Project PT-57 By Hot Rod Jim's

You guys got left out of the loop, sorry about that.

Changes
STS Twin Turbo System
T56 – Six speed manual
Coil over shocks - PFADT
Bigger the planed sway bars
And fun seats, lol.

 

 

 

HUGE thanks to Pfadt Racing for all their help.  Computer models, custom parts, theory vs. practical application on some ideas, they been nothing but helpful. Their shocks and swaybars up top going onto our truck.

More computer models but you’ll all see, it won’t tank more than 2 weeks to have this custom frame all knocked out and TIGed as well. Some of the steering arms I’ve designed to get the perfect Ackerman angle despite the longer wheel base and narrowed track. You can see in the photos, this is why I love the laser. I had them cut key ways into the parts so they all nested. I only used a scotch bright pad on a angle grinder and took the little scale from the laser off the surface taped it together with the hammer and TIGed it out.  We also got a full copy of Suspension Analyzer and I got to spend some time nailing out the suspension geometry so we should have some real fun when we start throwing her around the track.

   

   

   

   

   


Mmm Turbo, What we’re doing with the STS system is running the turbos out behind the rear axle and eliminate the muffler. Then run the boost back up to the front of the car and back into the motor.  The side pipes will then be hooked to the waist gate so when we hit full boost the side pipes will kick open and start blowing flames.



-Russell  
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

Your mock ups look good. How is the overall build coming along?  

Its coming well, we're getting the parts we need slower than I would like but I can't complain. The help we're gotten in the form of 3D models from the suppliers has sped things up considerably.

Update Aug 14, 2009

The first batch of Laser Cut Parts are here for the PT-57's frame.  You can see that the frame is designed with keys and center reinforcements to take the loading from the suspension and spread them out across the frame preventing deflection or flexing at the frame rail without making it crazy heavy.  With the interlocking frame pieces I weld the interlocking centers from the insides and tack them real heavy all over.  I was thinking of fully welding them but I warped one even after it had 5 C clamps holding it to the table.  The second one shown here was much easier with the heavy tacks. Got it all clamped together then started tacking the other side once I got all the individual parts tacked to both sides I didn’t have any problems and you can see she’s strait as an arrow.  

   

   

   

   

The Corbeau Forza seats got here Monday. I’m going to put them in my roadster for now and then into the truck if I can’t get a set of the  FX1’s. We plan on dyeing the seats silver and embroidering rivets into them to look like old aluminum bomber seats.



Suspension came back from Southern Powder Coating in Lockhart Texas. We left the ball joints in because I’m waiting on Aaron with Pfadt to get his first batch of their aftermarket upper ball joints in then I’ll swap them out but for now and mockup these will be fine. The C6 diff up on the table in place and I’ll get the suspension back to the hubs and we’ll get this chassis rolling ASAP.

 
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

Once question I should of asked long time ago was what is the budget for this truck?  

Around 18k-22k We can build most everything here so the majority of the cost is the little stuff we can't build. We found a complete C5 corvette suspension for 1,200.00 truck was 500.00. If i have over 600.00 in Laser cutting when we're done I'll be surprised, and that's with them supplying the material. plus I've called in a few of my favors, transmission suspension and a few other things. When it went from haul truck to race truck a few things got bumped, lol

-Russell  
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

From your concept picture from your first post I would say if you could pull that off for 20k that would be awesome.  

I forgot to post this last batch, I just pulled this from my old post.

Rear frame main rails are knocked out, that’s these parts.

   

 

The Front batch of laser parts came in, see the erector set frame on the table. I’ve tabbed and keyed everything to make them interlocking, they’re dropping together like a kids jig saw puzzle. That means all my geometry and angles I spent all that time working out with Solidworks and suspension analyzer will be duplicated in real life in a repeatable fashion.

   

   

   

   
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

Update Aug 29, 2009

A little side by side for the guys who can't see it.

   

Brake and Clutch Pedals, Wilwood is now making this freaking cute little master cylinder with optional remote tank. Cool thing is this little bad boy has a 1.125” bore. So a pair for the brake system and one for the clutch, I’m aiming for a dual disk clutch and so the slave will need a little more fluid to disengage both clutches. I’m making a model to make designing the pedal system easier.

 

Turbos, Turbos, Turbos!
I can’t say enough good things about the guys at STS Turbos right now. Rick spent a day or 2 on the phone with me working out the specifics of the turbo and the design and placing of parts for optimal power. Next he went through the trouble to sort out there universal kit and pull out all the parts we didn’t need for our build and adjusted the price accordingly then specked out and supplied a cam specifically for our build. We’ll be pushing 6-7 PSI on 9.4:1 for the race making an easy 500+ HP. Considering I’m ditching the electronic cutouts and mufflers the only weight gain to the truck is the inner cooler and the compressed air piping. I’ll get more info up when our system gets here.  
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

Quick update, frame quarters are almost done, the main section of the frame is knocked out on the computer, cut up waiting the quarters and the transmission is a little hung up due to some national back orders with T56 parts. Take a look at the photos, I’m going back to the work.



   

   

And onto the frame it self, Remember its whats on the inside that counts. This will keep our frame from deflecting. Use structure not mass, keep it light.

   

   

   

-Russell  
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

Hot off the Press

   
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

3 updates in a week, your sure hustling on this truck.  

Then your going to love this

      Busy few days, some rack mockups, measurements and then back to the jig. Billy’s been getting a bunch of the little parts all knocked out and I’ve been doing paper work along with the last programming for parts off to the laser.

      Fenders, wheels and fire wall, and seat checks and mockups

   

   



      Billy Painted the Semi Gloss Metallic Charcoal Gray on the wheels race wheels and the street wheel.

 

      Decided we didn't like the fire wall, really we hadn't changed it sine the move from auto the manual transmission so we needed to re adjust the position for the driver.

 

      Back onto the jig table for driveline angling, exhaust and sheet metal work.


   

   

 

      On the Jig with the body

   

      Put the wheels on it for further clearances checking and just to see what she looks like

 

 

-Russell  
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

The rate your going you should be done by December.  

To the work at hand

Turbos are here. I’ve only started into the kit but after I read the instruction book I had only one question. Not bad considering this is our first turbo car. We’ll be rigging the waste gate to the side pipes and the fact that these are quality turbos with remote gates. Braded lines and a plethora of fittings to make sure you have what you need for your build. Two large Oil pumps and their wiring system with integrated pressure sensors and alarms so if you have any issues with the pumps failing you’ll be alerted before you destroy something.

   

Front end went back on the truck and we started fabing the inner fenders and new firewall. We did have one minor miss hap with the steering column location but we’ve fixed it getting the column into the proper location to the driver. Even though it’s not adjustable the seat is on a slide and the pedals will be adjustable so as to get them all dialed into the driver. Headers are tight but thanks to the guys at American Racing Headers we got a set of the corvette headers and modified them to fit. I, like an idiot, had them coated first due to our time restriction, bad idea. I had to draw up my own master cylinder for the brake pedal model but not too much trouble. We’ve got the miss alignment of the pushrod down to less than 1 degree in both directions and after a quick mockup with a foam board model. Check out the exhaust going it and the rear diff adapter plate going together, this is the prototype, I know it ugly but we’ll dress is up on the mill later.

   

   

   

   

   

   
-Russell

Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

What engine are you throwing in?