1951 Chevy Figure 8 Stock Car

[bobss396]

I got the front crossmember roughed in. Much easier to do in a single piece. I had 2 other designs going that didn't work.

I need to clear the decks shortly. I'm hosting Xmas for a very small crowd.

[Lunajammer]

Sure doing some quality work here. A pleasure to see. Certainly exceeds my own abilities and patience.

[bobss396]

21 hours ago, Lunajammer said:

Sure doing some quality work here. A pleasure to see. Certainly exceeds my own abilities and patience.

Thanks. I put some effort into the build. I have almost everything in primer. The biggest hurdle was working with the 3D printed engine. I feared I would have to get into the floor pan due to clearance issues. Next is prime and paint on the tiny engine details.

[bluestringer]

Looking good. Nice work.

[bobss396]

I got more done yesterday. I even have a clean dining room table. Body is in final primer, so is the chassis. Most detail parts are painted or in primer. 

I had to relieve the firewall to clear the 3D printed bellhousing and headers.

[bobss396]

Next up is another figure 8 car. I had this '56 Ford kit forever. It has a broken A and B pillar that has to be fixed.

Engine is a 240/300 Ford from VCG RESINS. 

[customline]

You're moving too fast, Bob, I can't keep up 🥵

[bobss396]

Back on the bench. The Chevy 6 fits well. I had to make more clearance on the floor.

I made a mount for the rear bumper yesterday. And got a few things painted.

I added 2 pieces of angle stock on the firewall as a stop. Also 2 mounting blocks in the trunk, these are pinned to the chassis so it goes back together the same way every time.

I mounted the interior to the chassis to make assembly easier. 

Next will be final chassis prime, install the radiator frame and get some gauges going for the dash. I still may hinge the trunk lid. 

[Volzfan59]

This one is looking great! Love these old cars from the past, especially with a straight six.

I let my buddy drive my old street stock in the figure eight class at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, KY one night. No way I would ever run in that class! He was running around 5th in the feature. Next thing I knew, my car was in mid air landing on my transmission sponsor's car knocking him (sponsor) out. Never again did I let my car be driven by someone else, nor in a figure eight race. Thankfully no one was injured and the car finished the season.

Good times 

[TarheelRick]

Glad you are back on this one. Those are some serious looking bull bars.

[bobss396]

5 hours ago, Volzfan59 said:

This one is looking great! Love these old cars from the past, especially with a straight six.

I let my buddy drive my old street stock in the figure eight class at Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green, KY one night. No way I would ever run in that class! He was running around 5th in the feature. Next thing I knew, my car was in mid air landing on my transmission sponsor's car knocking him (sponsor) out. Never again did I let my car be driven by someone else, nor in a figure eight race. Thankfully no one was injured and the car finished the season.

Good times 

Figure 8 drivers are another breed. We had one guy who looked like Barney Rubble. We pitted away from them, too much chaos when they would pit for repairs. A few guys became great modified drivers.

[bobss396]

2 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

Glad you are back on this one. Those are some serious looking bull bars.

This was one class that permitted cow 🐄 catchers, to a point. Almost always angle iron and black pipe. I'm considering door bars and maybe 2 bars from the cage to the chassis rails.

[Volzfan59]

Hey @bobss396, You gonna do a WIP on the '56 Ford figure eight car? 

[bobss396]

On 4/26/2024 at 10:58 PM, Volzfan59 said:

Hey @bobss396, You gonna do a WIP on the '56 Ford figure eight car? 

I'm working on 1 car at a time right now..  see how long that lasts. If I have some common tasks, I will combine the efforts.

I'm adding some more bars to the cage on the '51 and decided to run the exhaust up through the floor and out behind the passenger door. I also have to fudge the rear wheel opening on one side, remove about .060" from the rear and add the same to the front. This is why I pin things together, imagine finding that after paint....

[customline]

Hey, Bob, I'm also happy to see this one progressing. I can't remember why, though....I will read it all from the beginning. 🤓 I do remember I was working on a Fleetline when I became interested in your build. It's just age.....😕.....what was I saying? 🤔

[bobss396]

Got the wheel well fixed. Putty is next.

Clearance the crossmember for the exhaust. Pipes are roughed out and made a side exit plate. I have to box off an area on the floor pan. 

[customline]

Bob....um....is this car going to be right-hand steering? Or did you flip the photo?

[bobss396]

16 hours ago, customline said:

Bob....um....is this car going to be right-hand steering? Or did you flip the photo?

I am not following what you mean....

[TarheelRick]

6 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I am not following what you mean....

I think he is referring to the exhausts exiting behind the driver door rather than the passenger door ("and out behind the passenger door") as you mentioned earlier. That is going to make one very hot compartment for the driver. 

[bobss396]

4 hours ago, TarheelRick said:

I think he is referring to the exhausts exiting behind the driver door rather than the passenger door ("and out behind the passenger door") as you mentioned earlier. That is going to make one very hot compartment for the driver. 

That is the side the headers come out on. Yes, the driver side. I boxed it out inside and it is behind the cage 

[bobss396]

You can see the boxed area behind the driver. On a real car, the floor would be open and there would be a partition likely back to the trunk wall.

I'm sneaking the pipes up as dummies. I made the exhaust plate over, it needed to be bigger. 

I added more bars to the cage and from the firewall. It needed something. I'm not sure what year the cages went out to the front.

[bobss396]

I could open the floor up, I would have to make longer pipes or make them in 2 pieces. 

I'm using RG405 semi flex cable as flex pipe. I would need to make a joiner from .125" aluminum tube.

Then bring the partition up to the trunk wall. So the bottom would be exposed. This in theory would make it cooler on the driver.

[customline]

14 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I am not following what you mean....

I guess TarheelRick said it all. I was confused by the "passenger side" text and the subsequent driver's side exhaust exit photo. You can still edit it, Bob 🤓

[bobss396]

10 hours ago, customline said:

I guess TarheelRick said it all. I was confused by the "passenger side" text and the subsequent driver's side exhaust exit photo. You can still edit it, Bob 🤓

I mix things up... oh well. The photos are correct. I'm going to mess around with it later on and maybe open up the floor and build a "shelf" inside the car. Real stock cars did exit them from the passenger side, a no-go for this one, as the headers are on the driver side. The interior had a raised portion on the passenger side so there was a ton of room to route the exhaust.

[customline]

3 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I mix things up... oh well. The photos are correct. I'm going to mess around with it later on and maybe open up the floor and build a "shelf" inside the car. Real stock cars did exit them from the passenger side, a no-go for this one, as the headers are on the driver side. The interior had a raised portion on the passenger side so there was a ton of room to route the exhaust.

I don't understand why the exhaust had to be routed through the cabin and not underneath like a regular car. 🤔. No room undeneath? Weird rules? My total ignorance? 🤓