A front end is born

Looks tough

Loving this thread - a completely handmade custom chassis - its nuts!!! hahahahaha
Keep it coming!

sent to me by an avid Bay Window fan
Life Cycle by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

I think this is progress, some may call it vandolism.......

One step forward 300 back by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

One step forward 300 back by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

One step forward 300 back by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

I don't mess about when i slam....

One step forward 300 back by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Finally started to try and make sense of the door alignment and the new panels. Background being the bus is not straight and most of the repairs have been made with 'home crafted' (bit of a leap to say fabricated) panels and patches, the result being i can't trust any of the measurements or panel alignments and fits. So the plan is to create a former around the door frame and check this against my door and then build the new panels around the former off the bus with spot welds and panel pins. Fingers crossed.

Former being made

Getting it straightish by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Former and new panels

Getting it straightish by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Former against B pillar
Getting it straightish by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

New panels and door

Getting it straightish by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

I have gone firm on the front suspension and it is out with the double wishbone and in with the original mcpherson strut albeit a bespoke shortened one designed by gazshocks. Watch this space for the fitting.

This is the tech spec for any one that is interested -

Porsche 964 Gaz Gold front struts with a 13 ½” body length & the brackets moved up the body x 2” with a stroke of 7” will give a total overall length from the very bottom of the case to the very top of the piston rod 22 ¼” so with a fitted length of 20” again measured from the very bottom of the case to the top of the piston rod this will allow you have 2 ¼” of droop & 4 ¾” of bump movement. The main body diameter will be 60mm & they will use a 65mm/ 2 ½” id spring.

Can’t wait to see them fitted !?

exciting day today - bespoke front shocks!
Front struts arrive by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr
Front struts arrive by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Today felt like i got over the speed bump that has been nagging me for the last 6 months, namely front suspension. After trying all sorts of set ups i decided to go back to good old porsche and see if i could make a coil over fit under the tub. And guess what i can. I think i was put off original because i read somewhere it could nit be done hence trying double wish bone, horizontal shocks with bell crank and just about every other set up but the one staring me in the face!

So this is where i have got to...

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Part of the solution was moving the shock to hub mounting points up the body 2 inches. Simple now i think about it.

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Started to fabricate the mount brackets today. My daughter calls it arts and crafts, just missing the glitter.

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

The struts go in by Duke of Boots1966, on Flickr

Looking awesome that and certainly not for the faint hearted.

CAD ?
Cardboard Aided Design?
Nice!
G

With reinforced gorilla tape

CADWRGT