Progress on the Treit and Davenport liner

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 162: We have another update to the Target 550 website. This one covers the drive belt boxes used to transfer power to the drive shafts and differentials as well as some shots of how the newly-painted frame is being protected from damage while work's being done around it.

There are some other things being covered, but I'll leave it up to the viewer to find 'em.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/163...ape/index.html

Here are a coupla "teaser" photos that will give an idea of what our next post will include:





Enjoy,

[ChevyAsylum]

There's a lotta stuff in there, most of it pertaining to the canopy and week fairings. The final shot reminded me of a scene in (I think) the movie, ET. You can decide for yourself.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/164...ngs/index.html

Here are a coupla teaser shots:





Enjoy,

[ChevyAsylum]

This week's post is titled "A tour without a tour guide." Doc Freud suggests that the viewer use his/her imagination and in the last 3 photos pokes a little fun at the Rat.



http://www.target550.com/gallery/165...ide/index.html

[derFREUD]

The student from Granite Falls HS are on their way to Houston for the 2012 Shell Eco Marathon.
I'll try to keep a post up to date regarding their experiences.

Go Granite Falls.

FREUD

[Tman]

Originally Posted by derFREUD

The student from Granite Falls HS are on their way to Houston for the 2012 Shell Eco Marathon.
I'll try to keep a post up to date regarding their experiences.

Go Granite Falls.

FREUD

There is hope for our future.

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 166: Things are going back together after dissassembly to paint the frame and get parts plated and coated.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/166...her/index.html

There are some photos of the way the riveting is done on the body skins (I learned something from this series of shots) and shots of the torque tubes being reinstalled (they look great with dark gray powdercoat.) All of the stainless tanks (oil, fuel, water) are carefully wrapped up, waiting to be installed along with the freshly-coated retainers and brackets...and more.

Here's a teaser photo that has a bit of optical illusion to it:



Things are goin fast. 'Course that's the whole idea.

[ChevyAsylum]

It's time for another update: Number 167. Can ya bleeve we've done that many? Here's some info first:

Reassembly continues. Lots of parts have come back from the plater's and are given different finishes. They give a very sharp look as they're being reinstalled on the frame. There's a lot more to do, but I think it's gonna go fast.

Check it out. There's a few images that provide a bit of an optical illusion. See if you can find 'em.

And here's a shot of a few of the plated parts I mentioned:



Here's the url:

http://www.target550.com/gallery/167...ing/index.html

[gnichols]

The work gets more amazing every day. Is it possible to work like this and stay on some sort of schedule? Gary

[wagoon78]

Originally Posted by gnichols

The work gets more amazing every day. Is it possible to work like this and stay on some sort of schedule? Gary

Went on their website to check out the project. Looks sick. Don't want to answer for the guys, but this is their schedule on the site and they seem to be right on track.

"Intended run date is the fall, year to be determined, at the Bonneville Salt Flats. "

I sometimes work like that to. It will be done by Friday, I just don't know which one.

[ChevyAsylum]

Originally Posted by gnichols

The work gets more amazing every day. Is it possible to work like this and stay on some sort of schedule? Gary

There really isn't a schedule. The idea is to build the liner so that it'll be able to accomplish its goal, which is to blow the existing piston-engined, wheel-driven record all to hell. It'll take as long as it takes to do the job as well as possible.

Having said that, there will probably be a test run on a paved course in the early fall of this year. At least that's a wild-assed guess. If that goes well, the record attempt will be made on the salt flats. When that will happen is undetermined, since it depends on the results of the test. We're going into unknown territory here, so it's unrealistic to even attempt to set a schedule that's carved in stone.

In any case, we'll keep folks updated on the Target 550 website as well as making announcements here, on www.landracing.com, Facebook and several other web locations.

Stay tuned.

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 168: More shots of reassembly, including some stuff that won't be visible after the liner is fully skinned.

Something that occurred to me as I've been preparing this update: People have been setting (or attempting to set) land speed records for a long time, as far back as 1899 when Comte de Chasseloup-Laubat set a land speed record of 57.6 mph in an electric car.

But none of the cars have had the intense, complete, step-by-step photo and text coverage that's been provided by the Target 550 team. This is a brand-new way of presenting one team's quest to blow the existing record all to hell. Previous teams have presented varying degrees of coverage before and after the fact, but none have come close to this amount of detail.

We hope that this will become a part of history that many people around the world can share. Here's the link for this week's post:

http://www.target550.com/gallery/168...ain/index.html

This is one of the areas that won't be seen again once the tail section is fully skinned:



It's the lower roller and channel for that positions and guides the tail as it's slid into place and latched.

Enjoy,

[Tman]

Trick as always, thanks again Ray!

[ChevyAsylum]

My pleasure, man. Have a good one!

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 169: This is the description that Freud gave for the post:

"The complex fitting of the panels in the air brake area is underway. It's sorta like extracting the bottom stick in

a game of Pickup Stix. The torque tubes are in place in both the front and rear drives. Hume also had a visitor from the past."

The lady is almost fully clothed. She's gorgeous. Just a little more and all the body panels will be finished.

Here are a coupla images, not from the post, but some samples Freud sent me:


You can see that the tape is doing its job of protecting the chassis tubes, even though that paint is supposed to be real tough.


I think the torque tubes are pretty much done. The removable section is there to allow the Greek coupler inside to be lubricated.

Here's the link:
http://www.target550.com/gallery/169...rea/index.html

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 170: Skin, Cherry rivets, dual purpose drain/vent and painted panels.



Jim Hume: "Man! One hell of a lotta work has gone into this race car!" Well, that's what he looks like he's thinking. Maybe he's wondering where my 7/8" deep impact socket went. If that's the case, he can stop wondering. I found it as soon as I got back home with the new one.

Here's the link:
http://www.target550.com/gallery/170...ent/index.html

[ChevyAsylum]

Target 550 Update 171: Doc Freud used his broom and dustpan to sweep up his hard drive and came up with some photos that haven't been seen before. A wide range of subjects is covered, from body panels to clutch covers to the 'basket of snakes' that's all of the pneumatic/hydraulic lines that haven't been re-installed yet. Some great photos there.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/171...ics/index.html

Here's a bonus shot of the box of tools that Jason Hosking has used to form the aluminum skin panels:



They won't get too much more use as that portion of the project is just about done. Only the rear wheel fairings need to be completed so they can be used as a form to make the carbon fiber pieces that will be used when the liner is run on the salt.

Enjoy,

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 172: As Ned Jarret used to say, "The story is tars." He meant tires. That's the main thing in this post. Yep. Treaded tires. Read the post so see why.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/172...bly/index.html

Here are a coupla extra pics:




Closer and closer,

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 173: The Reassembly continues. The dry sump return oil lines for both engines are back in place and connected to the oil tanks.

It's getting to that point where all the little things...plumbing, connections, tanks are getting done. Every week we get closer. We may have an interesting announcement soon. Not a record attempt date, but something very interesting, nonetheless. I'll tell ya about it as soon as I can.

http://www.target550.com/gallery/173...ues/index.html

Here are a coupla shots not included in the post:

[Tman]

I love doing plumbing but that makes me dizzy!

[ChevyAsylum]

Update 175: EVERYTHING has to be reassembled. I hadn't thought about the degree of disassembly and reassembly required. On the salt flats, salt is your enemy. Ironic, but it's true. Just ask my old 64 Chevy rat truck that rusted out from under me and my current Suburban that's reached the point where it has to be replaced.

So every part of the streamliner has been addressed with this in mind. Parts made from aluminum, stainless steel, Delrin and Teflon and then the parts that were made of iron or steel have been painted, plated, anodized or powdercoated. That means that everything was taken apart for this rustproofing and now has to be reassembled. You'll see a lot of that in this post, mainly what's involved in the assembly of the skin panels. They aren't just pieces of aluminum formed over a frame. They're works of art in their own right.

When you look at the photos in this post, check the contrast between the different finishes and see what had to be taken apart and is now going back together.

Here's a photo of all the pneumatic lines that are made of stainless steel tubing and are now being reinstalled:



And here's the link to the full post. Check it out!

http://www.target550.com/gallery/175...els/index.html

Ohh...this is being done early because I'm heading for the Rat Fink Reunion this weekend. See ya there, maybe?