Zandoz's unusual project and it's background, evolution, acquisitions, dilemmas, and questions

[choppedtop]

I admire your drafting skills. I can do simple drawings, but not figured out some of the programs that I have tried. I also need to move one computer to my shop. I start on something, and have to run back and forth getting measurements, that I forgot to take or write down. I like your rear wheel style choice. I would prefer a perhaps bead blasted look on them, so they would look more like in your drawing. But then, its not my car. Keep after it! Oh ya, in the last drawing, you have what looks like a larger door outlined. Is that your plan for easier entry?
Lee

 

[fluidfloyd]

No need for apology...generally real life should have a higher priority than cyber life.

I know what you are saying about the blessings of isolation. At one point long ago and far away I lived for 8 years in a fishing cabin. Weather permitting, when I was not working or sleeping, I spent most of my off time sitting on a big rock on the shore. Watching nature, fishing boats, the occasional skier, and trains passing by on the other side of the bay was my entertainment. I loved it.

Is this what you mean?
View attachment 11824
Just about everything is there...some of it down to the nut & bolt detail. I spend a considerable part of the day...adding detail or playing "what if" games.

DraftSight is my toybox of choice also. Unfortunately I've never been able to get the hang of the 3D CAD programs.

Bill,

Your drawing looks good. What I was referring to is when I have a number of choices to make as in a car I will start with a large sheet or drawing size. Usually 2 or 3 times bigger then needed. Then I will import drawing of several optional wheels, suspension systems, engines, separate shocks or coilover units etc. Then I can move individual parts into the main drawing which in this case would be the frame. If the sheet size is large enough I can copy that first frame drawing and build different versions all on the same sheet and compare the different concepts as I design the project. Once I pick a final version I just import it into a new drawing with the correct sheet size and make that my working drawing. A large screen is a real must when you are packing a lot of information on a single sheet in concept work. I also keep all individual parts and components is a cad library so I can re-use them in other projects as needed. Just my way of doing things but it sure beats years of on a drafting table although I do miss them at times as they are very therapeutic and humbling. Now this solid modeling stuff is very frustrating and very humbling but I am getting there. Biggest challenge will be tubular chassis as in purpose built sports cars. As I said before, you car is looking good. Now just turn it into metal and f'glass. Good luck and have fun!

George

 

[Zandoz]

I admire your drafting skills. I can do simple drawings, but not figured out some of the programs that I have tried. I also need to move one computer to my shop. I start on something, and have to run back and forth getting measurements, that I forgot to take or write down. I like your rear wheel style choice. I would prefer a perhaps bead blasted look on them, so they would look more like in your drawing. But then, its not my car. Keep after it! Oh ya, in the last drawing, you have what looks like a larger door outlined. Is that your plan for easier entry?
Lee

Thanks for the compliment on the drafting skills. It's all self taught. I just wish I could pick up on the 3D stuff. Everytime I've tried it's just ended in frustration.

Having been away from all this for 3+ decades, I do have to confess to more than my usual cluelessness when it comes to bead blasting. What would that accomplish, and is it something that could be done now without breaking the bank?

Yes, the enlarged door is part of my accessibility plan. The passenger side will be the already slightly enlarged door that came with the body. On the enlarged driver side door, if I can work it out, I'd like to try a hinge system similar to trunk hinges like these...

to allow the door to swing completely away from the opening. So far I've not come up with a good way to keep the door from sagging.

The rest of the accessibility equation will be a removable steering wheel, and keeping the seat low enough that I can simply set down without climbing.

 

[fluidfloyd]

Thanks for the compliment on the drafting skills. It's all self taught. I just wish I could pick up on the 3D stuff. Everytime I've tried it's just ended in frustration.

Having been away from all this for 3+ decades, I do have to confess to more than my usual cluelessness when it comes to bead blasting. What would that accomplish, and is it something that could be done now without breaking the bank?



Bill, Bead blasting is nothing more then sand blasting inside a sealed cabinet but usually with a much finer sand much like silica sand. Leaves a fine almost felt surface finish. Just find a fab shop, engine shop, starter/alternator shop rebuilder etc and they usually have one. Mainly time as in labor charge but you could just get everything like the frame, rear housing etc sand blasted as a group and have your small parts done at the same time. Bead blasting works very well with aluminum and stainless and is much less aggressive on the finish. Hope this is what you need to know. If not steer me around a little as it has been a long day of TIG welding and it's getting late. That would be an admittance of mistakes in mental clarity!

George

 

[Zandoz]

Bill,

Your drawing looks good. What I was referring to is when I have a number of choices to make as in a car I will start with a large sheet or drawing size. Usually 2 or 3 times bigger then needed. Then I will import drawing of several optional wheels, suspension systems, engines, separate shocks or coilover units etc. Then I can move individual parts into the main drawing which in this case would be the frame. If the sheet size is large enough I can copy that first frame drawing and build different versions all on the same sheet and compare the different concepts as I design the project. Once I pick a final version I just import it into a new drawing with the correct sheet size and make that my working drawing. A large screen is a real must when you are packing a lot of information on a single sheet in concept work. I also keep all individual parts and components is a cad library so I can re-use them in other projects as needed. Just my way of doing things but it sure beats years of on a drafting table although I do miss them at times as they are very therapeutic and humbling. Now this solid modeling stuff is very frustrating and very humbling but I am getting there. Biggest challenge will be tubular chassis as in purpose built sports cars. As I said before, you car is looking good. Now just turn it into metal and f'glass. Good luck and have fun!

George

I don't do anything on paper anymore. I started out at the old school drafting table 45-50 years ago. I don't miss it at all. If there had been CAD systems back then I would probably not have abandoned my Industrial/Automotive Design training.

I do wish I had started out saving the individual components in a library...but lately I've been doing that more and more.

I hear ya on the solid modeling...I've tried several times and got nothing but frustration.

 

[Zandoz]

So the bead blasting is just a form of media blasting? I'm assuming that the intend for the wheels would be to knock off the shine. Hopefully I'll not have much else to be blasted. For the frame, if needed I have a friend with a sand blaster.

 

[fletcherson]

Thanks for the compliment on the drafting skills. It's all self taught. I just wish I could pick up on the 3D stuff. Everytime I've tried it's just ended in frustration.

Having been away from all this for 3+ decades, I do have to confess to more than my usual cluelessness when it comes to bead blasting. What would that accomplish, and is it something that could be done now without breaking the bank?

Yes, the enlarged door is part of my accessibility plan. The passenger side will be the already slightly enlarged door that came with the body. On the enlarged driver side door, if I can work it out, I'd like to try a hinge system similar to trunk hinges like these...
View attachment 11860
to allow the door to swing completely away from the opening. So far I've not come up with a good way to keep the door from sagging.

The rest of the accessibility equation will be a removable steering wheel, and keeping the seat low enough that I can simply set down without climbing.

Your door shouldn't be that heavy, but those long hinges will inevitably sag some. You could make one in a similar design, but use superior material and precision bearings instead of bushings. That is the only thing that comes to mind, there isn't room to incorporate a gull wing hinge, or the like. That's a tuff one.

 

[choppedtop]

Bead blasting those wheels would of course be a matter of taste. It would kill the shiny look that they now have, and give a dull mag look. I am a non-shiny type guy, so that may not be your choice. If you were to consider doing that, perhaps you should take something that is of the same material and look to your blaster and do a test first. You may not like it at all. If those wheels are steel, it may not be a good idea at all, for they probably could rust.
I have a simple CAD program called XCAD, that I use for my drafting. I would really like to take a course to smarten myself up on more advanced CAD programs that I haave, but maybe to old to learn new tricks.
Lee

 

[Zandoz]

Your door shouldn't be that heavy, but those long hinges will inevitably sag some. You could make one in a similar design, but use superior material and precision bearings instead of bushings. That is the only thing that comes to mind, there isn't room to incorporate a gull wing hinge, or the like. That's a tuff one.

Unfortunately I really do not have the fabrication facilities or ability to build from scratch. So far, the only off the shelf solution I've been able to come up with is to to use 4 hinges instead of 2, mounted in pairs. Around the hook portions of each pair, at 3 or 4 points, run vertical internally threaded tubes to tie the pair together. I know not the best solution, but one doable by me . <shrug>

 

[Zandoz]

Bead blasting those wheels would of course be a matter of taste. It would kill the shiny look that they now have, and give a dull mag look. I am a non-shiny type guy, so that may not be your choice. If you were to consider doing that, perhaps you should take something that is of the same material and look to your blaster and do a test first. You may not like it at all. If those wheels are steel, it may not be a good idea at all, for they probably could rust.
I have a simple CAD program called XCAD, that I use for my drafting. I would really like to take a course to smarten myself up on more advanced CAD programs that I haave, but maybe to old to learn new tricks.
Lee

The wheels are aluminum, with kind of a satin finish...not dull, but not a fully polished look either.

I'm not big on shiny either. I'd hoped not to have any shiny bits at all, but that went out the window when I decided to use my Brooklands wind screens...they only come in chrome. Now the mirrors and the wheel hub covers are also chrome, and my front 4-bars are polished stainless. I'd like to knock off some of the shine on the 4-bars. Your bead blasting idea may work for that, when the time comes. For everything else that might be shiny, I'm going with an aluminum look...the wheels, fuel tank, diff cover, steering column & wheel, and just about everything on the engine except the block & heads.

I think XCAD may have been one of the programs I tried when I was migrating from the old DOS Autosketch program. I'm surprised at how much of DraftSight I've been able to grasp, considering all the mind numbing meds I'm on. One is even nicknamed Morontin because it tends to make the user a moron. I do attribute the meds as the reason for not being able to make the jump from the 2D to 3D CAD programs. For 20 years or more of my professional career I was the go-to guy for learning new software and hardware...then doing the training of the end users. Nowadays I don't even like it if I have to get a new mouse

 

[choppedtop]

I call my XCAD, xcad for dummys because it is so easy and simple, that anyone can use it. I also have CAD 3D which in it I can make pretty boxes and tubes, but that is about it.
Lee

 

[Indycars]

You should be able to share with others the files thru the DXF file extension. Just
export/import the DXF file, most programs recognize them.

 

[Zandoz]

I call my XCAD, xcad for dummys because it is so easy and simple, that anyone can use it. I also have CAD 3D which in it I can make pretty boxes and tubes, but that is about it.
Lee

You got farther than me. I've never gotten through trying to draw a simple tire shape, without frustration overload.

 

[fletcherson]

You got farther than me. I've never gotten through trying to draw a simple tire shape, without frustration overload.

When I studied electronics engineering, I played around with cad, but it frustrated the daylights out of me. I am sure the programs have improved. I would be interested in picking up some user friendly software and trying may hand at it again.

 

[Zandoz]

When I studied electronics engineering, I played around with cad, but it frustrated the daylights out of me. I am sure the programs have improved. I would be interested in picking up some user friendly software and trying may hand at it again.

After looking at several of the popular free or cheap CADs DraftSight is the one that worked for me. 2 years or so later, no regrets. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Zandoz]

Rather than continuing to hijack PotvinGuy's thread, I figured here would be more fitting....

The topic is wiring. I'm hoping to keep my wiring as simple as possible...but as with most things there are a couple twists. First off, I want to run all the wiring through firewall bulkhead connector(s), to make removing the body easier if necessary. The other twist that comes to mind is that most of the lighting circuits, and the power outlet (cigarette lighter) circuit need to be duplicated for a trailer connection harness. I would like to run all of the trailer circuits all the way from an auxiliary fuse block on the main panel to the trailer connector, rather than using taps at the rear of the car.

I've been trying to come up with a list of circuits, but I've been sick lately, and I'm having a really hard time focusing. Here is what I've come up with so far for a circuit list...

1. Tail & head lights +
2. Stop lights +
3. Back up lights +
4. License plate light +
5. Left turn signals +
6. Right turn signals +
7. Gauges
8. Power outlet +
9. Horn
10. Charging
11. Ignition
12. Fuel pump
13. Fan

+ Circuits duplicated for trailer harness

Are there any circuits I'm missing?

Has anyone had any experience with Centech Wiring products? I'm really liking these kits Custom Rod Wiring Kit and their associated relays and add-on panels.

A while back I ran across Weatherpack bulkhead connectors. The one that caught my eye was a 22 pin unit for 12 to 20 AWG wire. I was hoping to get by with one of the 22 pin connectors, but I like the idea of dedicated ground circuits, so I may end up with 2.

Any other wiring related issues I may be overlooking?

 

[EX JUNK]

Rather than continuing to hijack PotvinGuy's thread, I figured here would be more fitting....

The topic is wiring. I'm hoping to keep my wiring as simple as possible...but as with most things there are a couple twists. First off, I want to run all the wiring through firewall bulkhead connector(s), to make removing the body easier if necessary. The other twist that comes to mind is that most of the lighting circuits, and the power outlet (cigarette lighter) circuit need to be duplicated for a trailer connection harness. I would like to run all of the trailer circuits all the way from an auxiliary fuse block on the main panel to the trailer connector, rather than using taps at the rear of the car.

I've been trying to come up with a list of circuits, but I've been sick lately, and I'm having a really hard time focusing. Here is what I've come up with so far for a circuit list...

1. Tail & head lights +
2. Stop lights +
3. Back up lights +
4. License plate light +
5. Left turn signals +
6. Right turn signals +
7. Gauges
8. Power outlet +
9. Horn
10. Charging
11. Ignition
12. Fuel pump
13. Fan

+ Circuits duplicated for trailer harness

Are there any circuits I'm missing?

Has anyone had any experience with Centech Wiring products? I'm really liking these kits Custom Rod Wiring Kit and their associated relays and add-on panels.

A while back I ran across Weatherpack bulkhead connectors. The one that caught my eye was a 22 pin unit for 12 to 20 AWG wire. I was hoping to get by with one of the 22 pin connectors, but I like the idea of dedicated ground circuits, so I may end up with 2.

Any other wiring related issues I may be overlooking?

There is no need for a separate circuit for the license plate light as it should be on with the tail lights.

 

[Zandoz]

There is no need for a separate circuit for the license plate light as it should be on with the tail lights.

Very true. I should have caught that.

 

[old round fart]

Stop and turn signal wires are the same too.

 

[fordnut]

I thought about using Centech kit myself, looks like a nice product, there in Pennsylvania about 45 minutes from me.