Mitch Krause's RCR GT40 Build
- Thread starter Big-Foot
- Start date
Hello Jac - I take it you saw the challenge that I am up against with the A-Pillar on the left side. It's a mess. The leading edge of the door is proud of the A-Pillar by as much as 3/8". I've been thinking about adding material to the surface of the A-Pillar on the spider as well as removing a similar amount of material from the leading edge of the door.
The intersection of spider, door and front clip is somewhat problematic. Ideally, you would think that all three gaps would intersect at the same place. I've not found any good pictures from an original in this area so - I think that it's just going to have to be what I end up with.
Guys - thank you so much for the kind words!!! :thumbsup:
January 18, 2015
Feeling Groovy…
I managed to get the right side door shut-lines closed up a bit.. These were not as bad as the left side but required about 2mm of bondo to bring into play..
More about the patchy looking door in the next post.. :worried:
Feeling Groovy…
I managed to get the right side door shut-lines closed up a bit.. These were not as bad as the left side but required about 2mm of bondo to bring into play..
More about the patchy looking door in the next post.. :worried:
January 18, 2015
Lumpy – Itchy – Smurf
Hand sanding a Lumpy fiberglass door, makes you itchy and you look like a Smurf!
Why this door was in epoxy primer is beyond me, it had more lumps and bumps than a gravel road in the spring. Using 80G on my 21” board, I am pulling a lot of everything from AIR (low spots) to Fiberglass (high spots)… The right side door on the original must have been really screwed up..
I’m finding that sanding across various hardness surfaces is an exercise in futility. I’m going to have to cheat and use a D-A on the exposed fiberglass to knock it down and then add mud to the surface.
Once I finish this door, I get to go back to the left side door and do the same thing. .
You know – I think I’ve realized why a lot of guys don’t post much in their build logs when it comes to doing the body work. It’s dusty, dirty, filthy work that’s neither interesting or immediately rewarding..
Still, all in all, I think I’m making reasonable progress and getting the hang of it..
Do any of you RCR guys have any tips on anchoring the sills? I’m not crazy about the idea of just having the bottoms of the sills sitting in the relief in the tub. I would like to secure them somehow so they don’t move or make noise when hitting bumps in the road. I’m sure I can figure something out, but if you have ideas or thoughts – please share.
Lumpy – Itchy – Smurf
Hand sanding a Lumpy fiberglass door, makes you itchy and you look like a Smurf!
Why this door was in epoxy primer is beyond me, it had more lumps and bumps than a gravel road in the spring. Using 80G on my 21” board, I am pulling a lot of everything from AIR (low spots) to Fiberglass (high spots)… The right side door on the original must have been really screwed up..
I’m finding that sanding across various hardness surfaces is an exercise in futility. I’m going to have to cheat and use a D-A on the exposed fiberglass to knock it down and then add mud to the surface.
Once I finish this door, I get to go back to the left side door and do the same thing. .
You know – I think I’ve realized why a lot of guys don’t post much in their build logs when it comes to doing the body work. It’s dusty, dirty, filthy work that’s neither interesting or immediately rewarding..
Still, all in all, I think I’m making reasonable progress and getting the hang of it..
Do any of you RCR guys have any tips on anchoring the sills? I’m not crazy about the idea of just having the bottoms of the sills sitting in the relief in the tub. I would like to secure them somehow so they don’t move or make noise when hitting bumps in the road. I’m sure I can figure something out, but if you have ideas or thoughts – please share.
For the sills, I added closed cell foam to the top of the lip on the lower chassis, and screwed them to the chassis with M6 countersunk screws from under the car). I inserted nutserts into the fibreglass sill to provide something for the screws to pull down on. I also added small tabs on the inside of the sills at the top edge so I could "bend" the sills to the same radius as the doors as they are not flat (as they should not be). This allowed the door and sill to line up perfectly along the length of the car.
Good work, I hated doing it.
Good work, I hated doing it.
Jason - thanks for that.. i think I have the bottom mounts visualized but am not understanding about the tabs that you mounted on the inside top edge of the sills..
Also, I found yesterday that my sills appear to either be warped or have a compound curvature in places... The bottoms of the doors, by all the pictures I have seen so far, should be flat and parallel to the sills. Mine are not. The right side door bows out due to a defect and the sill actually exaggerates the outward bow of the door by curving inward somewhat..
Thanks again for your help and sharing.. Your car is a shining example as to what can be done with enough work and patience.
Also, I found yesterday that my sills appear to either be warped or have a compound curvature in places... The bottoms of the doors, by all the pictures I have seen so far, should be flat and parallel to the sills. Mine are not. The right side door bows out due to a defect and the sill actually exaggerates the outward bow of the door by curving inward somewhat..
Thanks again for your help and sharing.. Your car is a shining example as to what can be done with enough work and patience.
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
An air file is great in these situations and with the right touch, which I believe you have, can provide a very straight panel. Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but 5-10 years from now, you'll see the waves begin reappearing again. The trouble with fiberglass as it ages.
Thanks Terry… That’s exactly what I did… :stunned:
January 19, 2015
Throw in the towel day…
Okay – I didn’t throw in the towel on the project, but I did finally succumb to the call of my pneumatic tools.. There was just too much sanding down low and my back told me that enough was enough.. The left side door needed a bunch of mud in it to bring it even with the edge of the sill as well as to build it out to meet the bottoms of the front clip and spider. I broke out my Air File (which has not been used since I did a bunch of Corvette racecar bodywork about 20 years ago. I oiled it up and ran it for a few minutes, laid on a strip of 36G and went to work.. Unfortunately, I ran out of work time in the shop before dinner – so other than finishing the right side door, I don’t have a lot of great progress to report.
Hit the bottom of that gallon. That’s roughly how much is in the car to this point. Well, much went on the floor, but that’s another matter…
January 19, 2015
Throw in the towel day…
Okay – I didn’t throw in the towel on the project, but I did finally succumb to the call of my pneumatic tools.. There was just too much sanding down low and my back told me that enough was enough.. The left side door needed a bunch of mud in it to bring it even with the edge of the sill as well as to build it out to meet the bottoms of the front clip and spider. I broke out my Air File (which has not been used since I did a bunch of Corvette racecar bodywork about 20 years ago. I oiled it up and ran it for a few minutes, laid on a strip of 36G and went to work.. Unfortunately, I ran out of work time in the shop before dinner – so other than finishing the right side door, I don’t have a lot of great progress to report.
Hit the bottom of that gallon. That’s roughly how much is in the car to this point. Well, much went on the floor, but that’s another matter…
January 19, 2015
Checking on the mirrors..
Taking a break from the Bodywork and will share some of the other details of the car..
I just had to dig the mirrors out of the box to see how they would look on the car.
These are 1974 Ford Torino mirrors that I bought at a swap meet about 7-8 years ago for something on the order of $25. I was surprised tonight to see that mirrors like these are selling for ~$175 each now!
In case you don’t know what a 1974 Ford Torino looks like – Here’s one that became somewhat famous;
Checking on the mirrors..
Taking a break from the Bodywork and will share some of the other details of the car..
I just had to dig the mirrors out of the box to see how they would look on the car.
These are 1974 Ford Torino mirrors that I bought at a swap meet about 7-8 years ago for something on the order of $25. I was surprised tonight to see that mirrors like these are selling for ~$175 each now!
In case you don’t know what a 1974 Ford Torino looks like – Here’s one that became somewhat famous;
January 19, 2015
One Nostril or Two?
Personally I prefer the double-nostril hood panel over the single nostril. I have both as I was going to use the Single Nostril on the track since it flows more air than the double-nostril as supplied.. However, I have since performed a great deal of surgery on the double nostril panel and it is now deeper than the Single. It should have no problem moving the hot air out of that radiator!
This is what they looked like side-by-side before I started on them a few years ago;
And now – in primer;
I took weeks to do this hood panel. I refused to be denied!
One Nostril or Two?
Personally I prefer the double-nostril hood panel over the single nostril. I have both as I was going to use the Single Nostril on the track since it flows more air than the double-nostril as supplied.. However, I have since performed a great deal of surgery on the double nostril panel and it is now deeper than the Single. It should have no problem moving the hot air out of that radiator!
This is what they looked like side-by-side before I started on them a few years ago;
And now – in primer;
I took weeks to do this hood panel. I refused to be denied!
Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Really nice work on the nostrils. Not much of a decision in my opinion.
What he said.
Thanks guys – The Double-Nostril hood panel wins.. I’ll still fit & paint the single one as well – just in case…
January 20, 2015
Chillin’ after work – Dyno Time
I thought I would get a quick entry in this log with the first Dyno run and results. This all took place in 2008 so the engine has had a long rest since then. Matter of fact – I need to pull it out of its bag and add a little more 2 cycle oil to the cylinders and give it a few turns for good measure.
The engine is a stroked 302 with a displacement of 331 cubic inches using all forged internals and is neutrally balanced. Compression ratio is 10.5:1. Cylinder heads are R&R Automotive prepared Dart Pro1 Alloy with 1.94 intake valves. Camshaft is a custom Inglese hydraulic roller cam that motivate the valves via moly pushrods and CompCams roller rockers. Induction duties will be managed by a set of period correct Weber 48mm IDA carbs. Carrying the spent fuel and air out the rear of the car is a beautiful 180 degree 304 Stainless steel header system and matching mufflers.
Using Dyno headers – 1-3/4” diameter primaries - The Dyno showed 414 HP and 430 TQ. Idled very nice with a slight lope and had instantaneous throttle response - virtually no induction reversion cloud evident.
I will be changing the valve springs from their current 330# open pressure as we had a slight amount of valve float evident on the dyno.
Camshaft Info ::
Comp Cams P/N 35-491-8
Description Hyd. Roller, Ford Windsor 5.0 Firing Order, Stage 2
Duration @ .050” Int 222 Exh 224
Lift Int .357 Exh .353
Lobe Sep Angle 115 ̊
More information here;
ENGINE
Here’s the video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqWB_4ZZuI
Ron – Tweaking the Webers
Data points
January 20, 2015
Chillin’ after work – Dyno Time
I thought I would get a quick entry in this log with the first Dyno run and results. This all took place in 2008 so the engine has had a long rest since then. Matter of fact – I need to pull it out of its bag and add a little more 2 cycle oil to the cylinders and give it a few turns for good measure.
The engine is a stroked 302 with a displacement of 331 cubic inches using all forged internals and is neutrally balanced. Compression ratio is 10.5:1. Cylinder heads are R&R Automotive prepared Dart Pro1 Alloy with 1.94 intake valves. Camshaft is a custom Inglese hydraulic roller cam that motivate the valves via moly pushrods and CompCams roller rockers. Induction duties will be managed by a set of period correct Weber 48mm IDA carbs. Carrying the spent fuel and air out the rear of the car is a beautiful 180 degree 304 Stainless steel header system and matching mufflers.
Using Dyno headers – 1-3/4” diameter primaries - The Dyno showed 414 HP and 430 TQ. Idled very nice with a slight lope and had instantaneous throttle response - virtually no induction reversion cloud evident.
I will be changing the valve springs from their current 330# open pressure as we had a slight amount of valve float evident on the dyno.
Camshaft Info ::
Comp Cams P/N 35-491-8
Description Hyd. Roller, Ford Windsor 5.0 Firing Order, Stage 2
Duration @ .050” Int 222 Exh 224
Lift Int .357 Exh .353
Lobe Sep Angle 115 ̊
More information here;
ENGINE
Here’s the video;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBqWB_4ZZuI
Ron – Tweaking the Webers
Data points
Bodywork tip that I am sharing::
When you lay in a load of Bondo and you give it the first half dozen strokes with your sanding block, your paper is now loaded up with chaff taken off the top..
Well, this tip actually works...
If you rub your hand over the cured body filler and it feels a bit tacky or waxy - take a paper towel or clean grease free rag, put a bit of lacquer thinner on the rag and just give a quick wipe across the fresh filler. Wait about five minutes and then hit it with your sanding block. You'll find that it leaves substantially less chaff plugging up your sand paper..
When you lay in a load of Bondo and you give it the first half dozen strokes with your sanding block, your paper is now loaded up with chaff taken off the top..
Well, this tip actually works...
If you rub your hand over the cured body filler and it feels a bit tacky or waxy - take a paper towel or clean grease free rag, put a bit of lacquer thinner on the rag and just give a quick wipe across the fresh filler. Wait about five minutes and then hit it with your sanding block. You'll find that it leaves substantially less chaff plugging up your sand paper..
January 25, 2015
Lumpy and the Bondo Boys
I can’t believe the number of hours I have in this left side door. Basically two full weekends and I am still not done. There were a lot of lumps in the door which required a ton of sanding and a lot of filler work.
I managed to get the door to the point where the B-Pillar gap to the spider was pretty good.
Most of the door top is done at this point, but I still have the front and inside edge gaps to rebuild.
This gap at the rear edge of the door to the spider has to run wide in order to accommodate the door-top swinging over it without dragging. I didn’t get a picture of it, but the door edge is trimmed to about a 60 degree angle and the fiberglass is exceedingly thin at this point. I’m not happy with this fit just yet – so look for more on this in a future log entry.
Lumpy and the Bondo Boys
I can’t believe the number of hours I have in this left side door. Basically two full weekends and I am still not done. There were a lot of lumps in the door which required a ton of sanding and a lot of filler work.
I managed to get the door to the point where the B-Pillar gap to the spider was pretty good.
Most of the door top is done at this point, but I still have the front and inside edge gaps to rebuild.
This gap at the rear edge of the door to the spider has to run wide in order to accommodate the door-top swinging over it without dragging. I didn’t get a picture of it, but the door edge is trimmed to about a 60 degree angle and the fiberglass is exceedingly thin at this point. I’m not happy with this fit just yet – so look for more on this in a future log entry.
January 25, 2015
Spider A-Pillar Fiasco
This is the left side of the spider and left door interface. The Door is fit literally perfectly to the spider, sill and front clip – however, the part of the door that comprises the back of the A-Pillar is just about flush with the spider at the top, but proud of it by almost 3/8” at the bottom. I have elected to close this gap by removing material from the door and adding it to the spider. I used Fiberglass reinforced filler (Kitty-Hair) to build up the spider and will use it also on the back-side of the door to replace the material I removed from the front. I used Rage-Gold Bondo to finish the surfaces. I still have some filler work to do on the inside of the gaps and will open the gap up from the current paper-thin (which looks nice but is not practical).
The spider at the base of the windshield was also deformed and roughly 1/4” below the height of the front clip, so it too needed to be raised. Again I used Kitty-hair and Rage filler.
I won’t be closing up the gap between the front clip and the base of the windshield as I would like to have this as a little cushion in case of any sort of front end collision. It’s about a 3/8” gap.
One thing that I cannot get out of my head is just how *Absolutely-Screwed-Up* GT40 P1008 must have been. :shocked:
More next week…
Spider A-Pillar Fiasco
This is the left side of the spider and left door interface. The Door is fit literally perfectly to the spider, sill and front clip – however, the part of the door that comprises the back of the A-Pillar is just about flush with the spider at the top, but proud of it by almost 3/8” at the bottom. I have elected to close this gap by removing material from the door and adding it to the spider. I used Fiberglass reinforced filler (Kitty-Hair) to build up the spider and will use it also on the back-side of the door to replace the material I removed from the front. I used Rage-Gold Bondo to finish the surfaces. I still have some filler work to do on the inside of the gaps and will open the gap up from the current paper-thin (which looks nice but is not practical).
The spider at the base of the windshield was also deformed and roughly 1/4” below the height of the front clip, so it too needed to be raised. Again I used Kitty-hair and Rage filler.
I won’t be closing up the gap between the front clip and the base of the windshield as I would like to have this as a little cushion in case of any sort of front end collision. It’s about a 3/8” gap.
One thing that I cannot get out of my head is just how *Absolutely-Screwed-Up* GT40 P1008 must have been. :shocked:
More next week…
