Car #069

[letterman7]

That's one of Dave's builds. I'm pretty sure ours will look the same We're hoping to start pulling parts by October, with some new offerings shortly into the new year (different canopy(s), some alternate body pieces like engine covers etc).



I do like the idea of trying to make "real" inner fender wells. The shroud actually does that to a point; I had made front wells for 114 (were they even still there??).



Nice job - looking forward to the final result!

 

[ratrog64]

That's one of Dave's builds. I'm pretty sure ours will look the same We're hoping to start pulling parts by October, with some new offerings shortly into the new year (different canopy(s), some alternate body pieces like engine covers etc).



I do like the idea of trying to make "real" inner fender wells. The shroud actually does that to a point; I had made front wells for 114 (were they even still there??).



Nice job - looking forward to the final result!

I'm looking forward to seeing the company back up and running again. Maybe we will see some new builds in the future *going for a drive*

I seem to remember some plastic type panels behind the headlights kind of. If that is where you are referring. Been a long time ..... I have to go back sometimes and look through the photos to remember some of what I did.

 

[letterman7]

Yep, that was those.. lexan panels cut to fit and be removable...

 

[ratrog64]

8.18.19 So much rain!

Spent the first half of the day during the heavy rain tracking down parts on eBay etc. and doing some research for the canopy. I have decided not to do the electric actuators and instead go hydraulic. More details on that later.

The second half of the day / night after the rain stopped was spent working on the dash filling in holes and smoothing out the faux vinyl texture. Since I am filling in the 2 vent holes in the top I decided to create more work for myself then necessary. Smoothing out the texture is a lot of work for something that will just get covered over by a dash mat that I will make later. *hmmm**insane*

Filling in the holes will get me a nice flat dash again. I decided to keep the location of the gauges and most of the indicator lights, even though they are a little off. I will be adding a few new things to the dash like switches etc. as I go.

Same as always, cut a few scraps to fill in the holes, glass in from the back side. There were also many areas that needed some work where there were air bubbles between the glass and gelcoat. Not a nice lay-up from the factory. The dash overall is pretty thin and light.











Still plenty of work to finish but at least I got a good start.

 

[ratrog64]

8.18.19 Sunday

Got a full day in the garage today. Started things off with filling in the top vent holes in the dash. I kicked the resin off pretty hard so it would cure pretty quick.







Sanded and applied some filler to the dash face.





Then I spent several hours working in the front foot well area fixing holes and redoing some old repairs to holes. No photos taken.
I also filled in the front 2 speaker holes. Same procedure as the other repairs.







I also spent some time getting the dash where it belongs so I could fit the cross bar. The galvanized pipe is temporary, I'll be getting some mild steel in the near future. Since the dash is so thin and light I didn't want to depend on it to support the steering column. It is also going to be nice to be able to remove the dash without having to mess with the column. The cross bar goes into the tub on both sides. Maybe I'll incorporate some crash protection into it.



Lastly I finished off the day installing the mesh in the remaining side pod.



10+ hours in the garage. I'm whooped!

 

[ratrog64]

8.20.19

Played around yesterday morning for an hour or so before work making a template for the engine cover. Not really a cover but you know what I mean.









The cover will be made from clear polycarbonate and will follow the body contour. It may have some additional vent holes cut in it but I'll wait until I make it to decide. I'll paint the perimeter black similar to the windshield and headlight covers.

 

[letterman7]

^ That's different. Interesting approach. If you go polycarb, you may want to reinforce it somehow - the heat from the engine (or indeed, just the sun) will tend to warp it over time. And good idea on the dash. One option that a previous owner of the company did was to hinge the dash at the front to enable it to be lifted to service electrical and pedal cables.

 

[ratrog64]

^ That's different. Interesting approach. If you go polycarb, you may want to reinforce it somehow - the heat from the engine (or indeed, just the sun) will tend to warp it over time. And good idea on the dash. One option that a previous owner of the company did was to hinge the dash at the front to enable it to be lifted to service electrical and pedal cables.

I will incorporate some support for the poly to keep it from sagging in the middle. The dash have some brackets in the front and will lift straight out after a couple of screws are removed. Keeping it as simple as possible.

 

[ratrog64]

8.20.19 Dash Support & Steering

Had some time after work to work on the dash brackets and steering column. The column was made a while back for Brian when he came down to buy a dash and I got it back in the purchase of the car. The brackets are the same as I used with my dash and simply mount to the firewall and the dash sits in them. The steering coupler with U-Joints is from an early Montero. I have used these on many projects and they work really good. The large steel plate on the firewall I made to cover the large hole in the wall and to support the column. Its 12ga sheet metal so should do the trick. I have a small rubber pinch welt that will go around the hole before the column goes in to fill the gap and seal the hole. From the outside I will be using seam sealer to make everything waterproof. Don't mind the self tapping screws, they are temporary. They work great when you are laying on your back under the dash and working one handed. New hardware will go in when I take it all apart again.







The hole saw was the proper size but I used it in a hand drill so it wobbled and made the hole bigger. If I had been up at my shop the drill press would have prevented that. I guess I should have used a 1 1/2" hole saw instead of the 1 5/8" so the wobble would have made it perfect. *hmmm* No worries.



The steering wheel, hub adapter and quick disconnect are all eBay items. Nothing is welded up yet, just all there for a test fit.







I used a similar wheel in the #114 car. Pretty inexpensive and nice especially for the price. LOL I just changed my mind on the steering wheel after looking at the photos. I just ordered another one more period correct. *insane* Edit: Ordered 2 different wheels. *hee-hee-hee*

 

[ratrog64]

8.21.19 Wednesday

Scored 3 trim tab pumps from a local salvage yard today. $100 each is pretty reasonable.
Also swung by a metal supplier and picked up some pipe for the car.
Work wise all I got done was made a metal bracket for my hood latch and cleaned up one trim pump.
Anything is better then nothing. *thumbs up*

 

[ratrog64]

8.22.19

Spent time after work cleaning up the trim pumps. I scored the fittings I needed to go from the pump to the 3/8" OD tubing I'll be using at a local hydraulic shop this afternoon between jobs. Back at the garage I made a bracket to hang the pump and got it mounted. Next I worked on the inner tub and did some more smoothing of the glass. Got the front speaker area finished and filled in some other misc. holes. I started playing around in the front foot well area with some spray texture. This entire area will hardly be seen so I don't know why I am spending so much time on it. I'm going to be leaving the foot well area satin black when all is said and done.





I also spent some time trimming up the flange on the body to make it look a little neater.







About $9 at Walmart.

 

[ratrog64]

8.25.19

12 hrs in an almost 100 degree garage today! Lots of block sanding, filling and priming. No other great explanation needed. Oh and I cut a couple of holes for the headlights.







About 90% of the car is in primer. Getting close! *rock on*

 

[ratrog64]

8.26.19

My new air cylinders came in today so I set out to make some brackets and get then fitted. Just some simple angle iron shaped so the cylinder can pivot as the top goes up. I set the bracket in a bed of duraglass so it makes 100% contact with the bottom of the pocket.

I also got the steering column welded up and then installed the rear support bar. I will use the rear bar to mount my harness to.

 

[ratrog64]

Canopy Gasket

So I need to choose a new gasket material for the canopy.

I think the Sterling company sold either #2828 or #2492 in the past. Seems to work ok however what I didn't like is the extended fingers on the gasket made little lines / depressions in my clear coat.

I'm thinking of #1678 or #5272. Any opinions here?

https://www.trimlok.com/rubber-extrusion/epdm-seal/d-profile

I'm thinking the BT tape is the best choice for a gasket that won't come off. It's quite a bit more expensive. The HT seems easier to install but I have to wonder if it will stay put?

When fitting the D-shaped rubber seals or D-seal gaskets into your boat or car, choose from two adhesive options: BT tape or HT tape. BT tape is an acrylic automotive grade tape that creates a moisture barrier and airtight seal between rubber and substrate. HT tape has low initial tack for easy repositioning during installation, and needs at least 72 hours of cure time before it comes to full bond strength. HT tape is an acrylic based adhesive used to hold the rubber seal in place during installation; it may be used in some light duty dynamic applications against a variety of substrates.

 

[letterman7]

Having never bought any of Dave's gaskets I can't make an educated guess. The D profile you have should work fine. With the new company, I'm actually looking at the 1058 profile (different company, same profile). With the "lip" pointed outwards it *should* help seal a little better on water intrusion.


If the previous seal left marks in the clear coat, the clear coat wasn't cured enough or mixed at the wrong ratio.. Typically it takes 2 months for a topcoat to completely cure.


The air cylinders: using hydraulics, correct? Jack oil only, but I'm sure you know that already

 

[ratrog64]

Having never bought any of Dave's gaskets I can't make an educated guess. The D profile you have should work fine. With the new company, I'm actually looking at the 1058 profile (different company, same profile). With the "lip" pointed outwards it *should* help seal a little better on water intrusion.


If the previous seal left marks in the clear coat, the clear coat wasn't cured enough or mixed at the wrong ratio.. Typically it takes 2 months for a topcoat to completely cure.


The air cylinders: using hydraulics, correct? Jack oil only, but I'm sure you know that already

The clear was mix properly but it was only a couple of weeks before the top was closed. I'm not blaming the gasket for the lines but I might try and avoid it next time since I know once the car is painted it will be reassembled pretty quick.

I haven't got all my fitting in yet to finish the install. The cylinders I'm using are just a little smaller then the cylinders in the #114 car. I'm hoping they are ok but won't know till I finish and try them. There is really no way of knowing what they are capable of since this is not their intended use. The Hydraulic shop said to use ATF but I have used Jack oil in the past with good results.

These are the eBay cylinders I bought. They are certainly cheap enough if they work.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pneumatic-...124269&hash=item2a991c7961:g:veAAAOSw65FXv6mm

 

[letterman7]

8" should be fine. Let me know how they work - might be a nice outlet for the company



Don't use ATF - it'll eat the seals, especially on imported unknowns. Jack oil is pretty inert stuff, and it's all I use for the hydraulic systems.

 

[ratrog64]

8.28.19

Kind of all over the place today. Before work I stopped and got tires mounted on rims. I'm going with the same set up as the #114 car. I had bought a set of tires and rims that I was going to use on the #310 car about 2 yrs ago. Before they too old I better put them to use!

I also worked on the rear suspension today. The passenger side was way up in the air compared to the drivers side. Both were higher then I wanted. Nothing ever comes easy. Torsion rod was stuck in the torsion housing on the drivers side and in the spring plate on the passenger side. Plenty of rust inside and out. After some penetrating oil and plenty of heat everything came apart. I set the spring plates where I wanted them and put everything back together.

Lastly I started working on the rear shelf area. I'm doing aluminum instead of carpet this time. Still have the lower section to fab but I got a good start. I need to get the center console figured out before I make the lower section so it has a nice fit.







Oh and I started to mock up the fuel cell. I'm not 100% on it being up front. Still need to do some figuring.

 

[ratrog64]

8.30.19

Only got a couple of hours in the evening. Started fitting the center console cutting out the area for the e-brake. Still some trimming to do. The rain slowed me down from cutting glass outside.

Welded in the nut for my harnesses and then started making the rear seat support.







The seats are original type Cimbria seats which I need to make a mold of so I can make a few extra sets. They fit pretty nice in the drop pans. I'll have to make the covers as well.

Oh, and that's the new steering wheel I'm going with. Center still to be added.

 

[ratrog64]

The Theme

So I decided about a month ago that the theme of this car was going to be a vintage Le Mans style race car. Rather then a modern fit and finish like I attempted with the #114 car, I'd go stripped back, bare bones race style. That also keeps with my budget build concept. No carpet, no fancy do-dads, no glitz or glam.

I've always been a big fan of the GT40's. The GT40 legend began in the 60's at Le Mans. There is just so much about those original cars that I love. All of the cars from that era. The Porsche 917, the Ferrari's, the Jaguar's all so raw and beautiful. This is my attempt at bringing some of that flavor to the Sterling.

Paint: Well I decided to go with the Gulf racing colors. I know that scheme came a little later but I think it suits the car, especially since this car is a 75. There are 2 fine examples on the UK Nova site. I have flip flopped in my head several times already but .........









........ I did buy the paint already! So .........

It's going to be a complicated paint job, I hope I'm up to the task!