Folks Of Interest Clutch Popper Wednesdays

Happy new year everyone. Last night was Daves, night. We met at the New West for supper, as usual. The special was Southern Fried Chicken with Bean Soup. It was great.
Back at the shop, we had two projects going on. Dave and Charlie were at the shop almost everyday over the New years weekend. We got a bunch done to the fleetline, and we also started building a new room for Dave's new machine shop. The back area behind the hoist wasn't really being used much, except for storage, so built a mezzanie out of 2X3 1/8th wall tubing with a 1" plywood floor. This allows me to still have the stroage, but also clears up a bunch of floor space for Daves two lathes and milling machine.
With the rest of the club at the shop, and full of fried chicken, we decided to lift the heavy stuff up top.




This is the chassis for the 21 window VW bus thats sitting outside the shop. It's on hold until I get the drivetrain back from the machine shop, so in the mean time, it's going up top.










Once the lifting was done, Dave brought the fleetline in, and continued on with the 1/4's.






Over the weekend Dave finsihed up the other side also.




Charlie and I made a run to the south side to pick up some studs for the machine shop walls. In the mean time Dave and Fat Dave cut out the bumper recess to move it back.






New studs. $1 a piece thanks to Kijiji.


By the end of the night Charlie and I almost had the walls done. By tonight they should be finished up and sheeted in. Then time to hook up some lights!


Dave pretty much has the one side finsihed off now. Starting to look good!




After we cleaned up, Dave took the fleetline for a cruise around the block. Yesterday it was warmer outside than most of our summer nights. May as well take advantage of it!

 

fleetline is looking pretty badass. i'm sure dave is going to love his new machine shop!

 

Nice work Dave. Getting the bumper recess in place really changes the look completely and it looks awesome.

And yeah hard to believe the weather we are having the first week of January. Record highs

 

ThAnks! I am stoked about the machine shop, and I am really happy with how the back end treatment is going

 

now that is funny...Big Dick Dave talking about his back end treatment!!!

love this thread, look forward to it every week....

 

I'm really digging the fuck out of Dave's Chevy.

Also what is a mezzanie?

 

Hahahaha! Nice! Thanks!

 

Thanks Mitch.


In industrial applications, mezzanine floor systems are semi-permanent floor systems typically installed within buildings, built between two permanent original stories, typically for storage or more production space.

 

Thanks!

 

We picked up the beast today!






Mezzanine is already full....

 

Looks like the beast can do it all, must have been a ball breaker to move and get into place. Now, back to building and cheap laughs please. Tell Fred hello!

CRUISER

 

It actually wasn't too bad to move at all. We picked it up one end at a time with a floor jack and placed dollies under it. The dollies were just those ones designed for rolling cars around on (Daves idea). My trailer is a tilt deck, so we just tilted it, hooked it up to the winch and sucked it up on the trailer. Unloading it we did the same thing. Worked real nice. Once in the shop the 5 of us just rolled it back to it's corner. The hardest and most time consuming part was moving all the cars out of the shop .

 

Beast is right!! That thing is a monster.

 

Hey is the lathe an old Bridgeport? If it is it'll do just about anything with the right tooling.

 

Lee, I think you're really lucky to get a machine shop in the back of your shop and to have Dave as a friend to operate the equipment.

 

Hey guys, Sorry for the late update. Last night I got distracted by the large stack of vintage Hot Rod mags stacked on my desk. Yesterday a generous old time hot rodder dropped off a stack of 20 Hot Rod mags dating from 1954 - 1965. People must be in the giving mood, as two days ago one of Johnny's customer gave him a vintage holley intake and carb for a SBC.

Anyways, last night we met at the New West. It was a full table as the entire club, as well as Big Dick Daves parents joined us. Grilled ham and cheese was the special. Chocolate pudding for desert, with whip cream of course.

Back at the shop we blew the dust of the T-bird. Haven't touched it in 6 weeks!


Fat Dave bolted the headlights and the front bumper back in.


Johnny and Al teamed up and tackled the stainless on the drivers side.


Cory showed up just after we got back from dinner. Him and Dave continued on with the rear sail panel.


I turned the Tig on and started welding up some of stainless that needed to be cut.


And Charlie cleaned the dust off my roadster parts and started assembling the dash again.








With the windesheild getting narrower as the it was slid into the cowl, these peices of stainless are going to need to be widened to cover the urethane.


The lip the rear sail panel will screw to. This allows it to be removed like the front cowl, in case the rear window ever needs to be removed.


And the driver side stainless in place. Next major step, fitting the side windows and vent windows.

 

Awesome!

 

Its a 15" colchester Dominion, I am looking at buying a verticle milling machine with a radial arm on it, then with the right tooling we can build anything.

Thank you!

 

Thanks for the update Lee. Dave you better watch that big dick when you are running that monster lathe it will grab a hold and have you wrapped up on that chuck in a second!!

 

Hmmm, there might be a market for that, the patented "Extendo-cock"

 

Then Dave would have to change his last name to a Russian one. Rippedmykockoff. Hahahaha!

 

Then I would become english and be called WOODCOCK!

 

Thats a lot of cock talk....

 

Thanks for the late update, now it's time to go to work boys.

CRUISER

 

Well another Wednesday night has come and gone. We met at the New West for supper. Hot Beef was once again the special. Back at the shop we plugged in some Austrian Death Machine for some musical tunes, and got to work on Johnny's T. Last time we left off we were fitting the 40 ford pedal assembly. Tonight project was to finish them off.



As you can see we have a fairly common problem with the clutch pedal hitting the X member. But thats okay, I have an idea. After studying some pictures from ElPolacko and Brian Bass, Dave and I came up with a way to have lots of clutch pedal clearance. Very important, as every hot rod should have a clutch pedal!


Dave and I made a template, and he started cutting it out of 1/8" plate. While he was doing that, I welded up some unnecessary holes around the pedal assembly.



Charlie being an engine guy, started inventorying all the parts for Johnny's 327 and making a list of stuff we still need.


Dave had to do most of the grinder work tonight as I had an accident earlier today with an exacto knife colliding with my finger.


Two grinders at the same time.....






Here is the new piece cut out....


And Dave modifying the X member for the new piece.


Me doing a little clean up with the big grinder.




New piece in place and ready for welding.


Fat Fred Approved!


Cookie?


Me welding the new piece in


Johnny doing some trimming


Underside...


And bam! Just like that we have a clutch pedal!




For those not familiar with Austrian Death Machine, enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ

 

Frame is looking good. Glad you guys are having three pedals. Also Dave might want to keep both hands on the cut off wheel, wouldn't want anymore accidents.

 

And bam! Just like that we have a clutch pedal!




For those not familiar with Austrian Death Machine, enjoy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPIO86jTrQQ[/QUOTE]

Pretty slick! Are you planning mechanical linkage, clutch pedal to fork? Be some interesting fabrication.

 

Look forward to the updates........keep them coming!

 

Excellent work as always. Nice "band-aid" lee, though i prefer electrical tape.

 

Excellent solution to the clutch problem, the frame is looking very badass. I think there's an area of safety that needs addressed:

1. Lack of good ear protection - Frequent or prolonged exposure to volumes of over 85 decibels can and will cause hearing loss. The threshold of pain is rated a 140 db's, to be avoided. It seems stupid when your young but it will catch up with you and wants to wear a hearing aid if you don't have too.

2. Better eye protection needed - The guys need to wear safety glasses that rap around the the eye sockets, regular flat gasses lack this protection. A full face mask protects the eyes and your face better.

I have a scar on the pupil from a grinding, an eye surgeon had to take it out. It pays to be very careful in the shop environment.

My two cents - now you can tell be to buzz off .

CRUISER