Jim's RCR Build

Ok, here is the first post of I can only imagine how many! I have never been great with documenting my projects but I'm really going to try on this one. Let's face it, most of my post will be questions! I decided to stop emailing Chuck (thanks Chuck) with my questions and make them public. So... Here is a picture of the car in the garage where it will reside for a solid year or two.

GT40garage2.jpg
 
So far I have taken the front suspension off the car and cut the openings for the gas tanks. Here are some pics of the opening and templates I plan on using for the accessible cover plates.

GTapart.jpg


gastank1.jpg


gastank2.jpg


template2.jpg


template1.jpg


gasholes.jpg
 
Ok, first question. I am just starting to place the panels and I'm intentionally going very slow! Everything is still loose (spider, front, and doors, etc.). I know this is door hinge 101 but I am wondering how you get adjustability (fore and aft) out of the hinges? The plates are slotted but when you locate the 1/2" bolt holes (top and bottom) don't you loose that ability to move the door? That hole isn't slotted so you can't move it but the plates are slotted. I know I'm missing something here.... The hinge that attaches to the monocoque posts has the up and down motion but not fore and aft.

Also, take a look at where I am planning on drilling the holes in the doors. I noticed in the door there looks to be a place where the original bolts went but if I try to make that work the door hinge would hit the post. I assume the door hinge assembly is totally different and I shouldn't use that as a guide. Does the dimension below make sense? I'm running the plate flush to the inside edge of the door which will still allow the inside plate to clear.

door1.jpg


door2.jpg
 
The 1" dimension came from locating the front end, doors, and spider. The hinges are not quite centered in the opening between the "posts". Should of taken a photo.
 

Chuck

Supporter
Ok, here is the first post of I can only imagine how many! I have never been great with documenting my projects but I'm really going to try on this one. Let's face it, most of my post will be questions! I decided to stop emailing Chuck (thanks Chuck) with my questions and make them public. So... Here is a picture of the car in the garage where it will reside for a solid year or two.

Hey Jim; e-mail or call anytime. Never a problem.
 

Randy V

Moderator-Admin
Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
Hi Jim,

You might find my build website of some use here.
I documented the process I used and also address the adjustability of the hinge system itself.

GT-Forty.com

Much more there too..

In case I didn't say it earlier, Welcome to the family!

:thumbsup:
 
Chuck, thanks for your continued support! Randy, great site, I printed out a several photos tonight and took them to the garage. GTRene, you are correct, there is a nice sized room above but it's full of car parts! I added the lift and had to modify the structure to accommodate it. The GT40 will someday fit nicely under the car above! It's amazing how you can find the energy to work on the car after a long day at the office. My neighbor has been over every night to help out. Fran, he's the 6'3 guy who wants one of your cars. He works with me as well. Keeps coming in my office showing me sketches on how we can "do this and do that". It's great!
 
a little off topic but i couldnt help but notice your gorgeous fastback you got there :D. 68 right? i see those lights on the quarter pannel. 68 is the only year ford did that
 
a little off topic but i couldnt help but notice your gorgeous fastback you got there :D. 68 right? i see those lights on the quarter pannel. 68 is the only year ford did that

You are correct! I always have a 67 or 68 fastback in my garage. This is an original survivor car. The underside still has the factory red oxide primer. It's a great untouched mustang. A plain Jane c code but a fun car. It probably won't be as tight as the gt40 though!
 
You are correct! I always have a 67 or 68 fastback in my garage. This is an original survivor car. The underside still has the factory red oxide primer. It's a great untouched mustang. A plain Jane c code but a fun car. It probably won't be as tight as the gt40 though!

Damn you don't get survivors like that up where I live. All the salt on the roads from the winter eats at the metal. A late 60's- early 70's mustang fastback was my dream car before the 40. A nice ride you got there
 

Chuck

Supporter
Jim:

A bit late but hopefully this will help.

There are probably several different equally effective ways to approach hanging the doors. This is how I would do it. Hopefully this makes sense.

The door connection. Using the stainless tube will simplify the installation, as detailed in previous blog / book. Where the stainless tube passes through the fiberglass the hole needs to be enlarged so that the tube can be adjusted fore and aft. Making the hole about 3/16 to quarter inch larger should suffice. The holes for the three screws that hold the top and bottom plates need to be elongated as well. This will facilitate adjustments of the top and bottom plate. Keep in mind a tiny bit of movement of the plate will make a significant difference in the movement at the opposite end of the door. But don’t drill anything yet.

The chassis connection. The chassis hinge should be secured with four bolts, but for now just use two. Two of the chassis holes will need to be enlarged so that the entire hinge can be moved about. Use a good sized washer on the back side.

Once the hinge is mounted with two bolts, roughly centered in the enlarged holes in the chassis, set the door in place. Use spacers and tape to support the door. With the door temporarily secured in its intended location, mark the spot where the stainless steel tube will pass through the door. Only then should the mounting plate be installed on the door.

On my GT, the hole on the door ended up about 1 ¼” from the leading edge.

Adjustment. As noted in the previous blog / book, most of the adjustment is made at the chassis hinge, not the top and bottom plates on the door. Spacer plates will be needed for proper in – out location and rotation of the hinge will be needed for up – down movement of the back end of the door. Spacers between the bottom of the door and chassis hinge will adjust the height of the leading edge of the door. One is working in three dimensions and the door may have to be removed many times to add or remove spacer plates and adjust the hinge before things line up.

Once the door is in the final position, drill the remaining two holes through the chassis and bolt the hinge in place. There should now be four bolts connecting the chassis to the hinge. The last two bolts will make any movement of the hinge impossible.

The bolts holding the plates to the door can be used for small final adjustments.
 
Jim:

A bit late but hopefully this will help.

There are probably several different equally effective ways to approach hanging the doors. This is how I would do it. Hopefully this makes sense.

The door connection. Using the stainless tube will simplify the installation, as detailed in previous blog / book. Where the stainless tube passes through the fiberglass the hole needs to be enlarged so that the tube can be adjusted fore and aft. Making the hole about 3/16 to quarter inch larger should suffice. The holes for the three screws that hold the top and bottom plates need to be elongated as well. This will facilitate adjustments of the top and bottom plate. Keep in mind a tiny bit of movement of the plate will make a significant difference in the movement at the opposite end of the door. But don’t drill anything yet.

The chassis connection. The chassis hinge should be secured with four bolts, but for now just use two. Two of the chassis holes will need to be enlarged so that the entire hinge can be moved about. Use a good sized washer on the back side.

Once the hinge is mounted with two bolts, roughly centered in the enlarged holes in the chassis, set the door in place. Use spacers and tape to support the door. With the door temporarily secured in its intended location, mark the spot where the stainless steel tube will pass through the door. Only then should the mounting plate be installed on the door.

On my GT, the hole on the door ended up about 1 ¼” from the leading edge.

Adjustment. As noted in the previous blog / book, most of the adjustment is made at the chassis hinge, not the top and bottom plates on the door. Spacer plates will be needed for proper in – out location and rotation of the hinge will be needed for up – down movement of the back end of the door. Spacers between the bottom of the door and chassis hinge will adjust the height of the leading edge of the door. One is working in three dimensions and the door may have to be removed many times to add or remove spacer plates and adjust the hinge before things line up.

Once the door is in the final position, drill the remaining two holes through the chassis and bolt the hinge in place. There should now be four bolts connecting the chassis to the hinge. The last two bolts will make any movement of the hinge impossible.

The bolts holding the plates to the door can be used for small final adjustments.

Chuck,

That summation helps a lot! The light bulb went on when you mentioned the enlarged hole in the fiberglass to allow the fore and aft. Now that I think about it, the shaft isn't holding/ locking down the door. The plates are holding it down. That explains the slotted plate attaching to the door. Clever!

Thanks for the explanation.
 
on another topic... I know this is a G50 transaxle but I forgot what year it is... Do these numbers tell me the specifics? Thanks

transmission.jpg
 
How many times can I take the doors on and off? A lot! To me this is one of the tasks that I was the most concerned about performing. Although I'm not fully dialed in yet, it hasn't been that bad. I decided to use the continuous bolt method in lieu of the two bolts supplied with the kit. I purchased a 5/8" OD tube for the sleeve and a 1/2 diameter, 10" bolt. I learned that the fine thread 1/2" bolt has a larger diameter than a 1/2" course thread (a couple of trips to motor city fastener). Anyway, I started from the front and worked my way back. As some of the veterans on the site are aware, it's critical to work all the pieces at once. I mated the spider to the front clip then loosely mounted the doors and kept moving the pieces to get everything close. The fiberglass surprisingly fit very well. It's not refined yet but it's a lot better than when I took it home with packaging tape holding everything together! Remember to install the weather stripping when installing the doors! The end result is the front clip is centered to the wheels, gaps will be not greater than 3/16" of an inch, and the doors will not rub the top of the roof! Here are a couple of pictures.

GTDoor2.jpg


GTdoor1.jpg


GTdoor3.jpg


GTdoor4.jpg
 
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