AC 3000 Series 427 build

[krausewich]

Mornin Scratch,
Good luck on your build. Sorry to read that it needed to start off a few steps back. Don't be surprised during your journey to find that your CR plans and the body don't sync perfect. I scratch built mine to a 4000 body (build thread posted in here) and there were plenty of concessions when it came time to getting the birdcage and placement reference to sync well. The 4K bodies are a bit out of wack too, mostly in the rear. I did find that I needed to shorten up the front triangular support section to fit to the body by an inch or more. I spent a lot of time placing the body, then built to it. Keep in mind that the glass body is thicker than ally too, so expect dims to be off by 1/8"s (and 1/4 totals) here and there.

In your CR drawings, do you have the 'old school' drawings mixed in there as well (pg.5)? If so, you will find that the frame rail length measures do match up close with the length shown in your photo. 96-7/8 (measures to rear axle C/L) - 5/8" (axle CL offset) leave you at 96.25. These numbers do not jive with the newer ACADs in the drawings. The old drawings would leave you with an 89.5" wheelbase car, though the dims call it out as being 90". A mess I know! Best advice is keeping a constant ref. point like the front of the frame rail, double check every mounting point backwards for your engine pedestals, scuttle hoop, trans holes, outriggers and 3/4" body supports, and trailing link center, then build your new IRS box assy. and rear LCA tabs back the extra 1/2".

Mike.

[ScratchBuilder]

Mike,

I think I have the new school CR plans, I bought them 5 years ago from CR. I have figured out how to get the body moved forward, did you have problems with foot box location forcing too much of an angle on the firewall? I haven't figured that one out yet. Someone suggested to use just the end caps and center of the cowl hoop as reference points and that has been pretty useful.

Thanks!

SB

[ScratchBuilder]

What wall thickness are people using for the 1.75" tower tubing?

[db replicas]

I'm using 1/8" wall DOM.
Better safe than sorry in my book It's not like we are going to be short on power

[Three Peaks]

When I tried to line up my firewall, it also had too much lean to it to match up to the foot box lips as it should. I finally added a piece of 3/4" square tubing directly above the footbox lip so the firewall would be straight up. I bent the tubing to match the body contour before welding into place between the body support tubes on either side. It was tight getting the firewall into place, but if finally all fit and looks great.

When I got my chassis, it was only partially completed. The front towers and rear towers were in place along with the pick up points and cowl hoop, but I had to add the entire bird cage, door, hood, and trunk frames, roll bar supports (driver and passenger) and relocated the cowl hoop support tubes and the rear 3/4" support tubing as it was installed incorrectly.

It took some time, but fitting everything to the body was probably the best thing I could have done to make everything fit properly. I'm sure you'll find ways to fit everything, but you may need to compromise in a number of places as some of us have done.

Do you have the floor mount pedal box and other parts?

Bob

[fasterpatrick]

Originally Posted by ScratchBuilder

Dave,

I need to find a better solution for the body other than storing it on the frame:

SB

looks like your tight on space..... you could rig up something like this.


A lightweight buck and a couple of heavy duty bike lifts and its out of the way untill you need it.

Patrick

[ScratchBuilder]

Patrick,

Thanks!!! That is awesome and i will look into building one.

Sb

[ScratchBuilder]

Bob,

I may add a piece of tubing between firewall and foot box... I do have the pedal box, it was welded in and im going to convert to kirkham bolt in style.

[ScratchBuilder]

DB,

1/8 wall DOM will be lighter, the stuff I cut off is .15 wall DOM ;-)

SB

[db replicas]

Hmm, I've seen .09 used. That's why I thought I was already overboard.

[Three Peaks]

Originally Posted by ScratchBuilder

Bob,

I may add a piece of tubing between firewall and foot box... I do have the pedal box, it was welded in and im going to convert to kirkham bolt in style.

Curious why the change to the Kirkham bolt in style foot box pedals in lieu of the existing pedal box? I thought the only reason Kirkham uses the bolt in style is in cases where they install the dropped floor.
I've got the original style pedal box and I think it works really well. If you have long legs, the bolt in may or may not work well for you since it takes up room in the foot box that the in floor box doesn't.

Bob

[ScratchBuilder]

Busy weekend. It was clear it would be hard to save the ladder frame and the body birdcage so I decided to scrap the ladder and that worked out pretty well. Nick mentioned he may send a new ladder so that helped make the decision too, if not I will build a ladder.

It took a weekend to remove the towers with the swazall and took half a day to cut everything out with the plasma cutter.

Hypertherm 45 is new favorite tool! Can't believe how quick n easy it was and I was able to do the cutting with the body attached:









Cut out ladder frame on left, that will be replaced:

[ScratchBuilder]

Bob,

I plan to add flanges to the end of tube that goes through the box so that it can be bolted in mainly due to the tube being shorter after I cut it out. I could also replace the tube but that seemed like a lot of work.



SB

[Bernica]

My Hypertherm 45 is one of the best investments I have made for the garage. Only problem is when my friends find out I have it and want to borrow it!

[ScratchBuilder]

Really happy with my new upper control arms, these are from another forum member and great quality:



I've sent the lowers out for repair, will post pics of them when I get them back. Here's one of the lowers as pulled from the car:



SB

[ScratchBuilder]

Working on a new ladder.

SB

[Scott427]

I see your other thread was shut down, did the guy that built your car ever send the replacement frame?

[Bernica]

This is a dead end thread.
Computerworks needs to kill it as well.

[Scott427]

How come? is he not building his car any more?

Originally Posted by Bernica

This is a dead end thread.
Computerworks needs to kill it as well.

[ScratchBuilder]

No computerworks needs to ban members who are using this forum for ..... The build will continue as parts come in from other vendors.