Projects Giant speedster project

The lightning bolt is hot! I'm thinking about it.

 

Needs some skullz and spikez to really look right

 

Seeing as this is a SEA grave. How about posidon's trident design in there some where?

Doug.

 

Spent the last two days working on the Napa building. In between I realized that I couldn't make the hood sides unless I had the body bolted on and the doors attached. This is because everything must be aligned to insure the angle of the cowl is correct. Theoretically the cowl should be square with the chassis but when you've got a jackleg (What is a jackleg anyway?) building a car you've got to make everything fluid. What does that mean anyway? Anyway, it'll be neat to see the body installed, this time with paint on it--even if it's only primer. It took a while to round up help to put the body on the truck for transport. Then I had to find help on the other end. Just got off one phone pic before I had to run off.

Jerry

 

thats mr.jackleg special to you

 

Okay, I looked up jackleg. apparently there was a knifemaker named Jaques de Liege or something and this got twisted into jackleg--a term used to describe a knife. Then a saying sprang up "jackleg carpenter" referring to carpenter with no tools but a knife. The rest is history, or rather the whole thing is history. Nice story, but is it true?

Jerry

 

Jack of all trades?

 

That thing is going to look and sound absofreakinlutely badass cool! I bow to your seat of the pants design and fabrication skills along with an awesome imagination.

 

^ He has you tube videos if you want to hear it running. I highly suggest watching all of them!

 

And buy my book too

Alignment

I started bolting things down and found holes that were hard to align--to be expected I suppose. I'll have work on that tomorrow. Took a few pictures.

Jerry

 

That's actually pretty evil looking in that red and black color scheme! And of course I mean "evil" in the most positive sense of the word.

Nice job on forming those hood top panels, especially considering the change in contour from the cowl to the radiator ends.

 

now we know what a modern version of a "jackleg"looks like

SMACK thank you sir may i please have another


what he said about the black leave some pleeze

 

looking awesome. Amazing what a little bodywork does. Looks like you just uncovered it from a long hibernation in the barn . the mercedes reminds me of the my (mom's) first car. a 77 240d. My brother is driving it these days

 

Black and red... the ever-menacing colors of the Delta House's Death Mobile. We are all proud! Gary

 

Seeing it with that Mercedes parked alongside gives a good visual of how big it really is. Fun watching it come together.

 

I just realized how much it resembles the Marmon Wasp.

 

Bolt it all down.

I made some shims and used them to align the cowl so the doors close properly. Then I bolted the cowl and body down tight. Everything seems to fit pretty good. The next job is make up a super accurate template for the hood sides and for that I need something better than posterboard.

Jerry

 

I've used aluminum flashing for templates. Thin enough to cut with heavy scissors, stable. I'm not sure what widths are available, you may need two rows fastened together to make your hood side template.

 

You could try door skins.

 

shower stall plastic sheeting

 

Pattern

Okay, I'm a pattern freak. Don, my buddy who restores Morgans, just gets out a piece of metal and starts cutting. That never works for me. I wanted something I could adjust and play with so I bought some .75 strips of aluminum. I clamped and cut and drilled and there it is. It needs about three braces in the middle. Then I'll lay it on the metal, mark it and cut it. The other side will be completely different, of course.

Jerry

 

wow! love it.

cheers vin

 

see.... you do have the frame material for the rectangle opening

 

Jerry, you should put a drop leg underneath one of the hood sides. Then you'll have a picnic table for the family reunions

 

This is a seriously COOL car! I think offers from Leno are going to be coming in soon! Keep up the good work!

 

Neil

Remember Neil, the practical Scotsman who when I was having difficulty finding a pipe to attach to the outlet on the radiator told me to grind down the threads and stick a hose and a hose clamp on it? Well, I've been fussing around with these hood sides making patterns and worrying over the opening around the exhaust pipes and what kind of mesh to use. So today, another friend came over, Reggie, he owns a grading company and like Neil he has to get the job done. He's never seen the speedster and thought it was pretty cool. I started telling him about the problem with the hood side. He asked why I wanted to hide such a beautiful engine and said I didn't need any hood sides. You guys have probably suggested the same thing at one point or another. Anyway, when I heard it from him and I thought about all the work it would take with brass trim and brass mesh and cutting the holes and all that, I thought: Who does need hood sides? Maybe all I need is two big leather straps with lamb's wool on the under side. What do ya think?

Jerry

 

hate to say it but we all told you so : )

 

Sounds good.

 

If you are worried about it, maybe make a mesh of some sort for car shows, just to keep out prying fingers. It could just sit in place mostly, no need for it on the road. But yeah, no hood sides works for me.

 

No hood sides, Jerry. Show off that huge engine. You owe it to da peeples.

It's lookin' great!