wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/8/24 10:46 p.m.

Thanks for the input!

Target specs are:

Caster +4 to +5

Camber -.75 to -1.0

Toe 1/8" IN

Shim on the front side of the PS UCA starting at 1/8".  I'll post results.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 11:12 a.m.

I discussed making a fiberglass hood with my Dad at last weekends car show and again last night.  He's made parts for his '57 Corvette, his first gen Bronco, and his current '63 Corvette.  I've got a spare hood I can use for the mold.  I want something that is rigid enough to use hinges so as not to deal with four hood pins and lifting it off.  I've seen a few mentions of making fiberglass parts here but wondered if you all could point me in the right direction f to start reading about this.  

TurnerX19
TurnerX19 UberDork
8/9/24 12:53 p.m.

In reply to wawazat :

Study the construction of Lotus cars, particularly the Elite type 14 and the Elan. Both are thoroughly documented. They also form the basis of everyone else' subsequent designs. Additionally the now expired patent for the Lotus Bobbin makes off the shelf bond into the glass threaded and clearanced fasteners available in multiple sizes from R.D.Enterprises. Your problem is the thin section of the original steel where the hinges attatch. Past that it is a simple project.

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 1:51 p.m.

Thanks Bill!  I appreciate those references.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 1:54 p.m.

So I removed the UCA ball joint and lifted the UCA for access for the shims.  Loaded them in place based on the best research I could find on vintage Mustang front end alignments.   Testing results soon.  

84FSP
84FSP PowerDork
8/9/24 1:57 p.m.

Hey there sir - any chance you'll have the Cougar done in time to bring it out for Dream Cruise?  We're having our big shindig with food, drinks, music, etc at our Royal Oak office all day Saturday if you wanna pop by.  There will be lots of industry and customer folks there as well.

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 3:00 p.m.

Absolutely Dave!  It would be great to see you again.  Car done?  No.  Car ready for Woodward this year?  YES!

Final alignment specs:

Caster +4.3/+4.2

Camber -1.25/-1.15

Toe 1/8" IN

I'm calling this done.  Quick clean up then obligatory test drive then home to polish up the turd!

In the end I'm glad I chose to do this myself.  It was a process that took time but overall wasn't difficult.  The adjustments available in the aftermarket stuff I installed made this less painful than doing this with Henry's old stampings of that I'm sure.   Next go around will be easier and faster I'm sure.

 

classicJackets (FS)
classicJackets (FS) SuperDork
8/9/24 3:03 p.m.

In reply to wawazat :

Was coming to see if you'd be out for Woodward (or the Clawson show tomorrow) as well! I'll have to keep an eye out for you. We normally park the family on the east-side of Lincoln at Woodward.

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 3:24 p.m.

I was just reminded of the Clawson show tomorrow.  The Henry Ford has a Hagerty C&C in Dearborn and a friend with an M2 reminded me of the BMW C&C in West Bloomfield.  Options!

What are you driving so I can look for you?   I've got events planned Weds-Sunday next week.

 

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 4:02 p.m.

Quick rip shows significant improvement in bump steer and overall reduction in how jittery feeling it was.  Very pleased with the results of my efforts!

APEowner
APEowner UltraDork
8/9/24 6:39 p.m.
wawazat said:

Quick rip shows significant improvement in bump steer and overall reduction in how jittery feeling it was.  Very pleased with the results of my efforts!

Nice.  Good job.  I've always found alignments satisfying.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner MegaDork
8/9/24 6:47 p.m.
wawazat said:

Alright changing my estimate on the weight of these turn plates to 70lbs each.  Damn.  

I had a chance to get a couple of turn plates for free a couple of months ago. I knew how often I wouldn't use them and how much they weigh. I passed, mostly because I knew I'd hate them every time I had to move them. How are they so heavy?

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 7:11 p.m.

In reply to APEowner :

It was a lot of tweak, measure, tweak again, measure but I did enjoy it.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 7:14 p.m.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I think the frame is 1/4" steel plate and those cross beams running under the base are 1/2" thick.  Thing may have come from a bus depot.  They did the job and I'll hold on to them for while scouting their replacements.  

classicJackets (FS)
classicJackets (FS) SuperDork
8/9/24 7:30 p.m.

In reply to wawazat :

I should clear up, nothing interesting of mine runs so we'll just be sitting there with the kids in a little wagon!

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/9/24 10:51 p.m.

I remember those days well and miss them.  My boys are 14 and 16 now.

Reach out if you want to connect at eight Juan sero fiver too 3 too three for for.  I'll be at Pastieners Wednesday (14 and Woodward), Oak Park car show Thursday, Berkley Parade Friday evening (kids love that one), and M1 Friday and Saturday.  I'm going to connect with 84FSP sometime over the weekend too just gotta figure out when.

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/10/24 11:17 a.m.

Breakfast with a buddy then off to a car show in Clawson.  350 cars is the number I heard.  I didn't register nor put the car in but just walked the show.  Had a mix of nice, really nice and some not so nice cars.   Back home now and contemplating days activities.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/12/24 8:43 a.m.

The car is running well so today I took it to a customer for a meeting.  He's a car guy too.  Tonight I'm going to tackle the tach.  That is remove the non-functional, non- matching XR7 tach that the previous owner installed but never finished with a custom made matching tach.  

 

I was thinking of replacing all the gauges with something custom but I like the original silver center Mercury design.  The new tach uses the blank panel this car had from the factory (base cars didn't have a tachometer) if the same design and makes it in to a tachometer.  
Also, the wood grain surface is going to be cleaned and painted SEM trim black.  Wood grain will show through but black will be a nice change I think.  

Dusterbd13-michael
Dusterbd13-michael MegaDork
8/12/24 8:45 a.m.

Im glad to see this getting used and tweaked. Need to get the duster out when it cools down 

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/12/24 8:51 a.m.

40 or so miles today Michael.  Was going to see Angry but he cancelled on me!  
Lots of cruise related activities this week including some time with Dad and his 1963 split window Corvette.  May be his final time driving it on Woodward.  

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter)
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
8/12/24 2:24 p.m.
wawazat said:

40 or so miles today Michael.  Was going to see Angry but he cancelled on me!

I'm a dick!

Lots of cruise related activities this week including some time with Dad and his 1963 split window Corvette.  May be his final time driving it on Woodward.  

Hooray for activities with Dad.

Boo for potentially last time he can cruise Woodward.

Sorry for the last-minute bail.

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/12/24 2:32 p.m.

No worries dude.  Things happen and it's just a trinket.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/13/24 9:34 p.m.

Meeting Dad tomorrow afternoon!  We're both pretty pumped.  
Monday when I took the car to see a customer it stumbled and coughed a bit when I shut it down.  It did it again after my trip back home.  Odd.  It's fuel injected and has never done that before.  The night before I filled up the tank with regular when I typically use mid-grade.  Ran thru diagnostic checks on FiTech and had no faults or other issues I could see.  Next day I filled up the tank with premium (about half a tank) and drove it A LOT!  No further issues or run on conditions at all.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/13/24 9:49 p.m.

All those words above means I didn't get the tach installed-BOOO!  Imma try tomorrow morning.  

wawazat
wawazat SuperDork
8/15/24 2:56 p.m.

Just added +10 HP!

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