Petcock valve & Roof Bow frame

[Black Sheila]

Fuel petcock valve:
Most of the work is now completed on the chassis (floor-pan) also the engine the next step was to modify the steel frame of the fiberglass body so it fits correctly on the floor-pan, simultaneously modifications the front pedal board panel (Front firewall)was done to accommodate a fully functional fuel petcock valve, most off the front floor panel had to be cut away and with the skills of Armand he was able to move the front wall so that the Fuel petcock valve clears the front panel.





Their is still somewhat work to be done on the interior of the body and also exterior of the body will update in due time.

Roof Bow frame:
The roof frame I intend using on my speedster is a scissor type roof frame very close to an original, I am planning to build my own and have started manufacturing a steel header bow as I dont like the fiberglass header bow it is to bulky.



I used the bulky fiberglass header bow as a template and had a steel pipe bent to follow the profile I am planning to split the pipe in half and weld flat steel strips so it fits snugly over the windshield frame. It will require a bit of fabrication to have the ends fit correctly.
The moving parts I will have laser cut the only snag at this point in time is that I have no idea what is the diameter of the bows and thickness and width of the moving parts used on the originals. I was hoping someone on the forum can be kind enough to assist with this, it will be truly appreciated.



Thank you in advance

[JTR70]

Nice profile bend on that tube. I know you want to use it but its actually the makings of a great hammer form.

My buddy made this one from a base of re-bar then encapsulated in fiberglass using an original header as the shape mold.

He lent it to me a while back to build one for a top frame that had a severely rusted unit. The original is comprised of two pieces of 20 gauge sandwiched together for strength. This glass as been surprisingly durable as its made probably at least 30 individual pieces over the last several years. Even through some mild torch heat required to get those corners to tighten up at the end.

Original tube stock is 12mm OD

Linkage is 15mm wide. oops! Forget to get you thickness. Will have it for you tomorrow. Keep up the great work! Justin

[Black Sheila]

Justin,
WOW! Thanks so much this is a huge help, this will definitely get me started with my scissor roof build.
As for the header bow I have initially considered making a mold and hammer sheet metal into shape as suggested, unfortunately I work abroad and time is always an issue. I had a look at it a simpler way and thought a pipe and a few strips along the length should do the trick...... but on second thoughts.... does your buddy still make these header bows????

[JTR70]

He can make you the whole frame. Fully functional and mechanically correct but not cheap: about 3,500.

Here is an original set of low bows that was missing the header and its linkage. I fabbed up the linkage some time back and the header bow is the one in my first picture as I was hammering it out. The original pivot points were still on the bows which made life very easy.
Don't let its simple and light construction fool you, these frames from scratch are very tricky to replicate correctly. Getting all the pivot points tacked in just the right spot so it will articulate fully is a major PIA! As we were on the learning curve with these frames just an ever so slight adjustment up or down on the bow determined weather it was going to fold up tightly or bind up too soon. It took a lot of time and patience before the frame actually functioned correctly so be prepared if you decide to tackle this on your own.
As promised the linkage thickness is just at 4MM.

[Black Sheila]

Once again thank you for sharing the info it is truly appreciated.
I agree 100% this is not straight forward and simple as it seems to have it articulate correctly those linkage and pivots points must be spot on, then looking at 3500 USD which excludes the shipping costs and import taxes, the current exchange rate... I could be looking at 4500 ~ 5000 USD this is to steep for me and does not justify this kind of spending. Believe you me if I could I would.
I will have to give this a miss and continue with my initial plan, I will see how it turns out, after all it is a replica, as long it represents something similar of an original I will be happy. Will keep you posted on further developments.


Manny

[Black Sheila]

[JTR70]

Impressive CAD drawing Manny! Best of luck with this little project! I'll be happy to help with any info along the way.
Justin

[Black Sheila]

Justin,
Thank you so much, truly appreciated.
Manny

[Black Sheila]

I am finalizing the CAD drawing on the scissor roof frame, again I am seeking help with a few dimensions, also on the placement of the rear seat clamps, any help with these matters will be appreciated.

Thank you in advance

Manny

[JTR70]

Here are a few of the header bow dimensions you asked for. I'll get the overall width of it and clasp spacing for you next.





header bow width

depth

[Black Sheila]

Justin,

Once again thank you so much for the dimensions very much appreciated.
The last couple of days it has been hectic at work,hopefully I should be almost done with the final CAD drawings this weekend.
Manny

[Black Sheila]

[JTR70]

Its a great jumping off point Manny. As your build goes into the "real world" those new linkage piece will most likely need some mild bending to allow the frame to operate fully as your construction advances. A great start though, can't wait to see the new pieces cut out into basic shape.

[Black Sheila]

I agree 100%, While preparing the CAD cutting plan for laser cutting, I did allow extra material for the mild bends, I have the data where the bends should be, unfortunately this will have to be trial and error, I am also very fortunate Armand said he would like to give it a go. Will update the forum as we progress. Thank you for all your assistance.

[Black Sheila]

At long last I finally received the laser cut samples, trials will soon start.