Project Inhaler (Take Two)

[toddshotrods]

Bill was kind enough to let me start over with this, so here goes... :thumb:

I still had too many irons in the fire and logic dictates that the Camaro is the one that has to to go (http://musclerides.com/forum2/showthread.php?t=1099). I love the name Inhaler though, so I decided to move it over to my street rod project. I started planning this project quite a few years ago, but stopped talking about it publicly because I had to go through too many changes to arrive at a conclusion that would meet my needs. The planning turned into action earlier this year. I have been working on the chassis since February. I am making almost everything from scratch, and I work on it as time allows, and inspiration propels, me. Two of my main objectives are:

to keep every part and subsystem as simple as possible and make an artistic expression with its function
to incorporate as much modern technology as possible, but make it appear to be vintage


This is my firewall:
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler%20firewall%2001%20(03-03-06).jpg
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler%20firewall%2002%20(03-03-06).jpg
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler%20firewall%2003%20(03-03-06).jpg
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler%20firewall%2004%20(11-17-06).jpg
The firewall itself was cut, then "subtly coerced" into a dished shape with wood blocks and big hammers. I wanted the master cylinder in the middle so I worked out the geometry for this setup. It works perfectly and feels really normal through its action. With the master cylinder in the middle, the fact that the vehicle has power brakes will be completely hidden. I machined a threaded insert which was pressed into the adjustment block. I could have just created a solid model and had that block cut, but I am enjoying the "old world" craftsman thing so I carved it out of a hunk of aluminum with hand tools (the power kind - not that "old world" ;) ) I am going to weld some type of head on the back of the adjustment "screw". The adjustment block also has to be TIG'd to the pedal, and the mounts TIG'd to the firewall.

The point of the gas pedal's design was to give the brake pedal support (there's a nylon glider on the bottom of the brake pedal) and allow me to move the throttle cable towards the center as well. The gas pedal mount also has to be TIG'd to the firewall. The balls on the ends of the pedals are painted wood. I still have to turn grooves in them (for slip resistance) and cast the real aluminum pieces. I think I am going to pin them in place, instead of welding them, so they can be replaced when they get too beat up - I believe in drivin' em! :driving:

The 32 Ford headlight bucket is going to house all the gauges. I am going to make a custom gauge cluster to fit in it, and have a vintage-looking curved glass made for the front.

When I can finally find some time to get back to work on it, I am going to get some pics of the full chassis. It has G-body triangulated rear suspension (still need to set up for air coil-overs), and I am in the process of narrowing a complete Fiero front suspension for the front. I have the steering rack cut, turned, and ready to be TIG'd back together. I have to cut another rack shaft though because I changed my mind about how I am going to do it. I have another complete rack, just haven't had time to tear it apart, cut the shaft, turn the end, and rethread it. I still have to cut and modify the crossmember, and do the frame mounts. I'll try to get some pics of the narrowed rack soon, it's kind of neat.

[toddshotrods]

http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler_steering_01_11-17-06.jpg
This is a Pontiac Fiero rack which has been narrowed 12.5". I cut a piece out of the middle of the housing, chucked the ends up and turned them.

The rack shaft was also cut but I have to redo it. I was going to have it drilled and tapped on the ends, and design special stainless clevis ends but then I realized that none of that would be seen under the boots :dunno: The factory ends are threaded 14mm (male). I am going to cut another one, turn the end down and rethread it. That will allow me to use factory iner tie rods, and replace the factory outer tie rod ends with 14mm rod ends later. I already have the part, the lathe, and the tap - just need the time... I also need to have the housing TIG'd back together so I can start working on the mount.

[WS6]

That is pretty awsome. I hope you are able to get it built in a relatively quick manner. I really want to see the finished project.

[Steevo]

The pedals are a cool idea. But i don't get it?? Firewalls are supposed to run from end to end. But your gauge pod seems to greatly overhang the outer border of the firewall? What am I missing? Pull the camera back, so we can see the rest of the car.

[57hemicuda]

I thought it was me,tilted my head and still nothing

[toddshotrods]

Sorry, I should have explained that better. The aluminum "spoon" section is actually just a part of the firewall. The other section will be a part of the body, and will butt up to the aluminum piece. The dished .3125" aluminum provides a strong, stable, mount for the controls and will allow me to remove the entire body and still have a driveable chassis. The floor, seats, controls, and roll cage, will all be hard-mounted to the chassis. The body is just a bolt on shell that provides minimal protection from the elements and style.

The body will be wider than the aluminum "spoon" section of the firewall so the fact that the gauge pod hangs outside it doesn't matter. Might also seem funny to have the gauges that low, and off the the side, but from the (mock-up) driver's seat it is actually easy to get a quick glance at it. I have also had a few vehicles with center mounted gauges and am used to looking to the side for a quick reading. I am also planning to mount a shift light and small LED warning lights (in some kind of complementary pod) somewhere over the steering column, to allow me to keep my attention on the road/track when playing.

I promise some wider view shots as soon as I can. I am trying to get my shop cleaned up, which means I have a huge mess right now, and still need to find some time to get back to work on this project. I actually don't have room to pull the camera back because there is stuff stacked all around the chassis that has to be sorted through and trashed or stored. The pictures of the pedals were taken in March. The two with the gauge pod were snapped the other day, from where I could squeeze in to get them. There is no body on it right now, I am just working on the chassis.

[toddshotrods]

http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler_firewall_05_11-17-06.jpg
Another aspect of the two-part firewall design is it lets the roll cage pass through between the two pieces. That's what the notch is for. As for the shape of the aluminum "spoon" section, it's mainly just an aesthetic thing. When you look inside the vehicle (say at a show or cruise, with the door open) you'll be able to see all of this.

[toddshotrods]

I just looked at the picture again and realized that the gauge pod is also not in the right location. That's as far inboard as the C-clamp would allow me to go, and I haven't fabbed the mount in the actual pod yet so I just balanced it on the aluminum arm however it would stay. Move the firewall brackets in, and adjust the angle of the pod and it won't overhang the aluminum section nearly as much. It's not even angled at the driver's seat in that pic. Add the extra width for the section of the firewall that will be in the body and it'll all fit easily.

Thanks for the compliments guys...

[toddshotrods]

I don't have Mark's skills but I love to hash out my designs in 3D, so I started a model of the project. Most of the stuff I do on the model won't be highly detailed becasue I am just trying to get an idea of how all the different concepts will work together.
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler_art_01_bare_frame.jpg
This is the bare frame. I still have to add the structure to the rear that the upper control arm mounts are in.

In real life, I have the main rails fabbed with temporary front and rear crossmembers to hold it together. The 2x3" dropped rear crossmember and 3" round front are two of my next to-do list items. The center crossmember is tacked in place, and is what the aluminum section of the firewall bolts to. The transmission is mounted solid to it. Very simple mount - just two .375" ID pices of tubing welded in it. The bolts run through them directly into the transmission.

The engine is solid mounted to the frame with two 1/2" fabricated plates that bolt to the stock Chevy front mount locations (front of the block). I plan to run an 1/8" aluminum mid-plate too. I figure these three solid powertrain mounting points along the frame, with the cage should give me a fairly rigid chassis, for a sub-1500lb, open-wheeled, street rod.

[toddshotrods]

Wow, time flies! I can't believe it's been that long since I updated this thread! I haven't done any actual work on the car, because I have been working on the design. Since I decided to keep the Camaro (at least for the time being), I decided to take my time and push myself a little more with this one. I have been trying different configurations in 3D to save time and materials on the real thing. This is the direction I am leaning towards with the chassis:
http://toddsdesign.com/hotrods/images/inhaler/inhaler%2001.jpg
The rear suspension is based on GM, G-body, triangulated 4-link. The upper arms mount to the tubular frame structure, and will have at least six available mounting points per side, allowing me to tune the geometry to the situation at hand. On top, I am going to use adjustable arms, with spherical ball ends at the frame mount. The lower arms mount directly to the ends of the main frame rails. The plan is for all four arms to be machined from 7075. Someday, I want a Mark Williams modular rear end swinging from them...

I have it set up for 350/350 Chevy now, but I am thinking about switching to a Poncho motor. I love the wide spread between the valve covers, and the "scooped out" valley pan when the intake is off. It is also lower than the Chevy which gives me more freedom with the body. I was going to use a Northstar,for the same wide-head/deep valley thing (plus a complementary aluminum block),but it's much bigger than I expected it to be.

[toddshotrods]

Now that I am piecing my life back together (http://musclerides.com/forum2/showthread.php?t=3304) I wanted to start turning the heat up on this project, from day one - Happy New Year guys! We're deep in recession, and I am basically starting over in much of my life, but I am determined to see some tangible results with this project this year.

Sorry about the missing pics. In my masssive overhaul I changed my business name, and domain name correspondingly, so the old site that the pics were hotlinked to is gone. I am in the processs of building a new site...

As I posted my madness in threads here I received a lot of valuable feedback from you guys on what I was doing. Whether it was good or bad, I just wanted to let you guys know I appreciate all of it and took everything into consideration - even sarcasm. Not discounting anyone, but I wanted to single out Bill and Bob for a special thanks because your advice really helped me. I may seem like I am not listening but I always am. I may not always do what wisdom suggests, but I'm still listening.

OK, all the mushy crap out of the way. I hope a couple of you guys are still with me because I'm ready to roll the dice. The Inhaler is currently back in my old hometown, at my buddy's shop (3hr drive one way). I made some progress on it, but taking pictures in the middle of the most traumatic time in my life was not on my mind. When I worked on it it was to get away from everything and relax. The plan is for it to join me here in Columbus, as soon as I get settled in. Until then I have some of its parts, and some of my tools, so I hope to make some progress getting parts ready for it. The main thing it needs is the front suspension. When I find someone to do some suspension design work for me, I plan to build the parts here, take them there and install them at his shop, then trailer it back here to finish.

What I settled on is:

The car will be a totally scratch-built, one-off, 23 Chevy modified (think really modern T-bucket type rod)
Current powertrain is SBC/3spd manual/10-bolt stick rear (innumerable bolt-in upgrades possible from this foundation)
Chassis is 2x3-inch ladder frame, GM 4-link rear, SLA coming in front
Body will be a 1pc carbon fiber tub - buck is already formed, surfacing is next, then composite lay-up (moldless one-time part)
Car is about $2500 from being driveable in a "rat-ish" stage. If the front suspension was on, I could probably fire it up and move it around in the shop in a less than a week from where it is.
I am NOT building a rat rod, it will be fully finished and painted when done, I just don't want a ten year garage project that gets sold unfinished by an exhausted owner - so I'm going to drive it a little while I work on it. (I heard you loud and clear Bill)


Here's the pedal set I was working on before:
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler02.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler03.jpg

I was in the process of reworking it to fit the clutch pedal, just before I moved. The brake pedal was re-curved, the gas pedal moved, and next the clutch pedal will be bent to match the curve of the brake pedal (steel rod taped to pedal is the template).
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhalerpedals01.jpg

The aluminum balls are out and the new pedal pads have a five-hole them like the fuel filler trim ring (much smaller of course):
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler12.jpg
I'll post pics of them soon, and eventually will get a couple shots of the whole car - as it sits right now. I would like some input before I go to far with the body. I'm trying to strike a reasonable balance between "normal" and "me" that will allow others to appreciate the end result too.

[WS6]

good luck with it Todd. Post pictures as you can. I love seeing the custom stuff unfolding and I know I am not the only one.

[toddshotrods]

Thanks Trey. I posted the mirrors in the mirror thread (http://musclerides.com/forum2/showthread.php?t=3338), so I might as well put them in here too. Trying to decide whether to use them...
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler15.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler16.jpg

[toddshotrods]

I'm taking Bob's advice from the other thread, meaning the mirrors aren't gonna make the team. They might stick around long enough to help me get a title, but then they're history.

I started on a r3/4-view rendering today, and trying to get the front suspension design moving. I'm still trying to get my feet on the ground here in Columbus, but if I can I would really like to have it at Goodguys.

[toddshotrods]

I decided to scrap the idea I had for the one-off Chevy body and go with a good 'ol 23 Ford T-bucket body, pickup bed, and a custom nose. I found what's supposed to be an original steel body on Racing Junk, but negotiations are going kind of slow (messaging on that system). I may give him a call this week or next and see if we can seal the deal.

I'm going with a 60s Indy Car theme, but trying to make sure it doesn't stray too far from being a Model T. I want it to be more Model T than traditional T-bucket though, so I'm moving the bucket forward to balance the proportions. What do you think?
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/001.jpg

One look at that and your first reaction is probably, "where the %#!! does the motor go?!?" Motor would be the appropriate word because I decided to build an EV street rod! The reasons are it gives me some unique marketing opportunities (I'm building this car to be a marketing tool), and it gives me unheard of freedom in design. More on that later... The wooden thing in the bed, by the way, is a faux shipping crate that covers the batteries.

My chassis has been in storage at a friend's shop since I moved here in December. I'm going to get it tomorrow. Since then I have been collecting some parts. First the motor; an 11", GE, industrial motor, from a forklift.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/001.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/002.jpg
I think the output shaft is the same size and spline as a TH400. It's stock now, but will be built to full race specs. Race specs for an electric motor this size (11" dia, 16.5" long, 230lbs) should be pretty impressive. It takes about a third of the horsepower for the same results with electric; i.e. a 30hp electric motor could do what a 90hp gas motor can do. This is mainly due to the fact that they have full torque from 0 rpm, and really flat torque/hp curves. For comparison, there is a guy building a 34 Ford with two 12" motors that he estimates will have 400hp/775lb-ft EACH!!! (http://www.evconsultinginc.com/34ford.html) My motor is a bit smaller, and I only have one, but I am aiming for a total vehicle weight of around 1200lbs. If I can get 300hp/500-600lb-ft, I should have fun.

For phase one of my plans, I just want the thing to move under its own power at events, until I get the details sorted out for the race setup. The biggest problem is the motor controller, because the company that made the best race controller is going under. This one will make it move until I can find someone to build a full-race controller.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/003.jpg

More pics and details tomorrow or Thursday, after I get the chassis here.

[WS6]

Very cool idea Todd. I hope you can pull it off. It will really turn some heads.

[toddshotrods]

Thanks. I did go get the chassis, but have been exhausted since then. The trip there and back was more of an ordeal than I thought it would be, and then the next morning I found out my controller and motor don't really match. Long-story-short, we found a way to make what I have work for now. I had to step away for a minute, to not let things get to me, but I should have some progress to share soon.

Now that I don't live in "nowhere", I have a few options for getting parts machined. I just need to see which one is most reliable. The main parts I need are the motor-to-transmission adapter and coupler, but before I turn over my CAD model and a big chunk of aluminum I want to test the machinist on a couple small parts. I learned the hard way about trusting shops too quickly because they have the capability to do the job. That doesn't necessarily mean they will do it; at least not on time.

I really want them to have the motor and transmission there, so they can be absolutely certain the motor shaft and transmision shaft center lines are perfectly lined up. That means I really need to know it's going to get done in a reasonable time so my motor and transmission aren't held hostage, and all progress stopped dead in its tracks for only God knows how long.

On a positive note, now that I have the chassis, all the design work I did was right on target. The pieces are all going to fit together just like I had planned.

More to come...

[toddshotrods]

I still need to get a good camera, but here are couple shots of the chassis before I get started. The first things are building a kick-up to mount the front suspension, and getting the motor mounted. I'm going to box the crossmember, and build tubular arms, later.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/008.jpg

Here's the pedal assembly from the other side. I have 5-hole, round, aluminum pads for the gas and brake pedals. The arm on the far left is the steering column support.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/009.jpg

[toddshotrods]

I did a little more work on the rendering, to balance the proportions and put things in better perspective.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/002.jpg
Smaller rear tires, to lean more towards a sports car than a drag racer, and a wider front track.

[toddshotrods]

Back to the rendering. My goal is to keep an eye on tradition, while still having some fun with the design. I came up with the Indy Car thing to make the IFS work better, but it took me too far away from tradition. The best way to integrate IFS with tradition is a full set of fenders. I also went back to the "T" grille. It'll probably have a soild carbon fiber insert, because there's no radiator...
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/003.jpg
Now that that's settled, I'm going to start on the chassis later today.

[toddshotrods]

Nothing exciting going on here. I decided to cool my heels until after Goodguys (Columbus). I was originally going to push myself to have a running mock-up for the show, but decided to just go observe and learn; and keep my blood pressure in the comfort zone.

I've just been tinkering with the chassis, and fine-tuning the rendering while I wait.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/005.jpg
Worked on the grille, fenders, added door gaps, upper body roll, backdrop, etc.

[toddshotrods]

It took me a while to incorporate my Goodguys experience into my plans. What I decided is I want an all-out race car, disguised as a vintage style street rod. That means I need a full, welded, roll cage. That means I need a roof. I want to stick with the Model T theme, but don't want a rag top, so I settled on a 1925 Closed Cab Ford truck for the main body. The hood, grille, and fenders are the same. The bed is stretched a little longer, and all the wood is black. The roof is supposed to have a sliding black rag center panel, but I don't have time to do it right now. I'm going to add it in the opened position - bunched up in the back - when I get to it.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/010.jpg

[toddshotrods]

Hey guys! How's it hangin? I haven't been around because I"ve been working my ass off! I think I already mentioned that I sold my house/shop and moved to Columbus, Ohio. I've completely transitioned from little hot rod shop to business services now. Most recently, I've been working with some companies here that provide products and services for kids on the Autism spectrum. I've been doing a lot of marketing stuff for them, and will be doing some CAD work soon for training tools that help teach the kids.

Once a hotrodder, always a hotrodder though. I came up with a plan for my little toy that will let me use it as a marketing tool for business product design, and get my hot rod fix. It's small enough, and clean enough (electric) to be displayed in booth in trade shows, etc, but big enough to beat the crap out of! I scaled the body back to traditional "T" stuff to allow me to focus on design and parts.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/021.jpg
After I finish chopping, sectioning, shaping, and molding, the cheapo T-bucket parts I bought I plan to reproduce them in carbon fiber. Fiberglass just won't cut it.

Here's some pics to catch up on where I am with it:
Plotting and planning the chassis.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/017.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/020.jpg

Stuff to work with.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/022.jpg

Un-cut body sitting on frame for perspective.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/024.jpg

Final decisions made, starting to cut and weld. The bronze bushing is a temporary shim to center the factory 12mm bolts in a .625" hole, until I get around to making tubular arms.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/025.jpg

Stitched to the frame rail. There's much more to it, so I wasn't worried about a pretty perfect weld this time. Just wanted it burned in decent.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/026.jpg

Cutting to the quick, the chassis rolls now (on temporary struts until I finish the design and fabrcation for the arms and coil-overs).
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/035.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/036.jpg

[toddshotrods]

Finally getting to some CAD stuff! My CNC guy here in Columbus has a day job at Parker Hamilton, and his own shop next to his house. He has a Ph.D in engineering, and seems to love the challenge of figuring out how to machine stuff others can't figure out. Shouldn't have told me that...

Here's a shot of the models I have started on for the motor mounts.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/018.jpg

12.5 x 14.25 x 3" 6061 plate for the rear mount, and 12.25 x 12.25 x 1" 6061 plate for the front mount, waiting to be whittled...
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/037.jpg

[toddshotrods]

Little steps - the driveshaft adapter has been cut:
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/052.jpg

And I finished the model for the rear motor mount. It's in the process of being programmed now. This one's going to take a few hours to cut:
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/art/024.jpg

[toddshotrods]

My goal was to have it running so I could putt around at Goodguys here in July, but I'm pretty far behind right now. It's not impossible, but it will be a challenge. I'm tempted to set up a vendor space, but probably not ready for that either. The first step is to get the motor mounted. We started cutting Sunday, and will resume this afternoon.

http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/059.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/060.jpg

Motor mount surface and center hole cut.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/061.jpg

It gets locked down from the center hole to start cutting the motor side surfaces next. He said the next phase will take about twenty hours to complete. This took a couple hours.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/062.jpg

A little Photochop, just to give an idea of how serious of a crash diet this plate is about to undergo:
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/063.jpg

[toddshotrods]

I didn't realize that I hadn't posted the second round of machining here. This stage did a profile cut to remove the bulk of the excess material, and then started roughing in the mounting feet.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/065.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/066.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/067.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/068.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/069.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/070.jpg

Zeroed in again, after running a little more aggressively on the profile cut.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/071.jpg

.750" ball-nosed roughing mill to deal with my organic surfaces.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/072.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/073.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/074.jpg

[toddshotrods]

Yesterday, we started the (machine's) finishing stage on this side.
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/075.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/076.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/077.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/078.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/079.jpg
http://toddperkinsdesign.com/images/inhaler/forums/buildpics/080.jpg

It's hard to capture the lines and contours of the surfaces in pics, from the angles I have available.

Next a few of the motor's mounting holes will be drilled for reference points on the other side. Then, the fourth axis will come into play for the first time to drill the outsde mounting holes and cut the counterbored/bossed surfaces for the bolts; plus whittle out the lower surfaces (under the motor). Then, it gets flipped like a big pancake and the real work begins!

More to come...