Owner built on a budget;

[Hray]

Trivia Time Again:

Why did CR sell and include a wiring harness with all spade connectors, and then with same order include a gauage package with terminal connections?

A: So people can get experience cutting off spade connectors and installing terminal connectors.

B; So people that have replaced the connectors can cuss and scream when trying to put on the washers and nuts while laying upside down.

c; So people can get practice making a short pigtail to attach to the terminal and then plug into the spade.

D; So someone can spend 5 hours and drive 125 miles trying to find the single terminal to spade connector. visit several auto parts stores, visit street rod shops, and then eventually getting to a household appliance repair shop to get the connectors.

If you answered D, give yourself 100 points for being so much smarter than one person I know very well.

Update: 116 hours, 18 days down, 72 to go.

Here are the results of some of todays work.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2583/...02d35eb2_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/...e0795ba0_b.jpg

I hope the pain will be worth it, I do think the spade conversion will an easier reinstall after paint, and the various clips I got do make multiple connections much easier.

Managed to get all the gauages wired up in the dash, finished identifying all the wires that would have went into the chevette column. Now gotta figure out how to wire to several different switches.

Question: will not the headlight switch that came with kit also work for wiring up the low and high speed on the wiper motor. And how about a toggle switch on far left hand side of dash for highbeams to low beams.

I think I should do a temp mount of headlights, taillights, turn signals etc to make sure they are wired up within dash prior to fitting body. I would hate to be chasing wiring problems with a painted car and finished dash.

Nite all, and congrats on getting the correct answer to that quiz.

[onefastmustang]

Interesting... My wiring kit from CR wasn't like that at all.. It had all the right connections. You must have the really old wiring kit before they started selling the kit I got. It was like a Highway 15 kit or something like that.

[Hray]

Hey, ONEFAST'

don't rub it in, sure I got an old kit, made in 91, I am still miffed that I spent half a day chasing $5.00 worth of parts. Now I gotta work like the devil to make up lost time.

later Ray

[rustyBob]

Ray.........you da' man.......good thing your not in a hurry to get that thing done......
remember Ray no deadline, no pressure...

[Hray]

Having a chat with myself:

So I gotta fit the body, to fit the hood,...etc......

I am concerned that a body being fit to a chassis without motor and trans in the car would fit one way, and if fit to the chassis with motor and trans in then it would fit another way. So do I really get concerned with this. My history tells me that I have fit doors and fenders to cars without motor and trans in, then things change once the motor is in and i have had to refit them even if only minor.

I am sure the body will assiist in stiffening up the frame, but I do not want the body to be carrying any more pressure than is really needed.

So maybe I will research how much the motor trans weigh, then place some boards across the frame to place weights equal to motor and place weight equal to trans on trans cross member. Then have tires and wheels installed and cars weight sitting on the tires. then fit the body to the chassis. This will allow me access room to adjust the hood. fit the doors, trunk lid should not matter in this case.

Then when body has been secured front to rear, I can remove weights, and install motor and trans. This might allow for neutral stress or pressure on frame and body as completed, and may not require readjustment of hood and doors upon final fit. but mainly I do not want stress on the body when car is finished and just sitting. There I am sure is enough torque and twisting during normal driving without continued stress.

So now I am listening to other little voices either within my head or outside to provide additional insights.

[Hray]

UPdate: 124 hours, 19 days down, 71 to go;

Went parts chasing again and on the second stop I found the ignition switch that I would accept. My first stop was West marine, I thought that maybe they would have a pretty one. they only had expensive water proof ones that were not pretty.

I went to Vintage Ford, the local Ford restoration supply house. I purchased a 31 ford replacement ignition switch. Nut goes in from behind and leaves a nice clean front appearance and rather small and dainty looking. they did not have an acceptable push button starter. Stopped at Pep Boys and got that.

Then since we changed steering columns the custom work I did previously to improve the removeability had to be redone to fit the new column. You know changing things cost time and money. I think Kenton said, the most expensive thing about building these cars is changing your mind in mid stream.

Here is new steering column bracket again I can unbolt it from underneath very easily.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/...39e2a27d_b.jpg

Here is the ignition switch:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2507/...00e65225a4.jpg

Here is the steering column, I used the scrap left from the mustang column to fab up the bracket and fit it to the car. The opening in the dash is now much too large it will require fiberglassing it in to make it smaller. Also a good shot of the key. Nice neat and small.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2621/...714f2483_b.jpg

Hopefully, tomorrow will not require parts chasing and I can get a good days work in.

[Hray]

Yesterdays update: 130 hours, 20 days, 70 to go;

Wired the gauages, key switch, push button starter, hooked up some extra grounds, downloaded wiring diagram for mustang column turn signals. Tested current running to headlights, taillights, solenoid, distributor, all seems to be good.

Went to see One Fast Mustangs car. Very nice car, first time to see a CR finished. Found a couple more objects to purchase for my car that he has on his. Rearview mirror dash mounted, trim rings for roll bar. Got his air cleaner and he donated a nice set of matching valve covers for the car. Thanks tons Mister OFM.

Today should finish up wiring and hopefully get the body inside the shop and ready for prep work soon.

[Hray]

What do we do for a dimmer switch, I think I have determined that the dimmer switch turns off the low beams as it turns on the high beams. I was going to go with a foot dimmer, but the foot box does not really seem suited for that. If I use a dash mounted switch I am not sure the ones I have are suited for the current.

Looking for suggestions, doing a internet search now for a dash mounted dimmer. I did take off the dimmer from the chevette column, I think I could mount it behind the dash, then find a good chrome button that would go thru the dash.

Thanks for assistance.

[Hray]

friday dec 10, update,, or is today 11th, whatever I am losing track of days and dates...
137 hours, 21 days, 69 days to go.

Wired up the tail lights with the little connectors they provided, works pretty neat. I thought I was going to have to put on spade connectors and tape them up.

Got the shop cleaned up, put the tires back on the chassis, moved it over into corner, moved in body to begin work on it soon.

Since starting this 90 countdown I think I have only missed one day from working on the car. Looks like I have averaged a little over 6 hours a day on the project.

I started this project on Sep 16, 2009, I now have about 5 days short of two months into the build. First phase was 175 hours to assemble the chassis, chase parts, test drive the chassis and disassemble it all. I am now 312 hours into the build. I first estimated 500 hours for the complete build. Estimate time left 188 hours. If i can average 6 hours a day 7 days a week in 40 days I will have spent another 240 hours this is more realistic. That will leave 29 days to autorama setup. Enough time to allow for more overages on my time estimate. However if I need another 200 hours above my estimate the calendar will run out. Of course option 1 is to get more hours on the car each day. With some holidays there will be no work on the car. So while I am not racing the clock now, I have no time to slack up or there will be many many 14hours days near the end. I have been there and seen that movie and do not want a rerun of that if I can help it.

I do not anticipate many more changes, that will help, however, I cannot afford too many unexpected setbacks either. If no setbacks I think 240 remaining hours will be real close enough to get it done. I will know much better by new years. If I can paint it new years eve then plenty of breathing room.

By the way, thanks to Terry for his parts for the build, (today I dug thru your parts and used the stop light switch) and thanks to OFM for parts, and thanks to everyone else for suggestions and guidance.

only 7;15 California time, I am calling it a early nite.

[rustyBob]

Thanks for keeping us up to date on your build Ray.........
just a thought.........print this out and display it with the car at Auto Rama.......

[sunman]

HRAY

Ive got older kit also, 96. I see you are mounting body. My rubber? frame to body strip is in bad shape and wonder if yours is too and what to use instead. Also can you post picture of steering column mod? Im rethinking my Chevette tilt. On my Ironhead sporty I run both high and low beam on at same time always with no problems. Maybe you can just add 20 or 30 amp switch that adds hi beam to low. I dont know abount current draw for two lites though. I can check with an Amprobe for one if youd like. Keep it up.

SUNMAN

[rustyBob]

Ray i mounted a standard dimmer switch down at the end of the foot box between the gas pedal and brake pedal and didn't figure i would ever use it but it's there.......
and yes i can reach it just fine if i do need to use it.....

[Hray]

Sunman: I will get pictures of column, and a short description of how we adapted it.

Rustybob: Good to hear that it can be done,

update: basically there is no update, last two days only got three hours in the shop total.

139 hours, 23 days down, 67 to d day:

I did mentally figure out how to fabricate my roll bar, will show and expalin once done.

Changed out the abrasive in my sandblasting cabinet to put in some stuff that is needed to blast stuff for powder coating.

Maybe more hours tomorrow in shop, I will hope for it anyway.

[Hray]

Update' 151 hours, 24 days, 66 to go;

I got in 8 hours and craig came and helpe for 4 hours;

I preped one header, started the fabrication on roll bar bracket to frame;

The bracket for the roll bar will slip over each side of the frame rail, be bolted in with 7/16 bolts and provide a platform inside the car to mount the roll bar. Once on it can be welded from under the car. Once the body is on the car I will only have to cut two slits in the body for the bracket to slide down over the frame rail. This will allow the roll bar to be made without that leaning back thing, they will come straight up thru the body.

I started with a 6inch by 4 inch angle 5 inches long. then cut a 4 by 5 inch plate for inside. all quarter inch thick stuff.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/...1d4657b6_b.jpg

Craig came down ready to do some body work, so we taped off the body seams to show where to grind out some fiberglass and to allow for about a 2 inch fill. We do not want the seams to come back and haunt us after paint.

The previous owner did the red primer stuff, needless to say most all of that will come off, especially around the seams.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/...c97a4a7c_b.jpg

Here is a shot once it has been ground down past the jell coat into the fiberglass.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/...bff8d64a_b.jpg

Here is a shot of the front end after the first round of evercoat and some rough sanding, it will take at least two more fills before ready for primer.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4046/...b9b58f63_b.jpg

Tomorrow I should get the brackets for roll bar finished.

Can someone tell me how tall the roll bar should be from some reference point.

Thanks Ray

[rustyBob]

Ray put a seat on the frame and sit on it and have your buddy measure the height and allow a couple of inches to stick up above your head.........or make it the same height as the windshield........

[*13*]

You're started on the body! Not to far off now! Lookin' Good!

[Double Venom]

Technically:
2 inches above your helmet
CR's- Just barely higher than the windshield-in case of roll over the bar should come in contact with the ground leaving the windshield intact.
DV

[Hray]

Boy: you guys are lots of help, let me rephrase the question.

I would like to get my roll bar made or at least order it this week. Not sure how long it will take for them to bend it up. I plan on having them leave a couple of extra inches on the legs, I can cut them more precise once the windshield is on the car and seats are in the car, and using some visuals as to how pleasing it is to the eye. I am only 5 ft 5 tall so in that case it could be a pretty low bar. I want the protection and the looks as well.

I guess I could measure the windshield height, then assume rear deck is same as top of windshield body, then add the numbers I need extend thru body to mounting surface then add 3 inches for good measure, of which to cut to fit on final assembly.

I guess I am wanting to be lazy and not uncrate the windshield and do all the figgering, I am doing a single bar all the way across the back.

So without being a bother, I would appreciate it if someone could get me a number. I of course will use guestimates to see it they seem reasonable for my build.

Thanks, gotta head out to shop and get the heat on.

[Double Venom]

Uhh, Ray,
I know you are building it your way on a budget, but a single bar without 'down legs' for support is a dangerous bar. They can and do fold over on top of the passenger/driver or fold over to the rear.

Just my 2-cents worth again....

DV

PS. so you know, the legs of the bar do NOT go straight down to the frame, as soon as they go through the body they take a bend (+/- 30 deg's.) forward to hit the frame.

[Hray]

DV: Thanks again, I am puting on two down bars attached at about the same place I saw OFM's down bar attached. It will come up at a slight angle towards the middle of car which should provide some shear strength.

My measurements show 36 inches outside to outside and to start with 25 inches tall. I should have about 3 inches above the windshield with this size, I can cut some off as needed.

DV: Is there a reason the down legs have to move forward besides being able to be a nice place to run a bolt up thru frame to them.
My brackets are placed directly under the exit point of the body and then can be welded on the frame and then bar can be welded to the brackets is a person wants to. later tonite I will post pictures of the brackets.

Ray