legendlives

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/img_0966.547211/full Say 'Hi' to the twins

Lots and lots of updates since the last post here. Follow any of the links below..... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cheatin-the-reaper.1011157/

There have been a myriad of updates since my last post here. Over Christmas I managed to mount the engine, diff and some of the suspension (it's all got to come out again when it's painted), and there are lots of little projects constantly on the go. Catch up via one of the links below. oh, and Happy new year!

Getting on really well with this. If you haven't kept up with the build, follow one of these links: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cheatin-the-reaper.1011157/page-4 http://www.rodsnsods.co.uk/forum/garage/cheating-reaper-176602/page29 https://www.facebook.com/mk1gasser/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cheatin-the-reaper.1011157/page-5 Lots more updates, and more to come!

Loads more progress. Check out the facebook page!

More progress on the rollcage. Engine bars: Dash bar and main door diagonals: And the top screen/roof bar: Just another 17ish more bars to go and I can fire up the TIG again.

This arrived today: It's a Getrag six speed from a 2012 Mustang which will live nicely behind the quad cam and give my right hand something to play with. Also arrived was this: Which is a sprint car chassis. It's damaged, but I want it to cut up so I can use the tubework and brackets etc. Cost was $34.99NZ, a fraction of what the Dzus brackets would have cost new.

I've been re-hosting the pictures on the HAMB, so that should be OK: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cheatin-the-reaper.1011157/page-4#post-11554503 I can't explain what's happening with the pics. All of the settings on Rods'N'Sods seem OK. Failing all that, just follow the build on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mk1gasser/?ref=bookmarks

So planned out the brackets (this stuff is all planned you know!): Cut and drilled the bracket material (this is 8mm mild steel plate). The four mount brackets are already tapped m10 thread in this pic: Trial fit before going any further. The mount bolts are M10 12.9 countersunk allen head bolts. Then weld on the correct spacers. These were through-drilled the correct diameter and then tapped m12 after welding: and bolt it all together. The uprights will be countersunk more to allow the bolts to be flush, and the caliper bolts are only there for trial fit: There will need to be very thin shims between the calipers and mounts, but at least I know it will all works.

I can't explain why you can't see them. Try my build thread on the HAMB: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/cheatin-the-reaper.1011157/

"At last" I hear you say "Something different to that bloody bootlid" The drop-tube front axle came with vented (Holden) discs, but no calipers. I found these on a local auction site. They are JFZ aluminium 4-pot calipers (same as Willwood). I paid a lot (for me). $101NZ, but they did come with 3 sets of pads, a master cylinder to suit and some flexible brake hoses. Cleaned up on right, as bought on left: Although I didn't know it when I bought them, they are the perfect size for the discs I have. Just need to make up mounting brackets and they'll be fitted: They have a nice old-school feel about them, but will undoubtedly stop the old Ford like an anchor has been thrown out the back!

Pic's are back now. Don't know why they left or why they returned....

Maybe you have a filter on that won't allow you to see them? I think everyone else can see them OK.

Shrunk out the wrinkles with hammer and dolly.

Yes, more progress posted! I try to do an hour a day on anything I can. Bootlid is more-or-less done now, body is sat on chassis, new front calipers arrived today (yay!) and will need mounting brackets made. More pics soon.

Whilst the bootlid is ongoing at work, I thought I'd attack the front end at home. In it's past, someone had bonded in original steel grille and side-vents. These have to go as I'm looking for the smooth look like Blair's car. Fortunately the rust had loosened all of the filler, and within an hour it looked like this: Next job will be fill the holes. I already have a plan!

Bootlid - the final (ish) chapter. All that was left to do was fabricate the inner drip/seal section. This started life as part of an old fire surround (upcycling is good, yes?): from which I sliced a 90 degree angle section: And curved it the old fashoined way by using hammer and dolly: Then edge-welded it to the skin: Once it was all made and welded into place: I made up this little tool. to bend the inner return. This is done very slowly by easing it down in gentle angles until it reached 90 degrees Once that was done, all there was to do was make up a couple of small closing panels for the bottom: And welding the top section to the 'C' section that will be the support member for the lock. The return is there so I can rivet an aluminium panel to it which will clean up the look of the inside. I've left the bottom corners of the drip/seal rail unwelded as I may need to reshape them slightly when the lid is in place. That's about it until the hinge panel is welded to the body. Stay tuned!

After a quick clean-up and beat out of a few dents the trial-fit works! Here's the lid in closed: And open: Positions. All cleaned up, ready for the next step: But it looks a bit bare....... So: That's better!

More work on the bootlid and closing panel. On the bootlid I've added a 2mm reinforcement along the lower lip which is welded to the reinforcement panel and edge-welded to the skin. On the closing panel I've added a vertical blade which will (probably) have a seal along it. Still lots to do but I'm getting there!

Hinge time. I seem to have forgotten the pictures which show the hinge top mounts, but here are the start of the hinges. These are made from 3/8" steel tube, the pivot end is 1"cds with a 6061 alloy bush pressed in. I made them, then realised that although they would work fine it's only a matter of time before someone uses the open boot as a seat, so reinforcements were called for: These were welded in, and then the top hinge fixing bracket welded to the assembly: Here's the finished hinges in place: All I have to do now is cut the outer skin between the two horizontal brackets and I have a hinged boot! (There's still plenty to do before it's finished though). Discuss here - //oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/topic/52223-legendlives-38-ford-discussion/?hl=legendlives

The sill step panels are now tack-welded into place (no pics - sorry!) which will allow me to position the body on the chassis (when I've got some extra muscles). Then, moving around the back I was struck with a dilemma. I want a bootlid in the car, and was going to make up a smooth, flat one (like Prefects have) until my petrol-head daughter insisted that I keep the 'spare wheel' moulding on the back. So starting with this - the place the spare wheel mounted: I carefully cut around the perimeter which left me with a hole: And if i then invert the panel I've just cut out, I end up with a very slick, 1938 made bootlid which looks as it should: I'll cut it along the bottom swage and put hinges at that level, remove the reinforcement strut to smooth it out, and there will be a bonnet-style spring catch hidden beneath the top of the curve. So I made up this hinge panel. Panel is 2mm steel, and the actual hinge brackets are in 3mm: Which is then (tack) welded into the wheelwell: Bearing in mind that this is now the INSIDE of the boot. The hinge panel and lower part of the 'wheel' will be welded back into the body, and the top cut carefully along the hinge panel and made into the hinged lid panel. Stay tuned!

Just collected this: One piece flip front. At some stage in it's past someone has bonded in an original steel grille and steel side-vents. I'll remove these and re-glass the holes as I'm aiming for a totally smooth look. I got it for a straight swap for the original tins, and both I and the swap-ee are more than happy.

Engine mounts. Started out with a few odd shapes cut from 6mm aluminium plate: And after welding: These are the weld-on brackets for the mounts, cut from 3mm steel: The assemblies will sit on the chassis like this: (this is the back view).

Cut holes for the gauges. The pattern echoes the original pattern that was on the other side. Small gauges are the 'restored' ones. Tacho is an old Stewart Warner $10 score from a swap meet. Hope it works! Speedo will eventually live in the centre of the dash. I guess it would be good to steer the car, so I found this aluminium box which came from a (whisper it) Lada (thanks EURON8! ). I figure if it was designed to last a million miles around Russia with little or no maintenance then it could steer the 'reaper without any issues. Mount bracket on right, cut from 10mm plate. I made three threaded bosses and welded them to the back of the plate. The upper (larger) boss will pass straight through the chassis and is only threaded for the last 20mm, the shorter lower bosses will just be recessed through one side of the chassis and the plate seam welded in. Lower holes through the plate are also threaded to give the maximum possible thread purchase. Once the engine and rollcage are in place I'll work out the best place for it.