My 66 Satellite street car project

[2quick]

Decided to get started on the fuel cell / Mini Tub adventure. I cut out the spare tire well to make room for a recessed RCI fuel cell. Do to the fact that the fuel cell is narrower than the spare tire well it gives me plenty of room to sneak 3" tail pipes all the way to the bumper and still relocate the leaf spring.

Oh and by the way when the wife noticed I was cutting hole in freshly painted trunk floor she wasn't happy. As usual!!!!

 

[MOPOWER871]

Labor of love nice job

 

[2quick]

With the spare well cut out it make life ALOT easier to get to stuff including the inside of the relocation frame caps and mounts that are otherwise almost impossible to weld. Also gives me a nice place to stand to get to the wheel tubs without killing myself.















Next on the list.

 

[2quick]

I decided the best way to align the spring pocket was to locate the center of one of the mounting holes and with a square mark that point to where the holes would line up.



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Next I placed the Pocket on the frame and marked its location.









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Just to double check I grabbed a square to see how it lined up and it was really close. Using the square and and one eye I marked out the other side.







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Cutoff wheel and a sawzall makes quick work of this



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Lined up and welded in place.



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Got started on the mini tubs using USCARTOOL Fillers. Note USCARTOOL sends 4 cut templates that look almost identical but they are labeled front and back. I made the mistake of using the wrong template the first time, luckily catching it before I started cutting.





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Also why I was at it marked most of the spot welds to be removed.













Finally out, I used and airsaw to along the edge following by about a 1/16 away from where I thought the flange would be on the other side.















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Test fitting the filler panel. Looks very good a very well thought out approach.

 

[2quick]

In the area that the frame lip was removed the edge of the frame rail and trunk floor are no longer connected so I weld as much as I could together and ground smooth.





Started disassembling wheel tub.







Also needed to remove seat belt mount for relocation elsewhere.

 

[2quick]

Because I removed the trunk torsion spring I decided to fab up a gas cylinder set up using 130# cylinders mounted above the wheel tubs. Its very tight but should work fine. Added steel plates to either side of the trunk hinge and drilled holes for rod ends. Had to clearance the back side and round off the edge to clear the tub.







Then I welded the front mount under the package tray.









Seems to work pretty good, haven't had a chance to get the trunk lid on yet so fingers crossed.

Started working on the TUBS today.

 

[Superfreak]

Welding skills look good. I think I have to agree with your wife lol.

 

[2quick]

Finished up the Mini Tubs this weekend

 

[2quick]

Moving to Roll bar install next, Used some PVC Tube to mock up Main Hoop. Was kinda struggling with the decision on hoop angle? 90deg to sill plate, slightly tilted toward back window, or even with door to quarter panel seem (Not 90 to sill) The photos are 90 to sill plate.

 

[2quick]

Decided to fabricate the lower hoop mount so the tube will site on top of a level base. I figure it will make it easier to mock up and tack together roll bar, then I can pull the whole thing forward off its platform and weld the top of the back bars near the roof. Should give me a bout 4" of clearance to make a complete weld around tube. Also the pad should make it easier to remove the bar if I decide I don't want it there anymore. I can just cut it off level and grind it flat to the base. Unfortunately it didn't come out as good as I would have liked it so I may grind some of it off and try again.

 

[2quick]

Got the roll bar mocked up this weekend, waiting on swing out bar brackets to make some final adjustments then weld to floor.

 

[2quick]

Rear section of roll bar done, Mocking up fuel cell today....Decided to recess the cell into were the spare tire well used to be. This should allow enough room to run 3" exhaust with the spring relocation and Mini tubs. I read somewhere that if a fuel cell protrudes beneath the floor pan, than it needs to be protected by a sheet metal box. Can anyone confirm this? I was just going to weld a aluminum angle flange on the top of the cell and nut rivet it to the frame that supports the tank but if I have to make a box around it that changes everything.

 

[2quick]

Some changes to the plan. I'm going to install the fuel cell under the floor and cover with .040 sheet metal. Because I don't want the tank to hang down to much under the car I will be giving it to a local sheet metal shop to make some modifications. First will be to section 2 inches from the height and replace the top with a new piece of .100 aluminum sheet. Then I can install a filler tube and vent that will extend into the trunk as close to the rear axle hump as possible. Then will connect the factory gas fill tube with 1 3/4 aluminum tube and some pvc hose rerouting it inside the trunk to the cell. I also need to relocate the return fitting and roll over vent. This unfortunately will reduce the cell capacity from 20 gals to 16 gals but without reinventing the wheel I have to make do. I will then make the support frame removable from the bottom of car to make tank accessible.

 

[2quick]

went to install swing out door bar kit from chris alston chassis works and realized my main hoop was a bit to far from the B to allow bar to swing without hitting. My fix was to have a guy at work make a longer bracket for me on our CNC machines. Should work fine now with the added clearance.

 

[69 GTX]

Nicely done!

 

[2quick]

A few updates today, made a powder coating oven out of a hot plate and spiral pipe for steering column and torsion bars. Works really good.

 

[2quick]

Took apart and rebuilt steering column and powder coated semi gloss black also powder coated steering shaft silver.

 

[2quick]

Redesigned the trunk floor, Took out spare tire wheel and fabed up a replacement floor pan. I tried to mimic a 68 and up pan using a modified Harbor Freight bead roller.

 

[69 GTX]

nice work!

 

[Sixtynine_Bird]

Well done. You're doing a really great work!