SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
I was going to edit this yesterday - it's 44 lbs rather then 50, aluminum was the same.... but I get the weight thing. I bicycle and we spend a lot more money then I'm willing to admit chasing ounces.
C3/4/5 frankenstein frame
- Thread starter vette427sbc
- Start date
I was going to edit this yesterday - it's 44 lbs rather then 50, aluminum was the same.... but I get the weight thing. I bicycle and we spend a lot more money then I'm willing to admit chasing ounces.
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Small update but took me about 20 ft of tubing to get these two right... And Im still not 100% happy with how they came out but whatever... Im dying to get this frame off to paint so I can do final assembly
Thanks!
Im short so I need the extra height from the stock floors still :lol:
Ive had three years of not working on this project to think about where I can save weight but still have it be a comfortable street car (hah) Ill never forgive myself If I didnt extract every once of unnecessary weight while I had the chance. Crazy? yes. Will all of this make a noticeable difference? likely not. Will I sleep better at night knowing that I saved 2 ounces by having some extra holes drilled into my Dzus fastener plates? you betcha! :bounce:
Thanks!
Im short so I need the extra height from the stock floors still :lol:
Ive had three years of not working on this project to think about where I can save weight but still have it be a comfortable street car (hah) Ill never forgive myself If I didnt extract every once of unnecessary weight while I had the chance. Crazy? yes. Will all of this make a noticeable difference? likely not. Will I sleep better at night knowing that I saved 2 ounces by having some extra holes drilled into my Dzus fastener plates? you betcha! :bounce:
Last edited:
SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
:clap:
no, not crazy at all. of course, this inmate telling you that you're not insane is probably a bit suspect .... the last road bike I built weighed 15.7 lbs and cost more then $12,000 dollars. Granted, it was insurance dollars to replace the last bike that someone hated enough to run over (with me on it) - as I said, I may not be the best judge of sanity :1st:
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Most of my belly pan tabs are complete, fuel line pass through is complete, got all of my line clamp holes drilled and tapped. I think Im ready to tear it down and send out for blasting and paint! Im going to look at it for a few more days in hopes I can remember something that Im definitely forgetting to do
Last edited:
bobs77vet
Well-known member
it looks great.....as for looking at it the only thing i can think of is to look for all cross bracing tabs and full welding of the frame. it looks really good. all spots for seat belts and roll bars figured out and tabs ready? its hard to imagine you missed anything
Do you have the mounts for the new gas tank welded in?
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Im going to finish welding the frame rails (really only the side rails are left of the stock frame
) after the sand blast. Was getting way too much weld contamination with rust and grime inbetween the two frame halves. Roll cage mounts are welded and threaded in, seatbelts will mount to the cage. Thanks!!The tank is still in design stage and Im impatient... my builder has some cool ideas that *should* need minimal changes (if any) to the original frame rails. I still have to weld on the front coilover/cage hoops too, which has to be done with the body on (ie:frame painted) anyway, so Im ok with grinding and welding after it starts going back together.
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Getting very close to final assembly! Got the last parts back from powdercoat, Picking up the frame from the bodyshop tomorrow morning. While waiting, I detailed and painted what I could.
Removed all the casting seams and radiused (sp?) some of the sharp edges. Painted silver, and had the swaybar bracket powdercoated black
Control arms powdercoated
Hard to get a picture that represents the chassis color well... it looks slightly more gray than the photos show. Bumper brackets, chassis and firewall will be this color
Diff painted with Energy Suspension poly bushings installed
SKF rear wheel bearings/hubs were modified by DMP fab for 5/8 wheelstuds to match the front TrackStar hubs. They should be here shortly along with the final production StopTech caliper brackets :bounce:
Removed all the casting seams and radiused (sp?) some of the sharp edges. Painted silver, and had the swaybar bracket powdercoated black
Control arms powdercoated
Hard to get a picture that represents the chassis color well... it looks slightly more gray than the photos show. Bumper brackets, chassis and firewall will be this color
Diff painted with Energy Suspension poly bushings installed
SKF rear wheel bearings/hubs were modified by DMP fab for 5/8 wheelstuds to match the front TrackStar hubs. They should be here shortly along with the final production StopTech caliper brackets :bounce:
Last edited:
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Picked up this morning, took a "personal day" to start assembly
Lookin' good!
vette427sbc
Well-known member
:hi: thanks!
vette427sbc
Well-known member
little more progress...
bobs77vet
Well-known member
very nice....whats in the tabs on the cross member? they almost look like brass inserts or something like that.
is the frame grey or white?
is the frame grey or white?
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Thank you
The brass looking things are the springs for the dzus fasteners to mount the belly pan.
The frame is a 90's Volvo color with some extra gray tinting... It looks very white in photos, and in reality it is more white than the NASCAR gray I was going for but its grown on me and the more I look at it the more I like it.
bobs77vet
Well-known member
very nice ...my MGA coupe has those dzus fasteners on the battery panel....I need to get a longer one on one of the sides for some reason one of mine is now too short
mfain
Well-known member
little more progress...
Nice project. I see a lot of areas where we think alike - long control arms to slow down geometry changes, control arms on slugs for roll center adjustability, etc. (Sutton Kool-Aid - LOL) My track project has the same features. I'll try to update my thread so I don't hijack yours. Here is a link to my Focus build thread on the Focus Forum that shows some of the same suspension geometry mods on that car. http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/road-racing-rally/747817-nasa-spec-focus-upgrade.html Again, you have a great build going and it should work really well on track.
Pappy
vette427sbc
Well-known member
Thanks, Pappy! The front clip is all Ron's stuff along with the big piston ST60's. The rear is my own design utilizing a C4 diff and knuckle (hoping for any comments or criticism from you since youve been there already) This is my first time with more racecar oriented stuff so Ill be watching your thread closely.
PS... I skimmed through the Focus thread... very innovative using the MKI/III stuff together. I bet its a blast to drive (and competitive!!)
vette427sbc
Well-known member
DMP Fab just sent me some pictures of the competed brake/hub assembly... SKF hubs with Strange Engineering 5/8 studs, and my custom ST40/ C5 rotor brake caliper bracket. Cant wait to get these in my hands and on the car!
bobs77vet
Well-known member
that's freaking awesome...where are you on the jersey shore....I lived in spring lake for 10 years before I came Va
