autoist Wrote:
Quote: "
Those things sound interesting, Hap, & I'm gonna be watching for your documentation so I can figure out how to lighten my doors....but why the piece of aluminum in the original post?
Quote:While at Watkins Glen this September, I noticed a few of the racing MGBs had a door 'capping' on the exterior door made of aluminum. This ran the length of the door, and was riveted on. It was about 2" in depth, and folded over the door skin where the window scraper would normally be.
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Tony, I guessing you are asking me why you would use aluminum on a race car's door panel, most racing bodies require you to have some sort of door panel, even if you have Nascar style door bars, heck even some vintage bodies require you to have a upolstered door panels. On Andy's car, we won't do any lightening to speak of on his doors, he still will have window glass, on the race cars, sure gut away, but remember it still has to swing open and shut, so it will be more than just a door shell. As for a the use of aluminum britework on a car, it for the most part will end up being lighter than using steel sheetmetal, and it what most people want. In my cockpit I try to paint most of the aluminum panels in the eye view of the driver, I've seen alot guys over the years, make polished aluminum dashs and door panels to only have the glare of the sun blind them.
Tony my advice on building your own race car stays the same, it's nearly impossible to do it without going to race track and getting involved with someone else's racing and educating yourself. I see alot of guys just get a wild hiar and decide to build a car and go racing without educating themselves at the race track first, most of the time this ends being a nightmare for them when they do start out, nothing will educate you like hands on experiance of being there, and I'm not talking about showing up with wife, and a camera, I'm talking about being a crew member and getting your hands dirty. In fact I think there should be some sort of rule, that no one can even build thier own race car without a couple of years crewing for someone else, I know thats totally unenforceable and a little silly, but the point I'm trying to make is no where but the racetrack as a crew member will prepare you for the task of building a race car, doing it without any hands on experience is almost unthinkble in my book. If finding a local guy like John Prater to crew for is not practicle, maybe offer to help Jack Worley with working tech would be a good option for you, it will let you look at alot of cars up close and get a real quick education. Tony, I hope this doesn't sound like I'm picking on you, because that is not my intentions, but I want to see you do this and stay around for awhile once you begun racing, and for that to happen you need to get yourself some hands-on experience, now that you're not traveling so much with the Army, maybe you will have more time to get out to the racetrack. I'm telling you the same thing I would tell any beginner. I want to see you suceed at this, same as I do with Fred McConnell, so I feel the straighter I give it to you guys, the better your chances will be.
