1970 Coronet Super Bee a.k.a Project Plan Bee

[WSSix]

I don't have much to add other than I love where this build is going. Keep it up and good luck!

[SuperB70]

Front frame time.

I've always disliked front overhang.
From front egde to the wheel arch to front bumper is ludicrous half a meter.
50cm~20".
Made desicion that I'm gonna move
front axel forward 3" to to compensate that. And get more room for all the things that are coming on the front part of the engine. As I told last update that I'll build this as an drysump.
Need room for the huge Auto-Verdi 5 stage pump and up coming custom ATI Superdamper. Behind the steering rack.
Now its time to do it. So new frame needs to be wider than before as well.

Some of my pics are still sideways even I try to do as Jody guided. Sorry about that.

Like I previously told, my company was for years a GM Performance Center, (gave it up) so I got my hands on C4 Corvette frame/ control arms pick up points and all the angles.
So I made an installing jig on based them.
Here it is in action. Front cross members is mounted at its new location in Vettes specs,
them an negative jig is made to show the pickup points of the control arms.
The plan is not to use original cross member.
Double tube frame coming.

This is a good time to show my tube notcher, Baileighs TN-250 with a Finnish twist. I soon realized that you cant make notches to tight bented pieces. Cant turn them down, they will hit angle meter and cant turn them pointing up. Saw doesebt go upwards. Got me thinking...
So I cutted pieces of different thickness of flat stock and sheet metal. Chanced the axle housing mounting bolts to studs. Now I can rise the axle housing every millimeter from 0 to 35. So I can turn tube pieces pointing up and notch them spot on.

Bar between LCA is piece of solid bar, drilled and tapped so that LCA can be simple bolted on the ends. Made little U-pieces to get center frame piece to be bolted on and of. All will be tig-welded.

To be continue...

P.S. been thinking that this gets views but not much comments... come on fellas .. this must be different than the most... and it will get more different as we go on, I'll promise..

[ScotI]

I'm diggin' the creativity on the build as well as the build tools.

[camcojb]

Originally Posted by SuperB70

Some of my pics are still sideways even I try to do as Jody guided. Sorry about that.

I fixed them, not sure why it wouldn't work for you. One way to eliminate this issue is to take all pics in landscape. This is a real cool project, and it's great to see something different like this. Especially a Mopar, as they are very cool cars but don't have as many options for the chassis like some of the others.

[SuperB70]

Originally Posted by camcojb

I fixed them, not sure why it wouldn't work for you. One way to eliminate this issue is to take all pics in landscape. This is a real cool project, and it's great to see something different like this. Especially a Mopar, as they are very cool cars but don't have as many options for the chassis like some of the others.

Thx again Jody.

These are old pics, taken with Iphone, I guess.
I upload them, them remove them, turn them, save them and upload again. Did that so many times that my head started to spin...

Mopars, well they do have better front suspension geometry than GM or Ford. Even with torsion bars.
Not much needed to make them a corner rockets. Few bolt on's will do. Have done a few and they are super nice. Specially when loosing the t-bars and installing coil overs.

Aftermarket chassic does not do for me. They are copies either some gen Vettes or Mustang II for olders hot rod stuff. Why buy one when I can build my own as well.

As in many other things in this project, its not about buying other builded stuff and bolt them on. Its about coming up with design, result and building it. Myself (or some cases other pro, one of my friends maybe)

After I build that jig for C4, been using it to many different makes and models. '57 Crown vic (w/ different, an manual rack) '50 Buick, '68 Satelite and '56 Chevy pick up. Pick up with Vette rear axle also.
All have performed great. Only down side is design element that engine is behind the rack, almost mid engine car. Have had to mod firewall in many cases.

C4 is right width for most, around 60"
Newer generations grown too wide. You can still install one of them but geometry (acherman) goes out of the window with stock racks. They need custom racks and longer control amrs means less room for engine and stuff.

I've '69 Mustang in my shop with full DSE Alumaframe and q-link set up. Installed by me. Again, that based from Vette. More on that later.

But back to Plan Bee, it's coming along. Actually pretty far ahead. But we'll how fast updates will come here

Our car building regulations chanced a year ago (again) this time not so favor for my project. On the supercharger part. With old rules, it was a favor for me. But ongoing projects have transition period to end of next year 2023. So I need to get this thing through the inspection and plated before that. Going to be busy 20 months..

Later..

[SuperB70]

I got the pics dilemma sorted. Editing them to square form seems to do the trick..

So back to front frame.

Wanted to do alot of triangles, the most strongest tube design. Connecting A-pillar tubes to front frame tubes from two places. before and after the front suspension.

Here is a trick I use im my tube bending jobs. Eliminates most of directional errors. Couple different lengths of soft 1/2" aluminium fuel line. Easy to bend, even back to straight.

UCA mounting base also from seamless tube, top piece from braked 6mm (1/4") steel.

I didnt take any pic when building rack mounting base. Or I do but would give up too much for now..

Also I had to install my new wheels on to check how much I've room on full lock.

Next go to get engine back from Sweden, installing engine to frame. Also start to design my own intake manifold.

Stay tune..

[camcojb]

Nice work!

[SuperB70]

Rods are here. Went back and picked up the engine from Auto Verdi, Sweden.

Rods are totally one off, made from very special swedish military (not grade, but real military steel) steel, forged and cnc-machined billed pieces. Ready to balancing. European precision. For this engine and for twin screw supercharger. Cylinder pressure rises fast at low rpm. These are made and guaranteed for 200hp per rod. But have to use 1/4" wall wrist pin with full wall. Cant have any lighten one.

Really nice shop, hospital grade clean. Stefan is super cool guy. Provides rods for many Nascar, Pro Stock and F1 power boat teams. Those Koeningsegg rods where sexy. Sorry that I can show any pics from inside the shop.

Same time picked up my dry sump oil pump. Also from Auto Verdi. 5 stage, all sucktion stages are internally channeled, to back of the pump to oil air separator so one stage can be used as an vacuum pump. Provides 99.99% airless oil back to tank. Mounting tabs are also custom ones, designed to fit Viper engine block. But not like Competition Coupe, not putting this under oil pan, but to passenger side of the block. Had to make room for it, loose lower water hose connection, belt automatic adjuster and oil filter housing. They need to be relocated. I got a plan...

Had nice suprise when arrived home, my own design mail caps arrived. One of my friend took the task of machining them from our local steel factory tool steel Imaroc 410 M. (MoC410m) new ARP hardware. Next to linebore.

Had to install empty block to se how it fits my new frame.. had steering rack/engine cradle finished. More that later.

To be continued...

[SuperB70]

Next task is to make outterskin of rear wheel tubs. Have glued tubs to quarters on earlier builds but now wanted to make them "right". Made them with flance to match the lip in original wheel archs. Glued again but now with 2k body adhesive.

Paper template, bead rolled edge and some stifnings. Tig welded and hammered. Used mig to hang them on. Hard to do by you self.
Made them as big as possible. Even had to cut down the top most outter corner so that quarters would fit.

Gray stuff is industrial grade epoxy paint. Body will be painted all over everywhere with that stuff.

Little tip again. Flancing hand tool. Just an old 1/2" socket T-handel, one end cutted off and slotted with 1mm cutting wheel. Piece of squar tube and small hose clamp make a easilly adjustable back stop. Just bend in little steps and go back and forward. Works great.

Now I can start hanging new quarters..

[Mikael A]

Very cool,love everything about it