The Roofus Special

[Flipper]

Anybody have toughts on exhaust pipes?  

The stock manifolds are already split and are very header-ish, but they point down.  Exhaust pipes would go underneath the steering shaft and then exit the body.  If I use the stock manifolds, I think I have 3 basic options:
1) merge into one pipe under the hood and exit through a hole in the famerail and run a single pipe down low on the body.
2) don't merge, run one through the frame, one above the frame like harley drag pipes
3) don't merge, run one through the frame, one above the frame and merge into a single pipe outside of the body

The other option is to ditch the factory manifolds and build headers.

This thing only will have a 210 cubic inch or so inline six in it so it doesn't NEED really big pipes.  

Stock manifolds.  FYI the tubing scraps between the framerails at the firewall are just spacers for mock-up.


This car is close enough to use as an example for photoshops if anybody is so inclined.

[Flipper]

Got my frame rails mostly welded on and the center frame rails cut to length.  There will be a round tube spreader bar installed at the very front.  Still have to encase them in heavy sheetmetal.

[Flipper]

And started on my front suspension.

I found a pretty cool raw material in the junk pile....Uni-strut.  I like the factory punched, ebenly spaced oval lightening holes.   I cut it down to 1 1/2 x 3/4 channel.

The round tubes that hold the bushings are tractor link bushings from TSC.

The tapered hole for the lower ball joint is from the jaguar parts car.

Way more work than I thought it would be.  with all of the trial and error, it took two days for me to figure the first one out.

First I-beam


donor tapered hole


With tapered hole installed


Turning it into an a-arm

[Flipper]

Making a unistrut gusset.  No lightening holes for the gusset.


Gusset welded in


Tractor bushings cut down to size


The rear bushing end got reinforcement...the holes line up too!

[Flipper]

One down. ....three more to go.







Passenger side "kit"


My daughter driving Roofus.

[Flipper]

My motor mounts showed up.  I ordered 56 chevy V8 rubber biscuits from Rock Auto.  The big ones were $.58 each and the small ones were $.54 each (I ordered 20 of each!....less than $33 to my door for all).  I plan on using these everywhere I need a rubber  mount.

edit: somebody on another forum asked for dimensions. I thought I'd post up here too.

small one p/n 2122 diameter: 1 1/2" height: 7/8"

big one p/n 2123 diameter: 2" height: 7/8"

[jaybee]

Nice work, thanks for catching us all up.  IMO the tall grill will look just as good as a track nose, and perhaps make the end product look even a bit more unique.  I like the idea of dual pipes running one above the other.  Cool stuff and thanks for catching us up.

[39deluxe]

This is getting better all the time.

Tom

[Jbird]

I'm back on the edge of my seat. Work faster, post more pics. I'm lovin it.  Jbird

[Charlie Chops 1940]

Starting to take shape pretty darn well.

Charlie

[Flipper]

I didn't get nearly as much done over Christmas shutdown as I had planned.  Having a chest cold for about a week put a big dent in my plans.  This made matters worse.   ...the temp is 30 degrees in the shop.



I did manage to get the passenger side i-beam welded up.  I quit before it made it to A-arm status.

[Flipper]

Since I pushed the wheelbase out to 109", I'm thinking about moving the motor forward and gaining some gas pedal room.  (engine was moved back when I was shooting for 100" wheelbase).

What's cooler...foot room or the idea of engine set-back?

[river1]

Since I pushed the wheelbase out to 109", I'm thinking about moving the motor forward and gaining some gas pedal room.  (engine was moved back when I was shooting for 100" wheelbase).

What's cooler...foot room or the idea of engine set-back?

engine set-back is nothing if you can't fit your feet to drive it. if foot room is enough with the setback go for it.

later jim

[Flipper]

I went looking through my early pics....when I did my original mock-up.  My feet were completely behind the bell housing.  Now they are beside the bell housing.

I lost a lot of foot room with the engine set back.



Looks like I need to try sliding the engine way the hell forward again and see how things look.

[39deluxe]

Those pipes should keep your feet warm.

Tom