2021 Challenge.. Blind "bugeye", Riggamort

B I G M E A T S

Disclaimer: not yet mounted to wheels.

Had a good time looking everything over and bouncing ideas with Angry, whose labor I can hopefully use some over the coming weeks!

RichardSIA said:

Memory is fuzzy and I did not do a search to confirm.
But as I recall the shocks use Mineral oil, not plain engine oil.

I think you're right.. I've seen something saying a heavy hydraulic oil is most preferred (If memory serves), but otherwise something much more viscous than regular oil.

Lever shock oil.

Seems some folk have also used motorcycle fork oil.

In reply to RichardSIA :motor cycle fork oil works best.  50 weight if it's available.  The seals likely are history  but I've used  ATF transmission stop leak to get a short time improvement. 

I have 30 weight fork oil in the lever shocks on my TR6, but have also adjusted the valving.  JK Jackson wrote up how he modified lever shocks many years ago.

In reply to RichardSIA :

"But as I recall the shocks use Mineral oil, not plain engine oil." Just pick up some motorcycle fork oil. Works fine, available everywhere, and cheap as well.

There's lot of different weights of turbine oil available as well.

Small updates, shifter is mounted and key/switches are too. Used drawer slides and bed frame for the metal so only money is in the hardware, and key cylinder mount picks up from dash trim hardware.

Lots of other progress too, but these are fairly wrapped up!

Much delayed, but registered for the challenge this morning as well!

classicJackets (FS) said:

Much delayed, but registered for the challenge this morning as well!

Woohoo! Go kick some butt !

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Would love to have you and any other Michiganders out for a beer drinking, BS-ing session Friday the 1st/Saturday the 2nd, and the following Friday/Saturday too. Along with any help locking down details :)

I set up a tent I bought with my Camaro earlier today, and good thing, because it rained all evening!

Everybody's favorite hand model also made time to come help out, and whipped me up a new rear floor section from a section of filing cabinet! It still needs attaching to the rear License Plate area, but that won't be too bad to do. A little additional bracing and that section should be at least as stiff as when it was new!

According to experts at the Sprite sites that is a structural area, so needs to be intact.
One reason the Bugeye did not get a trunk lid was for added strength.
When the Mk. II got a trunk lid the wheel arches were squared to get back the lost rigidity.

For all practical purposes, any tin on a bugeye behind the rear bulkhead is decorative.  There might be some use as a crumple zone but all the suspension loads go into the bulkhead.

I recall one example where, after an accident, the body was replaced with a plywood pick up style body. Guy drove it for a long time.

V8 engine.

Will need all the integrity it may muster.

For times sake I'm putting back in the "doubled" gas tank this came with that mounts on stock bolts, so bare minimum this gives me a fuel tank that won't flop around.

In reply to classicJackets (FS) :

Yeah, I would want the fuel tank separated from the passengers.

classicJackets (FS) said:

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Would love to have you and any other Michiganders out for a beer drinking, BS-ing session Friday the 1st/Saturday the 2nd, and the following Friday/Saturday too. Along with any help locking down details :)

 

So throw an invite up in the "Get Together" section and see who can come by. Get enough younger guys and I can provide management and supervisory experience........and I'll bring my own non-alcoholic beer.

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Posted here!

Beyond that, I have a few questions I would dig some input on.

First - most controversy potential-  a FMV question that may end up being posted separately as well. 

I want to keep the wire wheel hubs/knockoffs for wall art, because I think they're cool. I'm seeing single sides listed (yes, listed - not sold) at $80/side, or $150 for a pair across eBay. I am thinking $55 would be a reasonable FMV for mine, which are still perfectly usable. If I can find more "sold" ads I will use that to further justify more value.

Also wondering if parts with a set "core" value to a vendor carry any provable FMV weight? AKA - the 2 Lever shocks from my disc brake front cut are worth a $40 core to NOSImport, who rebuilds them. I will likely send mine our for rebuild for post-challenge life. Can I recoup $40 per, or $40 total as the value of those in their needing-rebuilt state?

Now for the fun questions:

1. I see there are different tie rod ends for early/late cars. Is the tie rod change linked to the steering rack (where I would order for the older version), or for the steering arms (where I would order newer to match my disc brake parts)? 

2. Who has a good recommendation for Urethane to pour bushings? 

My Radius arm bushings (#7 in this diagram) are absolutely trashed, and 4 new ones would cost me something like $50. IO technically have that in the budget but it's not where I'd like to spend it..

Does anybody have a preferred trustworthy and challenge friendly brand recommendation? I found this on Amazon, and for $29.99 where I'm guessing I'd use a quarter max, that looks alright. Anything is better than what I have (below), but hoping not to screw up too bad!

In reply to classicJackets (FS) :

These were mine, almost exactly one year ago. I felt that the hubs and knockoffs represented one half of the value of the total transaction. The wheels were pretty nice, but they were mismatched (two and two).  Tires had good tread and almost no miles but were pretty old. Three tires were one brand and the fourth was some brand that I'd never heard of. 
 

Perhaps, for your Radius arm bushings:

Find somebody who has a leftover 6-8" piece of of Delrin rod from on old project, they would donate or sell cheap.

Or:

A supplier w/ a Drops/Scrap Box they will let you dig thru.

Save & reuse the metal from the old rubber bushing.

In reply to GM > MG :

There's an Alro steel right by me, which has drops in the form of some kind of plastics, but I have no lathe here.. not sure I can do Delrin on a drill press

In reply to classicJackets (FS) :

Actually, i think you could on a drill press. At least close enough for the challenge. 

Use wood turning tools, the drill press table and vice as a tool rest. Drill center hole forst, bolt through it and held in by chuck, then turn od to size with wood tools. Keep speed low for less melting 

Dusterbd13-michael said:

In reply to classicJackets (FS) :

Actually, i think you could on a drill press. At least close enough for the challenge. 

Use wood turning tools, the drill press table and vice as a tool rest. Drill center hole forst, bolt through it and held in by chuck, then turn od to size with wood tools. Keep speed low for less melting 

DeadSkunk did it.  Look about halfway down on this page of his build thread for his words on it:

I wouldnt do derlin for the radius arm bushings, think about the car in roll, you need compliance there.  That said, you could replace the whole thing with sweged rod and rod ends.