Plastic Fantastic 2

[SuperBuickGuy]

frame extensions built

I don't have the dies (punch) to bend these up from one piece... so welding it is

fitting time...



it's here I realize I can hit the easy button and use the air intake and an indy spoiler ....

of course, that means it's a month before the stuff arrives....
also waiting for the parts I order 2 weeks ago from Summit... crossing fingers that they can deliver in the rain tomorrow....


waiting for other parts as well, but hopefully tomorrow I can start finishing up on the cooling system.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

13 days and finally it arrived (not all of it, mind you, but the USPS and UPS stuff)....

I have SEMA and Finnegan. They both get me to spend way too much money on somethings.... with that said, this is pretty cool.
It's a brushless motor fan. Why cool? (heh, pun) the fan soft starts and isn't either off or on - it can run at 50% or whatever you want it to run....

this plus my electric water pump and I can truly cool the car while waiting. I'll add more battery capacity, but this, I think, will really help.

yes going back to one, larger fan

Fittings, however, haven't arrived completely... so waiting

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

still don't have the parts from Jegs, but no matter
plumbing parts work

cut out a piece of aluminum and bent it so I had a place to mount the remote reservoir

the head drop isn't a lot but hopefully with a few bleeders and the electric water pump - I can get the system air-free

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

didn't do much other then test fit the new place for the relay

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

story time with FedUp.

To bring us up to speed, FedUp did a 20 mph driveby on Saturday - all while pressing the 'recipient rejected' button on their handheld.*

According to FedUp, they saved me having to file a claim when they drove by my house. That I didn't reject it, rather, the package was damaged. When asked if they planned to add that 'reason' for the driver, their answer was "it's already there"

alrighty then.

So here it is, lesson learned. In talking to Jegs for the 4th time this morning, I found out that if I call my order in that they can send via UPS for the same price. That would be call-in Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm eastern time.

That said, Summit needs the same thing - after all, unless you call in your order, they'll send it from Georgia just because the AI told them to - but if you call your order in, then you won't have a problem (yeah, right)

It's a brave new world, folks.


*out of professional courtesy, I wonder at what FedUp did on the truck to my house to damage 3 AN fittings... after all, it had to be on the truck rather then somewhere on the route because they would have 'caught' it before the 2 week late delivery.... ah, the mysteries of life.

 

[mfain]

I always call my orders in to Summit. I have the parts delivered to Phoenix. They almost always come from Reno, and occasionally Texas. I usually get them the next day or the day after. From Texas it takes 3-4 days. Special order parts like the Gorilla lug nuts I recently ordered took a week. Always come UPS and I've never had an issue. Guess I just get lucky.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I always call my orders in to Summit. I have the parts delivered to Phoenix. They almost always come from Reno, and occasionally Texas. I usually get them the next day or the day after. From Texas it takes 3-4 days. Special order parts like the Gorilla lug nuts I recently ordered took a week. Always come UPS and I've never had an issue. Guess I just get lucky.

I'm still puzzling over the explanation for the Georgia sourced parts. I've had plenty of times where one of the further warehouses had the part (usually Texas) and honestly, I don't care where they send it from - if I need it, I'll pay the expedite - but they told me all the parts were in Reno but the "computer" decided it needed to come from Georgia. Had I known, I would have split the order to the 'must ship by ground' paint products and the AN pieces.

but still, since when did people start thinking that AI provides absolution for failing to do a job properly? Even in your case, it was after the order-taker that the computer took the wheel and drove it into a ditch.....

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

for the record, it didn't show today


Vette night
but first... this thing is 60s vintage and still works fine. Sure, it could use seals but a hammer gets it done.... if only other things were as reliable.

this actually is related.... soon, I need to make the shop at least 70 degrees to paint.... the trailer which hauls that wood had a flat

onto real stuff
put the rubber edge protector on the fan

test fit

the space needing filling

when the space is too much, filler

and filled

and finished.... or just started...

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Jegs is dead to me. It took them 2 weeks plus to get the parts to me and what tears it is this - I paid for 2 day shipping; when they realized last Thursday that the parts weren't going to arrive - they sent this in their slowest method. F**k you Jegs. At some point, it no longer is a problem with FedUp but instead with the seller.


onto more fun stuff....
welding and finishing
first grind leftovers off

then wire-wheel

finish the exposed corners

then go to the bumper brackets and mig the flat seam

then tig the corners

then grind smooth

and repeat

 

[bobs77vet]

that fabrication looks great. A guy on the MGA forum is using a blended MIG wire I think its Brass silicone or something like that so the MIG turns into a big spooled brazing machine. he uses that for fixing pin holes and brazing sheet metal pieces together that is too thin.

I have only ever used steel wire and if the metal is too thin to weld i just cut it out and replace it with fresh stuff. have you ever used any different wire like that in your fabrication?

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

that fabrication looks great. A guy on the MGA forum is using a blended MIG wire I think its Brass silicone or something like that so the MIG turns into a big spooled brazing machine. he uses that for fixing pin holes and brazing sheet metal pieces together that is too thin.

I have only ever used steel wire and if the metal is too thin to weld i just cut it out and replace it with fresh stuff. have you ever used any different wire like that in your fabrication?

depending on the situation, I use silicone bronze fill rod with the mig. Usually, though, I'm doing it because the metal is so contaminated that the SB keeps the weld cooler and that lowers the chance of it blowing through.... with that said, there are examples of the ways I fill.
on long, straight bits, I'll sometimes use a backing strip

basically using the holes as extra-sized spot welds

or
I use 3/16 copper as a backer

If I cannot get behind it, my first option is weld a piece of metal to the part I'm using as the fill piece (there's 2 pieces of metal here)

makes for a quick job


the only time I change the material in my mig from 70s is when I'm either welding stainless or cast iron (both use the same stainless wire)

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

fitting time

etch primer

more etch primer

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

fitting time

etch primer

more etch primer

 

[bobs77vet]

very nice, thanks, i often use the copper backing plate and also the backing flange.

i may try a spool of that bronze silicone for ***** and grins

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

very nice, thanks, i often use the copper backing plate and also the backing flange.

i may try a spool of that bronze silicone for ***** and grins

it would be interesting to try. the other issue with silicone bronze is it's fairly brittle - though a joy to grind, it's softer then steel and it has a bronze look (similar to what something brazed looks like)

 

[phantomjock]

(Though not related to your effort...)
I've had a spool and spool gun for a long time.
Never even considered using it - until now.
Oh boy more online research required!
And, yeah, another bottle of Gas...

Thanks Guys!

Cheers - Jim

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

update time

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Prelude... I may get to this tomorrow but think I'll spend more time on the Blazer...




I need to put a couple blind nuts for the air intake but before I do much I'll get it permanently installed with the bumper brackets. I'm also waiting for parts to build a cross brace - and want to install that while I still have lots of room....

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

(Though not related to your effort...)
I've had a spool and spool gun for a long time.
Never even considered using it - until now.
Oh boy more online research required!
And, yeah, another bottle of Gas...

Thanks Guys!

Cheers - Jim

I sent my spool gun to Bolivia to my friend doing medical evacs... I've not yet found a time when I miss it. It's as easy to weld aluminum with tig as it is with a mig...
with that said, I can't imagine that the SB would need the short run like aluminum wire does... that said, if you've already got it... by all means, try it out.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

fun aside, was listening to Richard Rawlings (Gas Monkey) talking about what is hot these days... widebody cars... to remind, I got the flares in 2013... I remember it well because I was, at the time, jonesing about IMSA Monzas

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

first assembled the painted pieces

Just make this shaped out of metal.... piece of cakeish

nope

hmmm..

there we go

I guess it was pretty easy

 

[bobs77vet]

(Though not related to your effort...)
I've had a spool and spool gun for a long time.
Never even considered using it - until now.
Oh boy more online research required!
And, yeah, another bottle of Gas...

Thanks Guys!

Cheers - Jim

i would load that up with aluminum wire and go to town!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

onward now that paint is applied
fit up the radiator holder

to attach the fan, nutserts

next step

then bend an angle to hold the bottom in place

the benefit is I can lift the fan out without the radiator attached

then time to weld the frame extensions in place - the problem is I never really had a good place to put tow hooks - you know, the required things to be on the track....

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

picked up some metal to build a cross brace

and built it

then installed everything

if you're thinking "that's pretty close" you'd be wrong, it's too close... so much stuff in such a small place

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

last night, issues

and now fixed

new issue.... making the old upper hose work

cut the offending angle off

then weld back on

and fit

still have to put a bleed valve on top but close

moved the temp sensor from the front to the top

I swear I should put a zipper to take the hood off...

another view

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

time to finish up the cooling system

plumb the tank

first, paint the mount

then the layout

Thursday, the stainless upper hose was in progress. Needed a bleeder as this is the highest point

because the metal is only 16 ga, I put a plug in the top then tapped it for the bleeder

finished here


you know, I could have finished this all pretty, but f*** that - gotta give the haters something to hate on

then a solid aluminum tube for the lower hose

once mounted
time to connect the AN side

on unfinished tasks.... painted the lower valence

we end on my favorite task... wiring... it was comforting to read that my plan will void the warranty

this isn't the void part... but I can't imagine putting the controller on the bumper support is a recommended procedure

grounding done (now we're voiding)

and the cooling system is holding fluid just fine...

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

List to finish this round

1) finish fan system - that includes a switch to power the fan and the water pump while I'm sitting between rounds
2) attach the side pipes
3) wrap the sidepipes
4) make it so the gas tank can't slide in its straps (yeah, really)
5) tow hooks
6) reinstall interior
7) build air cleaner
8) tune....
9) build rear cover/defuser
10) install front spoiler


*eventually build an exhaust system that's side pipe but actually doesn't kill power and is tunable
*put dual adjustable coilovers

 

[phantomjock]

SBG ...you know, I could have finished this all pretty, but f*** that - gotta give the haters something to hate on

Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien, Voltaire
The better/best/perfect is the enemy of the good.

Also reported as displayed on the factory wall of the MiG plant in Soviet Union as

Better is the enemy of Good Enough​

Cheers - Jim

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

Also reported as displayed on the factory wall of the MiG plant in Soviet Union as

Better is the enemy of Good Enough​

Cheers - Jim

It works, send it.

~me

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

lower valence installed

this removed. I don't need it. Called Derale today, we talked about what I was doing and cleared up a misconception..... that they are computer controlled motors. They're not in this case, it's a 2 speed motor thus I can control it with my Holley computer. Key here, if you're copying, is you MUST start the fan on low speed then double the speed by adding power to the high side of the motor.

and wired

With substantially tuning, it's drivable now
but
I still need an air cleaner

hmm

probably this

all i have to do now is build it