Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:11 pm Post subject:
bigrich424 wrote:
Again.... looks great! Question where do you get your diamond plate? And more importantly how do you cut it?
Thanks! Different sheets of diamond plate are available at Lowe's (up to 24"x48"), and they are pricey at around 70 bucks (and I'm sure Home Depot or Menards has it as well). Thankfully I didn't need more than 2 of those sheets to make my rear cover, roof (which is cut but not installed yet), and I should have just enough left over for my center console. If you need bigger sheets, try google searching "Aluminum Diamong Plate 4x8". The bigger sheets are around $100 from a few companies, but the shipping is even more at around $120!!! Dang freight charges!
As for cutting it, my preference is to use a Metabo with a 6 inch cutting disc. Metabo is nothing more than a brand name, any 6 inch grinder with a cutting disc will do the job. With a steady hand, this method will produce nice, straight cuts. But they will have to be deburred after cutting to remove the cut lip.
Here is a picture of my Metabo with the cutting disc:
And a side view shot to show the 1/8" thickness of the cutting disc:
A few words of safety about cutting aluminum in this manner.....wear the appropriate clothing! Full length pants, shoes WITHOUT open toes, long sleeves, not a T shirt, and a hat! This will keep the aluminum dust/chips off of you. And most importantly, wear full coverage goggles, not just safety glasses! Cutting in this manner will produce VERY fine chips of aluminum that can get around standard safety glasses! Sorry to sound like a public service announcement, but I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt!
To make things easier on anyone who doesn't want to cut in this manner, there is another option. You can always mark out any straight cuts you need to have done on your aluminum sheet, and take it to just about any metal fabrication shop to have them cut it on a sheet metal sheer. It wouldn't take long to have done if they aren't busy. _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject:
83_WabbitGTI wrote:
WOW!! What a great build, and fabrication skills to boot!
I love reading through your posts, it's like I'm almost there... Only thing I'm missing is a beer! LOL
Keep it up, can't wait to see this thing finished.... Hey, can you shoot a video of the motor running? I've been wanting to hear that thing roar for awhile now.
Thanks for the kind words! I'm humbled! I have always enjoyed fabricating, even when things don't turn out as planned...it's still fun to do! It's always enjoyable to be able to make something out of nothing more than an idea and some materials! Now if only I could get to be really good at it!
I will do my best to try to get a video of the engine running/revving this weekend. My wife (the super cool computer genius ) will have to show me how to upload the video, since I don't have a clue how to do that!
Well....I gotta go mow the lawn before the rain starts . But after that, I get to work on the rail some more! _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 25689 Location: Central Iowa
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 2:48 pm Post subject:
Yeah, buying steel and tubing and plate, can be a lot cheaper, if you have a friendly purchasing agent at an industrial plant. You usually end up not having to pay shipping. _________________ Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 4:39 pm Post subject:
Russ Wolfe wrote:
Yeah, buying steel and tubing and plate, can be a lot cheaper, if you have a friendly purchasing agent at an industrial plant. You usually end up not having to pay shipping.
Good point Russ. You don't always have to have friends in HIGH places....just in the right places! _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 25689 Location: Central Iowa
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 5:16 pm Post subject:
quadrazer wrote:
Russ Wolfe wrote:
Yeah, buying steel and tubing and plate, can be a lot cheaper, if you have a friendly purchasing agent at an industrial plant. You usually end up not having to pay shipping.
Good point Russ. You don't always have to have friends in HIGH places....just in the right places!
Retirement benefit. _________________ Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey
Joined: October 08, 2004 Posts: 25689 Location: Central Iowa
Posted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:28 pm Post subject:
I have to pay for the steel, I just dont have to pay for freight. _________________ Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 10:37 am Post subject:
I fabbed and installed my alternator bracket. Here it is primed:
And here it is painted and installed on the engine:
The reason for having such a long slot on the bracket is simple....options! I won't be stuck with only one or two belt sizes, which is great. Imagine breaking a belt while at the dunes or off roading and the part store doesn't have the EXACT size belt you were running. This gives me about a 2 1/2 inch belt range to choose from. _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 1:49 pm Post subject:
Here is what the finished engine guard looks like with the lights mounted and wired:
I also painted my horn:
And installed it:
Still have to make the center console, then I can finish the wiring. It's getting close now!
Since "83_WabbitGTI" asked.....I will post a video a little later today of my engine running. _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: April 25, 2008 Posts: 25 Location: Maryland
Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 4:28 pm Post subject:
Nice looks great! Thanks for the info on the diamond plate.... I need to make floors for mine.... all that is there is expanded steel.... not good for blocking debris... Looking great..... when is the road test?
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2010 4:53 pm Post subject:
bigrich424 wrote:
Looking great..... when is the road test?
My inspection date with the Ohio State Highway Patrol is the 1st week of July, so I will most likely try to do a few short drives around my house before then to make sure everything is ironed out. I plan to have everything finished by no later than the 23rd. Hopefully I can keep to that time frame!
I did fire it up today and drove it around the yard for a lap! Even though my old dashboard was sitting in the passenger seat, everything was still hooked up to it! So far, so good! Building the new center console is gonna be the most time consuming thing left for me to do. Beyond that, it's just some odds and ends.
Since I'm having the windshield custom cut and professionally installed, it doesn't really fall on my to-do list, since I'm not the one actually doing the winshield work! _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: Roof and skid plate
Today I fabbed and installed my skidplate and roof. First off...the skidplate. It's lightweight, but since this will currently see more street use than anything until I can afford a better transmission, any protection is better than none.
I mounted it unpainted...but I may pull it off and fog it in flat black:
Worms eye view:
And a closer look at the leading edge bolted to the lower end of the tranny mount:
And then the roof. Here is how I started it with the diamond plate cut to size:
A side view of the start of the roof:
And how it looked after I made the bend in it:
Rhino lined the bottom side of the roof.....
....then the top:
And finally mounted it:
The nice thing about mounting the roof with the vinal loop clamps is that I can remove it quickly, and not have any tabs left exposed. It's my poor man's convertible!
I'll start working on the center console tomorrow. That will take me a while, and it happens to be the biggest project on my "what's left to do" list....which is getting VERY short now! _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Joined: February 13, 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Florida
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:16 pm Post subject:
Wow, nice buold looks great! Couple quick questions:
1. where did you get your 2x3 trailing arms and how much were they
2. What was the cost for the bus axles and the type 1 to type 2 adapters and where did you get those?
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:32 pm Post subject:
Kreed wrote:
Wow, nice buold looks great! Couple quick questions:
1. where did you get your 2x3 trailing arms and how much were they
2. What was the cost for the bus axles and the type 1 to type 2 adapters and where did you get those?
Great Job
Thanks for the compliment! The 2x3 arms, and Type 1 to Type 2 adapters came from Appletree Automotive in Michigan, they cost around $350 for the arms, and about $75 for the pair of adapters.
The axles are custom length 19 1/4" from Desert Tech in California. The axles only (no CV's or boots) cost $120. This length axle was needed since I have a Type 1 tranny and 2x3 arms. _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
What does "I got them clocked" mean in regards to your new CV joints and axles?
I have to install new joints in my rail and now I'm a bit reluctant to do it myself. I doubt that I know how to "clock" a CV joint. Could you fill me in on what it entails?
Thanks ! ! !
T
Oh, LOVE the video ! ! Those pipes sound GREAT ! ! !
Joined: April 11, 2010 Posts: 293 Location: Castalia, Ohio
Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:21 pm Post subject:
TC/TeamEvil wrote:
What does "I got them clocked" mean in regards to your new CV joints and axles?
I have to install new joints in my rail and now I'm a bit reluctant to do it myself. I doubt that I know how to "clock" a CV joint. Could you fill me in on what it entails?
Thanks ! ! !
T
Oh, LOVE the video ! ! Those pipes sound GREAT ! ! !
TC,
Here is the link for the "How To", in regards to clocking your CV joints.
What it basically entails is the alignment of the CV joints in relation to each other on the axle shaft. It is relatively easy to do, and it is VERY important as well! Clocking the CV allows for maximum angularity during travel, while limiting bind. The link above walks you through the process step by step. Let me know how it goes for you, or if you have any questions.
Thanks for the props on the exhaust! I love the way it sounds too! _________________ I DID wash my hands....the rest is 'built-in' dirt!
Thanks for that link ! ! ! Although I bought assembled CV joints, it's still great to know how the inner and outer rings ought to align, I'm going to double check my new ones to be sure that they're correct.
I guess that clocking them means drawing a line down the axle and making sure that the wide area of one and the narrow area on the other hit the line. Seems like a small procedure, but an important one as well. Funny how that always seem to hold true.
It was VERY interesting to learn that the axles should NOT be rotated end for end to spread the wear over time, unlike tires I suppose. Evidently, they always have to be re-installed with the same end facing in (and out) and on the same side as originally. Makes me concerned about buying a good used pair of axles, how would I ever know it they were marked correctly.
Thanks SO much for this new (and really crucial) info ! ! Your project has inspired me to one day try to shove my Buick into my rail. It WAS in the Ghia . . .
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Dang freight charges! 
A few words of safety about cutting aluminum in this manner.....wear the appropriate clothing! Full length pants, shoes 
I have always enjoyed fabricating, even when things don't turn out as planned...it's still fun to do! It's always enjoyable to be able to make something out of nothing more than an idea and some materials! Now if only I could get to be 
) will have to show me how to upload the video, since I don't have a clue how to do that! 
. But after that, I get to work on the rail some more! 
