Ace-Garageguy Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I'm about 98% sure I haven't posted this one on here before...started the build in 2010, have been tinkering with engineering issues off and on since then. I've figured out a couple of things (in the process of working out a way to use Porsche 911 front suspension under a real rod), so she's come back out again to play. Radical lowering job is evident, but like with all of my builds, I want to give it enough ground clearance to work if built full scale, and enough engineering correctness to be feasible in reality. I started out thinking Chebby 409 power, with trick chain transfer-case style hubs in the rear to get the chunk low enough to keep a flat bed floor. Nah...too lame. Had a 512 BB engine / gearbox lying around, and it fits in the bed. The Ferrari drive axles come out at the right location to actually work on this setup. And the engine bay in front can be the new trunk......plenty of luggage space for two to go to VLV... Started with the '34 AMT 3-window frame, which is awful. I was going to use it for a race car, but it's too awful even for that. So, I added material to the top of the rails to deepen them, then Zeeed the front to carry the new IFS, and Zeeed and arched the rear rails to go up and over the axle and carry the Ferrari Boxer motor closer to the ground. Also added all new tubular crossmembers and an .030 styrene floor panel Still needs left rail matched, filling and finishing, but you get the drift.... The extreme lowness coupled with the silly-tall tires, and my desire to have no axle in front of the grille has made the build a little more-than-usually challenging. In the rear, I've made up a transverse torsion-bar setup, with the trailing arms made from Little Gasser parts, and the chain-drive transfer hubs made from parts box something-or-others. The disc-brake hubs are Ferrari, with parking brake calipers too. All of this could work....at least enough to get itself on and off a trailer.....Actually, the rear suspension is almost identical in concept to old VW bus practice, but with chain-drive hubs to get it down, rather than gear-reduction hubs to get it up. Front suspenders are based on Porsche 911 geometry and torsion bars... In the front, I've made up some new crossmembers, stretched the front rails a bit, added gusseted brackets to mount the rear of the torsion-bars, and added a little more structure to carry an upper A-arm. The front hubs are also Ferrari, and mount to the Porsche lower control arms (reversed) like the original parts. There is no room for the Porsche strut though, so I'm making up an upper A-arm to do the same job. It has to mount to something in space to carry the loads, so tubular members are going to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 (edited) This has been a packaging nightmare, but everything is looking like it will fit at this point. The headlights will still mount to the tops of the front rails, and there's just enough room to get a tie-rod in front of them for steering. Steering input, by the way, will be from a left-side cowl pitman arm. The upper control (A) arm visible in this view is larger diameter tube than the final part will be...it's a mockup to check the fit. Also, the black part of the suspension between the rails will disappear. I've redesigned the way the torsion bars anchor to the frame, so there won't have to be anything in front of the signature '34 grille, except the steering tie-rod. You get an idea of how tight everything is in this shot.....You can see how the upper A-arm really points forward at an extreme angle, but it COULD work if all the support structure and the arms themselves were very, very rigid....say, like carbon fiber. Again, this will be the trunk. There will be a full hood, with sides that conceal the frame rails and most of the lower arms and torsion bars. All the frame and suspension fab work is intended to try to keep the nose this clean, with full hood side panels... Edited May 20, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hjracing Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Awesome start! I'll keep an eye on this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobthehobbyguy Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Nice start. Nice work as always. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill_67 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Oh yea, Bill this is going to be awesome! Love the idea, and the build looks great already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 This will be so interesting to watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pim Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Kewl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 That's wild Bill. I like it !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted May 22, 2015 Author Share Posted May 22, 2015 Thanks for the interest and kind words. Tweeking that front suspension, 'cause it's still a little more noticeable than I want, and I need just a tad more space over the rails for the headlight buckets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyrichard Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 very very cool ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stray Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 awesome concept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exesivefire Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Well I think your 2% let you down, I was wondering what happened to this one! Love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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