Introducing: Project 1/2-TRAK

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by awr68

So do you drink wine before, during, or after your shop time for the day?

I'd just finished dinner when I went out to the garage to take the photos.

Beer while working, wine after.

Weld spatter does not complement a Carignane.

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by Steve1968LS2

Hey, is that pink paint I spy??

Nice progress so far. I keep thinking I should have mini-tubbed the Rat.. oh well, can always do it later.

What's the next big project on the car?

Lot's of it!

Well I tell ya....1/2-way through I was second guessing the tubs. I have room for a 335, though I really don't see running anything larger than a 315.

Up next is getting all the undercoat off the bottom prior to installing the 3-link.

[Damn True]

I know I said the next task was to remove undercoating from the car but I just couldn't bring myself to crawl around on the floor tonight. My back has been bothering me a bit and......oh now I'm just making excuses....I didn't freakin feel like it. Ok?

So anyway I got a bit of lightweight goodness in the mail a few weeks back:



Fiberglass decklid from VFN fiberglass. Weighs less than 10lbs



Pretty darn smooth right out of the box. I'm hoping for minimal bodywork. But...it is delivered a bit oversized which is, I suppose, better than undersized.

[Michael Scott] Thats what she said! [/Michael Scott]

Sooo I had to take a template from the OE decklid and transfer it to the fiberglass replacement. You can see here that the fiberglass decklid is about 1/4" larger than the template. It's oversized by about that much on each axis.



Transferring the template. I am totally good at coloring!!!!



The line is actually at least 3/16" fat all the way around. So what I'll do is cut to the line then begin test fitting and sneak up on the final dimension little by little.



After a bit of sanding....but quite a bit more to go.

[sik68]

Can't believe how much progress you've made...puts the progress on my car to shame! Do you have a goal date set? 1/2-Trak and Trackday gotta tear up Norcal ASAP.

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by sik68

Can't believe how much progress you've made...puts the progress on my car to shame! Do you have a goal date set? 1/2-Trak and Trackday gotta tear up Norcal ASAP.

Are you kidding? You are practically running. I'm still doing fab work and haven't even started on the biggest part, putting in the rear suspension.

No goal date. Originally I wanted it to move under it's own power before my 40th birthday (September) but that isn't going to happen. I'm just doing all the stuff that doesn't cost any real money right now. Just time and elbow grease. I still need to get our front and back yards landscaped. House is built, but no yard. Can't do anything expensive until that is done. Gotta keep the wife happy.

As for the last bit. You are on! I plan to auto-x the thing A LOT and get to as many track days as I can.

[Damn True]

Knocked out a couple of things tonight.

Had to re-clock the brake cooling ducts on the spindles because they were going to hit the frame. So I had to disassemble the spindle & hub. Easier than it sounds with the fine instructions on Tylers website. How many mfr's post this kind of detail on their website?

Data sheets and install instructions here: http://www.t56kit.com/downloads/

The spindle instructions here: http://www.americantouringspecialtie...ds/files/7.pdf

In the process of re-clocking the backing plate/duct I had to relocate the three holes that are used to clamp the backing plate between the spindle and hub. In doing so I have discovered my new favorite tool.

The uni-bit is freaking awesome! Where have these things been all my life!?!?!?!



So got that done on both sides pretty easily and went to work on a little more lightweight love.



These things weigh NO-THING. Two of them together weigh a tick under 1/2 of just one of the steel OE units. And......super-bonus.....they FIT! I did have to drill all the holes, but hell, that's a whole lot easier than......don't get me started.....



See....they fit! Sweet.




...and yeah....I'm blowing off the VFN decklid and getting this:



Anyone wanna take on the task of finishing fitting that fiberglass unit is welcome to it. I'm out of talent and patience with it. PM me and we can agree on a fair price.

[ROKN69]

Very nice project, DT. And well planned out, I might add. I look forward to your progress reports.

[Damn True]

Holy schnikey work has been busy. Haven't had a day off in close to three weeks and thus haven't had much time to work on the car lately but found myself with a couple of free hours tonight. So I decided to remove a big heavy thing from the car:



The heater core. Lead, brass, ugly and GONE!



But.....a big gaping hole. A number of different things I could do here. I could buy one of those DSE panels and pay quite a lot for what in reality is a simple hunk of steel with a bevel rolled on the edge.....nah! I could do the street-rod-esque firewall smoothing bit......nah!

Which begs the question; "What Would Smokey Do?"

Well.....I'd like to think Smokey would have just tossed the factory delete plate on the hole and moved on. I went a tad further than just that, by welding up the mounting holes from the OE heater core, and welding in a fill plate in the original hole. Then drilled and cleco'd in the panels to check the fit. Took me just shy of two hours.





I'll finish it up with seam sealer and rivets after I paint the firewall. Of course that won't happen till the cage is finished.

There will be a heat/def unit of course. Vintage Air makes this nifty little heat only (no AC) unit.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo...65608932BKChyx

Yes.......I am avoiding climbing under the car and removing the undercoating.

[GHOSTDANCER]

Looking good

[70rs]

It is coming along great! I read the page in the mag when that issue came out and just today found the build thread. I'm glad I did! Subscribed!