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Lovely work. Did you use mat for everything or did you add weave to the layup? What did you use for your release agent? What type of resin? Don't forget to add stone protection inside like bedliner material.

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Miata UBJ: ES-2074R('70s maz pickup)
Ford IFS viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13225&p=134742
Simple Spring select viewtopic.php?f=5&t=11815
LxWxHt
360LA 442E: 134.5x46x15
Lotus7:115x39x7.25
Tiger Avon:114x40x13.3-12.6
Champion/Book:114x42x11
Gibbs/Haynes:122x42x14
VoDou:113x44x14
McSorley 442:122x46x14
Collins 241:127x46x12

I used a few different weight chopped stranded mat and fiberglass cloth. First layer on the gelcoat was 1oz stranded mat followed by 1.5oz. Cloth was used mostly on the radius lips.

Now the hard part...Making the scuttle and trying to be sure the shape works with the nose and has the proper lip for the hood to sit on.[/attachment]

Lots of tedious work on the scuttle to get it just right on the hood lip, firewall lip (hidden under hood lip) and the lip for the covers around the master cylinders. Now I've got to finish the welding, trim the overhang on the sides as well as the trim the overhang on the dash. I've got to make some form of a lip on the free edge overhanging the dash. I've got an idea but it's not going to be easy.

I salute you sir, and anyone else that builds their own scuttles. I've built 2 so far and that is 33 1/3% part of the build. I've tried fiberglass and practically gave it away, but that's me. IMOH there should be more posts of self built scuttles and how they are built, once you have the pattern building them is easy. You can tell whether it's bought or built. The pay off is that it does not look like you bought it and tried to fit it to the build. When you take the time to build you own scuttle it blends right into the form of the lines of the build. For those that buy their scuttles that's fine, for those that build them.......priceless

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Perry

'If man built it, man can fix it'
"No one ever told me I couldn't do it."
"If you can't build it safe, don't build it."

Perry's Locost Super Che7enette Build
Perry's TBird Based 5.0L Super 7 L.S.O
Perry's S10 Super 7 The 3rd
Perry's 4th Build The Topolino 500 (Little Mouse) Altered
Perry's 5th Build the Super Slant 6 Super 7
Perry's Final Build the 1929 Mercedes Gazelle

That's very nice work!

I've spent far too many hours working on the scuttle on the R1 project.

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Too much week, not enough weekend.

OOPS I did it again
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=17496

Blood Sweat and Beers
http://www.locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15216

I would hate to guess how many hours I've sat and stared at the scuttle from outside the car and in the drivers seat to get the shape I can live with. I've also changed the location of the steering column a few times as well. Oh well, at least this time was less expensive than a therapist's chair. Plus, it lets me grab a good cigar and a glass of scotch and ponder what to tackle next.

Hi Russell- Your build looks great and I love your pedal/steering column mount. Does the steering column route between the pedals or where?? Are you using a dual circuit master cylinder for the brakes??

Thanks
Devin

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build log: viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11946

Devin, I am using a dual circuit master cylinder arrangement for the brakes. Right now I just have temporary master cylinders installed for clearance purposes. I bought the Wilwood pedal assembly with the moveable aluminum pedal pads which allows you to offset the pads which thereby allows you to offset the assembly just enough so that the steering column will pass between the brake and clutch pedals. Worked out just right.

I have been seeing alot of builds with the top A-arm with an up angle from the chassis. I thought it was suppose to have a 5 to 6 degree down angle.

I designed the front suspension using Performance Trends Suspension analyzer. I do not believe you want a down angle as you mention. You also have to look at body role and how that affects the camber. Just moving the suspension up and down is not sufficient. I took various measurements of camber angle as the suspension compresses as well as the affect a couple degrees of body role has. Lots of dynamics going on when a car moves around a corner, not to mention bump steer, of which you can see in my earlier posts how I measure it. Then you have roll center and ackerman angles to worry about.

I have to admit, I'm learning as I go so I may end changing things once I get the car on the road. Reminds me of putting a little camber in the front steering of my BarStool build. Damn thing was a butt pucker until I realized that was not a good idea on a high CG, short wheelbase racing machine.

There is so little body roll in these things. I can't detect any, but there may be up to a degree at full drift. Maybe.

That scuttle is excellent. I agree with Perry about building your own. I definitely like the sides of the scuttle approaching vertical at the base. It's a better look IMO, and it really keeps the rocks out of the cockpit. Looking forward to seeing this thing on the road.

I found some 10' aluminum channel measuring 1/2" wide by 3/4" deep by 1/8" thick at Grainger for $11. This only leaves 1/4" for the windshield but I see no reason this would not work and may look pretty good as the gap between the glass and frame would be almost zero. I was concerned about bending it but after annealing it, I was very surprised how well it took the shape of my pattern. Now I have to cut the ends to finish the frame.

i built my scuttle almost the same as yours, but i used strip instead of box on the curves as it not only needs to bend round the corner but has to have a taper to follow the shape of the hood, this i achieved by welding the 1" by 1/8" strip round the curve of the scuttle and then heating with a gas torch and tapping it down to fit the hood line, otherwise the hood will not sit flat.

doing my windshield, i dispensed with the roller method and just pulled it round the plywood form when heated with a torch.

as a side note when the car is finished and painted, a strip of velcro loop side stuck along the scuttle lip makes the perfect padding for the hood.

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this story shall the good man teach his son,
and chrispin chrispian shall ne'er go by,
from this day to the end of the world.
but we in it shall be remembered.

Russell,

As nice as that bottom frame piece is you are going to want a cushion between the windshield and the scuttle. Take a look at Jack McCornack's AS1 Base Trim. Looks good. seals, and cushions the windshield bottom.

Cheers

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Larry in Seattle