70-DropTop 12 Report post Posted March 26, 2014 Welcome back, man! I'm also in the camp of getting my ride done this year...hopefully no later than June. Keep going and posting...I find it motivating. This site is what kept me going during the slow time. Now, things are coming together and that's exciting. Your ride is sharp! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted March 27, 2014 Thanks man... I'll keep plugging away, and you do the same. We'll get 'em done! I did get a few hours today to spend cleaning the engine bay in anticipation of sanding, priming, and painting it this weekend. I also made templates for my shock tower reinforcements. Will probably have a local metal shop cut them out of 1/4" plate, but I'll bend them myself as needed. Then again, maybe I'll just buy the plate and cut them with a cutting wheel. Anyway, not a ton of progress, but every bit counts. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 7, 2014 Progress is slow, but at least it continues... got the bay primed and fab'd a good bit of the shocktower reinforcement kit. I'd love to be able to just drop $200 for one of the kits, but fab'ing a poorman's version with nothing more than a cheap cutoff wheel, a bench vice, a claw hammer, and $25 worth of steel plate comes with a bit of personal pride. Definitely wish I had better tools... or at least a proper BFH. Anyway, a couple pics: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trinitys 134 Report post Posted April 7, 2014 looking good! keep up the good work! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPM 1,190 Report post Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) I'd love to be able to just drop $200 for one of the kits, but fab'ing a poorman's version with nothing more than a cheap cutoff wheel, a bench vice, a claw hammer, and $25 worth of steel plate comes with a bit of personal pride. Exactly! A few years ago before I started fabbing parts for the mach one, I worked for my ex who has a manufacturing company with multiple machines including press brakes, press punches, iron workers, tubing benders, 100% duty cycle welders, plasma cutters, yada yada yada. It would have been too easy to use the good stuff. But noooo, I've been using a sawzall, flapper wheel grinder, and other hand tools. The only machines I've used are the drill press, lathe and mill which are in my home shop. Doing fab work the old way does come with a bit of personal pride. It can be done just fine, although it takes a bit longer. Speaking of hand tools, I once built a road racing kart out of 1-1/4" x .095 wall chromoly tube using a hack saw, hand file to fish mouth the ends, a tig welder and lathe. Edited April 7, 2014 by RPM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 7, 2014 To have a tig welder and lathe... Oh, the things I could make! I'm just glad to have a bench vice and bench grinder! Anyway, we'll be mig'ing the plates into place with a 25 year old $100 Craftsman welder... no fancy tools here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPM 1,190 Report post Posted April 7, 2014 To have a tig welder and lathe... Well, the lathe was purchased used for $300 late last century, and my brother bought the mill used from a fellow karting buddy. The good news is that my bro doesn't have room for it, and lives 2 hrs away :) They are fun to play with. Kinda hard to come up with an excuse not to repair something. Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 22, 2014 I have missed all of my deadlines, but I don't mind because I'm really trying to do things a bit more proper. This time around. As of this past weekend, all the shock tower reinforcements have been welded in, welds ground down, and seams sealed. I also installed the intake on the motor and cleared it and the timing cover with Duplicolor. Hope to get the bay primed and wet sanded this week and in top coat next weekend. Then on to reassembly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 28, 2014 Got a couple things done... First, I finished painting the engine and mounted the intake and test fitted the carb and fuel line. The carb is a Quick Fuel Slayer 750, and the dual feed fuel line I purchased doesn't fit. I'll either get the right one or just cut and flare it and connect the two pieces with rubber fuel line rather than bother with returning it. Not worth it for $15. Second, engine bay got sanded, primed, and topcoated. I originally sprayed it "semi-gloss", but it was way to glossy for my tastes. So then I sprayed a coat of flat black, and that's too flat. So now I've bought some satin black... hopefully this will have the right sheen. If nothing else, there will be plenty of paint on there. Pics... engine bay still in flat black here: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tgriffin91 27 Report post Posted April 28, 2014 What intake is that? the carb looks so high on the motor to me and it doesn't look like you have a spacer either. Are you doing ram air with the hole in the hood? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 28, 2014 It doesn't seem terribly high to me, but it's just a Weiand Stealth, which should clear fine. And you are correct, no spacer... yet. I'm not going with a shaker for the moment, and hadn't planned on needing to cut the hood for clearance, but I did figure I'd need a drop-base air cleaner. But rumor has it there will be plenty of room in any case. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guillaume69 150 Report post Posted April 29, 2014 Very nice intake, Man! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tgriffin91 27 Report post Posted April 29, 2014 I could just be crazy but it looks higher. I know there is someone else using that intake. Maybe TheEvilTwin, which has a 460. I could just be making weird connections. Looks good though and getting the engine together is definitely an accomplishment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RPM 1,190 Report post Posted April 29, 2014 Yep, they sit a bit higher. I had to use lowering motor mounts to get mine close to fit the shaker. I believe they lowered it 3/4". Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 29, 2014 I guess we'll see... I'm considering going to a shaker in the future, but if I'm going to have to cut the hood, it may be sooner than later. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted April 30, 2014 Got an hour or so to spray the bay with the satin I bought... much better than the semi-gloss, but wasn't quite sure how it would turn out exactly because I had to leave before the paint completely flashed/dried. Here's a pic anyway: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted May 12, 2014 Spent some time painting engine accessory brackets and pulleys... still not done. And the satin dried to a nice finish, so I'm pleased with it now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muletman 18 Report post Posted May 13, 2014 Looking good, good to see another Florida member, I'm just north of Orlando. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted May 13, 2014 I'm hoping to have it done enough to take it to some events later this year... Perhaps we'll have occasion to meet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted May 18, 2014 Thought I'd post a quick update... I've not been working on it for the last few weeks due to family and business commitments, until today when I finally finished painting the accessory pulleys and brackets. At this point, I really need to order parts to finish assembling the motor in preparation for installing it. Didn't bother with pics today. You'll just have to wait to see the motor assembled instead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted January 5, 2015 I can't believe I got waylaid again and haven't worked on it for another 7 months. Absolutely ridiculous! The only things I've done is buy stuff for the car... Borgeson box conversion, GW strut rods, taillight bezels, MS hinge rebuild kits, brackets for the alternator and ps pump, SS bolts, and a few other things. Now I just need to get back to working on it... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD08 42 Report post Posted January 5, 2015 At least buying stuff is progress. Doing absolutely nothing is when you feel bad. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Protowrxs 111 Report post Posted January 6, 2015 Is 2015 THE year for us guys that have been here with non running cars for a long time that we get it done? Done enough at least? Say YES... That is the correct answer. We need to bug each other to keep things rolling.. :-) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
70-DropTop 12 Report post Posted January 6, 2015 Is 2015 THE year for us guys that have been here with non running cars for a long time that we get it done? Done enough at least? Say YES... That is the correct answer. We need to bug each other to keep things rolling.. :-) you betchya! :thumbup: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBuddha 107 Report post Posted January 6, 2015 I'm in! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites