Mark Reid RCR-40 Build

[Fran Hall RCR]

Looking pretty spiffy there Mr. Reid.

[chuck smith]

Steve, I just got a Kwik Lift, it works great for low ceilings.

[Steve C]

Chuck,
Thanks for the pic....Will the lower nose of the CAV front clip clear the ramps as car is driven up?....Some pics of the CAV next time it's up would be great entering the ramps and then on the lift (I assume the clearance is same as the SPF?)....Thanks!...Steve

[chuck smith]

will do, i will email them to you ,do not want to clog up Marks thread too much

[MReid]

No worries on clogging up the thread. I bought my lift used for $200. It holds 4000 lbs. I couldn't tell you what kind it is as it has been painted several times. Works great, but has one drawback. It is too high for many low cars (read that as all of mine). I have to keep planks on either side of the lift to keep the chassis high enough to clear the lift when driving on or off.

BTW, nice garage, Chuck!!!

[chuck smith]

it must look familiar to you Mark

[chuck smith]

another good option even with a low garage ceiling is to by a 4 post lift and just do not raise it all the way. All you really want to do is be able to safely get under your car and work on it with some comfort. Standing is ideal, but a good creeper is quite comfortable

[John Lowe]

Mark

Another superb RCR40 and good luck with the rest of the build. I get my RCR (in the UK) in about two months. Fran did tell me what tyres you fitted but I had a senior moment shortly after the telecon and forgot. Are they Avon or Michelin?

I also went for the blue/black, glad that I did.

Best

John

[MReid]

Thanks, John. They are Avon and I really like how they fill the wheel wells and look on the BRM rims. Did you go for the +2" flair in the back? I think it gives the car better balance. I finished the fuel tank sendors and returns yesterday. I'm moving on to the a/c and should have that finished over the weekend. I'll post pictures later.

Mark

[John Lowe]

Mark

Thanks for the info. on the tyres. Yes, I have gone for the 2" flairs which Fran is fitting. To my eyes this is the best look of all in terms of elegance and just looks more balanced as an overall design than a full gulf car. Readily concede, however, that the gulfs look more awesome (I think thats the right term for your side of the pond) in a brutish sort of way.

Look forward to seeing more of your build.

Regards

John

[MReid]

I've made quite a bit of progress over the last week. I installed the fuel tank senders, pick ups, and returns. I removed the stock ss pick up tube and replaced it with a 1/2 one. All of my lines to the fuel distribution block feeding the carbs will be 1/2" ss hard line, then 3/8" from there to the dual 4 barrel Holleys. Yes, a bit of overkill, but who wants to go lean on fuel at 7,000 rpm? Not me!



I also installed the fuse block and sorted the wiring harnesses. The one on the left feeds the front clip lights and fan relay. Center goes to the dash. The one on the right feeds the engine and rear clip. I still need to add wiring for the second fuel pump control and fuel tank sender. I also need to run a power feed to the front to feed the fan relay, but it is pretty well sorted.



Speaking of the dash, I rough cut the dash, laid out all the gauges and controls, and cut the holes for them. When the punk in the Honda turned in front of my coupe smashing the front clip, I couldn't find the horn and realized just how important a well thought out dash is when you don't have time to think about where the controls are located. The button horn in this dash is the furthest to the right at my finger tips and it powers two big Hella horns! It is amazing how events in our lives influence our decisions in the future.





I'm not sure if you can see the silver lines outlining the gauge and switch area? I have a friend who has a process for plating anything in a variety of metals. It is real metal (aluminum, copper, chrome, etc.) and can be polished or clear coated if desired. I am going to have him coat the area in the outline and then paint the rest of the dash black. I need to first align the body panels so I can trim the dash around the A pillars and roll cage.

I also finished the installation of the rest of the suspension, steering rack, final placement of the steering shaft and wheel, and installed the a/c evaporator. I hope to finish the a/c install by the end of the week. That is if work stops getting in the way!

[Pantera1889]

Great job Mark!!!

Where did you get that steering wheel center??? I WANT ONE !!!

[Rob]

Looking great Mark..!!!!!!

Ditto on the badge.

Go baby go.....

[MReid]

Thanks, guys, it is a labor of love!

It just so happens that the Grant steering wheel boss is the same as the RCR wheel boss. I happened to have an old Grant horn boss, but you can get one here:

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=GRT%2D5875&N=700+400103+429 4842689+115&autoview=sku

I then got the insert from Fran Kress, but you can also get one from Paul. He currently has a thread open in the interior section. Mine was a perfect interference fit into the Grant boss.

[MReid]

Here is a link to the thread that also contains Fran Kress' phone number:

http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tech...el-emblem.html

[Bill D]

Mark
Your car is looking awesome!! I love the Ford GT steering wheel bezel. Gives it that 'original" look.

Are you going to fab up some aluminum switch plates? Or just put the swiches in the fiberglass?

Keep the pics coming!!

[MReid]

The solution for my big feet

I have been working away, but haven't had much time to post pictures. Here is a shot of the front. The a/c is installed, about 50% of the wiring is done, and the brakes/pedal box are now installed.



One of my challenges (Randy take note), is that I have long legs and big feet (unfortunately, the rest of that old adage is not true). This provides a challenge in that the steering wheel position, dash height, seat position, and pedal location are critical. Fortunately, the RCR design provides ample room for a tall driver (I'm 6'4" and 230 lbs.) as it has an extended foot box and is 2" wider on the driver's side. The foot box allowed me to push the pedal set all the way down into the foot well. I then found the perfect position for the seat and dash. Two things then became apparent. First, in order to push the pedal set into the well, I end up with the accelerator pedal and brake pedal on either side of the steering shaft. Well my big feet then hit the steering shaft when I move from brake to accelerator and back. Unacceptable. Second, the angle of the steering wheel is tilted too far forward for my taste.

After some careful measuring and trial fitting, I found a single solution that address both issues. Originally in the RCR, the steering shaft goes under the chassis dash support, under the spare tire mount and connects to the rack inside the foot box. There is an adjustable bearing mount right behind the dash. The shaft passes through this bearing into a universal joint and the intermediate shaft then passes through a shaft support rod end pointing down just behind the spare tire tray. From there the intermediate shaft rides along the inside top of the foot box to the rack. This is where my big feet hit the shaft.

I found that if I reverse the rod end, pointing it up instead of down and drill an 1 1/2" hole through the back of the spare tire tray, I can move the intermediate shaft up out of the way. This also improved the steering wheel tilt and gives me a perfect fit with nothing in the way of my now very happy feet!

Here you can see the rod end reversed and now pointing up:



Here is the hole drilled in the back of the spare tire tray and the intermediate shaft now in the revised position:



And finally, here is the new steering wheel angle. The pedal set is pulled forward in this shot and not in its final position.



I am also going to put a 2" offset to the right on the accelerator pedal to give me additional clearance around the rack universal and better brake/go pedal control. I am currently welding up a cover for the shaft.

I'm having a blast building this car!

[beaner]

mark: i would have to classify that as an "elegant" solution to your problems. two problems with one fix. well done. i'm glad to see that you are enjoying the build....