New Olds (boat tail speedster)

[Olds]

Chassis now stripped of all panelling. Need to make new engine and gearbox mounts. The mounting points on the gearbox are too far back unless I make a new cross member but the whole point is to not alter the chassis at all. Seems the original Morris 8 gearbox, had brackets held in place by the tail extension bolts. so I will replicate this to suit the new box. 

[Olds]

Could also do with moving the engine back a touch.
Bye the way MM being as you said that "fins are always cool" I have kept the tail fins. Thought you might like them for the T bucket. 

[kapri]

On the 8 points system you allowed to ADD crossmembers but not remove.

http://www.the-ace.org.uk/chassis-and-monocoque-modification/

[Manky Monkey]

Thanks Dave!
Kev, can you drill the existing chassis to bolt/rivet in a new cross member, to keep it looking original, or does it need to be welded?
Weren't older frames designed to flex with riveted joints, whereas welding would create a rigid area in the chassis that could fracture?

[Olds]

Thanks for the link Kev.
Trying to do this without any mods at all to the chassis if possible.  This means undoing some awful mods like angle iron welded to the top of the rear chassis rails to flatten them to allow a flat floor. . and an angle iron cross member, that the axle would hit   .
Keeping the std. axles, steering, brakes and suspension as well, but may have to remove a leaf from each rear spring as it's going to be a lot lighter.

[Olds]

First purchase ( apart from the heap) a radiator grill. I know there is a long long way to go before fitting but I needed to know the shape to work out the body drawings, That and the fact it was straight, shiny and dirt cheap  It was this or a battered original early Morris 8 one at £110 
The bars will be replaced with mesh.

[panthershaun]

nice

[Manky Monkey]

That's a really nice grille Dave. I like the bars!

[hunter]

I like the bars to.

[merv]

I to bars I like

[Olds]

New rear crossmember parts ready to be welded in. The only real bit of corrosion on the chassis. For some dumb reason Morris decided to make a channel section, from only 16swg (1.6mm) thick steel.
Decided to do a double channel section with a 25mm gap between the front and rear walls forming a narrow box within the channel with spacing/anti crush tubes where bolts go through. Should look original at a glance but be much stronger.
I really must get a folder. Making two channel sections that fit together took a while.

[Manky Monkey]

At the moment it's all looking a bit too normal.

-fins Dave, it needs fins!

[Olds]

At the moment it's all looking a bit too normal.
-fins Dave, it needs fins!

Funny you should say that. Been sketching out aircraft style tail fin 
Rear crossmember in and now I'm cutting out the bits of angle iron bed frame, someone added. Jeez they used a lot of weld. 

[Olds]

Now the back end is pretty much sorted, I am trying to work out engine/gearbox position. Seems the engine position (too far forward),was determined by the length of the prop and 'mounts' made to suit. While pondering I noticed a slight problem with this engine conversion.
To remove the distributor cap the steering column needs to be removed first.  
Looks like I will be moving the engine back (and perhaps down and across  ) a bit further than anticipated.

[panthershaun]

the engine being back a bit won't hurt, these cars look best with long noses