XRBrati Underway....

2barXR · Post by **2barXR** » Fri Feb 15, 2008 2:41 pm

Oh my!!!!!! this is wild... great work...

CV12Steve · Post by **CV12Steve** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:50 pm

Oh yeah, well can your's do this?

Post by **anglin** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:46 am

Brad, you haven't posted pictures in more than a month. We're getting worried (and bored)!

CV12Steve · Post by **CV12Steve** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:53 am

anglin wrote:Brad, you haven't posted pictures in more than a month. We're getting worried (and bored)!

Maybe fitting the dump pistons?

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 12:00 am

Okay, nothing terribly exciting, but here goes...

Fabricated these little 90-degree brackets to better stabilize the remants of the T-roof to the vertical flange of the forward sunroof remnants. Bonded them in and then immediately spot-welded through the adhesive. The one on the right briefly got on fire when I left the welder on a bit too long.

Fabricating these filler panels has proven to be incredibly time consuming, but it's almost done now...

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:58 am

what gauge steel are you working with there for those panels?

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:13 am

demonfire wrote:what gauge steel are you working with there for those panels?

Looks like it's 21 gauge - a tick thicker than 1/32"

The tallest open section will be over-lap doubled up however, plus there will be some square tube pieces bonded in to the top of the well to provide better support.

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:15 am

you dont want to just roll it for bracing, rather than adding weight?

or ribbing, i'm not sure what it's called but i know you know what i mean.

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:26 am

demonfire wrote:you dont want to just roll it for bracing, rather than adding weight?

or ribbing, i'm not sure what it's called but i know you know what i mean.

In an ideal world, that's how it would be done, but I have neither the time, skills or tools. The square tube won't add much weight - it'll just be some strategically located chunks. In keeping with the junkyard dog theme of this project, the square tube served an original purpose as Contour rear deck lid support brackets.

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:21 am

Really? the rolling tools aren't that expensive, and i cant imagine a body shop charging that much to put a couple rolls in the pieces.

Either way, i like the cut of your jibe.

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:43 am

demonfire wrote:Really? the rolling tools aren't that expensive, and i cant imagine a body shop charging that much to put a couple rolls in the pieces.

It's not the cost of the tooling, more the time to learn how to use it properly. I imagine that it would also mean that sizing the panels would be a little more complicated. Maybe not so much - I guess you'd put the roll in the panel and then size it. Any way, too late at this point - I damn near spent most of my spare time last weekend sizing those panels. Good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd be living in a van down by the river by now.

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:04 am

As long as the drive-train was coming out, I figured I might just as well make my radiator support removable as planned and make life easier.

Here's the results....

In this one you'll note the cross-member on the floor...

EVIL_XR4 · Post by **EVIL_XR4** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:36 am

Now that is cool...how sweet would it be if that was a factory feature?

Mike McCreight · Post by **Mike McCreight** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:07 am

DPDISXR4Ti wrote: Good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd be living in a van down by the river by now.

Best Chris Farley skit EVER.
Short story.. Stop me if you've heard this one before...
Some years ago, my "significant other" and I were planning our 14 month Windsurfing odessy, following the wind from Nova Scotia (look East of Maine) To The Gorge in Oregon, then to Cape Hatteras NC, back across to the California coast, down the Baja for 6 months, up the west coast back to Washington, then back to our Summer residence on Prince Edward Island for a re-union with all our pals.
For at least 6 months, between the Sacramento At Rio Vista, and the Columbia and a few other key spots, we actually lived in a van, (albeit a "B" class RV ) down by the river! The best part, as it relates to Chris Farley's sketch, a month before our departure, she gets her usual Alumni magazine from where she did her masters, and PHD... Reading up on her classmates, bragging on about their current status, we submitted her upcoming plans... To live in a van, down by the river!
Maybe you hadda be there.

Looking good, Brad! Less than 8 weeks to go!

Post by **DPDISXR4Ti** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:38 am

Mike McCreight wrote:
DPDISXR4Ti wrote: Good thing I don't do this for a living - I'd be living in a van down by the river by now.
Best Chris Farley skit EVER.

Agreed. Thanks to YouTube, I suspect 50 years from now, people will still use that line.

Mike McCreight wrote:Looking good, Brad! Less than 8 weeks to go!

Thanks for the cold, harsh, reminder Mike.

I think I'll be okay though. I've scaled back the plans of what must get completed over the next 8 weeks, and it's entirely do-able.