was the best part of $200. If you look at my parts and my drawings you will also see what I said earlier about sometimes the part only uses the drawing as a suggestion. Also I went with a thicker piece for the watts rocker and switched to a double shear design to capture the ½ inch rod ends.
If anyone is wondering about the ¾ rod coupling bolted to the rocker, I may tell you later and I may not. I mean honestly I actually drew it out for you, sorta?
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616018080

I warned you guys that I ost lots of pics. Here are a lot of pics LOL.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616018253

More!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616018379

Here you can see how I am reducing the spindles to their simplest form to use as a bracket for the floater.
I also got into the CAD work for my watts link brackets for the rear end. (Cardboard aided design)
A lot of this stuff is my first real attempts at using a lathe accurately.
I also had my buddy Doug do some more plasma work for me. Then the boring job of sanding it all down had to be done.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616344896

Another picture dump for details I may not have discussed
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616345005

There's some bad a$$ work going on here...

Thank you! Like I said I am a lot further along. It gets much better.

Those brackets from the other day are deburred and sanded smooth. Brainless but tedious work. The bars that have all the holes in them are just suspension stiffeners and are for, well suspension stiffening! Don’t exactly know why I had to say more there HMMM?
You can also see that I have machined the watts rocker so it works in double shear. I used that ¾ rod coupling that I mentioned before as a mandrel to chuck it all in the lathe. Oh by the way it’s actually a 7/8ths rod coupling and I trusted my memory again when I really shouldn’t have.
https://lateral-g.net/forums/attachm...1&d=1616717958