Michael Richard's Journal

I fiddled around with seat placement, rear frame parts patterns and such. I scrounged three pieces of long plastic and clamped then on the rear just to get a feel for how much room I will have to play with for drive-train. As a public service announcement if you have one of the cheapo chinese parts washers and it quit on you, it was probably from using a petroleum distillate as cleaning fluid. They didn't but now do have a warning that it will eat up the pump. Hooowever...I got one for free that had quit and decided to give it a whirl today. Motor ran, but no flow. So I tore it apart and what had happened was the filter, and the bottom of the intake grill had dissolved clogging the pump. Cleaned her out good, Turned the filter grill upside down and put a scotchbrite pad in for a filter. I had to clean out the wash nozzle tube with a coat hanger, but she runs like a new one. I've heard a strong mixture of simple green works great and won't kill the pump and motor so here we go. A lazy day, but turned out good.

Fabbed up the pedal mount and pedals today. No bellcranks yet as I need to have the rear built before fabbing linkages.

So while I'm welding the side diagonals for the spring perch, I'm standing there looking at the whole thing dumbfounded. Why ( I ask myself a lot) do I have the whole front end dangling way out front on one piece of 1/4 steel? So I rethink and fiddle around and decide to move the whole shebang back directly on top of the stantion. Clever? If so why did it take this long to see it. She's a ton stronger just losing 1 3/4 in on the projected wheelbase so no big deal. I like it better. I left the old mount tab sticking out of the front just in case I need it for something, but it's most likely gone. I started making the hanger brackets for the foot pedals. I want them hanging style (yes I know it's a pain to run cable etc., but I can handle it). Also Just before I gave it up at 95 degrees and 60 percent humidity, I got in and played with the seat back angle. I'm goiing with 55 degrees, why you ask, because I like the more reclined seating, my body has been bent in almost every flexible location to not function as originally designed, and it looks cool. I used 1 3/4 square for the frame so I'm looking at an 8 inch floor drop in the rear. I'll wait to fab that up when I get some wheels to double check ground clearance, but she is coming along. Did I mention it's hot?

Temp. humidity index today of 105. So the work wasn't long. I did get the side bracing for the spring perch fabbed up and hand fit ready for welding. Definitely done for the day.

Fabbed up the perch for the leaf spring. Still have some welding and more braces to fab, but attached the front end to see how the main sill sat. Couldn't help but prop her up and crawl in. Snug but that's what I was looking for. I couldn't see sliding all over a wide cockpit. So onward. Looks like the weather will hold me up a day or two, but then again I'm not scurrying about gathering nuts for Tieton. LOL

Started fab. on the frame. Had some 1 1/2 square tubing laying around so went that route. Is cheap unconventional? Oh well. Front of frame is 12 inches wide, and rear of fist section is 22". The side rails are 55" long. I set up a makeshift seat back and tried her for fit. Snug, but that is what I was after. I'm hoping this layout when finished will place some of the weight more forward. Am thinking of a seat mount that pivots in front in a way to place more of the drivers weight forward,. But I digress. She''ll have a 66" wheelbase.