Projects Introducing the Roofus Special

I had to log in just to make this post. I've been dreaming about something like that for years and the dream just won't go away. Kool build....go for it. Have fun and build what you want. Gary

 

No! Of course not you big bloody girl!

 

Aw, man! I have been planning a boat tail, 1930s Indy/Grand Prix-inspired 2-seat roadster for over a year now! I've been collecting photos and planning suspensions in my head. I never would have thought of the Jag drivetrain. (Mainly because I would never have thought you could get a complete Jaguar for $1000!!)
If you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly: build the control arms. Besides, I'm going to wuss out and do a straight axle if I ever get around to building mine. That way they'll be less alike.
I always think I'm thinking for myself, and then I consistently find out I'm actually behind the curve.

 

Shit, we're all 40-90 years behind the curve

 

This thing is sick, I met a guy in spingfield ma that builds cars very similar to this. For the life of me i cant remember his name but i know were he is located. He runs a metel fab shop but seems to work on his own projects more then anything else.
again great job.

 

Tubular front axle, friction or hydraulic lever shocks, full elliptics Bugatti style.

 

Did some to the cowl today. Dash is gonna be high (33" from floor in center). I should be able to get away with a 4 inch tall windshield.

or however tall these little things are.



Dealing with dial-up at parent's house. Only three pics for now. Kinda hard to tell what is going on, but the body flares out at the dash. Dash is 49" at widest point. Firewall is 43" wide.

 

MORE MORE MORE Ive got a Model A tub, 30 chevy cowl and 54 gmc truck hood ive been trying to think of something creative to use them for. THIS is the kind of thing that gets the juices flowing.

 

A few more. If you didn't notice, I am on my dad's computer, logged on under his logon ID.

 

Half a roll of masking tape fills in the open spaces. Seat back still needs to go back.

 

Very cool I like the Jag running gear idea perfect for the feel of the era , don't use any English wiring though eh

 

The door cut out didn't seem quite right. Played with that some more. Drivers side seat has been cut back 6 more inches or so.

This is what we ended up with. Dad thinks it looks like a WW1 airplane.





Looks better. Had to see how it felt.

 

So now that it starts to look like a car....what are you supposed to do?

Tear it all apart and work on the frame.

Did I mention that I was thinking about building this car as a unibody?
All of the 1x1 will be boxed in with sheetmetal.

 

People keep asking about my tubing bender for the square tube. Here it is. A big gear used as a radius and a stop welded to the side of the table.



EDIT: Here are the pictures that need to be swapped out in the posts with my dad's logon

 

two more pics to swap out







Adding diagonals is a pain. They have to be curved so that match the horizontal pieces. Chassis should be plenty stout though.







Door swoop goes down to the frame / truss thingy.



Rear suspension is the next thing to figure out.

 

Jag-T,

Love what you're doing! Have you thought about bringing in the tail a bit? Looks a little tall at the moment, but if you round and tuck (probably NOT the right terms), you might like it- here's an idea...

 

I had planned on using the gauges and electrical switches from the dash. New wiring though.

Do you think that will be OK?

 

Has anybody here ever built a car from scratch with no real plans? ....given yourself true artistic liberty?

I have a "list" of ideas and a huge library of influences of what makes a cool vintage racer, but nothing is down on paper. I have also given myself permission to change it if it needs to be changed.


It went from this



to this in a matter of moments



I think it works.


Right now the rear suspension/frame layout is a blank canvas from the seats back.





The rear of the car will be built around the suspension.

I have thought about a triangulated 4 link with the bottom bars on the outside of the body (attaching at the node just ahead of the quarter panel skin). The uppers would be inside the body.

I have also considered hairpins attaching at the same general location.

What would you build if you were not constrained by a traditional frame/floor layout?

 

I have a suggestion, it is just that not a criticism! The boat tali may flow a little better if the top line curved down a little more or is this still under consideration?
Doc.

PS, I am really digging the whole concept!

 

The top of the boat tail will have a little shape to it. Behind the seats will be almost dash height and taper down slightly.




This picture from the Pike's Peak site gets my juices flowing. It has the high boat-tail look.

 

good progress! like the reshaped doors and the use of brooklands style widshields. Now please tell us what the red radiator and head lights lurking there are attached to.

 

That is a 1938 Seagrave fire truck.

A couple of years ago, I got on a Seagrave kick and bought 4 of them. They are all still in Dad's barn. They make neat garage art.

 

You know I love this stuff

 

.....And you lit the fire with your hoodlum build.

 

Looking good with the new door shape, the Smiths gauges & Lucas switches are excellent quality ,they won't give you any bother . It was the over complicatedly engineered electrical systems from Jaguar that caused all the problems.

 

Couple years ao I went to a SPAAMFA event. Society for the Preservation and Appreciation of Antique Motor Fire Apparatus. Saw a couple of nice Seagraves, but was really impressed by a couple of Buffalo Fire Apparatus units. Nice Art Deco Styling, great details. oticed a lot of units were equipped with dual igitions I guse for prolonged Idling running pumps and stuff, if one failed, they could switch over to a new set. Shoulda recognized the Sweat heart grill. Here is a Buffalo.

 

Flipper,

At first I thought the car lokked a bit on the small side, but now that I see you in it it looks big. Don't get me wrong I love it bigger but I was just wondering how tall you are? Will you have enough room to sit shoulder to sholder with a passenger?



I'm 6'8 and 330 lbs. so I'm always wondering about fitement in race cars and the like.

Thanks Jeff

 

I am 5' 9" 210 lbs.

This thing is bigger than the cars that are influencing the shape.

If I remember correctly, it is 45" wide where the seat bottom is. At the seat back, the car is 42" wide(?), but the way the door cut-out is designed, the outside shoulders hang out and make the car feel even wider (but the side of the car is still there to keep you from sliding out. its almost like a sprint car seat). The dash is 49" across. The firewall is 42"

The tall dash should allow anybody to bend their knees and be comfortable. The cut out makes a fine armrest. The tall dash also allows me to get away with a short windshield (looks).

I think you would feel comfortable in it. I am building it with the intent of driving cross country, maybe to speedweek. It will have comfy seats and a decent sized storage compartment in the tail.

The car could be shrunk a little, but I think the extra room will be nice and I think I can still make it look good.

 

Sounds like loads of room

I remember seeing some of the old Indy cars at the Indy museum and thinking, SHIT I won't fit in that!!

I'm too big for a lot of things, I'm glad I can cut, hammer, and weld.

 

Yeah, I've looked at some early race cars and figured the drivers must have been the size of Kentucky Derby jockeys.