Projects DRAG SNAKE "Vintage Terror!"

With the tank lining up exactly where we planned it was time to drill a hole in the body to install the fuel cap I confiscated from the Triumph parts bins.




I had a piece of 2" steel exhaust tubing in the scrap pile that just all but slid in the underside of this cool vintage cap. I carefully ground it down a bit until I was sure we could simply tap it in place. Then to align the cap with the neck I cut the tubing at a 30 degree angle. I spun the tube 180 degrees and tacked it in place. Then after several measurements we cut and reversed the tube again to align it down perfectly with the neck. It was about 12" above it which I would connect with a rubber fuel hose and the two the way valve.


However, after all that work, while we were carefully driving the neck into the bottom of the cap, we broke it. The small piece of wood we were using slipped off and damaged the clip lock that holds the cap shut. So at this point we are going forward with the cap in place as dummy and we will open the trunk to fuel the car. I will start looking for another cap and at some point we make it functional but for now we simply do not have the time.

 

Moss motors should have that cap. Other Triumph places should be cheaper though.

 

Well that was quick....thanks @oldolds for lead. I just snagged a brand new unit from Moss still about 25% the cost of what the aftermarket world calls a "Cobra" filler cap...(and in my opinion twice as good looking)!

 

You know I am pretty excited about this little toy. I had been looking for a way to seal off the fuel cell in case of roll over etc. My model "A" the first of three in a row with the exact same cell had a JAZ unit that was like a spring loaded white Teflon disk that stayed closed all the time. When you started to fill the tank the weight of the fuel opened it etc.
It was a pain in the backside. On the Austin we had a flapper. Basically a piece of rubber that sort of acted like the Teflon disk. To be honest I didn't really trust it would work.

But this little thing is inserted directly into a 2" rubber filler tube.

 

Pretty boring day around here most of my customers still doing the holiday thing you know. However my VIN tags and emblems showed up today as promised.


Since it was so slow I have been playing around with the engine number on the A.C.Cars Ltd. Tag...



Or maybe see if anyone is paying attention and catches it...something like these?






Of course these tags will look really official as we will stamp them etc.

 

We hit the shop this morning and cut the tac welds holding the cell cage in place. We removed the cell cage, cut, fit and broke aluminum panels to wrap it. At this point we are just basically wrapping the outside cage and trying to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible.


It took a couple of shot at making the side panels fit correctly. We used the same aluminum angle stock from the front firewall to complete a nice clean look on the bottom of the cage (the part that will be seen).


I was happy with the final finish on the wrap. Then before slipping it back in place in the trunk we took the cross pieces and cleaned them up from the spot welds. We also cut them to size left to right and sat them in place across the lower cage bar same a before.


Then we slid the wrapped cage back up into place and clamped the cage to the cross bars. We spent a bit of time making sure all was centered and when we were happy we welded the cage to the cross bars front and back. Then when we were satisfied with it front to back we welded the cross bars solid to the roll cage. Before we quit tonight I played around with a pattern for the rear fire wall. The pattern fit very well so I outlined and cut it from the aluminum sheet. It is just sitting in place but fits like a glove!




We had one of the bumperettes in place just to make we didn't do something stupid on the inside and then not be able to get the bolts back in them (which would be par for the course). Overall it looks pretty good, we will finish the rest of the trunk sheet metal in the morning.


Looks like I have a nice space there across the rear of the cell cage for some words of encouragement. LOL

 

Consider the stamping "Experimental" or various abbreviations such as Exp.

 

I got in to a NETFLIX Bing watch episode this morning so I didn't make to the shop until after lunch. As I noted last night I actually produced the rear fire wall area of the trunk and it fit like a glove so all that is left today is the sides and floor. To be honest, lately I have not really been documenting the build steps as in depth as usual...laziness I guess. So I decided to show you how we have been forming all the sheetmetal panels.


I always start with poster board as it is cheap and easy to manipulate but still stiff enough to hold its shape. I take a shot at the shape that I know is close but still a bit large. I test fit and crease the poster board to help find the correct shape or line I am looking for. Then I pull it out and cut it down and re-try it. Sometimes I go too far and have to ad a piece over the top to make it fit. With these pieces of poster board I am not only working to make a near perfect fit but also creasing it to simulate where to brake the real aluminum piece.


When I am happy with the fit AND sure that a more non-flexible aluminum replica will be able to be maneuvered back in place, I trace and cut it. I am careful to make sure straight lines are straight and bend points are marked.


As you can see I try and cut just on the outside of the trace line which give me a small cushion that can be ground down if needed. After the panel runs through the brake, it is ready to test fit.


Sometimes it takes a bit of adjusting but today this panel fits like a glove as it. You can see that little notch up there at the corner that is because while my home made brake works very well, it is not a box brake style so I have to think ahead if I have to brake the same piece of aluminum twice on a 90 degree angle. No issue though as this will be covered with the floor.


So on a project like the trunk you might think all you have to do is reverse the pattern and make the other side. LMAO. No chance. It was close and a good start but I had to make several additions and trims to make the pattern fit on the opposite side. But we followed the same steps and in a matter minutes, side two in was in place.


I am very happy with the fit and look thus far.


Now for the floor. Believe it not, because we have been careful to keep everything square the floor should be a relatively easy piece to produce.


Confirming its "squareness" with full sheet of poster board, we simply take measurements to create the floor panel. I basically drew a picture of it with the measurements on it. We included a cut out area for the fuel pump top cap and the fuel filler neck. With it all laid out we simply marked the aluminum and cut it.


As you see our plan included braking the back edge to drop down below trunk inner sill etc. Again everything fit like a glove with no adjustments needed. All that is left to do is create a cap to place over the our open area. NOTE: as designed in the fuel cell cage, the top of the fuel pump cap is just under the floor level.


We will be using a few Dzus fasteners or similar flush mounting self ejecting fasteners to make the top plate easy to remove to get the fuel pump etc. I am pretty happy with the results. The trunk area is very clean. We are going to mark all the pieces and pre-drill them for rivets before putting them back together for the final time. You can't see but there is about .25" of space between the top of these panels and the fiberglass body, perfect for a flexible seam sealer.

 

Man you are flying along this week.

 

I think I am going to go with this one. I actually already have "experimental" in the Chassis Number. All the original Cobras had a chassis number starting with C S X (kind of the Holy Grail of VIN numbers). I have never actually heard it but I have always assumed it stood for Carrol Shelby Experimental (CSX) followed by a 4 digit number. So since I am recreating one of his cars I thought it would be funny to change one letter and the entire meaning: B S X (and yes the BS stands exactly for what you think) LOL!

Now the real "trick" would be to have an original 1964 MO Title with AC on it as the maker and a matching B S X chassis number!

 

Before we rivet the trunk panels in place we had some house cleaning to do back there including spinning the shocks around so we can reach the adjusters.



Our fancy new fuel cell compartment ended up too close to them.

Check this out. While on the rack we carefully jacked the left side rear up just enough to slip a jack stand under the chassis. We have cross member on the rack designed to do this.



Even with the jack under the rear end...we still lifted the front wheel...lol

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

After lunch we put the crusts back on as they are a bit larger tire and we were planning on starting the sheet metal work in the cockpit. No reason to find out later the bigger tires rub something etc.


After creating the simple flat piece that goes behind the driver's seat I spent some time looking over what promises to be a pain in the backside. The very outer rear edges of the cockpit on both sides has a bit of tire invading the space. I played around with the poster board a bit trying to figure the best way to close it in...but then I had a killer idea.


I headed over to the scrap heap and dug out a pile of cut up trailer fenders. I cut up several brand new units playing around with my the bobbed fender look on the Model "A" Sedan several years ago. I found two scrap pieces that were really wide and believe it or not, the perfect height. I slipped one in place and slid it as far as it would go to the right up against the body. Of course it would have to be contoured to fit the body but being so wide it had plenty of room for trial and error.


My first attempt was pretty darn close. After just a few minor adjustments the outer edge fit the contour of the body perfectly. Then we put it back in place and measured from the left rolled edge of the fender (which is still too far into the cockpit) to the line we marked for where it should be. That was 1.75". So above we simply measured 1.75" in from the outer edge, marked and re-cut it. When we slid it back in place it was dead perfect.

The cool part we discovered the first time we slid this piece in place was it touched the roll cage down bar that runs from the main hoop down to the foot well. On down around the radius it also touches the steel bracket mount that holds the door latch. It was like we planned it. Of course this means we get to weld this steel fender piece in place. Just like all the other panels there is about a .25" gap at the fiberglass body, perfect for seam sealer product.


This inner tub is crazy solid and fits like a glove and looks amazing. You can actually see a bit of space there between the line we had to hit for minimum seat space. In fact we actually gained about .75". I know that doesn't seem like much but in this cockpit I will take every bit of space I can get. LOL


The inner cockpit tub fits absolutely perfect. Now we can take the wheel back off and finish it off.


I am very happy at this point with the look. Honestly it looks like it was done at the factory! The nice exposed smooth rolled edge of the trailer fender well be very comfortable.


I was kind of happy to get the crusts and knock off rims back on the rear!

 

Randall, Looks like you need a bead roller! Tool shopping time!! lol This thing is getting cooler all the time! Larry

 

We've done a lot of housekeeping his weekend including a quick set of body mounts for the nose. We dropped an "L" bracket down from the roll cage bar up front lower nose area.




The only visible evidence are the mounting bolt (flat heads) and washers tucked way back up and under the nose.

 

This morning I got back to work in the drivers side cockpit. To maximize the room in the foot well we took the master cylinders off the Tipton pedal kit and shoved it all the way to the foot well wall.



We carefully outlined the master cylinder mounting bracket including holes etc.
Then we drilled them all and mounted the cylinders out side the foot well.



The seat fit our newly paneled interior like a glove. So we slid the steering column in place and I decided to give it a test fit.



So I am pleased to report I am having an issue keeping my work jeans up so I know I have lost weight. I have had no bread, no chocolate, no french fries and no sodas for nearly a month.



I am pretty excited because between losing some weight and extending the pedals I can drive this thing. In fact it is fairly comfortable and I am fairly ecstatic!

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Good for you Randal!!!

 

Looking good Randall and congrats on the healthy living


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Looking good Randall... it would really be rough, if after working on/building this car ... you couldn’t get into it! Congratulations on losing the weight. Can’t wait it see it driving!


Bones

 

I'm happy for both you and the car's progress.

 

I got a cure for that---suspenders!
I can no longer find pants that fit in the waist and ass, they don't make 37's, only 36's and 38's, and 36's are too tight in the waist, so it's 38's and suspenders to keep them from falling off. Just a friendly PSA from an old man that's lost his ass too many times!

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.......Building a cool Drag Snake!!!!

 

Amen to that BamaMav, suspenders are the answer. It seems that as we age our bodies lose the things like hips that stick out and hold up our pants. Much more comfortable than a tourniquet around our middle too.

 

This is funny! Earlier this week (New Years Day) we are in the shop with a goal of hanging the steering column. We had to cut out the original mount when we discovered it was in the way and we needed more room to mount the pedals etc. While I am taking the initial look I find an issue (that like dominos) started a week earlier making the before mentioned changes to mount the pedals.

Now the steering column is too short. To put the wheel where it needs to be in the cockpit, the "D" shaped end which takes the elbow is now sucked an inch or so into the exit hole in the foot well. Of course that is not going work. So our options seem fairly limited. Dad's thought was put a spacer between the wheel and the quick release collar. It is the obvious fix for the column and might actually help with the quick release which is actually too close to the wheel and is awkward to use.

So we spent a few minutes looking through parts bins for something to use to fabricate a spacer. We had several good starts but we didn't get around to doing it. Wednesday when I get to work I start thinking about it and decide to search for a spacer as "surely" someone makes one. It took about 30 seconds and poof I spent $12.99 with Speedway Motors and the spacer was on the way....problem solved right?!


Yesterday afternoon the spacer rolls in and I toss it in the truck. When I get home Dad comes out of the house sort of excited (at least in retrospect). He says I am not sure what your plan is for the steering wheel spacer....I hand him the unit from Speedway. He looks at it a bit forlorn and laughs. I said what? He said well I built one today that pretty much looks just like it. Later I found out from my daughter that he had spent the entire day including a trip to Springfield for supplies. She said he was so excited for me to get home to show it off that he could hardly sit still. I had no idea.

We are going to leave his piece in place for a couple of reasons, the least of which how hard he worked on it. But also his is the same diameter as the collar so it looks like it belongs there etc.

 

Yes, his looks better. I like hand made parts.

 

Gotta take care of "Pops" while you still have him around. That spacer he made will be an heirloom.

 

Dad to the rescue, again!

 

Yep...Dad is pretty amazing. He is totally old school. If he needs something he fabricates it. On his RPU that he crashed a few years ago, he literally built all of it. If he had $5,000 in that crazy traditional hot rod I would kiss your backside. He would sit with it at the shows or cruise ins and folks would say things like: "Where did you get that windshield frame?" Dad would answer it is actually the rails from a baby crib. The entire show you would hear Dad talking: "That's actually from a Triumph, it is just upside down" or "I cut that out of a Massey Ferguson Tractor and welded it in", etc. etc. etc. When insurance adjuster came out and appraised the little wrecked hot rod at $35,000, I just sat there and smiled.

I have a lot of that in me and I can do it when I need to (like the alternator bracket) but when push comes to shove I have (for better or worse) become a Google Man! LOL. When I need something usually the first thing I do is Google it. I have found in the very small world Google has created there is absolutely nothing that "I" am experiencing for the first time. Now what usually happens like in the case of the steering wheel extension, I take a look to see what is out there. If it is cost effective like $12.99 and zero effort I will snag it without a second thought. Now say that little toy was $100. Well in that case I would probably study the photos and build my own. I know, I know, not much to really ponder on the extension but across the board that is how it works for me.

But Dad's brain immediately heads to the scrap pile to find some thing or some way to fix it. I owe him a lot for teaching me those skills over the years. They come in handy every once in a while. After he is long gone and Zombies knock out Google, I will probably be glad I paid attention to him. AND yes @loudbang...you are close, while it probably will not make heirloom status, I wouldn't replace his extension for the world!

 

Quick little job today that I have been putting off. We are not getting too deep in anything as my engine builder friend is going to come by to do a quick once over on my motor before we slap it in car. (More on that later).

The horn button on my cool original style A.C. steering wheel didn't say A.C. and it had a bit of an arch in the middle as well. This prevented me from just neatly sticking the A.C. badge I have on it.



As you can see i took it apart and carefully started sanding/grinding the horn button flat.



My hope is to get it flat enough to simply stick the A.C. emblem on it and re-install the button with the original hardware.



After quite a bit work the A.C. badge finally fits flat so I peeled the back and stuck it in place.



I put it all back together and it fits perfect...still even pushes in cleanly and ready to work.



Of course this column is not set up to wire the horn etc. But I was just thinking I might get sneaky and actually run the horn button lines insides the twisted wire for the line lock button!??

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Never wired a line lock to a horn button, but have wired one to a cruise control button before.

 

Oh now that is an idea. Push the horn button to activate the line lock. I was actually thinking running the horn wires in with the line lock....food for thought though!

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

One of the all-time best build threads here.

Still ok with some vintage Drag Snake photos? I didn't see this one. Not sure what publication ad was in.