Lots of new rpu subframe progress w/pics

Well I am finally starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel on assembling the rpu body. Me & my dad have put in a lot of hours in the past few days, but we got a ton done.

We started getting ready to get the tunnel & hoops started, & I realized that the driveshaft will run right thru where the rear body subframe crossmember is...... so we built a combo driveshaft safety hoop/rear body panel flange/doomahickey.

Basically took a piece of 5" heavy walled pipe, & split it. I welded in two pieces to make an oval hoop, the welded two tabs that go under the now-cut rear subframe crossmember:



Then cut a u-shaped flange to weld to the hoop that the rear body panel can bolt thru. When this is assembled for the final time, I will put a nice bead of autobody panel adhesive on the flange, and bolt the rear panel to this using some button head allen bolts. Here is a pic of the completed hoop, looks like a funky airplane:


I got that welded to the crossmember, and moved on to the front of the subframe. It needs tied into the firewall, and a form made to get the tranny hump & floor set into. We made a crazy golf club looking thing. It will bolt thru the flange at the lower firewall, and weld to the subframe. Here's pics of all that:




Got that welded in, along with a front hoop to form the tunnel, and we're started to get somewhere(all the wingnuts & bolts in the firewall are temporary, these holes will be spot welded up for final assembly):






The front floor will have a small, simple toe board that will bolt on & dress it up. Here's some poster board templates to show what that will look like:



And a couple of pics of the rear too. Everything is so rigid now, it is really coming together. This will also make a very simple platform to put floorboards & a tunnel onto. I am beat tired, but really thrilled to be making progress. Here's a few more pics, I hope that you enjoy. Thanks for looking!
Dan

 

Hey Dan,
Once again... an amazing amount of fine looking work.
Do you guys ever sleep?
And that's one fine looking "combo driveshaft safety hoop/rear body panel flange/doomahickey".
It looks like you even beveled the piece that mates to the body!
Did it kinda hurt to cut into the back of that new body?
It sure does look like a rigid setup.
Thanks for sharing...

 

excellent work as always dan ..

 

yes amazing is the word

 

Awesome metal work, Dan.
Every time I see one of your updates, I realize how much of a hacker I really am!

 

nice work guys !! i had to replace my sub frame but it didnt look as nice as that

 

Thanks a ton guys, I appreciate!.

Well I usually do sleep, but today not until 6am from being at the shop all night-today I am paying....
I haven't cut out the rear body for the driveshaft yet. But, when I do it will be a WAY smaller hole than the cut out in the firewall for the tranny Thanks man

What's up! I was just thinking about you wondereing how your 37' is doing..... and I hope that you know better than that silly statement-One look in your garage or through all of your build pictures proves just the opposite. Good to hear from you btw!

 

that is a cool as hell job,

alot of thought went into that build, looks to nice to be for a floor though

 

asshole.

 

Thanks Dave, I appreciate that! Believe me, I will have no problem covering that up...I will just be glad that it finally is a floor

Excuse me..................I don't even know who the hell you are, yet alone why you would call me that. If you care to explain how that senseless comment came about, please entertain me

Dan

 

Well thought out and executed solutions! Great job!

 

some just cant handle seeing something better than what they are capable of

 

supposed to be sarcastic with the hole asshole comment. its hard to tell that via the internet.

work is amazing as usually.

 

Your stuff always makes me want to go out, tear my shit down, and start over. Nice work.

 

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Hey man, I sent you a pm. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I should know better, I am about as sarcastic as they come. No harm done

Dan

 

Hell, I know the feeling. I have looked at it & torn it down 2 times now

Third time's a charm(or something like that.....)

Thanks man

 

i bet in 6 months your gonna want a 4 door again and weld all the shit back on you cut off , LOL.

 

I still miss the fordor when I look at pictures of it....
But it was real rough in the rear body section. Plus I want to wait til I'm almost done with this rpu before I change my mind & direction again

 

Looking good as usual. What do you use to cut your steel? Plasma? If so do you use templates or just free hand it. Your stuff always looks so clean and precise.

 

Watching progress on this beauty. Nice. Very nice fab work. No one will every accuse you of building a rat rod. Thank god. I like clean simple metal work.

 

wow
Very nice!!

 

Hey, thanks guys. K13, I pretty much use my bandsaw for most things. It is a Jet 7x12 that I can use horizontal or vertical. It's not top of the line, but I really couldn't imagine being without it. If I ever win the lotto someday I would really love a dedicated vertical bandsaw, that would be so nice!

 

I can't believe how clean it all is. Someone must have shares in the "burnt donut" company.

 

Dan...awesome work man! As usual!

 

Awesome! I bet it weighs 8000lbs!

 

The car looks awesome.. great progress. Say, have your dad (and brother) been enjoying their cars? The build on your dad's car was great and I learned a lot from it. Tell him hey from me. -Jeff

.

 

hehe. seriously, it does freak me out a little looking at all of the rust free steel though.

Thanks man, what's going on with you?? You making any progress of the project?

Honestly it's still pretty darn light(with the exception of the rear driveshaft hoop, it weighs about 20 lbs)

Me & my dad can still lift the body on & off the frame, but I'm not sure how much longer that will happen......

Jeff, I'll tell them. My brother finally is getting to drive his T a ton lately, those couple of bugs are all worked out, so he's a happy camper. My dad really isn't driving his a ton though, but his car has been fine too

 

These are the posts that prove people still care about their vehicles enough to put this kind of effort into it. Excellent!

 

now thats nice.

 

That is way too nice. The big 3 never put out anything as well thought out as that. And me, I'm a hacker!