Ok kids gather round, it’s story time again,
I hope my northern friends are finally getting over this long winter and my southern friends.......... well I guess that is not really too much of an issue.
So then, the weather is warming here and work is still progressing on the roadster so a quick update.
A bit of a mixed bag this time, a bunch of things that just needed to be addressed and now was the time.
Some time ago I was checking on some of the other excellent builds on our site here and saw a really excellent cooling fan idea. I reached out and was given the info on this fan setup.
Yes, I would like to try and stay original but those old Lucas fans are expensive and really kind of crappy.
Even though it would be more efficient for cooling I really did not want to use a modern puller style fan so this seems like the best solution for me. They are made to fit early Jaguars and be better than the original with a modern can motor and thin multi blade fan.
I fabbed up a cross bar mount from some preformed ¾ square tube pieces I had in my metal pile and made a quick bracket for the motor.
Then just attached it all to the chassis in what seems to be the correct location relative to the rad.
I hope it works well in the end
I also decided to address an issue I had with the front brace tubes. I waited to install them until I had created the foot boxes, as Chuck had suggested.
However when I wanted to remove the boxes again I found it almost impossible, worse on the drivers side due to the pedal box
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I asked around a bit but still no luck. I could not imagine needing to remove the tube to fit the boxes every time and I really wanted to slip them in and out a few times during construction so a better idea was needed.
I noted there is a space between the firewall and cowl tube that will be hidden so it seemed like a good place to hide a joint.
I turned some bar stock to fit the tube and milled it halfway and drilled it for a tight fitting grade 8 bolt.
Then cut out the section of tube and welded them in.
Works great, I can remove the bolt and flex the brace tube just enough to slip the foot box in or out then just bolt things back together again.
SO problem solved for now
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I might ream the hole one size larger on final assembly or even weld it solid but for now I can fully weld the brace tube and keep working.
I also thought it was time to finally build a sheet metal brake wide enough to deal with the interior panels and other things, just a smidge over 40 inches wide.
The main pieces are really heavy 3/8 inch thick angle iron I ordered for this project the rest was just off cuts and stuff in the shop. I wish it was a pan brake but it works great for what I need.
I also had an issue with the trunk liner, yet again I just can’t seem to get it in or out with the fuel tank mount in place.
I tried both through the fuel tank area and through the trunk opening. It’s so close but I just don’t think it is going to work without cracking something and certainly won't after I paint the chassis.
I am really not sure why but it is what it is and I need to be able to remove it, so just like the brace tubes I decided to make the fuel tank mount removable.
So with a slight modification involving making the rear part from more ¾ square tube and a few more bolts it is now removable and again won’t be seen after final assembly, win, win I guess.
The other thing I have been waffling on is the roll bar, Chuck has included the drawings for it but I really don’t know if I want to have one
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I already had the material in the shop and after taking a few measurements I realized that I could add the mounts and make the bar then decide if I really want to install it later.
The 2 main hoop mounts are located behind the interior panel and the brace tube mount is under the floor so unless I cut the holes they simply are there just waiting to be used.
The main issue turned out to be getting the main tube bent.
My bender is the right radius but only has a 90 degree shoe and buying a new 180 degree shoe for one bend was just out of the question.
The other fellow with a bender near by didn’t have the right radius and then the other promising option had the right radius but he only works in stainless and did not want to contaminate his bender
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I understand his concern so I just put the roll bar idea off to the side for a while but now I decided to do something about it.
SO..... I made 2 90 degree bends and carefully cut and lined everything up with a couple of spacers and clamps and a turned alignment slug in the tube then welded it up and moved on.
It looks the part for now but if I am ever going to actually use it I will get a new hoop bent and for safety.
However for now I could build all the mounts and make sure things will fit should I want this option in the future.
The hoop is easy to make but adding the mounts later would be somewhat more difficult
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While I was at it added the seat belt mounts in the indicated location as well as I added a threaded anchor point for a sub belt on the driver’s side should I want it, along with the roll bar. Then I added 2 points for shoulder belts in case my wife wants them.
They will be old school non-retracting belts the type that use to be in old MGB’s and such.
Perfect, no, but they do work if you want one and are safer than badly done 4 point belts.
So after all that I think it is time to weld things up again. I believe that I might need to add a few small tabs but the main chassis is actually DONE
So back onto the floor to weld up the roll bar mounts then all the way over to get stuff on the bottom.
Then back up on the table for a final look over, BTW the chassis is somewhat heavier than last time I had it on the floor, so glad I have that chain hoist.
So there it is, I like it, I almost can’t believe it exists right in my own garage, from a pile of tubing to this really cool thing!
So now all I have left to do is……….
Everything else!
Take care my friends, be good to one another.
Cheers,
Hudson
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