thank you david lee

picked up a great deal from a guy on craigslist today.

all four hubs and spindles, plus two axles from a mazda miata. these are great because:

a) they are very compact
b)bolt right in to my differential
c) support double wishbone suspensions



schweet.

(they will be blasted and painted, dont worry)

day seven

i got the lower main rails cut and worked on cad drawings done of some other components. the main problem right now is the compound angle of the top rails. still working on that gem....

pics i took today:



total fab time to date:

15.5 hours

day six pictures

day six--the overall picture

i got the rear bulkheads tacked and filed out the holes that the main beams travel through. i set everything up on the floor as if it were a completed chassis. essentially, it is, its just not welded. pics are on my phone, but i'll get ones with the camera tomorrow.

total fab time to date:

13 hours

Day Five

headed over to the shop after school today to start tack welds.

wasnt there long, but I tacked both of the front bulkheads, as well as the firewall. pretty tricky when you dont have a level floor. close enough though!

total fab time to date:

11.5 Hours.

day four

spent a good part of today in the shop. got there about 1:45 and was there until 8.

got all of my 45 degree cuts done, as well as finishing up the holes.

i accidentally drilled a hole in the firewall side, which doesnt need a hole, so i went and found one of the metal chips and welded it back in place, which took a few minutes as well as a run to Northern Tool to get a welding helmet and gloves.

all and all, the frame is ready to be tack welded. im going to tack it with the 120 thats at the shop, then rent or find a 220 and do the final welds.

also in the news: i got a copy of AutoCAD, so im working on "official" blueprints.

check out the pics from today's progress:

Day Three

today i got back in the shop to start cutting holes in the rectangular tube for the circular pipe to fit in to. my pipe is 1.66" OD, and i found a 1.75" hole saw to be too large (i wanted a little play, but not that much). I got a 1.625 hole saw, and after the hole saw "walks" during the cutting process, the final hole came out just perfect for the pipe to fit in snug.

with just four cuts to do, and after running my hole saw at a higher RPM than recommended, the heat dulled down the teeth, and it was done. i mocked up the car again just to see how things fit and to sit in it once more :-)

i'll head back tomorrow to finish my holes, and get started (and hopefully finished) with the 45 degree cuts. i'll get some more pics tomorrow hopefully.

fab time to date:

5 hours

Day Two

today was back to the shop for some measuring and marking. i marked out all of the diagonal cuts, and center punched where my holes will be.

nothing too exciting, but a vital step in the process.

fabrication time to date:

2.5 hours

It has started!! Day One.

Well i think i can officially say that the gecko is underway.

terry gave me the keys to the PCS shop this afternoon, and i arrived prompty at 8:20 after school to immediately begin "work" on the car.

The first day of the build process was a simple one. i laid out all of my metal on the floor, roughly laid out in the shape of a finished gecko chassis. it gives a very loose idea of the final product, but a very good idea for the size. all parts were labeled and stored away again so i can begin cuts soon.

it was an awesome feeling having a 3d representation of the car wrapped around me.

pics from day one (thats mazer in the pics):

rumors...

amongst the whispers i hear things....




....400 ponies....


....all wheel drive....


1000 lbs....







FourLogic Scorpion. a new sting.

And so it begins...

when i got to work this morning, my skid of metal was waiting for me on the shipping dock. grabbed a friend and got it in to my car (yes, the entire dissembled chassis fits in the back of my dodge caliber hatchback). On my lunch break, i headed down to Production Control Services (optiflow parent company) to drop off the metal. the engine and other miscellany is already there, and now the chassis components join the ranks. i have to talk to Stuart about when i can build the dang thing. as of right now, weekends would be my only option, and no one is at the shop on weekends. but i'll get it figured out.

i can really feel it now. getting so close!

thanks again to my grandfather, Don Barber, and Aurora Industries, as well as Stuart Harlow and Terry Tremmel at Production Control Services. You guys have a been a huge help.

also, if anyone wishes to contact me, email is on the right, or IM me at FourLogic1000