Spyder work

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  • #303999
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    So this is not Bridget-related but I figured I’d update you-all on my other absurd plastic toy. Some of you know I bought an unbuilt Thunder Ranch Spyder kit back in April, picked up a Jake Raby-built 1915 Type 1 engine for it in May, and have been doing stoopid things to it ever since: instead of assembling the blasted car like a normal person would, I have been chopping holes in it, adding steel, buying gauges that don’t fit and sending them to California, taking the transaxle out…basically anything and everything a sane person would NOT do on his first full build.

    My aim is to make this Thunder Ranch extremely lifelike, in terms of detailed fealty to the original Spyders. To that end, I’ve made functional front jack points, a functional front air intake, true-to-original horn pockets under the front valance, and now am working on the inner clamshell bracing.

    Here’s the blog.

    Here’s a taste:

     

    #304001
    billnparts
    Participant

    @billnparts

    Very good. I read the blog and it looks like a unique detail.

    Why is it that the most work goes into stuff you never see as it rolls on down the road?

     

    Bill Ascheman
    Fiberfab Ford
    Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
    Autocross & Hillclimb
    "Drive Happy"

    #304005
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Only Ed would drill holes in 22 gauge aluminum to “lighten” it.  I’m impressed, but not surprised (having seen Ed’s work before)….a passion for precision.

    “fealty”?  Really Ed?  I need to remember to never play Scrabble with you.

    • This reply was modified 7 years, 3 months ago by Royal.
    #304008
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Ha! Yeah the holes won’t lighten it enough to matter, but they’re good decoration, and who ever parks a Spyder without lifting up the clamshell so’s everyone can see in? My aims here are three.

    1. See if I can develop any passable skills in sheet metal forming without investing in necessary tools such as an English wheel or even a bending brake.
    2. If I succeed at (1.), make a Spyder replica that, when parked next to the six other ones at Carlisle, will make pretty much everyone stop and go “Holy Nürburgring, Batman! Somebody parked a real one in amongst these fakes!”
    3. If I succeed at (1.) and (2.), commence a small side gig making and selling and/or installing said faux-fealty alloy bits in other people’s Spyder kits, for money-pay.
    #304012
    Toller
    Participant

    @toller

    Ed
    Too bad you live too far south, I picked up a Grizzly G4011 last week in an online auction for $200. It will shear, brake, roll, press and notch albeit it is limited to a max of 22 gauge. I did make some seat stands to replace the fibreglass pedestals with 20 gauge last week but had to use a cheater bar to give me the leverage to make the 90 degree bends. I dropped the seat height by 4″ so I now look through the wind screen instead of over the top

    David B Dixon
    Port Perry ON CA
    Sabine

    #304015
    billnparts
    Participant

    @billnparts

    ROAD TRIP !! 🚗💨

    Bill Ascheman
    Fiberfab Ford
    Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
    Autocross & Hillclimb
    "Drive Happy"

    #304187
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Continuing Spyder work. Nothing earth-shaking here; just steady hour-here, three-there progress.

    #304221
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Transaxle comes back Saturday. I plan to have this all primered-up by then.

    #304222
    Dale Schumacher
    Participant

    @schu

    Cool Ed

    following along – need to get moving on my rig somehow

    #304246
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Transaxle is back.

    Also did a guide coat on the inner clam last night. Not bad, but still needs a full sand-down and maybe one or two more trips with the filler.

    By the way, those irregular little humps running in the valleys are bogus “weld fillets,” which are period-correct and will remain.

    #304261
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Bending metal, boys. All in the service of making the spare tire fit just right.

    #304263
    Paul Mossberg
    Keymaster

    @pmossberg

    Ed, when I click your latest link, I get a prompt to log in to my WordPress account. I don’t have one.

    Paul Mossberg
    Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
    2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

    If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

    #304264
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    #304265
    billnparts
    Participant

    @billnparts

    Great progress, Ed. I see you use the same CAD that I use. What version is yours?

    Bill Ascheman
    Fiberfab Ford
    Modified 5.0, 5sp., 4:11
    Autocross & Hillclimb
    "Drive Happy"

    #304266
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Mine is “boxes that stuff came in, Ver. 1.1.”

    #304268
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Spare tire mount is coming along.

    #304269
    HappyJack
    Participant

    @happyjack

     

    Hey Ed,

    Lookin’ Good!!  So as I count it up, you have a fiberglass fabrication shop, a metal fabrication shop, a paint shop, a lift and a lot of patience…and a fine “Cardboard Cad System” all of which makes you the envy of every “Big Boy’s Car Kit Maker” out there — especially me!!

    Keep on Build’in

    Happy Jack

     

    #304282
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Five hours in the shop today and I almost made a new cross bar.

    Wait till I get into the actual build, right?

    #304284
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    Ed, not a play on words: are you using gas…..or flux wire?

    #304286
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    It’s flux wire and it’s a new (to me) unit. I’ll get it dialed-in, don’t worry.

    #304288
    Royal
    Participant

    @royal

    I was using flux wire until about a year ago.  Went to a flea market and bought a gas bottle and regulator.  I’ll never look back.  (I’m using CO2)

    #304290
    Paul Mossberg
    Keymaster

    @pmossberg

    Progress is being made!

    Excellent!

    Paul Mossberg
    Former Owner of a 1981 Classic Roadsters Ltd. Duchess (VW)
    2005 Intermeccanica Roadster

    If you own a TDr and are not in the Registry, please go to https://tdreplica.com/forums/topic/mg-td-replica-registry/ and register (you need to copy and paste the link)

    #304293
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Adding lightness…

     

    #304304
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Latest update (from Friday) on the Spyder build.

    #304312
    edward ericson
    Participant

    @edsnova

    Done with the spare tire mount. Put the back wheels on the car. Dropped the whole rear section of the car on a bit of sharp metal.

     

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