Chuck's Jaguar D Type Build

Enjoying seeing that RCR is building a D-Type, and like seeing the provided photos here. I will keep in touch watching the progress. I have an XKSS kit that I never started, though I have so many of the components, diff, brakes, trans, webers, etc. I have recently purchased a RCR Ferrari P4 kit someone else had started about 10 years ago. Looking for a RHD steering rack and dash cover for starters. Chrispy
 
Enjoying seeing that RCR is building a D-Type, and like seeing the provided photos here. I will keep in touch watching the progress. I have an XKSS kit that I never started, though I have so many of the components, diff, brakes, trans, webers, etc. I have recently purchased a RCR Ferrari P4 kit someone else had started about 10 years ago. Looking for a RHD steering rack and dash cover for starters. Chrispy
Saw that P4 opportunity. Best of luck!
 

Chuck

Supporter
Rear Sub Frame, Part II

As is our practice, a pattern was made using foam core board. After several attempts a suitable design was determined. Our goal was to duplicate the look of the original as close as possible.

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Plans were drawn to document the dimensions.

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Heim joints on the forward connection will permit fore and aft adjustment. Heim joints on the support inside the clip will permit up and down adjustment. This is needed if the rear clip is cut from the center section in order to make it removable. If not, the heim joints and the inside support would not be needed, although they will add to the rigidity of the body.

One inch, .083 wall thickness, chromoly was cut to length, rod ends tack welded in place where indicated, and tabs welded at the remaining locations. The tube ends had to be slotted to accommodate the tabs, which was a time-consuming process, using a drill press and grinder with a cut off blade. Oh how I wish I had a mill! Fortunately the state of the art from 1955 can be nicely duplicated with basic tools.

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The three inch tabs were cut from 1/8” x 1 ½” material. The half inch holes were drilled on a drill press before the tabs were cut, simplifying the process. Using a grinder with a thin cut off blade, the corners were trimmed and then finished on a sanding wheel.

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The pieces were tack welded so they could be test fitted.

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The rear brackets are the next project


 

Brian Kissel

Staff member
Admin
Lifetime Supporter
I’m with Chris here. Don’t do Instagram or Facebook. I DO enjoy reading your updates here however. I appreciate all the details you show and the reasoning behind them.

Regards Brian
 

Chuck

Supporter
I’m with Chris here. Don’t do Instagram or Facebook. I DO enjoy reading your updates here however. I appreciate all the details you show and the reasoning behind them.

Regards Brian
Fear not. The Instagram and FB posts are in addition to, not in place of, this blog. The details will appear here. The short, more current updates, will appear on the social media sites. Instagram and FB don't lend themselves to the kind of detail that a build blog provides.
 

Chuck

Supporter
Rear Sub Frame Part III

The rear brackets that bolt to the body presented a challenge determining the proper location. The key was determining a proper center point since there are slight variations in the fiberglass body, left to right.

The lower opening for the boot door has notches near the far left and right sides. These were used as a starting point. A carpenter's square was used to draw perpendicular lines to the front edge of the boot area using these starting points and then the center point between these lines was located. This became the reference point for locating the brackets.

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The rear angle brackets will be connected to the body with four 5/16” bolts to match the appearance of the original. An identical backing plate goes on the inside sandwiching the fiberglass between two 1/8” thick metal plates. Later when we do the body work the fiberglass surface where they mate will be smoothed and reinforced as needed. For now a single nut and bolt was used to hold it temporarily in place. The remaining holes will be drilled when the body work is done

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The aft end of the secondary frame / fuel tank supports will be connected to the rear brackets inside the boot area, but that part of the project is being deferred for now. Only after the precise location of the body is confirmed will that support be fabricated.


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With the parts fabricated, tack welded, and fit confirmed, Ryan completed the final TIG welding when we visited him over Christmas. Painting will come later.

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Chuck

Supporter
Fuel Tank Frame

The RCR supplied fifteen gallon fuel tank measures seven inches high, seventeen inches deep and thirty inches wide. It is a stock fuel cell manufactured by RCi Racing. https://www.rciracing.com. We have designed a replacement fuel tank better suited to our build plans. Regardless what fuel tank is used, a proper support is needed.

Plans were drawn. The frame will not only support the fuel tank but also provide lateral support for the secondary rear frames discussed in prior posts.

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The frame is made from two 40 ¼”” long, half inch sections of angle steel. The cross and end pieces are 1” x 1/8”.

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The fuel tank frame is connected to the secondary rear frames with counter sunk ¼” stainless steel screws, three on each side. The fuel tank we had fabricated will match the width of the fuel tank support and therefore the ends will rest directly on top of the secondary rear frame.

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Follow the progress on Facebook and at Instagram
@constant_speed37
 
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Chuck

Supporter
Pedals, Part I, Research and Development

The kit comes with RCR floor mounted pedals. There is nothing wrong with using these pedals and the same ones have served well in the GT40. But the original D Type had top mounted pedals and we want to explore that option. This is a detail that will be visible to anyone scrutinizing the interior. I am looking for input and want to avoid any unexpected surprises.

Pegasus, www.pegasusautoracing.com , sells a British made overhung pedal box, part OBP-VIC19. It is a nice, vintage looking unit. Unfortunately it is too tall requiring modification to properly fit. So we have a research and development project to see if they can be modified to work. https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productdetails.asp?RecID=12951

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Disc brakes were new technology when the D Type was built and the brakes were a significant factor contributing to its victories at Lemans. A single tandem master cylinder was mounted on top of the foot box. The clutch cylinder was mounted on the forward wall and the accelerator pedal pivoted above the foot box with mechanical linkage to the carb.

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The tandem master cylinder is a dominant visible feature on the original. Our goal is to place a tandem master cylinder in the same position. It will obviously look different, but it will be true to the original layout. We are considering Wilwood Part No. 260-11097. https://www.wilwood.com/MasterCylinders/MasterCylinderList?group=Tandem Master Cylinder (TM1)

The RCR foot box is 13” high which is too low to mount the pedal box inside the foot box. Our plan is to use the pedals but discard the frame and fabricate replacement supports for each pedal, which will effectively raise the pedals providing the needed pedal height. The connection point to the master cylinders will be raised above the top of the foot box.

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We will replace the two brake master cylinders with the single tandem master cylinder. The clutch master cylinder will also be mounted on top of the foot box, which varies from the original layout, but it will not be easily seen, located under the Weber carbs. The gas pedal will be used, but either a mechanical linkage or cable connection will need to be designed.

I am interested in any comments and advice before I start cutting, bending and welding.
 
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