Manx II “2-Face” Ecotec IRS Bus 091

[sailtexas186548]

Mounted a new steering support bearing, I still need to add a support closer to the U joints send a little pipe stub to the crossbar right under the steering shaft

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

I fit the last couple bars yesterday, including a center roof bar, steering support, and passenger handle. I was going to mount a steering shaft bearing near the firewall and tie it to the cage but instead I will mount just to the firewall. Same for the throttle pedal.

I also fully welded the joints where bars overlap so I could install/tack in the top bars. At this point i just need to weld on windshield support tabs and the seat back mount tabs, then pull the cage out and weld it up.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Added some tabs to hold the windshield

Located the throttle pedal, still trying to figure out a good way to support it. The firewall flexes a bit too much for my liking right now

Pretty happy with the passenger to cage clearance, and “interior” space

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[Kreelak]

I love all your Tube work how much waste did you have before you got used to all the bending, I've never used a tubing bender before and I'm sure ill wasting a lot

[sailtexas186548]

I bought 100 feet of tube and have gone through 90' (still have a 10' stick). The scrap pile is maybe 8 or 10 feet worth at most. I did the long tubes first so the one I messed up I was able to cut down and use in other locations.

I expected to waste more but lots of measuring and a couple angle finders have made it pretty efficient.
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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

All welded up, just need to add some gussets, improve the connections to the pan, and paint it

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Another day with a tig torch and an angle grinder...

Gussets fit and tacked in, mounts to pan improved (need to get some 1.25” square tube to back it up), welded up the engine supports and rear bumper, etc

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[mark tucker]

lookin great!!!

[sailtexas186548]

More gusseting and welding... almost done I have gussets prettymuch everywhere now. It really stiffened the cage up, I just hope it hasn’t distorted the cage too much and it still fits in the car.

I also printed this plug for the steering support tube

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Finally done adding gussets! All welded up both sides of each one, cage is STIFF now.

Next step is to prep and paint this sucker, then make 1.25” square tube backer to bolt it to through the pan.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Half a gallon of acetone, two rolls of shop rags, 5 wire brush cups, and one severely overheated grinder later it’s ready for paint... and painted! Fingers crossed it still fits

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Started making some rocker bars aka rock sliders that also function as a backer to bolt the body/cage to and they should stiffen the pan some.

the bolts Are a combination of 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch, I wanted to have all of the seatbelt and cage bolts at half inch but I can’t get the Rear, front cage mounting plate bolts in so it will stay 3/8. All of the critical nuts also but up against the square tube side so they will have plenty of weld to hold them securely, the body only bolts I’m not so concerned with.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

I have the drivers side pretty much done, still have to drill (burr) one hole in the rear plate I can’t drill it because it’s halfway on/off the tube. To make each one of these I was able to use a 48” length of 1.25” 1/16” wall square tube, some flange nuts, some .0625 plate for end caps, and 3/16” plate for the big end plates. The 3/16” is overkill but it’s what the cage bolts to so that’s ok.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Lots of time with the die grinder tonight, nothing on this pan, cage, or body is exactly symmetrical so everything takes a little custom fitting. I got both pan stiffeners finished, and I test fit both of them into the pan/body, then fit them to the cage so once the paint dries hopefully I won’t have to do too much to get everything to bolt together one final time.

The way these things go on, they really sandwich the pan and body along with tying into the torsion housing and Napoleon hat areas. Im surprised how stiff it all feels with just the pan stiffeners on, with the cage it’s going to be really good.

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

The cage is in!

A bit hard to see but the pan stiffeners came out really nice, the 1.25” square tube is the PERFECT size it sticks down .25” and will work like a nerf bar.

Here is it going in, the crane really made it easy.

It did pull a little bit when I welded the gussets on the bottom of the dash/knee bar. It was off about 3/16, all the other bolts threaded in by hand. A little persuasion got the last two bolts to drop right in.

I put some nylon washers between the cage and the body. I think the little details like this are really important and make a project look finished/refined

Next is the radiator mount. I bough one for a Cherokee but I think it’s too big... gonna be interesting. I want to mount it under the package tray between the shock tower (flat over the transaxle)
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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

The radiator BARELY fits, but it does. I modified the stock Cherokee mounts to allow for two 3/8” bolts that go to the fiberglass, and I will fab some brackets to hang the rear of the rad from the bottom of the package tray. With the suspension at full bump the passenger side Radiator hose connection is going to be pretty close to the trailing arm, but it’s a rubber hose so it shouldn’t fail catastrophically. I may have to get an aluminum radiator and move the connections around. This one was only 75 bucks brand new so I took a chance on it.



I ordered three 10” inch spal fans, two will be pullers on each end of the radiator, and the third one will go on top in the middle as a pusher. That’s a total of 2400 CFM I think that will be enough to keep it cool LOL.

Anybody have a good/hidden spot to put the battery? I can’t use the original location since the radiator is there now

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it's more fun loud and dirty

[sailtexas186548]

Radiator mounts done, waiting on paint to dry and my fans to arrive. They’re supposed to be here tonight…

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[GS guy]

Will be very interested in how your cooling system works out. What are your thoughts on general airflow direction through the radiator while going down the road? I guess the fill point will be higher, up on the engine somewhere?
Nice job on the cage!
Jeff
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70's vintage Deserter GS buggy - undergoing transformation to Super GS!

[sailtexas186548]

I don’t think there will be much, if any airflow from vehicle motion. There should be a high pressure area at the rear tires and a low pressure area at the engine/clutch area so it’s possible there will be air coming in from the sides to feed the top of the radiator but who knows... the pan is a nice flat surface but it so high off the ground it’s hard to say how that will effect the air pressure under the car. I am going to be relying on the fans to keep it cool with air flow from above down through the radiator.

I could always duct the air from the sides under the fender to feed the top, I will have to test it to find out if I need to. With the aluminum engine and openness of the engine bay there is going to be a major “air cooling” factor also when in motion.

Yes, I will be installing a remote filler/cap up top. I will leave the other cap down low and put a nipple and clamp over the overflow line.

Thank you, I have about 95 hours in the cage it was a lot of work!
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[sailtexas186548]

My fan delivery is delayed until tomorrow which totally halts assembly, really sucks!

Welded up the frame horns where I trimmed them

I (second to last time) installed the radiator, had to grind a little bit off the shock towers and BFH one shock (the metal dust cover) to have .25” clearance everywhere. Test fit the transaxle and starter, all good there.

Modified the type one bell housing strap, also making a front strap and cross member for a skid plate.

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it's more fun loud and dirty