The Zetec 'Ropacane

[Chuck Nukem]

Thanks guys!


I wont be sure til I get everything together, but the components of the factory TCS drum set up are just under 10lbs and I should be at just under 9.

[Chuck Nukem]

I finally joined the two pieces I made from the molds of the rear decklid. My goodness it is stiff! I joined them by using fabric and resin to bond the two pieces, but I will experiment with structural adhesive next time. Still Need to trim the flashing and prepare it for paint.

My original decklid fit perfectly after much bodywork, but came out to a portly 22lb. My standard S1 panel was probably close to 20 lbs, the s2 I have is closer to the 12 lbs quoted by other members here. The carbon panel is approx 6 lbs, and I can say with confidence that my engine cover, supported on one side, will not sag (much) under its own weight!! 

Was it worth the effort? I learned about molding body panels, and working with carbon....As long as I put this knowledge to use for a better purpose in the future...then the answer is a resounding maybe!

[Bainford]

That is absolutely fantastic, Chuck. I am impressed. So... how much weight do you think you could pare off of an entire body shell?

[Chuck Nukem]

The thought had crossed my mind...I think the answer depends on how crazy you want to be. Most likely you could remove anywhere from 1/2 to 2/3 of the weight of the shell and still have an appreciably stiffer car. My gut instinct is 100lbs-150lbs of savings. There was an Italian guy on here several years ago who was talking about making a carbon bodied S1/47, but he did not ever post any claimed weights or price, and was looking for 10 interested buyers. I have seen pictures of a carbon bodied car from the Japanese outfit Body Shop Happy, but I am not sure if they just skinned a car, or truly did a 100% body drawn under vacuum.

If one was going to attempt something so bold, I would argue that it should be attempted as a full carbon monocoque so that you could truly take advantage of the material.
https://www.gt40s.com/threads/carbon-gt-mono.24086/
This guy is a total lunatic and he made a carbon GT40 from scratch. His day job is fabricating racing airplanes, so he had a good starting point.
Another guy who is a source of inspiration for my attempt at the panels is Mike Patey. He makes his own airplanes and does some very serious carbon work.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvdee86uThqIrloZjWwNVg

If you redesigned the underside of the car to maximally increase stiffness, and also incorporate the suspension pick ups in to the body I would guess you could easily save 200 lbs on the total weight of the car. But my god what a mammoth undertaking that would be.... I think doing a Mk14 out of the stuff would be a more fitting tribute to the worlds first composite monocoque car.

[Chuck Nukem]

I used the labor day weekend to get in the holiday spirit and work away on my rear disc conversion!

This is the first prototype in the works. I take an OEM front rotor and face the hat section off. Then I put it in the mill to relieve it and cut square holes for the AP Racing floating bobbins. The bobbins may not make it in the final design because I need every bit of space for clearance back there... I am working on a rigid mount concurrently which uses the same AP fasteners. I then turn a hat out of a 6" slug. It then goes to the mill for lightening and drilling the holes for the hardware and lug bolts. I made a fixture to machine windows radially in the hat so that the bolts are held on with AP's nuts instead of threading them in to the aluminum hat. Some toolpaths need to be tweaked for height and finish, but that is all part of it...I will probably make a few of these before I ever get one on a car... I thought about naming my company "Goldilocks engineering...We get it right eventually"

The rear caliper bracket needs to come down a bit to fit inside the 13" steel wheel. The alloy has a bit more space, but I would like this set up to work across models. I have not experimented with the parking brake arms yet, but I will start machining my special short arms soon.

[Sandyman]

Wow! I just love the thinking and skills required. I stand in awe. "Goldilocks Engineering " Bear with us, it usually takes 3 tries.

[Chuck Nukem]

Wow! I just love the thinking and skills required. I stand in awe. "Goldilocks Engineering " Bear with us, it usually takes 3 tries.

Thanks Sandy! Once it all gets rolling I will make a vid to show the process more in depth.

[Chuck Nukem]

Shooting for paint next week.... wish me luck! I'm going to rip out all the plastic and put new instead of just doing a new floor and walls. Looking back I think that was my fatal flaw last time around. I forgot that the ceiling had been exposed to the wax from the mold.

Carbon came out pretty well! I need to clean up the seams and it should be good to go!

[BDA]

Excellent, Chuck! What did you do for the bottom edge of the engine cover?

[Chuck Nukem]

Excellent, Chuck! What did you do for the bottom edge of the engine cover?

Its also carbon. I made a two piece mold, Vacuum bagged each piece separately, then trimmed the pieces and put both in the mold to join them back together. I need to fill in the seam line with a little bit of thickened epoxy colored black.

[Chuck Nukem]

I am set for a weekend with destiny.... There is no margin for error because rain is coming on Tuesday and I need to do

Fri- Finish taping - sealer/base
Sat- Clear
Sun- wetsand and gold leaf
Monday - Clear

Nothing like a little pressure to get the ball rolling

[TurboFource]

Pressure tends to move things quicker......good luck this weekend!

[BDA]

I hope you’re reading this on Monday after you’ve successfully gotten through your clear coat!

[Clifton]

Rain with compressors and paint. Hurry. I ran a big container with desiccant balls for moisture control. Seeing your work, I'm sure you got it covered. The few times I have painted, it's been a lot of stress. Looking forward to your finished pics.

[Chuck Nukem]

Bah! I'm having the same fish eye issues on the test cards. I dare not spray the car yet...

Contaminants seem to be in the line....
My set up is
80 gal 2 stage delta compressor
refrigerated dryer
oil separator
new air hose
water oil trap
new air hose
regulator
ball filter
gun


I didn't have any trouble spraying the lacquer on the furniture. I never had problems when I painted the BMW or my friends Nissan. The air hose and oil trap are brand new...from harbor frieght...maybe I need to try a more quality line?