Projects Introducing the Roofus Special

Next weekend, I will add a diagonal for the link mounts and mount the spring boxes (verticle wall at back, angled wall at front and tied to the frame sideways down low).



Hopefully after that, the pace will pick back up.

 

Really interesting to see some different ideas in use here. Very creative. Is the front of the frame going to be a similar space frame style?

 

At this moment, I say yes, but it will be done a little different. Instead of just being a verticle truss following the peremiter, it will be 3D.

There will be a portion that comes from the verticle pieces next to the bellhousing opening straight forward. This will be tied into the sides that are tapering in towards the front. The whole thing will be plated with sheetmetal (with tunnels for steering and exhaust to pass through)

At this point, I am not sure if the cross section will be a rectangle or a triangle (inner portion being one or two tubes).

I'm making some of this up as I go.

 

I've been thinking about tires and not sure what I need to buy. The wheels are 15x5.5"

I was tinking about doing blackwall 7.00 -15 Firestone bias plys all the way around for the vintage look. I have serious concerns about them holding up at 135 mph or so (I know how fast every other car I've owned goes).

My other choice is some sort of narrow radial. The radials won't have the look and will be shorter (double whammy), but should handle better and I think they will hold together at speed better.

Also, I'm wanting to stay on the lower end of the cost spectrum since I make be having the wheels re-done in a larger diameter (new tires).

Any recomendations?

 

I jumped in with both feet today. I started wleding the spring boxes in solid. First though, I tapered the front edge of the boxes down for a little more butt room.

Mounting these things is like putting a puzzle together. It is hard trying to figure out how to weld it all together such that you can actually get to where you need to weld.

I got them welded in enough that I was able to put a jack under the rear axle and cycle the suspension. My spring boxes work as intended....as the rear goes up, the front of the spring pushes down.

All in all, it was a good day in the shop.

I will try to remember to take pics tomorrow and post them.

 

Here are the pics of the boxes getting welded in.




The link mount needs support. I will also tie the boxes in to these.


Stuff is too crowded to get to all seams. I cut the tube apart. Some of the welds are on the inside. After these welds are done, the tube gets put back together. Fun!

 

Tubes put back together


Boxes tied to the diagonal


Pics of loading the suspension. I think links are going to work fine where they are.

 

This is where I ended the day. I plated in the opening above the boxes. I feels really solid.

 

I also played around with what to do for a gas tank. 1952 Mercedes gas tank looks like it will work for this car.




It should clear the links OK and has a little bit of clearance for the diff. Fuel inlet will work with a racecar style cap on the top of the boattail.

 

With any luck, I will re-hang the rear quarters and decide on what the next build step.

Not sure exactly what to do next.

I think I need to start the rearmost frame section/trunk floor. I think I need to start the upwards taper of the boattail at the rear axle...similar to this car.

 

Today was a fun day. I finished up a little welding on the passenger side spring box and then started trying to mount the body side.
It was more difficult than last time. There is an axle there.
I started by mocking the body up on top of the axle and blocks of wood to see where stuff lined up.




I am glad that I thought to draw a reference line last time it was mocked up.



First set of dimensions....end cut out was WAY different.

 

The first cuts were barely a good starting point. I am glad I started slow and snuck up on the shape. The axle moves rearward as it compresses.....really moves rearward! That parking brake cable was kind of a pain too.
Lots of jacking and drawing, then triming and re-instalation.




Final shape. ...I think.

 

I know the tail sticks way out there and will drag everything, but I can not make myself cut the heck out of it for clearance. I think I am just goint to beef up the tail so it can handle being dragged. I may even add a caster back there.
Here is the current idea. Slight sweep with a radius at the bottom.


Right now the whole back end is an almost clean sheet to work with


Playing with cop car roll bars and a harbor freight pipe bender.

 

I really like this build. Good work.

 

I trimmed the tube. kinda hard to do just by eyeballing it. Still needs a little fine tuning....but I think it will work.







Close enough that I made another one for the other side.

 

The new rear frame rails will be on the same level as the current 1x1. I just haven't cut out the old stuff yet.

 

I am using more cop car roll bar parts to complete the rear frame rails. Using a couple of bends, I will be able to clear the shock mounts and tie into the 1.5 x 1.5 that runs below the upper link mounts. The joint will be mitered.

This will also gime me a "crumple zone" for the rear frame rails. Heaven forbid I take a hit or spin out in it, the 90 degree bends should fold.

 

I had a busy 3 and 1/2 days to work on it. I'm glad I think I finally have the rear suspension figured out. I think I may be close to the scrub line though. (larger diameter wheels would fix that)

It will be after the Bowling Green NHRA Reunion before I get to play with it again.

 

Looking good.
I really like that Jag setup. What year is it from?

Jeff

 

The jag that I used as a parts car was a 1960 Mark 2.

The Mark 2 was a mid-sized 4 door sedan. They don't do much for me personally, looks-wise. ...but they make damn fine parts cars!

 

Great build, keep us posted.


Weren't you looking to put that Jag motor in a HAGR?

 

We decided we would get more use out of it in a street car....and it would probably live longer (win-win).

A HA/GR would be fun, but not fun enough to justify tying up the parts.

 

Thinking about using screws like these to attach the body panels. Any opinions?

 

Why not. Its interesting and different.

 

I hope mine turns out at least a third as sexy as the tail on this one from the board track thread.

 

What do you guys think about adding a rumble seat in the boat-tail? Gas tank would be mounted behind the rear end. Riders feet will straddle the rearend (will be floored for safety).

 

A single seat maybe, if you can hide it really well.

 

Yes, it would be a single seat.

 

What exactly are those screws above?

 

I think they are "truss head sheetmetal screws"