Coupe into Speedster Conversion

[roy mawbey]

Hey Justin, That info from Don must have been like getting an early Christmas present! That saved you getting a headache for sure.

Bruce, you are so correct on the tools! Its a wonder my toolkit survived but as I noticed first the uplift on screwdriver prices I restored these first. I have all three but you are right the stubby is very cheap loo
king really.

The hazet brace though is not cheap anymore and you have an 356A that you have to finish!! Sell me your last one and you will regret it when you finally put together a tool kit for your 'A'and its gone!!

But one more story on the tools, 15 years ago I needed a 12mm open ended but short. I then cut my original 12 /11 hazet in half
It depresses me to think I did that. I even soldered the two parts together just for show now that is sad

But Justin's site is so friendly I can admit my mistakes in life.We all make them and even I have to smile sometimes at my mistakes!









Roy

[DG58INNM]

[quote="roy mawbey" post=32951]
But one more story on the tools, 15 years ago I needed a 12mm open ended but short. I then cut my original 12 /11 hazet in half
It depresses me to think I did that. I even soldered the two parts together just for show now that is sad

But Justin's site is so friendly I can admit my mistakes in life.We all make them and even I have to smile sometimes at my mistakes!
[/quote

Roy,
We do what we have to do. If you need a shorty 12mm, and the hacksaw happens to be handy.....

In truth what is sad is that tools, like other things, are treated as jewelry. An unused tool kit is one of the most pointless things I can imagine. Our priorities these days are seriously out of whack. Tools are, by very definition, meant to be used. I am smiling not at your mistake, but your ingenuity.
DG

[JTR70]

No truer words spoken David.

All of us would have done something similar Roy, those tools suffered all sorts of fates back when they were "just tools". I can imagine guys in the middle of a home project in need of a good pry-bar or splitter going "hey my 356 has good screw driver in the trunk". Many a prized wooden handle getting mushroomed and splintered after enough whacks from the old claw hammer. Or how about the family dog chewing on those 1,000 dollar red handles in the corner of the garage somewhere. "What the hell, no big deal, just a cheap screw driver. I'll get to Sears tomorrow and buy a quality one this time." I'm guilty of it now, I use the original bottle jack out of my Toyota pickup for odd tasks because A: it works and B: its not worth anything so I don't concern myself with scratching the original brown paint or the operating decal on it. Sounds kind of silly in terms of an old cheap truck jack but the same with that gorgeous tool kit of yours back in the day right.

4/3/16
Final cross-member details and fitment.

Lateral flange trimmed and tapered at the end as originally done.

Details easily missed without a reference car.

Center section also notched out for the license light wire lead.

last detail to cut in was this horse-shoe relief on the frame side.

Done with relaxed corners as with the original.

Perimeter fitted back in to check for access to those mount holes.


Mounted, snugged up into final position and ready to weld.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[Jack Staggs]

Roy, can you help me out here? A search of Stoddard 356 parts for 'brace' yielded this:
http://www.stoddard.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=brace
Search on Google 'brace' got me this:
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&hl=en&source=hp&biw=&bih=&q=brace&gbv=2&oq=brace&gs_l=img.12..0l10.3041.5581.0.11203.5.5.0.0.0.0.12 8.569.0j5.5.0....0...1ac.1.34.img..0.5.568.BJg2P5z LdkU
Another search on 'automobile' 'brace' took me here:
http://www.google.com/patents/US1801761
'tire/wheel brace' took me here:
http://www.google.com/search?q=wheel+chock+brace&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjEo4a19vbLAhXqm4MKHUNlAawQ_AUIBQ
What are you reefering to?

[roy mawbey]

Jack,

Its the British term for a lug wrench Lug wrench would be unknown almost over here. Wheel brace is a term used for a spanner used to undo wheel nuts. Don't know why as it not really the best explanation and I can see how it confused you.

Actually a wheel nut wrench would be understood here but the word lug is not generally used for a nut.

The chrome Hazet 772/2 item for the 356A is the correct item I gave away to the guy all those years ago !!

Cheers

Roy

[bbspdstr]

Brace yourself , here comes a picture:



There was a pin in the end of the handle for hubcap removal via the drain holes on the edge of the hubcaps.

One of the most useful tools in the kit, as the handle was meant to be used for initial lug loosening and final "torqueing" by a foot, otherwise a convenient 19mm cranking socket wrench.

It's my last and the spring for the handle is kaput, so it is not automatically covering the pin.

-Bruce

[JTR70]

4/5/16

Fitting left lateral perimeter section for 4-cam motor option.

Finally an almost painless straight forward initial fit.

Only slight modification was to mount it to my table again and start that bend a little sooner to tighten up this lap joint.

End cap seemed to line right up as well. I have several loose ends in these corners to tie up before it can go on though. I have drill and add a thread plate for the push-rod version lower tin in black marker just above.

Then once the thread plate is in I need to cap this cross member at both ends. Again just tedious crap I lost interest in long ago but it all has to be finished before I can permanently remove the car from the hoist.

left lateral run ready to weld.

begin welding this lower flange run first. My coupe shows this run tight but not spot welded. I decided I wanted this flange and these two parts thoroughly joined...

As once I weld the inner top run on them it will form a "tube" which will drastically increase the ridgedity and strength of this panel section. All these parts are made from 20 gauge and I think at least the frame runner should have been made from 18 gauge so I am looking to increase strength where I can especially before I put this end back on the rotisserie without those quick reinforcement sections I had in there at first.

Since we're building a T1 car I wanted these pieces anyway but the added reinforcement to the engine compartment is also what I was after. Should be just fine once I get all those individual sections tied in.

Its slowly taking shape. God, I remember a few years back when I was trying to restore this rear cross-member area in my coupe and thinking how scary and complicated it all seamed. Pretty simple once you get your head around it. Never thought I'd be saying that or building an entire ass end from reproduction parts.
Onto the right side next.
Thanks for stopping by!
Justin

[ukinusa]

[quote]... and thinking how scary and complicated it all seamed. Pretty simple once you get your head around it. [/quote

Yepp never a truer word said, as I am slowly learning...thanks for guidance as ever !

[Drew.s]

Hi Justin

Looks like it's all coming together.
May I ask where you sourced your 'Lower engine perimeter sheet metal kit'?
I have found a retailer here in the UK who is selling this...



...but it seems very expensive and I would like to find the manufacturer especially if it is being produced in Europe.

Cheers
Drew

[JTR70]

My pleasure and thank you Steve!

Thanks Drew!

Trevor Marshall makes it. You can find the kit on his website, runs about 300.00US
Justin

[JTR70]

4/12/16

Lower 4-cam option perimeter tin installed.

Locating and measuring out the right section for the best averaged matched fit to the left side.

As with the left I had to move the bend over to tighten this lap joint.

Plug and spot welding along perimeter complete.

Have a lot of welding details yet to finish and clean up above this area but its another one in the done column.

I'll install the forward corners of this kit once the rear is mounted back on the rotisserie allowing the car to be turned on its side. With this perimeter installed I'm confident enough to try that. This compartment should hold its shape under lateral load and not come out of square.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[Carrera_The_Kid]

Looking sweet Justin, fantastic stuff!

[Drew.s]

Hi Justin
Thanks for the info about Trevor's perimeter kit.
I have contacted him and the price is good but the shipping is very high so...

I'm thinking of jumping in with both feet and ordering a T2 speedster dash and cowl from him to consolidate the shipping a bit.

What's your opinion on Trevor's dash compared to Steve's, is Ric going to do one?

Regards
Drew

[JTR70]

Thanks a lot Joris I appreciate you saying so!

Hey Drew, The next round of speedster panels I'm going to need will be from Trevor Marshall if that answers your question.

4/15/16
More engine compartment details.

Nothing Earth moving these last few sessions, just small stuff that all needs to be done at some point.

I'm donating this original latch cable conduit I harvested from a donor rear clip from my coupe restoration several years ago.

After some spot weld prep along that flange the "new conduit" slipped almost right into place and was welded on.

Final placement on the rear wall depends on its alignment with the latch lever. Slipped in a welding rod to locate the tube end with the end of the lever so the cable has a straight shot at it.
Again nothing big but one more off the check list.
Thanks for looking!
Justin

[neilb]

looking great Justin, as always...

could i ask for a measurement?

i need to know the distance from the rear face of the transmission x member to the end of the rear rails, i guess for want of a better term. in the last picture you posted it would be the panel your thumb is on.

i don't have that distance on my reference sheet but the distance i have is 600mm +/- 2mm. nothing is welded up its all just clamped up.

thanks in advance