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Updated my website with new photos and babble
sgraber - 1/12/03 at 10:59 PM

I had a very productive weekend. Took some photos, wrote some crappy drivel.

Have a looksee if your interested.

www.GraberCars.com

Graber

Spyderman - 2/12/03 at 12:54 PM

Nice going Steve!
Getting closer!
It seems that as you take one step closer to completion you go off on another tangent to change or improve things. This time it is the Turbo!
I know a lot of us are guilty of this. The more I do, the more I change things from original plan.

I am curious as to why you didn't extend the floorpan out to the outriggers?

Also looks like you forgot about making your front suspension cradle swapable by welding the radiator extension mounts onto it! An ommision earlier or a change in plans?

I think really you are prolonging the chassis build in order to avoid getting on with the body!

Terry

Alan B - 2/12/03 at 01:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Spyderman
Nice going Steve!
Getting closer!..........

I think really you are prolonging the chassis build in order to avoid getting on with the body!


Terry, that is exactly what he is doing....chicken..

Seriously Steve, really good progress, coming on great......I'm looking forward to weekends were it looks like I've done something too...

Keep it up!!!!

sgraber - 2/12/03 at 03:05 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Alan B
Terry, that is exactly what he is doing....chicken..


cluck cluck cluck....

You pegged me. I am almost neurotically afraid of starting the bodywork... I don't like to fail, and even though I know that I won't, I will be considering quitting many times during the body construction....

But I'll get to it.

The addition of the turbo is actually a minor project IMO. I already have the manifold underway. The MSnEDIS is so well documented that it's really a matter of following directions. Besides, my car will be so heavy that it'll need the extra grunt.

The front cradle is still swappable, it just has a few extra tubes attached to it.

Graber

Tudor (Ted) Miron - 2/12/03 at 04:13 PM

Looking good Steve!

Ted

pbura - 2/12/03 at 05:22 PM

Steve, you've made fantastic time for a one-off, just a bit over a year so far!

Not to rush you on the bodywork, but do you think you might want to hold off painting the chassis for working out the body mountings?

Thankfully you've got Alan as a trailblazer for building your buck! He's got translating from the drawing to reality down to a science, very efficient fillers, tools, etc. A great example to follow.

Are you going to cross-section your computer model to make forms for the buck like the XJ13 replica?

I was thinking that you could build your whole buck from foam slabs. Have you looked at George Cushing's 'quick and dirty' nosecone plans lately? VERY inspirational:

http://www.georgecushing.net/QandD.html

You could use various slab thickness from 1"-6" and using dowel rods and judicious dabs of Elmer's to hold the blocks together. Just a thought, and blue-sky stuff at that

All the best,

Pete

sgraber - 2/12/03 at 05:56 PM

Pete - in response to your questions.

I think it's 2 years TODAY!!!

I hear you about the body mounting points, but I think the body is so far off into the future that I have to put a protective coat on now. That way I can store it in the sideyard without fear of decay. later I'll grind the paint off in those areas that require welding of body mounts.

Alans project has keept the fire going for me to complete mine! I am amazed that he built the entire body, had it mounted, received tons of feedback and then decided to re-do the look so radically. It's really inspirational AND scary. Of course the final product will be phenomenal.

I have already created cross sections from the original computer model and cut them out of 1/8" thick board in 1/4"=1' scale. They're just sitting in pile, but I'll resurrect them soon.

That XJ-13 buck looks more expensive than my entire build to date! DOH! But still, it is beautiful in it's own right.

Cushing's Nosecone plan is very cool, but how many foam slabs would I need for an entire body? Could I buy them in bulk somewhere?

BTW- I like wild, pie-in-the sky ideas!

Graber

pbura - 2/12/03 at 08:06 PM

quote:
I think it's 2 years TODAY!!!


My lazy memory had it at 8/02 The gleam in your eye was a bit earlier then?

quote:
I hear you about the body mounting points, but I think the body is so far off into the future....


"Winter" would seem to be a great time to be at it in AZ

quote:
Alans project has keept the fire going for me to complete mine! I am amazed that he built the entire body, had it mounted, received tons of feedback and then decided to re-do the look so radically. It's really inspirational AND scary. Of course the final product will be phenomenal.


If there were a Locost Hall of Fame, Alan would have to be in it

quote:
I have already created cross sections from the original computer model and cut them out of 1/8" thick board in 1/4"=1' scale. They're just sitting in pile, but I'll resurrect them soon.


Setting those up and having at it with chicken wire and plaster would definitely take advantage of your sunk cost and time. It could go very well!

quote:
Cushing's Nosecone plan is very cool, but how many foam slabs would I need for an entire body? Could I buy them in bulk somewhere?


Well, if you mocked up the whole car in foam. say 3'X6'X12', that would be 216 cubic feet, or 14 4'X8'X6" sheets. Say half of that? Real scentific-like, huh?

I could have sworn I'd seen 6" foam at Home Depot but again, memory sucks. They do have 1" and 2". I priced the 1" white at $4.67 per sheet. 40 sheets for your project would be $186.80. Hmm, should have asked about the 2".

Here are some guys near you who might be worth a call (they have a Phoenix office):

http://www.utahfoam.com/

Then there's this company. Can landscape fill foam be cheaper than dirt? I bought some dirt this fall, and it was not cheap! Another interesting concept is pouring your own foam from gallon cans:

http://www.foamsalesmarketing.com/index.html

What I like about the foam is the ability to miiror the basic shape, but it might be costly to do the whole car, especially as you have sections already. A limited application may work, though, like at the front and rear ends, or details such as scoops.

Fun stuff, huh?

Pete

ProjectLMP - 2/12/03 at 09:14 PM

I plan on going the closed cell foam method and will build directly over the chassis. You don't need to make the body solid. That way you could piece it together from smaller parts, which will be a lot more effcient on foam useage. The thing I like about it is that it is easy to work with, especially with a homemade hot wire cutter. Also the buck won't weigh a ton.

pbura - 7/12/03 at 02:23 PM

I wasn't recommending making the body solid, but was just guesstimating how much foam would be needed, at about half the volume of a full body.

Funny, I had the impression that SLC was just a hop and a skip from Phoenix, and was surprised that it's 500+ miles. There's some wide-open spaces out there, pardner. I had hoped that Steve G could get a load of foam really cheap, or that he could scout the dumpsters like Uncle Ron.

Speaking of wide-open spaces, how would one go about filling the spaces between wood templates, as on the XJ13 replica? Staple plastic screen between the template boards and fill the spaces with drywall compund? Seems a bit "naff" (great word) but might work.

I was looking at Alan B's site and saw that he apparently started by sculpting the car and didn't work from templates. Pretty nervy! I've been impressed at how he's been able to maintain symmetry all along.