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  #1271  
Old 05-13-2019, 12:51 AM
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Jack 1957 Jack 1957 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Papenburg View Post
Are you going to give the roof a thick padding ? Less than a Carson top but more than a factory top?
What does the fiber optic tube light up in your tail lights ?
Don
I will probably use 1/8" medium density foam padding on the roof. The fiber optic "tube" is actually a solid clear plastic rod that acts as the light. There is a tiny LED in the socket that it mounts to that illuminates it. Part of the daytime running lights.
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  #1272  
Old 05-13-2019, 04:43 AM
Larry4406 Larry4406 is online now
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Epic build!

I had assumed the top would be folding vs what appears to be a removable top.
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  #1273  
Old 05-15-2019, 08:21 PM
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I got the rear window framed in and made some radiused gusset plates for the corners. Large radius on the upper corners and much smaller on the lowers.

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I'm using latches from a 67 - 69 Camaro. I like them because they mount along the side rails and pull out from the sides. They aren't real big so they tuck away mostly out of sight.
I made mounting brackets from some 1/8" T6 plate. They are kind of tricky to get in place. They fit in where the side roof rails meet the front roof frameI have some 1/8" shims holding the front roof frame section up off of the windshield frame to simulate the weatherstrip that will be between them but I should have the weather strips in to be sure of the height. There is some adjustment in the latch but....

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Last edited by Jack 1957; 05-17-2019 at 09:34 PM.
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  #1274  
Old 05-28-2019, 10:36 AM
snedboy snedboy is offline
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It's been a few days since you last posted. I'm getting withdrawal symptoms. I hope everything is alright with you Jack
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  #1275  
Old 05-28-2019, 07:51 PM
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Jack 1957 Jack 1957 is offline
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Yardwork, pool, deck, house maintainance, etc, etc... Winters are brutal around here. I'll be back in the garage in a couple days.
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  #1276  
Old 06-13-2019, 08:06 PM
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Jack 1957 Jack 1957 is offline
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I'm back. I got the last few gussets made for the roof and took everything to the welder so the roof is gone for a couple days. I want to do some of the finish work on the rear deck and deck lid while the roof is out of the way.


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If your edges look more like butchery than artistry, fear not. When I made the deck lid, I left plenty of room to fit into the opening since everything surrounding the deck lid is permanent and not adjustable. Now it's time to tighten it up. There was some wobble along some areas of the deck lid edges so I had welded 1/8" metal rod along the edges in those areas and smoothed them out so I wouldn't need to add duraglass on a very thin edge like that. The surrounding surfaces have a lot more surface area so I'll use Duraglass to bring the outer edges in to the deck lid.
First step is to scuff the primer lightly by hand with some 80grit. Then mask inside the jamb. Back tape the deck lid with the tape hanging out beyond the edge and close it. The additional tape will keep the Duraglass from sliding down into the opening.


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Duraglass itself is too thick to do what I want here. I won't be able to press out the bubbles down in the gaps. You can thin it down by adding about 10% fiberglass resin. Mix it thoroughly before adding the hardener. Spread it out and let it run down into the gap. Don't do too much area at a time, I need to catch it just as it starts to kick. Too soon and it is still soft and will drag along with the blade. Too hard and it won't cut.


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I use two single edge blades and a scrap of 3/16" steel with some vice grips holding the whole mess together to cut the gaps in.


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Cover the gap pushing down lightly. Since the Duraglass has been slightly thinned it will sag down along the verticle surface of the opening and stick like it was welded. It has a very strong bond.


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Watch it closely and check it by touching it with your finger. If it sticks to your finger, it's still too soft. When it starts hardening, run the double blades through using the edge of the deck lid as your guide. If you caught it at the right time it should cut easily and leave a thin strip in the middle. Use a small pocket screw driver to lift the strip out and let the Duraglass finish hardening and move on to the next section. The cut will be straight and clean but it will need additional flilling and sanding further down into the opening.


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Last edited by Jack 1957; 06-18-2019 at 10:53 PM.
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  #1277  
Old 06-20-2019, 09:54 PM
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While I'm waiting for my welder to finish the roof frame I've been getting a few things done. He's a great welder, we just have different production schedules.
Anyway, I finished tightening up the gaps on the deck lid and smoothed out the welds on the rear deck. Then primer.

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I have two 4 1/2" billet aluminum motorcycle headlights that I will be using for side mirrors. I only need the buckets, the guts will be removed. I searched around for a while trying to find bullet shaped mirrors that matched the ones in Ray's renderings but I couldn't find anything even close.
When I was making the molds for the perches I shaped the tops of them to fit these housings. I drilled and tapped bolt holes in the perches, top and bottom.
The guts from the CTS mirrors are very compact. They'll easily fit into these housings.

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I made a gasket for the base where it mounts to the body out of ABS. Then some more filing and test fitting to get the housing to sit correctly on the perch.

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The cardboard template inside is for a mounting plate. There is a stepped reduction in the inside diameter of the housing that this mounting plate will seat against. Then a threaded trim ring tightens down against the plate to hold it in place.

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Here's the mirror with the steel mounting plate installed and the CTS guts mounted to the plate. I won't mount the mirror lense yet, the mirros will need to be disassembled for polishing some time in the future. one down, one to go.
I just wanted to get some of this smaller fab work out of the way. I usually have two or three smaller jobs going while I'm doing a larger job. That way, if I get stalled on the large job, I can still get some work done. I'm hoping to get my roof frame back soon.

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Last edited by Jack 1957; 06-21-2019 at 10:13 AM.
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  #1278  
Old 06-21-2019, 04:11 AM
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Great idea using the headlight buckets Jack.
What is the slotted hole in the door next to the mirror base for?
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  #1279  
Old 06-21-2019, 10:02 AM
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I had originally intended to use recessed door handles there, but the CTS uses electric power latches. I can just put the touch pads on the back side of the doors near the windshield. I'll weld up those holes. They won't be needed.
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  #1280  
Old 06-21-2019, 07:24 PM
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during and soon after the Jesse James/Orange County Chopper fad years, we serviced a number of custom chopper-esque bikes with similar billet invisible headlights. Some of them become absolutely impossible to take apart without damage, even if you knew the drill. I just wanted to mention our experience to possibly help you plan a little extra towards future service & access.

That aside, they look good.
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