Owner built on a budget;

[Hray]

Remade the steering column support tonite, basically welded on two pieces of angle iron and then cut the strap. This allows removal of the column without taking out that very top single bolt that would be nearly impossible to access after the car is built. I owe Terry thanks for that little tip.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/...72bd5a9c_b.jpg

then I rewelded on the mounting strap to the cowl bar which holds up the dash. Previous owner removed it for a wooden dash, I wanted the custom dash that came with car.

here is cowl strap back on.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3511/...09243ffe_b.jpg

past two days got 8 hours on build, balance of hours is 424. Spent no money so still got 2550.00 in budget.

Looking ahead to the roll bar. Bear with me as I have a discussion with myself, and maybe someone can give me some feed back.

I do not think I want a large roll bar, I think the car is rather small in size and so a smaller bar would seem to also fit my theme with the car. Under the hood will be no chrome at all. Most everything will be painted, in black and silver. Maybe valve covers, intake, and air filter will be satin aluminum. The dash gages are all black with white and red lettering, trim around gages are semi gloss black. Dash might be painted but leaning toward covering with vinyl or maybe black textured paint like the MG;s had.

The car is not going to be a fire breathing dragon, just a nice sounding and running cruiser. Therefore I do not need the cosmetic stuff to support the fire breathing dragon attitude for the car.

This leads me to thinking about a smaller diameter roll bar, about 1 3/4 inch, maybe two, maybe 1.5 inch. I was thinking solid steel single bar that would cover both passengers. and I am thinking black or if stainless steel then keeping it satin finish on the stainless. Then under the roll bar I am thinking of installing a wind screen, similar to the one on my wifes bmw. with the top down it sure cuts down on the turbulence for the passengers. I think I want the roll bar just a couple inches shorter than the top of the windshield, and maybe more.

I also am thinking of some sort of quick disconnect for the roll bar. I have this fiberglass top from a 67 MG roadester laying around. I can modify this to fit the car. would not use glass in back window, and not using side curtains, just a top to keep the hot sun off when driving in summer conditions.

Just doing some thinking ahead, if anyone has insights please offer, or better yet if you have some pictures to either convince me to either do it or not do it that would be appreciated.

Later and Happy Motoring. Ray

[48ford]

Good photos, and tip, thanks for posting.
Rip

[onefastmustang]

Originally Posted by Hray

Remade the steering column support tonite, basically welded on two pieces of angle iron and then cut the strap. This allows removal of the column without taking out that very top single bolt that would be nearly impossible to access after the car is built. I owe Terry thanks for that little tip.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/...72bd5a9c_b.jpg

When I built mine Pete sold me a bracket that makes it really easy to drop the column and to adjust it. I wish I had a picture of it so I could post it.

[Hray]

DV: last nite I studied the roll bar install in the CRltd manual. My first thought was not near enough strength to the mounting points, and thought the bracket with small bolts into the frame would shear off.

What I am possibly trying to do is make the loop strong enough to eliminate the down leg to the back.


For analogy, imagine making the loop out of the same steel as a reese trailer hitch setup. For discussion purposes let just say I wanted to actually cut and reuse a reese hitch setup. Using square tubing in this case.

I could weld a receiver to the frame at about the sampe place the original loop would be attached, make it say 6 inches tall. Then add some half inch gussets to both the sides and rear. these gussets would be 6by6 inch triangles. then cut a 12 inch piece of solid steel which would be inserted into the receiver and slide up into the top loop. then use half inch bolts to secure the insert into both the receiver and the top loop. with this type of design the insert could be placed totally inside the top loop. then when the loop and frame receiver are butted together the insert would drop down into receiver and then just bolt the two together. If this was built out of at least quarter inch thick side wall it should be strong enough to not collapse. and not require the back down tube.

If this concept would work then all I have to do is find the quarter inch thick tubing about 2 inches in diameter and then get it bent into the loop.

After thinking about this I think I like the double roll bars look better than the single one going all the way across.

If I can get convinced that this engineering will be functional enough then I basicaly have created a quick connect disconnect roll bar so I can remove the roll bar. or maybe make a single one also that would curve forward enough to alllow me to install the hard top when I want to drive in 100 degree weather.

Again the question to answer is can we create a roll bar loop that is strong enough without the down leg. If not then we gotta create a quick disconnect for the down leg as well. but then I would not like the hole in the body when hard top is installed.

Maybe we could bring the frame receiver up almost all the way to the body and then get about 12 inch gussets to the side and rear frame rail all inside the car.

I guess my hang up is that I have driven 29 A;'s and t bucket roadesters in the middle of the day in the summer for long trips here in Calif and honestly it is not that much fun.

If I am not convinced I can get a functional roll bar, then I (yes God forbid) will not install one rather than have a false sense of security by having a cosmetic one.

I think I am taging along with Rip to emerson's next wednesday, I will see what they think.

I do value your insights. Ray