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After 4 very long days on the left coast, this is the rolling chassis with a body. The wheels are borrowed as PS Engineering had not yet finished making the custom offsets and widths I had sent to them earlier. This is the original shape of the "narrow body". the final version is MUCH wider!
After 4 very long days on the left coast, this is the rolling chassis with a body. The wheels are borrowed as PS Engineering had not yet finished making the custom offsets and widths I had sent to them earlier. This is the original shape of the "narrow body". the final version is MUCH wider!
0 2011/05/11 18:49:51
here it is from the back. it is now basically a unibody as the carbon fiber body and steel frame have been epoxied and fastened together. Only the hood, doors and trunk lid can be removed at this point.
here it is from the back. it is now basically a unibody as the carbon fiber body and steel frame have been epoxied and fastened together. Only the hood, doors and trunk lid can be removed at this point.
0 2011/05/11 18:52:38
Once the rear portion of the body/chassis bonding was completed, everyone participated in the hood mounting ceremony! This was a critical step as it would determine the alignment of the largest panel of the car. The more hands the merrier! So, I did the honors and drilled the ever-so-critical hood hinge mounting holes. Felt good to get the hood on because it actually started looking like a car…sort of anyway
Once the rear portion of the body/chassis bonding was completed, everyone participated in the hood mounting ceremony! This was a critical step as it would determine the alignment of the largest panel of the car. The more hands the merrier! So, I did the honors and drilled the ever-so-critical hood hinge mounting holes. Felt good to get the hood on because it actually started looking like a car…sort of anyway
0 2011/05/11 18:54:36
All sections where the carbon fiber body touched the frame were screwed, glued, and wrapped with carbon fiber lay-up to create a “uni-body” type of construction:
All sections where the carbon fiber body touched the frame were screwed, glued, and wrapped with carbon fiber lay-up to create a “uni-body” type of construction:
0 2011/05/11 18:55:49
While waiting for the glue and resin to cure, we started putting the suspension and rear end into position. Here, the differential and half shafts have just been installed. the next step is the lateral links, trailing links and toe rods.
While waiting for the glue and resin to cure, we started putting the suspension and rear end into position. Here, the differential and half shafts have just been installed. the next step is the lateral links, trailing links and toe rods.
0 2011/05/11 18:56:39
The entire body weighed in at about 120 lbs. Pretty cool. Of course, it only looked like this until it met my sawsall!! Next we moved the body to the Lucra shop in Oceanside CA where, with their help, my brother and I started bonding the body to the frame. After cutting off all of the mold flashings and cutting the body to slide down over the frame, we were able to begin the bonding process. Because of our limited time (both of us had to be at work on Monday) we worked very long hours and typically locked up well after the Lucra folks had left at night.
The entire body weighed in at about 120 lbs. Pretty cool. Of course, it only looked like this until it met my sawsall!! Next we moved the body to the Lucra shop in Oceanside CA where, with their help, my brother and I started bonding the body to the frame. After cutting off all of the mold flashings and cutting the body to slide down over the frame, we were able to begin the bonding process. Because of our limited time (both of us had to be at work on Monday) we worked very long hours and typically locked up well after the Lucra folks had left at night.
0 2011/05/11 18:58:38
We couldn't resist and had to "mock up" what the car would look like some day. it was amazing how light these large body panels were.
We couldn't resist and had to "mock up" what the car would look like some day. it was amazing how light these large body panels were.
0 2011/05/11 19:01:08
This is the rear body section out of the mold and with most of the mold flashing removed.
This is the rear body section out of the mold and with most of the mold flashing removed.
0 2011/05/11 19:02:26
And a few shots of my “virgin body” before I got my mitts (and my sawsall) on it. The hood shell:
And a few shots of my “virgin body” before I got my mitts (and my sawsall) on it. The hood shell:
0 2011/05/11 19:03:12
Here is the mold used to lay up the carbon fiber center tunnel. this will be bonded into the chassis much later in the saga.
Here is the mold used to lay up the carbon fiber center tunnel. this will be bonded into the chassis much later in the saga.
0 2011/05/11 19:04:18
My brother and I toured the facility that built the bodies. Very cool place. Here are a few shots of the facility and one of the body molds. The insulated thing in back is their autoclave for the high dollar piece. this is the actual mold for the rear portion of the body.
My brother and I toured the facility that built the bodies. Very cool place. Here are a few shots of the facility and one of the body molds. The insulated thing in back is their autoclave for the high dollar piece. this is the actual mold for the rear portion of the body.
1 2011/05/11 19:05:13