Well I guess I should realy update this forum more than once a year!! I have been making really good progress on the car but have been too busy to keep both the youtube build series and this thread up to date.
Since last time I posted we have completed a female mold for the hood and cowl and produced a good fiberglass hood.
Attachment:
Hood Mold.jpg
The original concept was a one piece hood and nose cone system that would flip foreward however the hinge system required to keep the nose from smashing the ground is not something I wanted to deal with so I have since cut the finished piece into two parts.
In order to make getting in and out of the car easier I knew I wanted a structure of some sort to grab onto and pull myself out so I built a bolt on cage. I know there is a debate on cages and helmets and how if you drive a caged car more than 5 feet without a helmet it is certain death etc, but I have placed the bars far from my head, plan on using high back seats, and will use a 4 point belt system so I am comfortable with not wearing a helmet.
Attachment:
Roll Cage.jpg
Attachment:
Cage on Front.jpg
Attachment:
Cage on Rear.jpg
The cage is also a bolt on system for if it is an issue during inspections or if I want to change the design in the future. The design and tubing selection was made using the SCCA rule book, however the rear down bars are supposed to be straight however they would be at way too steep an angle so I put the bend in for aesthetics. If I was going to autocross this it would need a forward facing downbar into the passenger footwell.
I have mounted up the brake and clutch pedals, and now just need to find a deal on a 5/8" wilwood master for the clutch.
Attachment:
Pedal Box.jpg
The steering shaft is getting built right now and is quite the snaky system to thread between the pedals as the brake pedal ends up right in the center of the cockpit.
I have also finalized the rear suspension. I had to change from equal length parallel 4 link bars to unequal lengths. The top bar is now 4" shorter than the bottom in order to move the axle mount forward on the tubes so that the brake caliper would fit. I ran the axle through a full articulation and did not notice any binding issues, and the travel will be much less once the shocks and bumpstops are in place.
Attachment:
Articulation Side.jpg
Attachment:
Articulation Rear.jpg
I will try to update this build thread more often, but I also post weekly build videos on youtube if you want an update more than once a year!