1935 Miller-Ford Indy 500 Race Car
Home Page: Rick Eggers
Cape Coral, FL, USA
| Total Posts: 36 | Latest Post: 2018-10-23 |
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This has been, without a doubt, the most difficult and time consuming part of this build so far.
But it's important to the overall look of the car, so I persevered.
I used 3/32 stainless steel welding rod for the vertical bars, and 1/8 inch for the cross bars.
The grill opening has a slight peak in the center, and it also extends forward slightly so each bar is a different length from the one adjacent to it. The curve at the top is a smaller radius than the bottom. The grill opening also tapers vertically. It's wider at the top, so the two end bars don't extend all the way to the bottom.
Mr' Miller couldn't have made this more difficult if he tried.
I started by forming two strips of 16 gauge steel into end pieces for the bars to attach to. I fitted them to the shell, bending them into the correct V shape. I then drilled a row of 19 evenly spaced holes in the top one, and 17 holes in the bottom.
I screwed the parts into the fiberglass shell, and proceeded to start bending and fitting each bar. As I was satisfied with the fit, I epoxied the ends of the bar to hold it in place. When I got all 17 of the full length ones in place, I removed the assembly from the shell. I used electrical tape to form a dam around the ends of the bars, and I filled it in with epoxy resin, forming a solid 3/8 square piece to hold the bars in.
Then I had to attach the shorter end bars and the cross bars. After several experiments with the wire welder, the torch and stainless filler rod, solder, and brazing rod, I settled on the brazing rod. It was quick and seems to hold just fine.
I screwed in two pins at the top, and the bottom is held in with two screws. So to install it, you insert the pins into holes at the top, slide the bottom in place and put the screws in from the bottom.
I still have some cleaning and polishing to do on it, but I had to assemble it for pictures.
What do you think? I think it looks like a Miller.
But it's important to the overall look of the car, so I persevered.
I used 3/32 stainless steel welding rod for the vertical bars, and 1/8 inch for the cross bars.
The grill opening has a slight peak in the center, and it also extends forward slightly so each bar is a different length from the one adjacent to it. The curve at the top is a smaller radius than the bottom. The grill opening also tapers vertically. It's wider at the top, so the two end bars don't extend all the way to the bottom.
Mr' Miller couldn't have made this more difficult if he tried.
I started by forming two strips of 16 gauge steel into end pieces for the bars to attach to. I fitted them to the shell, bending them into the correct V shape. I then drilled a row of 19 evenly spaced holes in the top one, and 17 holes in the bottom.
I screwed the parts into the fiberglass shell, and proceeded to start bending and fitting each bar. As I was satisfied with the fit, I epoxied the ends of the bar to hold it in place. When I got all 17 of the full length ones in place, I removed the assembly from the shell. I used electrical tape to form a dam around the ends of the bars, and I filled it in with epoxy resin, forming a solid 3/8 square piece to hold the bars in.
Then I had to attach the shorter end bars and the cross bars. After several experiments with the wire welder, the torch and stainless filler rod, solder, and brazing rod, I settled on the brazing rod. It was quick and seems to hold just fine.
I screwed in two pins at the top, and the bottom is held in with two screws. So to install it, you insert the pins into holes at the top, slide the bottom in place and put the screws in from the bottom.
I still have some cleaning and polishing to do on it, but I had to assemble it for pictures.
What do you think? I think it looks like a Miller.








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