Thread: Project Sebring GT Spyder

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Wow great update. Sorry to hear about the pain issue. I agree certain things I obscess over delay completing things long term.

Sorry to hear of your set backs, and the issues with your back. Back pain effects a lot more than a guy realizes until he's hurting. Nice progress. That'a some big things to over come to keep going and I commend you. Sorry I haven't gotten an email back to ya but I will. I have a lot of info for you on that project. My computer crashed so I am stuck using my phone most times and that is a pita. Take care. Ryan.

Thanks again guys. I hope I have as much grit as my 82 year old mom. She doesn't give up until she just can't go anymore.

Ryan - I was wondering if you got my email. Hope it turned out well for you as it was just an idea I thought might work.

Back to the updates:

There was a small problem with the manifolds, though. They didn't come with companion flanges or stubs to weld on the new exhaust. The only parts I could find to fit cost $150 a set and that was just for 2 flanges and 2 short stubs of pipe! The flanges have an asymmetrical bolt pattern and as far as I could tell, weren't used on anything else. So, I made my own. I used the tapered die from my homemade dimple die set with a quickie made guide to form a 45* bell and the roughed out companion flange to sharpen it up.

It’s good to see the progress Mike. Having the car this well engineered is going to make this car a true “driver” when it’s done. You’ll be looking for any excuse to pull it out of the garage and put some miles on it. That’s the best kind of hot rod in my opinion.

I’m sorry to hear about the back issues man. I’m really fortunate to have a good back, my knees on the other hand have seen much better days. Some days those really slow me down. As you said, you just adjust to the “new normal” and keep plugging away........

Thanks 50X. I'm looking forward to driving it one day.

The new exhaust is also 409 stainless. I had intended to get the old exhaust ceramic coated, but it was actually cheaper to do the new pipes in stainless and skip the coating. Some of these pictures are of regular steel pipe before I decided to do the stainless. I figured I had better add that before I had some folks scratching their heads saying that it didn't look like stainless.

The exhaust currently stops just in front of the axle. After I lowered the car to where I thought it should be, there was simply no room to go over the axle without cutting into the trunk and that ain't happenin'. I'm going to wait until I am completely finished with any suspension mods before going any further. I will have to run it under the axle. Not my preference, but the reality of available space sometimes overrules what you want to do. Maybe I'll do an exit like the XKE. Two in the center!

There is also now plenty of clearance around the starter. That's important to me both for heat soak as well as ease of service. Very important if you're laying on your back in an Auto Zone parking lot on the Power Tour!

One thing to note - I was on the phone with a Holley tech discussing my idea to mount the ECU. Almost as an afterthought I asked him about using the O2 sensor provision in the LS6 manifold. He recommended not using that hole and adding another bung a few inches downstream from the manifold since they felt that would give a better reading on the gasses. Interesting and surprising (to me anyhow) to say the least, that the OEM sensor location wasn't considered good enough for the new wideband O2 sensor.

Nice work! I like your flange maker. Did you make that die on a lathe?

V8nutz - Thanks and yes, I made that. I actually made it to go with a female die to do dimpled holes in sheet metal.

When I needed to expand some tubes, I came up with making some simple guide plates that fit inside the tube and center the tapered die's stem. It works really well if the ends of the tube are square.

I made the male die with a long taper because eventually I want to make some different sized female dies. When I make special tools like this, I'm usually in a hurry so I can get on with whatever job I'm working on, so they're not often "finished" to high degree. Just enough to be useful.

I use a set of hole dies that are intended to punch holes for electrical conduit. It's a little more time consuming to do it this way instead of a one step die, but it's not too bad once you get the hang of it. I have a pneumatic jack in my press, so I don't have to do bunch of pumping by hand.

That is cool, I need a small lathe.

Originally Posted by v8nutz

That is cool, I need a small lathe.

It's an addiction unto itself! BTDT... now I cannot afford the Tee shirt. You'll start with a lathe, then a mill, or two, cause one is vertical and then there is a horizontal... and the tooling cost more than the machines.

As I said, it's an addiction. And I suffer HAPPILY! LOL

We just got a machine shop at work. A personal best, I threw virgin chips on the horizontal band saw, the drill press, and the milling machine. I got sloppy seconds on the lathe, but three out of four ain't bad. Plus I was first to throw sparks on the welder. Pretty cool. I never thought I would get to knock the cherry off a machine tool unless I had bought it. Anyway, now the company is experiencing the secondary growing pains of purchasing the tooling.

Me, I like a quick change turret for the lathe. John wants the one with the little new moon that you can swivel to adjust. Anything is better than what it came with.

I moved on to the grille. Actually, this was done right after the windshield frame since it had to go to the chrome shop to fix the badly pitted plating. The chrome surround went on easy with four 1/4" studs and some small U-shaped washers. I also needed a grille. The original Sebring grille didn't really appeal to me so I went off the page and made a mesh insert. I found some unusual aluminum expanded metal and used a wood male die and the surround itself to form it into a 3D shape. It's held in with the same hardware that attaches the surround. The insert will most likely be painted or powder coated black.










To be honest, I'm not completely sure I like this setup. We'll see what the future brings. I've grown to like the uncluttered bare opening. In my mind's eye, I kind of see a thin polished or chromed aluminum (or steel) surround that hugs the body, mimics the contours of the opening and eliminates the mounting flange . My skill set for forming sheet metal hasn't reached to point to where I feel I could pull it off cleanly, but I keep rolling it around in my head. When I come up with a plan that feel will work, I will give it a trial run. The best idea I have right now is to form some radiused strips in the bead roller and then shrink and stretch them to fit. It would make for a larger opening and give the front a cleaner, racier, and more serious look in my opinion, but I have many more important things to do right now.

Here's a pic of a Sebring with no grille surround. Keep in mind mine will most likely be a darker shade of red. I would probably still do a black mesh insert just to protect the radiator from rocks. I'm kind of using the Healey Works rally cars as inspiration on this build and I think this look fits with the race theme. Definitely looks more aggressive.

Nice work. I see what you mean about the open look, but I think coated black it would look pretty good in there.


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Originally Posted by Hotrod46

I moved on to the grille. Actually, this was done right after the windshield frame since it had to go to the chrome shop to fix the badly pitted plating. The chrome surround went on easy with four 1/4" studs and some small U-shaped washers. I also needed a grille. I found some unusual aluminum expanded metal and used a wood male die and the surround itself to form it into a 3D shape. The insert will most likely be painted or powder coated black.





To be honest, I'm not completely sure I like this setup.
Here's a pic of a Sebring with no grille surround. Keep in mind mine will most likely be a darker shade of red. I would probably still do a black mesh insert just to protect the radiator from rocks. I'm kind of using the Healey Works rally cars as inspiration on this build and I think this look fits with the race theme. Definitely looks more aggressive.

I am of the opinion that your work that is pictured is almost perfection! I wouldn't change a thing. But that's just me right?!?!

Next on my todo list was the gas filler.

Some time back I bought a Lemans style filler off of Speedway Motors garage sale area. I'm not really sure why it was there since it looked pretty good right out of the box. I had intended to use it as is, but I read online that Superformance (high end Cobra replicas) used a similar type of filler and had a fatality due to the cap. Seems that a SP Cobra in a vintage race got upside down and the cap popped open on the pavement. The sparks from the roll bar ignited the gas and it didn't end well. SP had gone to a secondary cap inside the flip cap and I thought that might be a worthwhile modification.

I started by sourcing a J-lock twist gas cap and a short section of filler pipe for the cap. Unfortunately, it was 2 3/16" OD and my filler pipe in the tank is 2" OD. I bought a couple of sections of 2" steel exhaust bends and set about grafting the J-lock to the tubing. I used the same technique to swell the tubing up to match the J-lock section as I used on the exhaust stubs and welded them together. I have to say that the tubing was some of the poorest welding metal it's been my misfortune to attempt to TIG weld. It may have done better with MIG, but I got it done, such as it is. Not my prettiest welds, though.





Then I put the flip cap in the mill and hogged out the inside to make room.

I also made an aluminum disc that holds the tubing and fits into the bottom of the flip cap base. The tube has a dimple that takes a set screw to lock the two pieces together.

I also needed a fill vent. I put a 3/4" vent hose on the tank for a reasonably fast fill and I needed to graft that to the filler pipe near the cap. There is another 5/16" vent in the tank with a roll over valve that is the running vent, the large vent isn't open unless the fill cap is open. I had to be able to fit the vent through the cap mounting hole in the body, so I had to make a very tight bend. I would up making a 90* tubing connection.

I started by swelling up a piece of 3/4" tubing to keep the hose on. I used a modified 5/8" bolt and the hydraulic press. Worked out fine.







Next I whittled a short section of 3/4" square tubing to take the round tube and welded the parts together.