Howard Jones
Supporter
Oh...oh........that looks a little too good...Rob. You've really screwed em up now!!! See guys, this is what happens when you sit in the garage, drink a beer, and ponder the car for a couple of hours with Rob.
SLC 24 Howard Jones
- Thread starter Howard Jones
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Howard Jones
Supporter
I decided not to cut off the scoop. At some point I feel that I need to stop changing things unnecessarily and work towards completing the car. So here's what I did with the scoop.
As you can see, barely, I cut out the inlet fully, boxed in the backside, and ran a duct back through the center of the cabin between the roll-cage tubing. This is all the room there is but I believe that it will flow quite a lot of air onto the face of the air-filter.
As you can see, barely, I cut out the inlet fully, boxed in the backside, and ran a duct back through the center of the cabin between the roll-cage tubing. This is all the room there is but I believe that it will flow quite a lot of air onto the face of the air-filter.
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Howard, I am curious.
No! First, I must congratulate you on your work on the car. This is great!
Okay, now: from the last series of photos that you posted, it appears that you made a rectangular box, placed it in the roof scoop, opened the rectangular box in the front and left the back closed in to vent outside air directly to the engine air intake.
Any reason for making the engine-air scoop a rectangular box? What would you think about simply closing the "floor" (the imaginary line between the two edges of the roof scoop) of the roof scoop and giving the engine a nice elliptical shot of outside air? (Am I being clear here?) Would that be too heavy? Too complex? I am not a melder of fiberglass, so I am interested in your insights.
Bassanio et Portia
No! First, I must congratulate you on your work on the car. This is great!
Okay, now: from the last series of photos that you posted, it appears that you made a rectangular box, placed it in the roof scoop, opened the rectangular box in the front and left the back closed in to vent outside air directly to the engine air intake.
Any reason for making the engine-air scoop a rectangular box? What would you think about simply closing the "floor" (the imaginary line between the two edges of the roof scoop) of the roof scoop and giving the engine a nice elliptical shot of outside air? (Am I being clear here?) Would that be too heavy? Too complex? I am not a melder of fiberglass, so I am interested in your insights.
Bassanio et Portia
Howard Jones
Supporter
I used all the available room as dictated by the roll-bar and exit area at the "firewall" behind the seats. Clearances are less than 1/2 inch and as little as 1/8". There is really no more room for anything else but I think it will be enough volume to cool the air entering the air-filter to about ambiente.
The other use for the exiating scoop would be to vent the cockpit but should I want to convert to a street car in the future this option would have required a much bigger modification later. I will also more than likely run the car on track with the side windows off or with large holes in them. So I won't need air from the roof scoop for cockpit cooling.
Other options are to use the existing scoop to cool the cockpit and then add a much larger scoop on top of the car back above the air-filter. Or cut off the existing scoop and add another big F5000 style scoop at the rear of the roof line. Both of these are more work than I am willing to do at this point. I need to work towards a completion.
They both would also drastically change the "look" of my SLC and I kinda like the look, so I will leave it pretty much as Fran designed it.
The other use for the exiating scoop would be to vent the cockpit but should I want to convert to a street car in the future this option would have required a much bigger modification later. I will also more than likely run the car on track with the side windows off or with large holes in them. So I won't need air from the roof scoop for cockpit cooling.
Other options are to use the existing scoop to cool the cockpit and then add a much larger scoop on top of the car back above the air-filter. Or cut off the existing scoop and add another big F5000 style scoop at the rear of the roof line. Both of these are more work than I am willing to do at this point. I need to work towards a completion.
They both would also drastically change the "look" of my SLC and I kinda like the look, so I will leave it pretty much as Fran designed it.
Howard, did you do anything "special" when you built your air cleaner box? For example, make the plenum so large because of certain calcs? Or use a special flange? Or countour the air inside the box?
Or is it basically just a box with the air cleaner stuck to it?
I'm contemplating my situation and I like what you did, but I'm curious if there's anything special you did to try to make it the best air cleaner box it can be.
Or is it basically just a box with the air cleaner stuck to it?
I'm contemplating my situation and I like what you did, but I'm curious if there's anything special you did to try to make it the best air cleaner box it can be.
Howard Jones
Supporter
Alex, I went through the K&N air filter catalog and used their calculator to select a panel filter that would flow a 350 CI engine @ 7000 RPMs. Then all of the ports inside of the box have greater section area than the area of the carb opening. This resulted in a box that is just about as big as it can be given the available space and clearance to the rear body work.
That's what I thought .... hopefully it works out well for you because I've been contemplating my own air filtering setup and discussed several options at length with some engineers at k&n - the concensus seemed to be that building a box like that (versus an alternative like using a blow-through carb hat) is questionable for several reasons - there may be a negative impact on the signal the carb gets if the top is too close to the vent tubes, plus air likes to flow in from the sides, not so much the top ... if coming from the top you want to try to "shape" it to smooth out any turbulence as it enters the carb. Taking air strictly from the top like that makes standard cfm calculations unreliable apparently.
Of course I totally understand you did it for space constraint reasons.
Hmmm, so many choices, so little proven data.
Of course I totally understand you did it for space constraint reasons.
Hmmm, so many choices, so little proven data.
Howard Jones
Supporter
Mini Mesa mod complete. I like the look and you will see why when I paint the car. No more body mods. Next, put the doors on and finish the body prep for paint.
This was pretty easy really. Just cut out the bottom of the existing scoop and then remove about 2 inches from the side of the car. Then bond the cutout back in and add the filler piece. I saved the pieces I cut out of the doors to form the pocket and used them for the filler piece. I was going to use the white piece I cut off but it was too thick to bend properly so I used the door pieces that are quite a bit thinner. They made a nice strip of fiberglass with a nice smooth side. This saved a lot of sanding and filling.
Finished it up with several layers of glass mat on the inside to add strength, a little body filler and walla, bigger side scoops that follow the side body lines better, at least I think so.......
Here, I hit t with some white paint so you can see it better. It's all got to be sanded later anyway.
This was pretty easy really. Just cut out the bottom of the existing scoop and then remove about 2 inches from the side of the car. Then bond the cutout back in and add the filler piece. I saved the pieces I cut out of the doors to form the pocket and used them for the filler piece. I was going to use the white piece I cut off but it was too thick to bend properly so I used the door pieces that are quite a bit thinner. They made a nice strip of fiberglass with a nice smooth side. This saved a lot of sanding and filling.
Finished it up with several layers of glass mat on the inside to add strength, a little body filler and walla, bigger side scoops that follow the side body lines better, at least I think so.......
Here, I hit t with some white paint so you can see it better. It's all got to be sanded later anyway.
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Terry Oxandale
Skinny Man
Nice and simple! Great work Howard.
Howard:
If you're letting more air into the engine compartment, don't you need to make accommodations for that air to get out? Otherwise, wouldn't you end up with a high pressure area within the engine compartment?
Just saying...
If you're letting more air into the engine compartment, don't you need to make accommodations for that air to get out? Otherwise, wouldn't you end up with a high pressure area within the engine compartment?
Just saying...
To make a high pressure vaccum area wouldn't the area have to be fully sealed off though? There is plenty of room for air to escape through the side scoops and out the back?
......There is no 'compartment', the whole back of the car is open to the lowest pressure zone in any car...you know...the place all those good ol boys (and now Danica) stuff thier NASCARS to draft?
Ever notice how all winged cars running in the rain 'scoop' up the water under the wing and it kinda 'floats' behind the car for a long way after the car passes = low pressure.
Ever notice how all winged cars running in the rain 'scoop' up the water under the wing and it kinda 'floats' behind the car for a long way after the car passes = low pressure.
Howard Jones
Supporter
After I get the car "done" and running, sort out the systems to a point where I can begin to tune the setup I will more than likely at least try to seal the bottom of the engine room and see how it effects cooling. If I don't have heat issues in the engine room then we'll see but I would like to seal the entire bottom of the car if possible.
Then it does become a important factor as to how air flows into the engine room and and back out. I would think that inlets on the side of the body and exhausts out the back would be my preference.
I am currently thinking that I will split the air coming from the side scoops and use half for coolers, oil and gearbox, and the other half for rear brakes. We'll see how packaging goes.
BUT............lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Then it does become a important factor as to how air flows into the engine room and and back out. I would think that inlets on the side of the body and exhausts out the back would be my preference.
I am currently thinking that I will split the air coming from the side scoops and use half for coolers, oil and gearbox, and the other half for rear brakes. We'll see how packaging goes.
BUT............lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Howard Jones
Supporter
The doors begin. On Robs advice I filled and leveled the bed for the hinges and then cut a alum plate to distribute the load to avoid any possibility of cracking the door jam area. They will get bonded on when I am satisfied every thing is lined up and fits correctly. You see one here before I cut the slot in it.
You can also see the neat little flanges to mount the hood pins onto later. These address the problem that if the pins are broken off in a shunt then how do you get the bottom nut loose to remove whats left of the sheared off pin. I intend to use alum pins even if I don't use the Areocatch system, that does use alum pins. They are intended to be a sacrificial part so to speak in an attempt to save the bodywork as much as possible should it come to it.......fingers crossed!!!!!!!!
The nut plates are simply a big ass steel washer with three 1/4 20 nuts welded on. They are held in place with three other 10/32 machine screws and bonded to the FG with good ol plexus.
Then a top plate with the pin in the center and nuts on both sides, is screwed onto the topside of the bodywork down in the recession (cupholder) with three 1/4 -20 button head hex screws. Cool eh........ This allows the hood catch pin and it's mounting plate to be removed from the top without fishing around underneath at the rear and at the front where this area is not accessible at all, once the center section of the body is permanently in place.
Remember, build em so you can fix em..
You can also see the neat little flanges to mount the hood pins onto later. These address the problem that if the pins are broken off in a shunt then how do you get the bottom nut loose to remove whats left of the sheared off pin. I intend to use alum pins even if I don't use the Areocatch system, that does use alum pins. They are intended to be a sacrificial part so to speak in an attempt to save the bodywork as much as possible should it come to it.......fingers crossed!!!!!!!!
The nut plates are simply a big ass steel washer with three 1/4 20 nuts welded on. They are held in place with three other 10/32 machine screws and bonded to the FG with good ol plexus.
Then a top plate with the pin in the center and nuts on both sides, is screwed onto the topside of the bodywork down in the recession (cupholder) with three 1/4 -20 button head hex screws. Cool eh........ This allows the hood catch pin and it's mounting plate to be removed from the top without fishing around underneath at the rear and at the front where this area is not accessible at all, once the center section of the body is permanently in place.
Remember, build em so you can fix em..
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Howard Jones
Supporter
Door hinges mounted. As you can see I have sandwiched a piece of alum sheet in between the henge plate and the fiberglass bed. For now I'll leave it as is, but once the doors are all completed and I'm happy with the fit then I'll bond the alum plate to the fiberglass bed.
Not difficult really, just fit, take apart, sand down agian, repeat until happy.
Not difficult really, just fit, take apart, sand down agian, repeat until happy.
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Howwie could easily be done first...but he has set a conservative agenda (NO NOT TALKING POLITICS) to close out his car. And lest we forget "done" is a very subjective word when it comes to toy cars like ours.
BTW: We are not even sure Dave HAS a car....never seen it. No proof it's real....
BTW: We are not even sure Dave HAS a car....never seen it. No proof it's real....
