Introducing - Project 1/2-TRAK

[sjakes]

True, just stumbled onto your build. Great job!

I'm doing a '68 kind of similar. Mine will be a Trans Am Race Replica and it's almost complete. Do you know of anywhere that currently carries the spoiler like the one you have photo'd and a valance for the lower front?

I think it has to be the aluminum with turnbuckles both in the front and rear for my car.

Thanks in advance!
Shawn

[Damn True]

The decklid spoiler was a limited edition production run from Jakes Rod Shop / Twist-Machine. They don't have any more of them.

The front will be fabbed by me based on a template from Vanzuuk1

[Flash68]

The decklid spoiler was a limited edition production run from Jakes Rod Shop / Twist-Machine. They don't have any more of them.

They are open to doing production runs of 5 or 10 of the spoilers if they have the orders taken beforehand. I have inquired myself.

[Damn True]

Ahhhh the tubs are done. Thank God allmighty the tubs are done!

Well, I still need to seam seal everything, but I think I'm going to wait until after I finish the rear suspension install and seam seal the whole shootin match at once.

The black stuff is Eastwood "Rust Encapsulator". They said it makes a primer/sealer for underbody stuff so I went with it. I'll seam seal then cover everything in "Lizard Skin" sound/heat attenuation material.

Pax side tub from the inside:





Drivers side tub, from the outside:



Drivers side from inside the trunk.

Tweaking the trunk hinge support to fit the profile of the new tub was quite a challenge. I bent, unbent and rebent each of them at least 1/2-doz times.

The sheetmetal is a bit ugly just above the weld. I had to hammer the tub to fit the curvature of the cutout. I'll hit it with a little trunk spatter and if that doesn't hide the ripples I'll break out the hammer/dolly and smooth it.......I hope to not have to though.




Finished up the subframe connector as well. Welded back in the relief cut in the seat pan trimmed the body drain plug to fit, welded that in and primed the whole mess.





Next up on the hit parade.....stripping all the undercoat from the bottom of the car. This is gonna be a messy freakin job. I am not looking forward to it, but it's got to be done prior to installing the 3-link and sending it off for a cage.

Thanks for watching.....

[CruizinKev]

very nice project! looks like you're drinking red wine instead beer when working on the car? j/k

[Damn True]

very nice project! looks like you're drinking red wine instead beer when working on the car? j/k

Man cannot live on beer alone. Trust me, I've tried it.

I'd just finished dinner when I went out to the garage to take the photos. Still finishing my wine. A friend of ours has a winery in Healdsburg, CA. It's a really nice Carignane.

[Ron S]

Sometimes alittle alcohol makes the work go smoother{sometimes its a train wreck}.Looks good True,you have to keep telling yourself that the bad part is behind me.I know its a lie,but it keeps you working.Sheetmetal sucks ,the suspension won't be near as bad.LOL

[Kenova]

Next up on the hit parade.....stripping all the undercoat from the bottom of the car. This is gonna be a messy freakin job. I am not looking forward to it, but it's got to be done prior to installing the 3-link and sending it off for a cage.

Thanks for watching.....

You're getting there True!
Don't be afraid to put some heat to the undercoating when you are scraping it off. It makes a world of difference.
Will you be able to post pictures of the cage install? It usually draws a good crowd lol.

Ken

[Damn True]

Thanks, that is the plan. I bought a kit from Eastwood that includes a heat gun a couple different scrapers and a solvent that is supposed to loosen the stuff up.

As for the cage photos, well, that'll come after the 3-link install but yes. There will be plenty of photos of the process. The guy who will be doing it takes A LOT of photos during the process. He has quite a library of different solutions.

[Damn True]

I know I said the next task was to remove undercoating from the car but I just couldn't bring myself to crawl around on the floor tonight. My back has been bothering me a bit and......oh now I'm just making excuses....I didn't freakin feel like it. Ok?

So anyway I got a bit of lightweight goodness in the mail a few weeks back:



Fiberglass decklid from VFN fiberglass. Weighs less than 10lbs



Pretty darn smooth right out of the box. I'm hoping for minimal bodywork. But...it is delivered a bit oversized which is, I suppose, better than undersized.

[Michael Scott] Thats what she said! [/Michael Scott]

Sooo I had to take a template from the OE decklid and transfer it to the fiberglass replacement. You can see here that the fiberglass decklid is about 1/4" larger than the template. It's oversized by about that much on each axis.



Transferring the template. I am totally good at coloring!!!!



The line is actually at least 3/16" fat all the way around. So what I'll do is cut to the line then begin test fitting and sneak up on the final dimension little by little.



After a bit of sanding....but quite a bit more to go.

[David Sloan]

Very cool !
keep up the good work.

[Damn True]

Thank you David.

[Damn True]

Having a bit of trouble fitting this decklid.

The two forward "corners" (but they are kinda round so....?) are sitting really high relative to the top of the rear fender and filler panel adjacent to them. It's sitting about 1/4" high on both fwd corners.

This part:



I think the structure of the underside of decklid itself is a bit too thick and it is hitting the trunk seal/flange early.

Solutions?

[WS6]

can't help with fitting the deck lid, True. Keep up the good work though. Couple months and I may be finally adding my own projecvt thread to this forum.

[David Sloan]

Quote
I think the structure of the underside of decklid itself is a bit too thick and it is hitting the trunk seal/flange early.

Solutions?

Check to make sure that is the problem or not.
you can also get a little adjustment out of the spring to inner tub mounting location. (raising or lowering)
meaning you will need to cut them loose, adjust an check until you got it right. (or as right as it will get)
I hope that made scene.

[Code Red]

getting there man

[Damn True]

The seal flange is definitely making contact early.

I'll get a couple of pics up in a few hours.

[redfire69]

Yeah you may need to cut and move the hinge brackets down where they attach to the inner wheel wells. This is especially true on mini-tubs due to their slightly different shape. BTW, nice build!

[Damn True]

The hinge pivot location is unchanged. Moving it lower would exacerbate the problem.

All that changes in a mini-tub is the length of the lower bracket. The hinge resides in the upper bracket which does not move.

[JEFFTATE]

Wine !
That's pretty good ...!

Your work area is very BRIGHT True.
That's nice !
I'm gonna have to paint my garage white so I can see !