Nocones $2020 challenge build thread

People at that show must think "I bet these guys know each other" LOL

Suicide Senna doors are so sick.

That and seat cooling.

So all the car show stuff was fun but now back to work.  And I decided to start on the underbody.

I've changed direction a bit mostly because of time.  I'm going to build the underbody of 1/2" foam, edge it in cedar, and then cover it all in 2 layers of Fiberglass.  

So to start I ripped down some cedar fence pickets and then created a platform above the lift.  This will let me build on this platform and lift it up into place for mounting and fit checks.  

So far all I have done is the rough top profile of the tunnel.  This starts at the edge of the forward chassis step and then narrows down between the tire and the chassis before exiting at the rear.  

I could remove the exhaust and move them to widen the diffuser some but for local and track use I need mufflers and there really isn't anywhere else for them.  For the challenge I'm going to be running some straight pipe sections made from the stock outback exhaust because -$127 but they will probably exit in the same spot.  

I made a outer panel but then realized there is a better way to do that which I'll work on tonight.   I validated that my template for the top works on both sides.  

So now I need to decide how the inlet to the tunnels will work.  The area under the chassis is 5"x36" so that is the air I need to evacuate.   The tunnels at their choke point can be 3"X7".  I need to determine how much compression I can get to decide how much of that 180sq-in of air to let info the 42 sq-in of tunnel.   The other issue is the rejected air has to go somewhere.   I currently am thinking of doing similar to the current F1 cars where the tunnel inlet is behind and inboard of a inlet for an outwash tunnel.  Air would come down the middle of the chassis, turn outward and some enter the tunnel, some go past the tunnel opening and get directed by a fence that takes it behind the wheel and out under the floor.   The big issue I see here is the sharpness of the edge of my raised chassis section.  More on this as I develop it.  Here is a VERY crude drawing to show it..  it's understandable to others maybe.

I'll post my mark-ups in the "aero" thread

So it has been several days with not  a ton of progress on the car.   I started modifying the exhaust to protrude out the decklid to make more difuser space.  This lack of progress had me feeling kinda bummed.  But on Sunday Gumby tagged me in a photo dump from a Photog that was at the Subaru challenge and he took a bunch of really cool photos of the car at the event, which cheered me up.   

I am linking a couple of my favorites.   Photos by Ben Newburn.  

This picture of the car just sitting by the trailer looks really good.  

And here the car is doing it's best Dukes of Hazard Impersonation.

The car never quite went "4 wheels off" but it definately was 3-4" airborn a few times on each end.  This actually was a pretty good test for the suspension being essentially dropped 2 times per run with no issues.  

And he also took a head on shot from down low that almost exactly matches the Vanuf Art Design Beetle that planted the seed that grew into this silliness.  I know I've posted comparison pictures before, but this picture really captured the car from almost the exact angle.  

#nailedit

In reply to nocones :

This car is sooooo cool.  Even if you don't make any more progress, you have won.  

nocones said:

 This lack of progress had me feeling kinda bummed. 

Bummed? I dare say Sir, you have won the hearts of the vast majority of GRM (the others just have not seen it yet) as well as the famous Bucky Lasek.

Lack of progress my ass, Sir!

Yeah, what Preach said!!!

nocones said:

So it has been several days with not  a ton of progress on the car.   I started modifying the exhaust to protrude out the decklid to make more difuser space.  This lack of progress had me feeling kinda bummed.

Back when it was easier for me to make time to read books, one of my favorite authors (probably Scalzi, or Rothfuss) had a blog post where they talked about how they sometimes got writers block.  That eventually they realized that not being able to make progress with their story was sometimes their subconscious letting them know that some part of the thing they were writing was 'not working', and that they should scrap it.

also, undoing something that "works well enough" now... can be an arduous thing, in light of the timeline.  Having the car "done", and getting some more testing in is more important (imho) than having the underfloor "closer to optimal".

I've been helping a friend with some similar things over the last two years, and I frequently provide the... mantra?... in the face of building/executing new things:   First make it, and make it functionally.  Second, make it again, but lighter.  Finally, make it pretty.

This thing is awesome, and you've done an awesome job in getting it this far.  Trust your gut, especially with any of my suggestions.  I entirely understand the the primacy that expedience has to this project.

Thanks guys.  I frequently loose sight of what has been done but event if nothing else got done it's a functional thing that looks pretty much like the vision so I should really be proud of that achievement.  I need to work on letting both contentment for what I've done occupy headspace with planning and thinking about what is left.   The mental side at least for me of building projects like this is a real challenge and I probably will do some work after October when I have a bit more time to look at some reading and discussions about how to better manage it.  Being able to manage a project like this as a focus and goal when it is not a full time effort and overlaping with family, health, and work obligations is a big part of if the project will succeed.  It's very easy to let them wind up in the corner or worse still not even try an idea because you can work out how to manage that.  Thoughts for later.  For now it's time to focus on the next 3 week build out before Solo Nationals.  

I have found that sometimes...even when I want to keep building but lack the motivation....I just need to go drive it and enjoy it. Injecting that bit of happy into the equation can make all the difference. Be proud of what you built and what it can do....using the car as intended helps get that mindset.

To bring things up to current speed, this weekend I took the car to the MicroMini Meet in the Middle car show at Hagerty Garage+Social in Chicago.  It was a good event with quite a few Microcars.  It ended up being a smaller show then they anticipated but still was probably 50 micro/mini cars.  

Highlights for me of the show was learning I fit in and if I made some very minor modifications would be able to comfortably drive a AZ-1 (Want is so strong here), as well as riding in an original Subaru 360.   The owner of the 360 let me park next to it and get some pictures of the two 360s together.  He loved mine and just was excited to see someone doing something with one and keeping a junk shell Alive.  I hope that people are inspired by my build to turn junk into a treasure and not turn a restorable 360/Beetle/500/whatever into something like this.  

The changes from the original are extreme but you can still easily pick up the Subaru shapes and influence.  Seeing them together actually made me feel like the aesthetic is even more similar to the original 360.  I thought the flattened nose and trunk would do more disguising then it did and that the body character line was lost but it really looks pretty good.  I didn't realize though how much width I lost outboard of the headlights through cutting the larger diameter openings for the 17's.   I wish I had had my headlight covers done as they really would make the front view more 360.  

Also in those pictures you can see the revised exhaust routing.  I was able to sneak it up through the suspension and out the decklid.  This reduces intrusion to the diffuser area and will allow 4-6" of lateral inboard expansion.  It also looks super cool.  I will build some bezels to go around the holes in the decklid out of the Stainless steel Grill doors I got off the side of the road.  

So much room for activities.

I mean this with the utmost respect- your car looks like what would happen in a cartoon parking lot if Bugs Bunny hit a 360 sitting next to another 360 with a giant hammer. 
 

12/10, would read the build thread again. You are doing fantastic work.
 

Recon1342 said:

I mean this with the utmost respect- your car looks like what would happen in a cartoon parking lot if Bugs Bunny hit a 360 sitting next to another 360 with a giant hammer.

Oh that is the perfect description.  I can see it exactly.  The big hammer hits the roof all the fenders splay out and the tires get big because bugs is squishing it.  It springs back and goes meep.  He hits it a few times really fast and it does it every time splat, and back, splat and back, and then it just stops.  Like it stays that way and drives off.  

I want to make this cartoon now.

The Wind-Up Key (?) on the yellow 360 is fun!

And your Car is simply awesome - huge respect!

I think you missed an opportunity to make a blown diffuser such as the illegal F1 item. Out the top needs rain covers when parked too. 

I NEED TO SEE THIS IN PERSON.......someway.....somehow ....this mini show truly gives the full effect of what you have very amazingly  created......well done NC!!!

it's just SO sick. hat's off to nocones.

In reply to 759NRNG :

I'll be sure to let you know if I ever bring the car closer to you.  

Thanks again everyone for the comments.  The car really is turning out to be something special.  

A quick mid day update.  

I've been working on a revised shifter.  The old one obviously functioned but wasn't great.  So the new one ads a pivot and lever.

So to describe it, at the front there is a sleeve in front of the old PVC water pipe linear bearing the shifter rode on.  This sleeve has a piece of 1" that fits just over it so the linkage can rotate but not move forward and back. This component rotates which allows the entire shifter to rotate around the shift rod.  This 1" has a tube attached that located a pivot 3" bellow the shifter rod.  This is pivot is where the shifter is able to translate.    

On the shifter rod is a plate that is just welded to it.  This plate is basically the same as the old shifter.  It rotates the rod and translates it front to rear. The new shifter drives this through a slot with a T shaped bushing.   This bushing allows the shift handle to drive the shift rod forward and backwards.  

I know this seems complicated but it allows the shifter to not have a huge motion ratio to drive the rod but simplifies the interface compared to I'd I just had a shifter arrached to a rod end. 

It also looks cool..

I'll get a few more pictures when I have it appart to make the handle end.  The shift plate right now needs a little reinforcement but overall the shifter is ~1000% easier to operate.

One of the most common questions/discussion points when people see the car is, How does the shifter work?

I made a quick Instagram video showing it in operation from the front/back and showing the linkages.  For those that have followed the routing and shift shaft aren't new information but I haven't shown it operating before.

Back to work on the underbody.  I've managed to make a fully 3D diffuser.  My style over substance brain wants to add a tapper to the outer fence because..  look at it.  I may add it.  It's not to hard to cut the foam.   The inside is angled because it is just the shape of the rear body supports.  The outside has no reason to have the taper other then looks.  

Tonight I'm going to try to get the front part figured out, then take it all apart to duplicate all the parts for the right side and glue it together.  

That shifter mechanism video is so satisfying to watch. Awesome job with that.

In reply to maschinenbau :

Thanks,  I was a big concern with the project.  I am hopeful by sharing the details someone else can benefit in their quest for Mid Engined Domination.  I keep thinking it's more complicated then it needs to be but I can't think of any way to make it fundamentally simpler.  

Oh noes.  It's only 10 days until Nationals.   Seems like a perfect time to continue to work on the underbody. 

Not much words the pictures show it pretty good.  Everything minus the masking tape will be encased in fiberglass.  The inner most vertical piece is for a form only.  This will just be fiberglass without foam because it's right against the chassis so it doesn't need the rigidity.  

The car is apparently symetrical enough that I was just able to template everything and mirror assembly.  

I'm taking 2 days off this week so progress will hopefully pick up.  

The reality is the car is about 2 hours of little tasks away from being ready as is so all of this is "nice to dos" not required.