Project Schism - another offbeat '23 Ford T

[toddshotrods]

Amanda cut four bearing sleeves for the frame pivots, cut the tubes, and pressed the ends into them.



I modeled and cut temporary bushings from LDPE. Later these will be replaced with custom UHMW bushings, with metal sleeves.




While cutting them, I was away from the ShopBot doing one of my other multitask items, and a piece of the LDPE melted onto the end mill and caused a little damage to a couple of the bushings, but they'll still work to get everything lined up, with a little hand finishing work.
__________________

[toddshotrods]

Years ago, when I was busy dreaming up things to do to my then-Camaro-project, Bill Howell urged me to just get the thing on the road and drive it. It turned out to be awesome advice, in a couple of ways. After three years of existence primarily as a shop project, I had a blast the whole summer of 2007 driving my unfinished, primered, project car! I did a couple local shows, but mostly just drove the darn thing, gaining perspective on what I really wanted to do with it when Ohio winter forced it back in the shop.

The funny part is I ultimately realized I didn't even like the car! I bought it (a 79 "California car") to sort of re-live my 2nd-gen "high school sweetheart" 70 Camaro (an Ohio rust bucket). After another summer of love, I realized that those memories were best left... as memories...

Fast forward to this year, and the Schism project, and I've finally realized that I started building this car as a budget driver - and how far I have strayed from that premise. That's because I actually like the car - in the shop, as a project. It definitely trips my creative switch. Good exercise, but I started hearing Bill's "voice" again, and thinking about how I didn't like the Camaro, after all that time (pretty much gave it away to unburden myself).

Hence, I am on a mission to "Just Drive It" in 2013, before I go any further off the deep end in design - to find out if I like being in it. Number one priority is finding the things that would hinder that mission, and eliminating them. The first step was returning to the cheapo fiberglass body, because my carbon fiber one-off is going to be a serious investment of time and money. I've also conceded to the fact that my nearly half-century old azz is not crazy about the idea of being pelted by pebbles and sprayed with random liquids, so the doors are staying on it.




The one thing that I do want to keep is the roof because, as any of you Goodguys (Columbus) alumni surely realize, it gets a little warm here in the summer. Even if I move somewhere where the sun has less rage, I'm pretty convinced I'll spend a lot more time in it with some shade overhead. The buggy style rag top is underway.

The funny thing about this is when I mocked these pieces up on the car I thought it was way too tall (against the backdrop of the other roadster and the bike). A quick check with the tape measure brought me back to reality - it will stand 41" tall, with the composite skin!



I love the rear window. I am not really a Ferd guy, but this makes me want to etch the Ford script logo on the glass.




Tunnel vision! Should be fun at triple digits...

[toddshotrods]

Caveat: Long-winded insight into the "Todd" design process.

Finally, for the first time since we actually started cutting and grinding metal on this car, I see what's in my head on the shop floor. I now get that "feeling", followed by an endless stream of creative ideas, every time I see it. That has been missing. Most of what I have been doing has been in search of that creative spark, not because of it. Thing that unlocked it? The roof.

It's really not the roof itself. It's everything. The roof makes all of the ideas come together. The radically chopped, pinched, and sectioned body; the bite-sized, tombstone-shaped firewall flowing into a classic model T cowl; the three-inch ride height, the exposed sidewinder ICE and electric powertrains - all those things are features.

Features are meant to complement something - in this case a "car". It's the coupe thing -that's the "car" I was looking for. When I look at it now I see a little coupe - with all these features. Before I saw a bunch of features hanging out together, but with no real identity.

Imagine seeing a muscular, well-groomed man, with a thousand-dollar pair of shoes on his silk-socked feet, a perfectly pressed shirt, "power" tie, and a Rolex on his wrist - but with no suit pants or jacket! That's what I saw when I looked at Schism. Impressive, but not quite ready for the red carpet. Now, it's like I see a guy in a suit, and start to notice all the impressive accoutrements that go with it. (I didn't use the example of a woman with all the accessories and no dress, for obvious -male- reasons! )

The beauty of following this long, crazy, design process is I have developed a more spohisticated little coupe than I ever imagined at the onset. It's sort of like the experimental, accidental, process through life that creates us. The intent is usually clear - to develop a "good" person. The journey to get there is fascinating...

[preston]

I wish you had stuck with the smartly dressed lady instead. Much better visual.

Is LDPE Delrin or is that the UHMVW ?

What is the difference ?

[toddshotrods]

Originally Posted by preston

I wish you had stuck with the smartly dressed lady instead. Much better visual...

Agreed, but we wouldn't really care if she ever put the dress on and my car might never get finished!

Originally Posted by preston

...Is LDPE Delrin or is that the UHMVW ?

What is the difference ?

All three are different "plastics".

LDPE, what I used to make the temporary bushings, isn't suitable for a suspension bushing. It's slippery enough, but pretty soft, and would deform with heat and pressure. I like working with it for some things because it machines decent and can be heated and formed.

Delrin is the badazz stuff that makes great race car bushings. It's strong and can stand up to the forces a suspension bushing will "see". The down side is it will also squeak.

UHMW is somewhere in the middle. It is relatively "quiet", and also somewhat self-lubricating, so it should make a decent performance street car bushing. Time will tell...

For a while, I was leaning towards going really hardcore, with all Delrin and rod ends in the suspension, regardless of the penalty in noise and harness, but have decided to soften its edge a bit, in hopes of spending more time behind the wheel - on the street.

It's still going to be like riding a hard-tail chopper - this will hopefully be the difference between one with a hard-mounted metal pan for a seat, and one with a padded seat with the little coil springs under it.

More technical plastic info: http://www.mcmaster.com/#8574kac/=kkdq0p

[toddshotrods]

oops, double post

[Garage Dog 65]

Originally Posted by toddshotrods

Sweet pic ! Looks real and you can see the design in this picture.

Very nice Todd !



Jim

[toddshotrods]

Originally Posted by Garage Dog 65

Sweet pic ! Looks real and you can see the design in this picture.

Very nice Todd !



Jim

Thanks Jim!

[toddshotrods]

We tried kinking one on a hydraulic bending and stamping machine the metalworking guy in the complex has, but it mangled one of Amanda's perfectly machined ends, so we've resorted to a good ol' pie cut. The remaining gap is intentional, to be filled with weld; and a gusset plate will be added on the inside of the bend.




I was concerned that I wasn't going to like these pieces, but really do, now that I see them on the car. I wasn't so sure I was going to like the round tubing in the mix of stamped, cast, and fabricated steel parts.

I have a lot of crap to stuff in that little area. Upper and lower arms, coil-overs, sway bar with links, four sprockets, two chains, jackshaft, differential, axles, cage tubes, grille, and steering!



The rest of the ribs and stringers for the roof, and the luggage bags, have been sliced and are now ready to be rendered in foam.

You can see the recesses now in the backs, where they fit over the aluminum plates, that mount all the electronic components they'll hide.

The upper control arms mounts have been (plasma) cut and are in the process of being ground to shape...

[Garage Dog 65]

I don't get it, I just can't see it, can ya draw me a picture ...

You guys have way to much cool stuff to play with - just doesn't seem fair.



Jim