FrontEngineDragsters.Org Forum
Social => Your Builds / Photo Gallery => Topic started by: Lorbiecki on May 02, 2014, 10:17:41 AM
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New to this site but looks like there are many folks here that still make their own cars. Thought I would start a thread on how I made our car. It is a 200" FED with an 8 3/4 rear end. Originally it had the blow hemi you see here and went 7.20s at 190 with a very simple set up but we ultimately kicked the rods out of it so we now have a stock bottom end 350 on stack injection and we now have an 8.50 car. I am building a new 440" BBC for it while gathering parts for a new blown hemi.
The entire car was built in the garage. Yes, I do now have a 3 axis CNC mill, good lathe, Invertig 201 TIG welder, some sheet metal tools, and a bunch of related stuff, but it still can be done on the cheap. When I started the car I only hand a table top Enco mill and did all the work on the car with that machine.
I wanted rack and pinion steering on the car, so I made a r&p from McMaster Carr parts which has worked pretty well. Note that the entire steering mechanism is inside the frame rail. I went as crazy as making the blower studs and nuts as well as some specialized hardware for the mag cap. I just like making things.
So, here is a pic of the car and I will add to it as I get time. There was some earlier conversation on wing construction and I have some simple ways of producing the ribs for the wing-All you need is some oak and a soft blow hammer.
More to come!
John
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Here is the engine compartment...Note, we made the offset drive as well as most everything you see here....Idler pulley and bracket, all the mounts, body panels, tubing, etc. Was designed in AutoCAD so al angles and lengths were a known factor. Just cut to size and put it together like a plastic model. New stuff is all designed in SolidWorks or Pro-E....Programing for the CNC is done in VisualMill. Just makes life easier...
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Very nice! Keep the posts coming.
Would you like this moved to the build photo thread with a link left here to that thread?
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X2 Great looking car I would also like to see some of the build pictures!
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Beautiful car ! The front wing is really nice, I take you built also ?
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Yup, everything! It isn't that hard. Just some simple tools...attached are pics of the tooling to make the ribs...Use 3003 or equiv. Plot the ribs size, cut the rib blanks, put them between the oak formers, clamp it in a vice and hammer it to shape with a soft blow hammer. Then use a rod to push the extruded material into the flutes in the rib blanks. That will keep them to shape. Just need to remember when you are riveting the structure together to hit the "high" spots of the rib.
The main tube is 1" dia 6061. The main supports go between two ribs that are spaced to accept the front support.
I can tell you from a crew member mishap that the structure is strong enough to support the weight of the front of the car when it fell onto a jack stand! Screwed up the wing but supported the car.
The outer aluminum was 5052 and the leading edge shape was formed by wrapping it onto itself (like a taco shell), taping the two loose edges together, and then pressing down on the folded edge with a 2X4. Just keep working it down until you get the nose radius you require.
Mark where the rivets go, drill and cleco, and then rivet away!
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And for kicks, here is the front axle assy. Yes, I made the spindles....Not too hard to do. You can also see the rack and pinion box. Simple system that I have used for years on junior dragsters and just upgraded it.
And I attached a pic of the Big Dollar fixture I built it on. Because of the small garage and because I did change tubing size from the engine forward, I just did the back half first. That way I didn't have to walk around 200 plus inches of tubing to get to the other side.
All the systems could be done in this state and then just glued on the front end when needed.
And note that the front end is bolted in place. This way, if there ever is any damage to it, I just unbolt it and replace it. I like things that are repairable with ease...
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If that is the finnished product, you missed a very important part of the wing/overhang.
Drop 1 (or both) side plate so it is 3" off the ground and paint it flat black
only the start beams are mounted at track level, all the other downtrack beams are 6" off the deck.
with the "blocker" 30" ahead of the spindel C/L you shorten the track lenght to 1318'
never polish the aluminum side plates as the sun can reflect the image and cancel the timer
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I am contemplating on building a front wing for this sole purpose. Once have but be dammned if i lose another race becouse of no overhang
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Glad to see I;m not alone in the I can build it all mentality. Great job.Car looks awsome(except the green). Bet your in for lot less cash plus the fun of building and fabricating it.Theres also that cool thing about watching folks when they ask who's______ and you answer I made it. Love it when they say man wish I could do that and they never tried.
Wish I was that far along. Congrat's.
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Thanks guys...will post more pics. As far as the wing color, it is green with black....always liked the Chrysler colors and with the hemi....well, ya gotta go with it! When the new graphics are done, I think you will like her even better.
John
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The construction is not only chassis stuff but also engine parts. Because of a tall block I acquired as well as a stock height stack injection, I needed to do something with the mag. So, I designed a new timing chain cover and made a drive for the mag and pump off the front. I used a Super Mag II and a belt I had from a previous offset drive. Designed it in Solidworks and I be damned if it didn't all fit the first time!
Also there are photos of the Oberg look alike housing- blew up the cast unit and made a billet one.
Also, initially I was going to run a front distributor drive with a crank trigger. This was before the mag was decided on. This setup will go on my RED (BBC 496).....
What isn't shown yet are the fabricated valve covers and the billet rail pan.
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Like the oberg(look alike). I would like to do something simular except with finned covers to aid oil cooling. Running brackets with dry block and any cooiling will help. Nice work.