Mock -up shows up a problem

[Retroboy]

Howdy
Just interested in how much foot room you guys have? I have just started a mock-up for a track flavored T build and have laid my rails out at 26.5" wide, sat the front axle where it needs to be and allowed a around 3 inches of clearance for front suspension travel, and I've sat an auto trans on the floor on a 5" block of timber ( is 5" clearance enough? - the laws here says a minimum ground clearance of 4"). Now the bottom of my frame is siting around 8.5" from the ground. Where do I put my left foot? ( right hand drive here in Aussie). I want to be able to drive this for a couple of hours with a degree of comfort . I don't have a body at this stage but it will be a '23 - I suspect a '27 would be wider but don't know of any one making one here.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Gerry]

Tony
Welcome to the world of T Buckets.

My left foot will spend most of its time on the trans hump.(UK so RH drive as well). I have a vertical column, which means more foot room at the bulkhead but still no floor room for my foot. Oh I have a 15 body (Ts not mine) which are a little more cramped. Loads of guys here have lengthened or bought lengthened bodies to get enough room. I am sure they have suggestions to help you out...Sure there will be more posts to come.

Gerry

 

[Retroboy]

Thanks Gerry
I'm 6' but with moderate seating I don't think the length is the issue - but I could be proven wrong. I have a mate with a T bucket that sits much higher of the ground ( no I don't know how high) and he seems to have more room 'cos he's not sharing with his tranny as much.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Youngster]

Ahhh Tony ... you are experincing the ol' 2 feet in a funnel syndrom.

One thing you can do is to build a toeboard into your floor. You don't loose that much floor space and it makes a big difference in driving comfort.

Awhile back a fella came to me with a finished car with the same problem. What we did with his car was to make a pedal that matched his brake pedal down to the floor. I welded that to a plate and bolted it to the floor. Now he has a foot rest and it looks like he has a manual trans in the T.

Ron

 

[Old Rotor Flap]

My understanding is our Kiwi Mates have a ton of work needed/required to get a T-Bucket on the road in that , it involves building some sort of 400 MPH head on with a 747, that's on the other end of the runway at near rotation, heavy and over-fueled* speed, surviveable safety cage inside the T-Body that takes up space.

I hope it's not too late to recommend a body stretch to get that need room for a tad more comfort.

Let us know where you are on your build. Do you have room/time/money/frame for a stretch?

*the only tine you have too much fuel on board is when you're on fire

 

[Youngster]

naw ... don't need no stinkin body stretch. Ya do that when ya get out of the car. lol

Ron

 

[Retroboy]

My understanding is our Kiwi Mates have a ton of work needed/required to get a T-Bucket on the road in that , it involves building some sort of 400 MPH head on with a 747, that's on the other end of the runway at near rotation, heavy and over-fueled* speed, surviveable safety cage inside the T-Body that takes up space.

I hope it's not too late to recommend a body stretch to get that need room for a tad more comfort.

Let us know where you are on your build. Do you have room/time/money/frame for a stretch?

*the only tine you have too much fuel on board is when you're on fire

Yep I can go to a stretch - The path I'm heading down is very loosely based on the old '40's track & lakes cars and as such will be running a full bonnet - I think you call that the hood. I had figured I could push the firewall forward say 2 inches or so under that hood - which would require a longer engine bay, with out mucking up the proportions. I guess I could add a couple of inches in the sides maybe through the doors. But it's the lack of room for 2 feet side by side that is what I want to get my head around. See if the car sat higher from the ground I would have less transmission in with me - is my eight and a half inches ground clearance not enough? I considered pushing the motor and tranny over an inch or so to the passenger side but we all know that "if Momma ain't happy - no body happy" so there's not much value in that. Do people ever add a couple of inches into the width of the cowl and still come out looking OK.
Have any of you seen the web site for NEHR T buckets - they have found an interesting way to add a little more foot room.
Cheers
Tony

 

[one finger john]

Toney, my immediate thought was, in your frame design is the body channeled too much (if it is channeled)? Is the floor already installed? Will the frame be z'ed to achieve that "low" look? The NEHR solution is an awkward box on the drivers side of the cowl, with an air vent for circulation. I would contact Ron @ RPM and see if you could buy just a cowl section from his body manufacturer (forgot the name), say cut off just at the front of the door. Then you could splice that section onto your body. The reason I mention channeling is that the less channeling the more foot room (less trans tunnel intrusion). The old track cars were body on frame, no channeling, usually with a belly pan. They weren't really all that low. Think of a T bucket as a cup that can only hold so much. My friend has a 21 Dodge roadster. Nice body, wider than a Ford, bigger all around. Call or contact Ron @ RPM. I know he can give you ideas.

John

 

[Retroboy]

Toney, my immediate thought was, in your frame design is the body channeled too much (if it is channeled)? Is the floor already installed? Will the frame be z'ed to achieve that "low" look? The NEHR solution is an awkward box on the drivers side of the cowl, with an air vent for circulation. I would contact Ron @ RPM and see if you could buy just a cowl section from his body manufacturer (forgot the name), say cut off just at the front of the door. Then you could splice that section onto your body. The reason I mention channeling is that the less channeling the more foot room (less trans tunnel intrusion). The old track cars were body on frame, no channeling, usually with a belly pan. They weren't really all that low. Think of a T bucket as a cup that can only hold so much. My friend has a 21 Dodge roadster. Nice body, wider than a Ford, bigger all around. Call or contact Ron @ RPM. I know he can give you ideas.

John

Thanks John I will send Ron an e-mail. Regarding the frame - I'm using a reversed '29 Willys that is what was originally the rear is now the front with a '37 Chevy axle and pair of parallel leaf springs along side the rails.
The back of the frame will have to be bobbed will either be 1/4 elliptics or a 2 link set up some thing like what's known as NASCAR truck bars with a panard bar and coil overs. I don't have a body yet but will get one before I weld any thing permanently and I intend to sit it on top of the frame with either a full belly pan or just frame covers that look like a belly pan. What sort of height are conventional T buckets from under the frame to the ground? My thinking is with the frame a bit lower (like mine) I can have the body on top with out it looking tall and narrow.
Cheers
Tony

 

[Youngster]

lets take a look at this from the bottom. Most belly pans I've seen are 6 to 8 inches deep. I'm guessing your frame rails are around 4" wide. If you use a 3" radius on your belly pans, you'll have about 7" tall pans under the body. You stated that the law says you need 4" of clearence. That puts the top of the frame rails 11" off the ground. Add 19" to that and you have the top of the door at 30" off the ground. Not bad.

I like your thoughts of extending the body under the bonnet. The longer engine bay won't hurt the proportions of a track roadster. The nose is usually mounted in front of the axle anyway giving them a long, low, sleek look. Are you thinking of a turtle deck on the back too?

Ron

 

[Retroboy]

lets take a look at this from the bottom. Most belly pans I've seen are 6 to 8 inches deep. I'm guessing your frame rails are around 4" wide. If you use a 3" radius on your belly pans, you'll have about 7" tall pans under the body. You stated that the law says you need 4" of clearence. That puts the top of the frame rails 11" off the ground. Add 19" to that and you have the top of the door at 30" off the ground. Not bad.

I like your thoughts of extending the body under the bonnet. The longer engine bay won't hurt the proportions of a track roadster. The nose is usually mounted in front of the axle anyway giving them a long, low, sleek look. Are you thinking of a turtle deck on the back too?

Ron

Thanks Ron. Yes a Turtle Deck or nothing more that a fuel tank. So how do my heights compare to more conventional builds?
Cheers
Tony

 

[one finger john]

The planning stage is always the toughest. The more components you can bring to the mock up the better. And the more these components match what will be used, the better. That includes wheels and tires. Specifically, tire height, wheel base, tread width, which engine/auto trans combo, hanging or floor mount pedals, steering gear, drive shaft length, etc.. And of course, pictures we can see and visualize where this build is going. My thoughts.

John

 

[Retroboy]

The planning stage is always the toughest. The more components you can bring to the mock up the better. And the more these components match what will be used, the better. That includes wheels and tires. Specifically, tire height, wheel base, tread width, which engine/auto trans combo, hanging or floor mount pedals, steering gear, drive shaft length, etc.. And of course, pictures we can see and visualize where this build is going. My thoughts.

John

OK how do ya post pics here?

 

[2old2fast]

GO TO THE LOUNGE SECTION ,GOOD INFO ON HOW TO POST PICS.


DAVE

 

[Retroboy]

The planning stage is always the toughest. The more components you can bring to the mock up the better. And the more these components match what will be used, the better. That includes wheels and tires. Specifically, tire height, wheel base, tread width, which engine/auto trans combo, hanging or floor mount pedals, steering gear, drive shaft length, etc.. And of course, pictures we can see and visualize where this build is going. My thoughts.

John

 

[Retroboy]

quote name='Dave' timestamp='1299026725' post='130915']
GO TO THE LOUNGE SECTION ,GOOD INFO ON HOW TO POST PICS.


DAVE
[/quote]

Well I've now got a Photo bucket account but I give up - I can't seem to post???

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[RPM]

 

[Retroboy]

Gosh looks just like in my shed!!! Thanks for that. OK so now you can see the foot room dilemma.
Cheers
Tony

 

[one finger john]

Ah, better. Parallel leaf springs, front and rear? I can imagine you might have space issues getting a total shot of the chassis, but could we have a clear picture of the rear (maybe two?)? Also your thoughts on driver placement, doors (or not), spring mount points (outside of chassis?), pinch the frame in the engine area?, cross members, cowl support for hanging pedals, T body, right? Enough, enough. I'll stop.

John

 

[Youngster]

I wouldn't get too excited till you get your body. That's going to answer a lot of your questions .... and raise a few more.

Ron