Plastic Fantastic 2

[SuperBuickGuy]

multi-tasking today... Corvette got latches






shocks came last week, waiting on the springs.edited PF1 had 450 lb springs, these will be 550


this is going away - it's funny, I spent a great deal of time trying to find this gear set (3.36s), now I've no need for it


this is what happens when you don't tighten the spring correctly

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

springs arrived


test fitted



​​​​​​​just in time to roll it out of the way

 

[bobs77vet]

very nice....so the broken tab doesn't really matter anymore?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

very nice....so the broken tab doesn't really matter anymore?

to whomever buys it, I'm sure it does.... I'm still working on the why-not-just make my own control arms.... I swear it's not going to happen (which pretty much guarantees it will) pull the body off the frame. it would make it a lot easier to simply make a new cradle, put the wheel face where I want it, solve the offset differential issue.... to that end, I'm likely buying some .120 wall 1" tube next week.

I've been messing with that suspension program that someone on here suggested - in my playing, I really like long arms because it keeps the tires more perpendicular to the road through suspension travel - not to mention less movement means less trouble controlling rebound (since everything stays close to the frame)... might end up being a bust, but it keeps me out of bars and I learn stuff - picture having indy-car-length control arms....

 

[bobs77vet]

well the guy i bought the z06 sway bars has both the front and rear cradles and control arms for sale over on the corvette forum from a donor z06 that was not crashed......


theres a start if you dont want to make your own.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

and now I am proud owner of 2 sets of the world's ugliest wheels.editededited


but these are the right bolt pattern and clear the rotors (but not the calipers).

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

someone asked why I got the bumper for the colorado... here's why

even gets to go outside now
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[bobs77vet]

30 days and no work???? what happened, you must be going through withdrawals

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I got distracted

sorry

I'm starting back on this, slowly... but the first is I need my lathe to be working


now the explanation.edited I have that really pretty adapter that only requires a shorter driveshaft and cutting the main cross to fit the 1350 u-joint.edited
the alternative is using an aluminum puck to adapt the Spicer bit you see on the black driveshaft to the 3 bolt differential.edited Problem is it's still a 1350 joint for the over-the-counter adapters (not to mention $200)... so I'm going to use a outer adapter from the other suspension to make an adapter.... which requires some lathe work (and maybe mill work - which would mean going to see a friend about doing both on his lathe and mill)

However, I also have a lathe that 'just' needs to be wired





I think I'm going to rewire this completely and bring it into at least the later part of the 20th century

 

[bobs77vet]

welcome back looks like a fun distraction....I would like a mill/lathe set up

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

seems I forgot to mention the lathe.

I bought a Siamp lathe. Siamp is still in business-ish, this model is early 60s. It has power feed in both directions, water cooling, 14x42, gap bed, 2" through spindle, it also does metric, SAE, and whitworth (which I had no idea was a thing until I bought the lathe).

I paid $400 for it.

so plans are underway - to get the 3 phase into single phase by using a VFD. If you don't know what they are.... here's a bit of a primer - the short is they can fake the 3rd leg for 3 phase and allow you to run 3 phase on single phase power. but wait, there's more (in my best Billy Mays voice), because you now have control of the frequency, you can speed or slow the motor quite a bit with a simple dial knob, you can also program an emergency stop that uses the motor to stop the spindle, it also can reverse in 1/4 turn of the spindle.... I've seen this work and I like it so much that I'm going to change my press brake motor back to 3 phase then control it with a VFD.... so pictures

the controller on the wall

 

[bobs77vet]

very nice..i run into whitworth stuff all the time on the British sports cars....right up to about the mid 60s.....mostly left over brake parts and unions on the 60s cars. pretty standard on the early 50s british cars and before. And slowly phased out in the late 50s. you never know what you are going to find on old British cars.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

very nice..i run into whitworth stuff all the time on the British sports cars....right up to about the mid 60s.....mostly left over brake parts and unions on the 60s cars. pretty standard on the early 50s british cars and before. And slowly phased out in the late 50s. you never know what you are going to find on old British cars.

working wiring? no rust?

 

[BBShark]

$400, good deal on the lathe.

 

[mrvette]

very nice..i run into whitworth stuff all the time on the British sports cars....right up to about the mid 60s.....mostly left over brake parts and unions on the 60s cars. pretty standard on the early 50s british cars and before. And slowly phased out in the late 50s. you never know what you are going to find on old British cars.

working wiring? no rust?

Wiring?? working?? NO, prince of darkness said so......

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

So I had some time to fill tonight,so I worked on the Corvette
so I threw on some filler

I don't know how there managed to be a low spot here, but alas a bit of fill and all is good


it's important to note that when you fill over the door seam; you should not get too distracted otherwise problems may occur


and yes, I did cut it open in time on this side.... the otherside I was a bit late.

the distraction

powered up but I think the motor is wired for 480 and the controller is for a lower voltage - pros will answer this question tomorrow

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'm so used to winter mixes that I wasted about half a sheet of filler.... whoops


but got a few more spots done... I can really start roughing it in this week then start with the high build coats and guide coats...


again, this is filler work but every minute I spend on it is one minute less to completion...edited

and for those wondering why I'm working on the back not the front.... to get the edge, I moved the door back then when the gap follows the door seam, I'll move the door forward and have perfect gaps front and rear.... at least that's the pleasant theory I'm selling myself

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

sanded on it a bit more, I need to order some high-build primeredited


I also need to finalize the door edges and for that I may have to get clever.... tbc

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

time to start the car - that means I need gauges


wiring instructions... ugh



and control for the various systems


the first switch is to power the ignition, the column switch will turn on the non-engine functions.
yep, still a BBC

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

So I got some work done on the Corvette, however this fiberglass was jamming up my lift

it's a 818 kit car.edited it was assembled by an amateur and while it is dangerous, it also doesn't fit worth anything either.... however, this little thing is blindingly fast.edited It has a WRX motor in the back - making it a mid-engine car.edited The guy who built it bought a lot of good parts - and fortunately the builder, Factory Five (the kit builders) made it well enough that even the most amateur is safe....ish.edited Tighten bolts people... just sayin'

anyway, outside of a bit of help on that,edited

my most hated task... wiring


I need to have gauges to start it, since my lathe isn't done, I can't finish the rear install nor the front suspension.... so this is the task that is most ready to move forward


beside that, the sanding continues.
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[SuperBuickGuy]

time to remove some more trim



then work on wiring.editededited

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

soon it will be time to get the front dialed in

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

brief update.... in everything else, I'm making small steps towards starting the motor - in this case, wiring the gauges
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[rtj]

soon it will be time to get the front dialed in

C6? Do you expect a lot of modifications to the frame/brackets?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

soon it will be time to get the front dialed in

C6? Do you expect a lot of modifications to the frame/brackets?

C5, and yes, I expect to change absolutely everything.

 

[Red77]

I love your ambition and execution. This has been a fun build to watch.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I love your ambition and execution. This has been a fun build to watch.

thank you.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

look what arrived


the whole point of this is how dimensionally close it is to a design that is 40 years older.... at least the lower arm, the upper arm is quite a bit different
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[SuperBuickGuy]

the lathe works, time to get onto my adapter
https://i.imgur.com/WXw3bTF.mp4

$400 is my total investment in it.... yeah, I overpaid :lol:

 

[69427]

look what arrived


the whole point of this is how dimensionally close it is to a design that is 40 years older.... at least the lower arm, the upper arm is quite a bit different
​​​​​​​

I'll be following your adventures with the suspension mods there. I did a similar thing a while back, but with spare C4 parts I had laying around.

Are you planning to keep or change the stock C3 trackwidth with these parts?

Just curious, how do the lower A-arm inner pivot to ball joint lengths compare between the stock C3 and the C5 parts?

Keep the pictures coming. :thumbs: