Plastic Fantastic 2

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 11, 2020

it's more a seat belt bar that does other duties....

still learning how to use this.... would be awesome for these brackets

roll bar plates

with some bends

in my old brake - there are advantages to using this over the other brake - the other is good for repetition but set up would be longer (and potential for screw up)

a couple more brackets... this ties to the seat belt anchors

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 12, 2020

got distracted by life stuff today, but went a little forward
tabs to bar

fit then tack the bottom plate

next up is the cross bars.edited I also bought the aluminum for the floor pan

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 13, 2020

frame brace

and weld the seat belt hoop up.... it needs a bunch more tubes, but figured I'd weld when I had a minute

it also didn't come out easily, which is fine - the tab will need to be pushed back to the to top then bolted in place.... anyway, that's it for tonight

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 17, 2020

my last grinders died... welcome to the next victims

then a bit more seat belt mount work

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 18, 2020

So some cage work

rtj · Mar 18, 2020

Looks good, how do you like that bender?

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 19, 2020

I really like it, there is a learning curve to it - but to me it's easier then ones that work horizontally....

rtj · Mar 19, 2020

Some say those kind use less space to run and you can use a magnet digital angle meter which is important to some. Your bender looks heavy duty.

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 19, 2020

rtj said:
Some say those kind use less space to run and you can use a magnet digital angle meter which is important to some. Your bender looks heavy duty.

the biggest issue is multiple angles. You have the bend angle, but not all tubes are bent solely on the X and Y axis. By going vertical, you have 90* of freedom to work in the Z direction. With horizontal benders, the floor, often, gets in the way of the X axis....

second, being perpendicular to the floor is easier to do (for me) then parallel - especially when there's a lot of weight hanging in mid-air

third, follows the perpendicular - you can use a framing square to check but also you can look down to the pipe behind the machine to line up 90*

The biggest selling point for horizontal is it's a lot easier to feed the machine because you have freedom to slide the part back into the machine then put the shoes in place to continue a bend... trying to re-line up an under-bent piece is a challenge with the vertical machines.

rtj · Mar 20, 2020

Thanks for the insights.

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 22, 2020

as with anything, it's my opinion based upon my experience... YMMV

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 24, 2020

since I have some enforced time off.... might as well make the best of it but working on this
First some radiator support brackets

weld in place then give it a good cool downedited because I'm done after this

then work a few minutes (again, cool down time) on the rear cage/support

then start on this tie-together... I think I'm going to have a problem and have to shorten the driveshaft... ugh oh well.edited If I leave it this length, I'm pretty sure it'll never come back out without pulling the motor....edited

the other benefit of this brace is I can build the belly pan and have a good attachment point

my big, hairy, audacious goal is paint the car at the end of these 2 weeks....edited

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 24, 2020

time to make it level.... and drag out the stands

then weld it yesterday's part and this into place

this creates the floor for the cargo area and also allows me to run cross braces that tie through it to the frame

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 26, 2020

tire stripping earlier today

easy

time to weld the cross brace together

and remove this inner wall

removed

I think the braces will look like this then cut the middle out so I can put the battery in the battery box (that will be behind the chassis brace)

I need another bracket solution... think the alternator is going to move to the other side

my virus hidaway

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 26, 2020

let there be paint

so the V... is so I can put the battery behind the brace

chop chop

tack tack

weld weld

paint paint

more chop chop

mostly it's there because I needed to weld the bar - but any extra space behind the seat is a good thing.edited tomorrow, floor

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 27, 2020

battery box issues

and it can get through the hole...

but I dunno, I've threatened before to put it in the engine compartment - but even there has issues (too close to heat)...

SuperBuickGuy · Mar 29, 2020

CAD

and battery box

phantomjock · Mar 29, 2020

Battery -

Looks like (there is now a tray) you are settling on the location in general.
Any thoughts to:

1. Swapping out for a top lug style?
2. Moving slightly to left - offset some driver weight?
3. Putting lugs to rear - looks awful close to your cross-member. (tough to change out - again top lugs easier)

Guessing a "tie-down" is coming soon too.

Nice C.A.D. work!

Cheers - Jim