Chuck and Ryan's RCR Build

[Maurice Butler]

Yeah, I'll have a go Bill! Depends on the size of the battery!!!!!!:lipsrsealed:

....

Divide the number of amphours by the amperage draw and you are in the ballpark.:stunned:

Until you want to start - then the battery is too flat to kick the starter:cry:

Save half of the battery capacity for starting in warm weather, colder climites you will need to save more capacity if the battery gets colder it can't give the peak amps to kick the starter.

 

[Graham]

Blow Job

The persistent summer heat has not prevented us from driving the GT. The air conditioning makes an evening drive in ninety plus heat quite manageable. But the engine compartment does not seem to be faring as well.

Lifting the clip after an hour drive in ninety plus heat revealed a worrisome issue. The fiberglass above the engine was very hot to the touch and soft, almost pliable. There was no visible damage, but such high temperatures can’t be good. One can’t always raise the clip after shutting down when stopping away from home.

It seems that the hot air stagnates below the clip above the engine. At low speed I suspect there is little air movement. Driving in traffic is tough to avoid. So a means of moving that air was sought.

There are two five inch diameter access openings on the sponsons. They come drilled and tapped for a cover plate. Air drawn from that opening enters from the rear of the sponson; seemingly an ideal source since it is low where the air is cooler and in a area where the aerodynamics of the car should not affect the air flow.

We found the perfect fan for this application. Derale Cooling Products, Part number 16505, available from several sources including Summit. It is five inches in diameter and fits perfectly over the opening on the sponson. It moves 325 CFM of air and draws 3.6 amps. Those are respectable specs for such a small fan.

The fans have three mounting tabs. Two line up perfectly with the existing holes for the cover plate. It was a simple matter to drill and tap the third. Quarter inch nylon spacers were placed below the mounting tabs so that the screws could be tightened down without damaging the mounting tabs.

The fans are only 1.250 inches thick and thus do not interfere with the suspension. Indeed, once installed they are difficult to see, blending in well.

The fans were wired through a relay. The relay is activated by a switch on the dash, giving us the option of keeping the fans on after the car has been shut down. When the car was originally wired an extra wire from the dash fan – override switch was run to the rear of the car for this contingency.

With a total of 650 CFM the fans blow plenty of air. Stopping after a brisk three quarter hour drive in ninety degree heat, one could feel the flow of warm air being blown from those fans at the openings of the rear of the clip above and on either side of the exhaust pipes. The fans move the air from the front to the rear of the clip effectively. This will supplement the natural flow from the side vents when driving at speed.

Most important, when the clip was lifted the fiberglass was not nearly as hot and did not have that soft, almost pliable feel.

The fans are loud. They sound like typical electric radiator fans. You won’t walk away from the car without realizing they are on. Of course the sound inside the cabin is subdued and not that noticeable compared to the sound of the engine a foot from your ear.

Yarn tell tales taped to the rear clip move noticeably when the fans are on confirming the flow of air out the rear of the clip.

Check out the video version . . . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0i3Htxd9I4

Chuck,

Just wanted to say what a fantastic solution that is.... There is every chance I will steal that idea for my car

Very inventive. Well done :thumbsup:

Graham.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Very clever idea, and one I may need for my car; I'll have to keep that in mind.

I have an exhaust fan for the engine room on my boat, which is run by a timer; I used a clockwork wall switch from Home Despot, which runs the engine room ventilator for an hour. With two diesels and a generator in a closed space, the heat hangs around a long time, especially in the summer. Running the fan for a few one-hour spells makes a difference (this is 110vac since the boat is connected to shore current when it isn't out running) I don't know if a similar timer is available for 12v; you wouldn't want a home wall-switch timer in a car, but the idea would be similar.

Isn't there a device for batteries that will shut off any loads when the battery voltage drops below a certain point? Helps keep you from discharging the battery flat.

My Odyssey PC625 went flat when I left a switch on in the Cobra (my fault). It was then dead and would not accept a charge. This was one month before the 3 year warranty was up. Odyssey replaced it. They are fine as long as you don't run them down completely dead- like most batteries, which don't like it any more than they do.

 

[Seymour Snerd]

I don't know if a similar timer is available for 12v;.

Some are, see http://www.gt40s.com/forum/gt40-tech-fueling-electrics-engine-cooling/32323-dely-shut-off-relay.html which is a thread Chuck started.The units from Waytek Wire suggested by Jack Houpe looked like the best choice to me.

Re: protecting the battery: http://www.prioritystart.com/ but I have no idea of the reliability of these units. To my way of thinking there's a point where the failure rate of the protector might outweigh the import of the thing being prevented. For example, if you come out to the garage and your GT40's battery is dead, just give it a jump and drive off. OTOH if your "prioritystart" decides to give up the ghost in the middle of the desert, and maybe takes the alternator with it, you are going to be really sorry you bought that "insurance." Regarding the Odyssey case, that sounds like a good argument against that particular battery. I've run lots of batteries dead over the years and they all perked up after a jump. I have never seen one die afer the first incident of being run flat.

Now on a boat we're talking about something totally different....

 

[Chuck]

Jim:

Sorry for the late response. Been preocuppied with the 65 Mustang GT 350 build.

Attached are pics of the Waytek delay timer. Really slick little device. Only a couple of inches square. Can be ordered with a ten minute delay or one hour delay, variable of course. Probably won't get around to installing it until the Mustang is done.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Clever little item. I'm going to have to look at those for some other ideas besides the fans.

As far as the battery goes, it wasn't just discharged flat. It was left like that for several days because I didn't realize the ignition switch was in the ACC position- there is no warning buzzer or lamp on a Cobra, since there would not have been one back in the day. So the battery was discharged REALLY flat. I have several Odysseys and they have always worked without any trouble, recovering well from partial discharge. I think this isn't a typical case, and they replaced it without argument once I had demonstrated to them it would not accept a charge.

 

[J. Salmon]

BTW, Val Burd (who is doing the final work on my car and has worked on replicas and originals in the past) did just this to cars to prevent the same thing. Nice!

 

[Chuck]

Have not posted for a bit. Been busy building the 'stang. It is now running and lacks only a few minor details. Got a few projects for the GT40 which hope to get to in the coming weeks.

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

What an outstanding looking Mustang. How about some more details?

Next you guys have to do a Kirkham Cobra? Or how about a Kirkham Daytona coupe? There are rumors....

 

[Terry Oxandale]

I'd like to see more side by side 350/40 photos.

Ox

 

[Garry]

Chuck and Ryan, you guys do beautiful work.
Garry

 

[Chuck]

Ox:

Couple more 40/350 pics. Sorry don't have better quality pics. It was dusk when we snapped those on Sunday.

 

[Chuck]

Mustang GT 350 Clone

Jim: per your request, a few details.

This was primarily Ryan’s project. It started as a bare chassis in March 2010. The goal was to build a replica of a 1965 GT 350. Ryan thoroughly researched the project and we went to great lengths to make it as original as possible with just a few non original upgrades to make it a bit more driver friendly.

Front upper control arms are dropped half inch per Shelby’s original. Traction bars added to the rear axle (a major project ). Center dash pod with tach and oil pressure gauge per Shelby. Wood steering wheel. Rear seat deleted package tray added, spare added. Battery moved to trunk – all per the original. Paint scheme, markings, all per original. (Wimbeldon white and guardsman blue).

We learned more about body work than we really wanted to know. We did the body work including primer, learning as we went along, then had it professionally painted by Ray Maserang, who also painted our GT. He did a super job.

We found a complete 1965 coupe which was a total rust bucket, but it was complete. Bought it really cheap and used it for parts – like the seat frames, heater box, and wipers. It was also a good reference when we did not know how something was to go together. Sold the carcass just this past weekend – sure glad to see that thing leave the driveway!

It is amazing how many parts are available for these Mustangs. We have a 45 year old car that is essentially new.

We estimate about 1500 hours in ten months for Ryan and me, not counting research and gathering parts. It will be nice to get our lives back . . . . until the next project!

 

[Chuck]

Garry: Thanks for the kind comment.

 

[Terry Oxandale]

Quite a pair you have there! Side by side shows their fascinating differences.

 

[Nick]

I'm not a big fan of American cars but that mustang is beautiful.

Jealousy is a terrible feeling, but I envy your skills.

 

[EGLITOM]

Chuck

another masterpiece from the "Schmidts"

TOM

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Chuck, if I'd had a dad like you, I might have amounted to something, instead of being a poor country emergency physician...

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Your next project ought to be a Daytona coupe, PM or email me if you are curious.

 

[Chuck]

chuck, if i'd had a dad like you, i might have amounted to something, instead of being a poor country emergency physician...

give me a break . . . . . . you might have become a lawyer . . . . . scarry thought . . . .