Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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I also got the doghouse notched out to drop the shifter cable level with the top
http://images40.fotki.com/v1332/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
I started small and worked my way up to something that fits the shifter well. I will probably open this up a bit more on the sides but for right now it does the job.
http://images12.fotki.com/v531/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Here is a shot of the steel bracket that the shifter bolts to. I made this out of some 20ga. sheet. It will get some reinforcment underneath before it gets 'glassed in.
http://images56.fotki.com/v541/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Set in place. This locates the shifter and gives me four thru bolts for attachment.
http://images38.fotki.com/v1279/phot...MVC015F-vi.jpg
Here is the bracket all riveted in. This is plenty stout as it is but I'll throw some 18 ga. gussets in there before glassing...
http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
Looking at the shifter all bolted in...
http://images45.fotki.com/v1431/phot...MVC001F-vi.jpg
The cable bracket removes very easily and I have an S clip on the linkage to hold it in. I will end up drilling a 1/16th inch hole thru the post for that.
http://images16.fotki.com/v220/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
What do you think?
Thanks for looking
Mark

Got a bit more done today. i opened up the clearance hole for the shifter body. It now has a bit of a taper from top to bottom. You can see my layout lines here.
http://images112.fotki.com/v682/phot...MVC002F-vi.jpg
I made two strips of 20 ga. to tie the mounting plate down crosscar. Made a couple of cardboard templates and bend them up on the 3 in 1.
This the front strip. It will get riveted into the doghouse and spot welded to the shifter plate.
http://images34.fotki.com/v1076/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
Here is the rear strip. This one worked out, position wise, that I could bolt thru it with the two bottom shifter bolts. I have started riveting this one in.
http://images112.fotki.com/v495/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
All riveted in and welded up. This is plenty strong right now and once the glass work done it'll be even better. I was kind of worried about stability of the shifter during operation but that isn't a concern anymore.
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...MVC019F-vi.jpg
I also did a little mocking up of the gauges. I made a cardboard facsimily of the lower gauge cluster and taped it in just to get a feel for their placement.
http://images24.fotki.com/v831/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
I'll do a little more looking at this. I will probably end up moving the whole panel down a bit to close the gap to the cover. I also have to develope the closeout for the cable and switch wiring.
http://images110.fotki.com/v571/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
I got my carbon fiber yesterday! It looks pretty darn kool! I'll get some pics of it but I didn't want to open up the packaging until I really need to.
Mark

Looks good Mark, I like the position of the shifter, gotta have it up there where you can grab it!

Looks great! I'm confused with one thing though. I would have expected the shifter cable to be inside the doghouse, curving down to the tranny connection. How will the cable be concealed atop the doghouse? I'm sure you've got it all planned - just wondering.

Thanks Dave, we mocked up the seats and steering column and I sat in the van with the "shifter" in my hand to get best position. It's really not far off from one of my Firebirds.

Roger, yes, I have a plan. The shifter, cable and wiring will get covered by a close-out plate that will velcro on. (see post #247) I am still deciding if I will make it out of aluminum or carbon fiber. I am leaning toward the CF because then it would just look like part of the doghouse until I peel it off. It will be a fairly simple piece. It will also incorporate the wiring for the Gear Vendors Unit and that will have to unplug for cover removal also.
Thanks Guys
Mark

Did a little bit of work today, and a lot of sweating! My lord it is hot here! I would go out and work for a half hour or so and then go back into the house to cool off.
Probably not the best time to be working with fiberglass but it's got to get done. I started by cutting some thin cardboard to line the sides of the shifter pocket. I then layered in strips of glass on either side,
inside
http://images28.fotki.com/v977/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
and out
http://images9.fotki.com/v177/photos...MVC003F-vi.jpg
After a cool down I went back out and started glassing the outside of the cover.
I got a layer added to the top. Here it is before I mixed the resin. You can see how I cut it to snuggle down into the shifter pocket.
http://images45.fotki.com/v1200/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
After a bit of resin it is all very clear...
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
I added a layer to the inside. I had to do it it sections because it was so hot the resin was kicking very fast even when I shorted the hardener by 25%.
http://images39.fotki.com/v1234/phot...MVC012F-vi.jpg
That's where I ran out of resin... I will do a bit of clean up on the inside. Other then adding some glass to the seal edge I won't do any more inside until the insulation is glued in. I will ten add another layer of glass and paint it.
Tomorrow I am running up to Kawkawlin to talk to my engine guy. He has the 509 apart and wants to do some work to make it more tractible for the street.
I will pick up more rsin on my way home...
Thanks for looking
Mark

Mark,I know your working on the shifter.Please excuse this question.It is kind of related to the doghouse.Did you do something to eliminate those dreaded inside screws that attach the cover at the top??.

Hey Gary,
Go back to post #237. That illustrates what is happening with the front half. That half will basically stay in place unless I have to do any front of engine work. Same goes for all of the removable floor panels. I can remove the two side panels easily enough for plug work but they will ALL come out when it's time to yank the motor.
Mark

Yeah Mark.You know long threads sometimes details get over looked or lost.Thanks.

No problem...

The engine parts just sold on eBay so now I can order the new heads! Very Cool!

I have been picking away at the van stuff... It's been so FREAKIN" hot here it is almost unbearable!
Last weekend I would work for a half hour and then head into the house to change my shirt and cool off. Pretty ridiculus. The yard thermometer read 108 in my back yard.
This weekend wasn't as bad but if you weren't working directly in front of the fan you were pretty uncomfortable...
Anyway, I got the doghouse pretty well along last weekend. It is all glassed and there is a skim coat of Bondo on most it to start smoothing. Really won't take much from what I am seeing...
First coat. I knocked this down with a cheese grater. Quick and leaves a good surface for skim coats.
http://images45.fotki.com/v1427/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
This is how it sits now. I will DA this smooth and then flow on a coat of resin to make a smooth surface for the carbon fiber.
http://images55.fotki.com/v1618/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
The pass. side. Not a lot of filler here. I was really surprised how well the t-shirt material worked to smooth this off during lay-up.
http://images55.fotki.com/v1618/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
We worked on few things this weekend, the shifter housing, the left front wheel house and the seat mounting brackets. The seat brackets are being redesigned to better carry the "load"... Mel made a jig board that the sliders bolt to'
http://images61.fotki.com/v440/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
We decided to cut the original mounting ears off the sliders and make our own out of 3/16ths x 2" angle.
http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photo...MVC021F-vi.jpg
The angle will weld to the sliders and span the gap between them, essentially making the sliders one piece... I will have to order some angle, didn't have any on hand that size.
The front wheel house was pretty straight forward. Had to do some tack welding and make a piece to plug the large hole left after moving the old housinng inboard 3 inches.
http://images16.fotki.com/v369/photo...MVC020F-vi.jpg
I'll clean up the surface rust before it gets welded in.
This is from underneath.
http://images39.fotki.com/v1230/phot...MVC021F-vi.jpg

I also did a LOT of work on the shifter housing this past week.
Last Sunday I made an aluminum "spine" to mimic the shape of the housing. I used the aluminum cover I got with the shifter as a study but ended up changing the shape a bit to get more closure on the handle to housing gap. The aluminum piece had a HUGEJASS hole in it so it couild be dropped over the handle... My cover is removable so I designed it to split around the handle slot which allowed me to close up that gap, aLOT.
http://images35.fotki.com/v1170/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
I also made up a plate to carry the Overdive switches.
http://images42.fotki.com/v664/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
The aluminum is a scrap piece of 20thou I got from a trophy shop. They scrap out a lot of this stuff...
http://images36.fotki.com/v1155/phot...MVC010F-vi.jpg
After I got the switches where I needed them I laid down a layer of duct tape on the doghouse to start laying up the mounting flanges
I didn't get any pics of the flange build... Things were going to quick and I didn't take the time, sorry.
After the flanges cooked off I hot glued more of that beautiful t-shirt material to the flange and the "spine". Once that was allresined up this is what I had...
http://images40.fotki.com/v1238/phot...MVC015F-vi.jpg
I laid this all up as one piece. Much easier to get things smooth and flowing. Once it cooked I added a few layers of glass and cut out the switch window.
http://images60.fotki.com/v661/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
The cover was then cut into two parts. The right hand side is the biggest. I will attach the left hand (switch) side with screws from underneath so the switches will be servicable.
http://images33.fotki.com/v1141/phot...MVC019F-vi.jpg
Here is the cover with the shifter bolted in.
http://images51.fotki.com/v731/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
And the bolt on piece removed...
http://images59.fotki.com/v255/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
This is coming along nicely. I have glassed in flanges to support the removable piece and to close out the gap between the two pieces.
One other thing I did was a mod to the shifter itself. I plan to use a small key to make the cable removable so I drilled a small hole thru the cable pin to insert the key into.
This is the key before I drilled. It just snapped around the groove in the pin.
http://images46.fotki.com/v1492/phot...MVC008F-vi.jpg
This is the fixture I made to drill the pin. A piece of 3/4 in scrap aluminum. I bored a hole in the end to slide over the pin and then drilled a hole down thru it to guiide the drill bit as I drilled the pin.
http://images55.fotki.com/v268/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
Worked slick and the pin drilled a lot easier then I thought it would.
http://images61.fotki.com/v52/photos...MVC011F-vi.jpg
Now I have positive retention for the key.
http://images31.fotki.com/v1052/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
Well, that's about it... Thanks for looking.
Mark

It all looks really good, Mark! Should work out great!

Some great detail shots, Mark. Thanks for taking time to stop & photograph, which I know is not always easy when working glass.

Thanks Roger! I am trying to be diligent in my photo taking. Some things I have missed but I have 98% of the build documented in pics on my Fotki site.

Got a bit done this past weekend. Saturday was pretty much a lost cause. Hit a yard sale and picked up an old Sears scroll saw for 5 bucks...
http://images18.fotki.com/v87/photos...MVC003F-vi.jpg
It ran! I had to rewire it, put on a new switch and do a lot of cleaning and some fine tuning but she runs like a champ and I was cutting 1/4" aluminum with it Sunday morning!
http://images9.fotki.com/v248/photos...MVC010F-vi.jpg
Sunday was a pretty good day! Earlier in the week my wife picked up an air conditioner for the shop!
http://images12.fotki.com/v20/photos...MVC001F-vi.jpg
I put it in the window in the machine shop side and it does a FINE job of cooling of the man cave... Do you see what the temp is in the pic? That was at 2 or 3 in the afternoon Saturday and the thermometer outside read 88... Very nice!
We got a good start on the seat mounting frames. I was not at all impressed by the mounting tabs on the provided sliders so thet got cut off.
http://images51.fotki.com/v424/photo...MVC021F-vi.jpg
See that thin little strip of metal that we cut?
http://images33.fotki.com/v1140/phot...MVC022F-vi.jpg
THAT is what was supporting my 270 lb bulk. And it didn't do a very good job either. I bent them just trial fitting the seats... They had to go.
We replaced them wih these... 3/16 x 2" angle. This will get welded to both sliders in leau of the pieces we just removed. Welded between the sliders on both ends.
http://images12.fotki.com/v20/photos...MVC012F-vi.jpg
After adding some "character".
http://images52.fotki.com/v639/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
We made the floor frames from bent up 3/16 x 2" strip.
http://images43.fotki.com/v398/photo...MVC019F-vi.jpg
The floor frames will bolt to the angles with two bolts on each corner.
http://images108.fotki.com/v205/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
I am in the process of designing the triangulation braces. This is what I've come up with. (built out of foam core)
This is the front (I flipped the pic to get it oriented right. We are building these upside down on the jig board) The brace will weld to the floor frame on the outer ends and bolt to the front crossmember with two 3/8 in bolts.
http://images55.fotki.com/v605/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
This is the side view. (also flipped) All of this will weld to the floor frame and not effect the seat.
http://images52.fotki.com/v733/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
This will made out of 3/16 x 1 and 3/16 x 2 strip.
What do you think? Too busy looking? Once everything is powder coated black I think it will look great!
Thanks for looking
Mark
P.S. The fuel tank is ALMOST DONE! My welder has been picking away at it on his breaks and during lunch. I looked it over today and all he has to finish is a couple small patches for the frame kickups and pressure test and we'll be good. It looks really good and he has done an incredible job of welding up all of that .090 with very little warpage!
I can't wait to get this thing home...

its great when a plan comes together