Spare Parts 1988 10 OCRI

Spare
Parts
In This Issue
Meeting minutes
_
2
Club Captains Report
_
5
Club Cars
_ 6
Presidents Report
_
9
Who~Who
_
10
The Tn-Magnum
_
12
Welding
_
18
Buy, SeU & SWap
_ BackCover
October 1988
/;(tt1IJ/q ;HIJlU1ff
John McLellan knew of a double axle trailer that he had
designed that might be for sale and Robin Jury agreed to
follow it up and report back at our next meeting.
ST. BERNARDS COLLEGE
SEPTEMBER 1888
CHAIRXAX
Roy Hoare
Ph 645-978
Xembers Present
Darrell Blewett,
Ian Carswell,
Patrick Harlow,
Terry Hvid,
James McKean,
Ron Robertson,
Robert West,
Colin Young
SECRETARY
Patrick Harlow
Ph 672-609
Ian Bloodworth,
Colin Hainsworth,
Sheldon Hedgeman,
Robin Jury,
John McLellan
Kevin Stevens,
John Wilson,
Non-members Present
Ken Brace,
Bill Cowling,
Nick Garland,
Don Searle,
Constitution
Roy Hoare reported on the current state of our constitution.
A lawyer had been along to our last committee meeting and
talked to us about our constitution. Needless to say it
is
now in its final stages and can be read in this magazine.
Unless there is any objection this is how it will stand.
Keith Bloodworth,
Derrick Halford,
Roy Hoare,
Brian Main,
David Pudney,
George Ulyate,
Bernard Wright,
H.Z. Sports Car Club
The club are planning to have a New Zealand tour and wanted
to meet us and our cars while they were in Wellington,
on
Saturday 7th Jan to Sun the 8th, They are keen of having a
tour around our garages. The idea of a garage tour has been
discused with the committee and everybody thought it a
brilliant idea as one of our aims is to get to know clubs
with the same interest.
Steve Dorrington,
Bruce Penlington
The meeting opened with six new people being welcomed
explaining what their interests were.
and
Bill Cowling is undecided at the moment but hopes to build a
car of B.M.W. sports styling.
Steve Dorrington is building the J.C. Midge which is a
wooden bodied M.G. type car based on the Triumph
Herald.
Nick Garland is building the 'T' car which is also a M.G. TF
styled car.
Rob West is building a Montage. He is in the process of
designing a chassis to replace the original V.W. one
that it was designed for.
Ken Brace is a Lotus fanatic and has imported a space frame
chassis so that he can fully rebuild a Lotus Elan 2 + 2.
Don Searle is building a Chevron.
Xagazine Name
After a small amount of discussion it was decided that
name "Spare Parts" should remain the official name of
club magazine.
the
our
Colin Young suggested that those of us that have finished
cars will drive out to Southwards Xuseum and meet them there
and he will then arrange with them garages to visit on the
Sunday. This will be all finalised later in the year.
Colin Young and Colin Hainsworth expressed an interst
in
joining them and carrying on with them on their tour in the
South Island. Patrick is to write to the N.Z. Sports Car
club about this. (Done)
Labour Weekend Waterfront Race
Chevron Engineering have offered us two display stands at
the race and all we need is to choose two cars. What. two
cars are displayed will be decided at our next meeting.·
Ian Macrae and Colin Hainsworth are in the process
designing a car and this might be in a displayable state
the time of the race.
of
by
Club Discounts
Trailer
Guthrie Bowrons will give the following discounts ...
Most members were not to worried ~about whether we had a
trailer or not but a significant number expressed that it
would be a good idea to have one so it was agreed to start
investigating it. (10 for 2 against)
10% ......... Sundry items
15% ......... Fibreglass resins
Colin Hainsworth said that he had access to a good single
axle trailer and would bring some drawings of it to our next
meeting.
2
Spare Parts
As we do not have a membership card at the moment to
who we are anybody wishing to purchase any of the
should take along their club magazine.
October 1988
prove
above
~
End of Year Function
Patrick stated the need to know how many people would be
attending our End of Year Function and now has a preliminary
number of about 30. We have penciled in a booking for 40.
Venue: Squires Inn, Paekakariki
Date:
Fri 18th Nov.,
Cost:
$27-00 per head
Once again a quiet month on the activities side of things ••• but mort' on
that later on.
Car Insurance
Roy reported that we have received a phone call from Phillip
Howard of XcKellar. Cook & Braddock about their earlier
proposal. (see Spare Parts July Issue) If it would be of help
he would be prepared to come and speak to us for our
November meeting.
Some of the things they need clarified are ....
This month the club activity was to be a sound trial. As only four
people turned up for this it has become quite obvious that it is not
what the club wants. At the committee meeting we discussed alternative
venues such as the Circuits Fun Park, Southwards Car Museum and the
Petone Tech as places to visit. The activities cost money therefore we
will need to know prior to organising them that people will turn up.
1) Would 75% of club members buy their insurance policy?
2) What things would be insured ie.
- Parts, not labour?
- Will we repair our own damages and they pay for
materials.
- In the event of a total writeoff, they will replace
with components of another kit of an unassembled
similar car? Not hot rod components but basics.
-We keep an accurate record of costs.
A club sign has been' produced J:>y a friend of Roy's. The sign cost the
club nothing but Roy has to spend about six hours returning the printers
favour by doing sOlie work on his rifle. If any other club members wish
to assist the club in similar it would be most appreciated. I don't
think only a few people should have to carry the burden of running and
equipping this club.
Questions that need clarifying by us are ....
1) Are cars insured while in garages under construction?
3) What about only third party insurance?
Of the members present ten were interested in insuring
McKellar.
Ian Bloodworth said that his Chevron was insured with
for about $250-00
It was suggested that Patrick write
and see what they have to offer.
to two other
The club night saw the biggest turn out yet with almost fifty people
turning up. After the usual official bull ••• t a practical demonstration
of fibreglassing techniques was given by Terry Dransfield. I was very
interested in the demo as I am close to doing some fibreglassing work on
my car and as I have never worked with glass before Terry's tips and
pointers were all very helpful. As usual time ran out before the
enthusiasm did and it was almost midnight before the clubnight finished.
with
State
I talked to Evan Fray recently and he is still hopeful of getting us two
spots at the display during the Wellington waterfront race. So anyone
who has a show able car please come forward.
companys
Colin Young
Club Events
Colin Young said that the small number that turned out to
the scavenger hunt had a good time and that the next
activity would be a sound rally.
The meeting was then declared closed and Terry Dransfield
gave us
an excellent
demonstration on
fibreglassing
teChnique.
Secr/etary
[~f. f(~&~
Patrick Harlow
4
Spare Parts
October 1988
5
CHEVRON PROGRESS
Roy and Darrells Urba Car
COLIN YOUNG
Finally it no longer looks like or can be called a dune buggy, as it
now has a body shell. Still, better to be called a buggy than a boat
like someones was. All welds and frames have been checked and .
painted. The motor has been refitted and we're now into the
foam covering stage.
The instructions say that it takes a week to fibre glass your
creation. Someones Trimagnum took 2-1/2 years so I hope the
book is right. John Marcheals supplied the car with the fancy arty
type shapes and it's now looking greatl
We molded the gull-wing doors and the large front screens
ourselves as the price to get it done was $1500, which is as
much as we have spent on the rest of the car.
When will it be completed? No ones told us yetI
Patrick Harlow rang me up the other night and told me he would like a
few paragraphs on what I had been doing to my car during the previous
month,
This month has been spent doing all kinds of small bits and pieces that
seem to t.llke forever, I had hoped to complete the braking system this
month b'lt time ran out. I am installing a biased braking system on my
car as I want to be able to adjust the ,braking between the front and
rear wheels. I have all the componets built now except for the actual
adjustment bar, If anyone knows of a compact system I could use I would
like to see it.
Terry Hvids Almac TC
I started bUilding the Almac 20 months ago, after first building
the garage to house it.
I bought two sad 13/60 Heralds and stripped both, keeping and
rebuilding the best bits. A Nissan Sunny 1500 motor and 5 speed
box was fitted.
I have just installed a 3 blade wiper arm system and am now
working on the exhaust, dash panel,. door handles and catches.
The car is 3/4 finished and should be ready for summer.
Glen Chapman was keen t 0 sho w" nff
~
hl'S new lathe so I went over to his
house and turned down the steering boss I had bought. The boss was so
f
out of true that even on a slow speed the boss kept working its way
the hub .•... , .. which kept us alert and ready to duck flying bosses:.
o~~
Roy Hoare helped me out by getting some of the exhaust components made
for me and then welding and finishing them off at his home.
Robin Jurys JC Midge
After being introduced in an earlier magazine as the only
committee member sensible enough not to be building a car, I
have now succumbed. I am presently in the planning stages of a
'JC Midge'.
The Midge is yet another based on the Herald. using English
plans.
The body is made from 18mm plywood covered with aluminium
sheet and a fibreglass cowling. Style is Similar to an early MG
(J2?) with cycle guards. The story of a buildup was in the JuneJuly editions of 'Which Kit?'.
Plans have been purchased, templates made and the search is on
for a cheap Herald chassis.
Contact has been made with a nother Midge builder and I'm on
the trail of a completed car seen locally. This car will NOT be
reay this summer.
6
One of the aims of the club is for people to get together so that they
can help each out and this month I have called on a few of the club
members for assistance,
Spare Parts
The coming month should see me installing some of the items that I have
recently aquired such as petrol tank, carb, radiator and oil cooler.
October 1988
7
HARBOUR CITY OFFICE SUPPLIES LTD.
--------------------------------
CORRECTABLE RIBBONS
-------------------
Local Manufacture
Originals
STATIONERY
First up I would like to congratulate Ron and James for the great
effort of getting their own designed and built car on the road,
warranted and registered in 12 WEEKS! , yes weeks.! It is a great
achievement. There is still a bit of finishing work to be done but
if its to the same standard as the rest of the car, e.g. the
mechanics, dash, carpets and wheel cover etc. then it will be a
car to be proud of.
Most stationery items
MULTI STRIKE RIBBONS
COMPUTER-FURNITURE
Local lIanufacture
Originals
Desks
Work stations
Trolleys
Acoustic hoods
-------------------
------------------
We now have a club sign which was designed in 30 seconds on
the back of a fag packet. It looks great and can now be used
whenever we are displaying cars.or holding meetings. It has cost
the club a ride in one of the as yet uncompleted cax:s.
LIFTOFF AND COVERUP TAPES
-------------------------
Local tlaunfacture
Originals
OFFICE FURNITURE
----------------
Desks and Returns
Tables
Chairs
Cabinets
PRINTER RIBBONS
---------------
The club has been allocated space in the display area of the
Wellington Waterfront race and we need help and cars for this
event. If you can help see Colin Young.
Spool
Cassettes
Reloads
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
MAGNETTC MEDIA
Filing Cabinets
Printout Storage Cabinets
Card Index Cabinets
Copyholders
----------------
--------------
Diskettes - 3.5", 5.25", B".
Magnetic Tape
Data Cartridges
Storage files
PRINTERS
PAPER
9 Pin Dot Matrix
(LXBOO $495 +GST)
24 Pin Dot tlatrix
24 Nozzle Ink Jet
Lineflow - 10", 15". GB/PL.
(Gold bar, Plain, WP.)
Photocopy
(EPSON)
Laser
COMPUTERS (EPSON/ULTRA)
Facsimile
PC's
Telex - 1, 2 or 3 Ply.
XT's
Rediforms
AT's
MODEMS (100% Hayes Compo $544 + GST)
20% Discount on all items to C.C.C. club members
5% Of the net sale is given to C.C.C.
N.B.
When asking for prices state you are from the club so the discount
can be applied.
TERMS OF SALES:
8
Two bad news items:
The number who turned up on Sunday for the sound trial was 2
cars. Colin spent a lot of time setting up this event and deserves
some support. If you don't want this event then say so, so time
won't be wasted organising them. How about some apologies to
Colin and some better suppport for the club and future for' ,
activities.
The second disappointment is that NO suggestions at all have
been made for subjects for Monthly Meetings. C'mon guys, you
are all bright enough , and if you made one suggestion each it
would take _care of a whole years programme!
The Christmas party has been organised for 26 November. I bet
this will be one event thats well patronised (dig, dig). It will be
great to meet the long suffering partners of you car makers. (I
thought I was the only one around - PreSidents wife)
Colin has now driven a Heron car and thinks he would like build
one. If you don't want to build one, there is one for sale (the one
we drove). Price is around $18,000. If you're interested tell me
and I will put you in touch with the owner.
- Roy
All sales are cash sales. Items may bo ordered
from Colin Young or the receptionist
between 0900 and 1230hrs by ringing 710-919.
Items may be picked up from the first floor
of the Civic Chambers, 23 Lower Cuba street
Wellington.
Spare Parts
October 1988
9
THE· MI URBASPORT
.' TRI-MAGN.UM: .
HOME-BUILT EXCITEMENT
The rockel·shlp·like rear view 01 the UrbaSport T,;-Magnum is gomg to turn many
heads. It's also all that most people are
gOing to see, since the motorcycle under
the fiberglass skin moves the TO-Magnum
so quickly. It also moves It Irugally. delivering up to 50 mpg. The interior 01 this latest UrbaSport is also like a rocket ShiP,
with a single lever contrOlling both clutCh
and shifter, The steering w/leel movclS out
01 the ~ay to ease entry and eX/l, too
By Robert Q. Riley and Dave L. Carey
W ITH almost a decade of safety-
and energy~conscious cars under our belts, we Americans have
learned to accept the econobox the.ory of automotive engineering.
What used to be one of our great-
est pleasures-the car-h~s become
a mundane, utilitarian device Cor
economically carrying people and
things from place to place.
Conserving fuel is fine. But having fun while doing it is even better.
It's possible for a car to be fuel efficient and downright exciting. To
prove that point, we've produced
the latest in the MI series of Urba
cars, the UrbaSport Tri-Magnum.
Tri-Magnum is a direct descendant
of the popular three-wheeler, UrbaSport Trimuter, which was Ceatured in MI exactly three years ago.
And just like the Trimuter, you
build the Tri-Magnum yourself using MI's plans. The Tri-Magnum
can be built for Car less than any
store-bought performance carabout $2,OOO-in your garage.
The name Trimuter came from
the fact that the car was a threewheeled commuter car. It was powered by a l6-hp industrial engine
which gave it a top speed oC 60 mph
and mileage of about 50 mpg. Our
new Tri-Magnum, on the other
hand, is more like the high-powered
magnum pistol, since it can get from
o to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds and 0 to
100 mph in just over 20 secol)ds!
What gels it there is the Bl-hp, '76
Kawasaki KZ900 motorcycle
plugged into the rear. And if that's
not hot enough for you, you can Use
the later-modell,lOOce Kawasaki.
In fact, ·any bike from 400cc on up
will work. Just choose the one that
best meels your personal perfor-
mance and fuel-economy needs.
The marriage of a motorcycle to
the chassis of a three-wheel car is a
natural union. There are plenty of
used bikes around at a reasonable
price (we paid $800 for our '76
KZ900); by removing the front-fork
and wheel assembly of one oC them,
you end up with an i11tegral, lightweight power train. It's also a power train that, pound for pound, is as
efficient and powerful as anything
made anywhere. We used the plentiful and lightweight VW Beelle
fronl-suspension assembly at the
Tri~Magnum 's othe'r end. Ours cost
$150 at a local wrecking yard. The
motorcycle and the VW fronl suspension are lied together with a
simple steel framework to complete
the chassis, which includes the
steering, suspension, brakes, power
train and all. This package is covered with a sleek, aerodynamic fiberglass body. The result is an allweather, fully enclosed vehicle that
combines the economy of a motorcycle with the safety and stability of
an automobile. And the increased
weight is nicely offset by the improved aerodynamics.
The styling of Tri-Magnum is both
functional and in character with its
aggressive performance. Aerodynamics, the cooling requirements of
the air-cooled motorcycle engine,
accessibility to the cockpit and engine compartment, ease oC construction and safety considerations are
all integrated into the design. The
impact-absorbing foam-filled front
bumper, which ties into the f"ame
with a massive steel U-member, is
12
Spare Parts
October 1988
13
1. The heart of the Tri-Magnum IS a Kawa~
saki KZ900 motorcycle with the lront
wheel removed and a Volkswagen fronl
end welded in its place. 2. Wooden bulk~
heads are used to give the body its shape
and strength. 3. Wood molding slrips are
then nailed to the butkheads' corners to
help keep the loam panels in place.
4. The Tri-Magnum's body is simply made
of flat sheets of rigid urethane foam.
S. The (Dam is' then (iberglassed over to
give it its strength.
designed~ to spill air onto the body.
Body lines flow smoothly from front
to rear where they are sharply broken around the taillight nacelles to
create a clean separation point. The
rear-facing duct on top of the engine cover and the two shark-gill
side louvers are designed to draw
hot air out from the engine compartment while cool air is ducted
into it from underneath. A small fan
mounted just ahead of the engine
keeps it cool while idling.
The lift-up canopy, though exotic,
is simple, functional and strong. Il
leaves the main body area integral
for maximum strength and, when
open, it presents an entirely open
cockpit so you don't have to duck
under a low roolline when getting
in and out.
The canopy has an internal, laminated steel framework that runs
around its perimeter and down the
windshield posts. Gaps between the
fiberglass canopy and the steel
framework are filled with fiberglass
to form a solid fiberglass/steellaminate. This fiberglass/steel composite
is stronger than either of the
materials individually.
Nitrogen cylinders from a Toyota
hatchback counterbalance the
weight of the canopy so it opens
easily; it stays open by itself. The
steering wheel moves forward and
out of the way, so you simply step
in and slither down into the comfortable, form-fitting, space-capsule-
style seat. There's room for two
people, side by side. When you're
in, the steering wheel returns and
locks in place; then a gentle tug on
the nearest nitrogen cylinder lowers
the canopy, which latches if you let
go of it just before it closes. Inside,
the view is panoramic. The windshield begins at the top of your
head and extends forward to within
a few inches of your feet. The side
windows cover even more distance,
wrapping around the sides from the
base of the windshield to the rear
cockpit wall. To improve aerodynamics, all window~ are mounted
flush with the exterior skin.
The interior has a definite jetfighter feel to it. The elements are
exotic in both look and feel, but
they're not designed for aesthetics
alone. They are the natural result of
the blending of motorcycle components and systems with the sleering
and seating of an automobile. For
instance, the stick shifter, which
looks as though it might have been
removed from the nearest F-15 and
bolted in place, is nothing more
than a cutoff end of the motorcycle
handlebar.. which has been fitted
with the stock motorcycle handlebar-mounted switch assemblies and
clutch lever. This control stick
places all the controls within easy
reach at a single location. It also
saves money (because there are no
extra parts to purchase) and simplifies construction.
Another cost-saving feature is the
instrument cluster. The original motorcycle instrument cluster is
mounted on a perch atop the steer- .
ing column. The only new parts required are extra long cables for the
tachometer and speedometer, plus
a speedometer step-up gearbox
and adapter so the speedometer
can be driven from the standard
VW connection at the left front
wheel. Amidst all this there is one
new gauge: a cylinder-hea!i temperature gauge mounted on a perch
just forward of the stick shifter. The
perch also carries the fan switch,
fan-on indicator light and the
manual choke.
Driving the Tri-Magnum is similar
to. yet different from, driving a car
and a bike all at the same time.
First of all, with the canopy closed'
there's a totally encapSUlated feeling. The thickly padded, form-fitting
seat holds you securely in place. No
sliding around or slouching with this
design. The throttle and brake pedals are on the floor and the stick
shifter/control column is comfortably
at your side. The first step is turning on the key switch which lights
up the QiJ~pressure indicator J near
the bottom of a vertical light bar between the speedo and tach. The
next step is to find Neutral so you
can start the engine without having
to hold in the clutch lever. The shift
lever is ..spring-Ioaded to a neutral
position: It pivots forward or back~
ward about 1 V. inches off center to
change gears. To switch to the next
lower gear move the shifter ror~
ward then release it to its neutral
position. Each time you do this it
downshifts one gear. To upshift,
pull bapk on the shifter and release
it. After a few pumps of the lever,
the neutral-indicator light, a green
light at the top of the light bar,
comes on.
Pressing the shifter-mounted
starter button brings the engine to
life with a muffled, mellow purr
from the rear. Throttle response is
9
Plans Available
You can buy a complete plans package for building Ihe UrbaS port Tri-Magnum. The package includes a 68-page, pholo-illuslraled instruclion booklet
and 10 delailed 17x22-inch drawings. In addition 10 Ihe step-by-step photos. the bookie I also includes materials and source lists.
14
Spare Parts
instant. Although the travel of the
throttle pedal is a good 4 inches,
just a slight movement of it sends
the rpms soaring-atleast.that's the
way it sounds. A glance at the tach
shows that these lilLie taps on the
throttle are revving the engine to a
mere 3,500 rpm. The KZ900 develops its peak horsepower at 8,500
rpm and it's redlined at 9,000. So
what sounds like high rpm is just
above idle for this engine. This is
something that takes getting used
to. If you shift gears according to
how you expect the engine to
sound, you'll be lugging it.
Neutral is located between Firsl
a~d Second gears, so to start out,
grab the shifter and the clutch lever, squeeze, then push the leve~
forward. Tri-Magnum lurches as It
drops into First. The engine has
very little low-rpm torque, so it
needs more revs than feel normal
as pressure is released on the clutch
lever-at least until you get used to
the sensitive clutch. Our first few
tries either stalled the engine or laid
I a 20-foot patch of rubber as Tri-
Magnum screamed out of the hole.
(A lot mol'e fun than stalling the engine.) Iltakes a few attempts to get
the hang of coordinating the throttle
and the clutch as you take off from
a stop. But if you don't want to fool
around, just floor the throttle and
let go of the clutch. The rear tire
becomes its own cI ulch as it spins
merrily along for the first 50 feet or
so. Shifting gears is easy from there
on out. During acceleration aU shifts
are up, so it's second nature to
squeeze the clutch le'~<;.:~ as you
grab and pull the shifter. You can
do it almost more quickly than you
can think it.
Acceleration is so tremendous
that until Tri-Magnum hits 20 or 25
mph undcr rull throllle, the rear
wheel spins because the engine can
produce more power than the single
rear whccl can transfer to the
ground. Once things get planted,
however, the force nails you to the
rear wall and keeps you there until
you get out of the throttle. It takes
only onE" jerk on the shifter, up to
Second, to send Tri-Magnum flying
past 50 mph. With each full-throttle
shift the rear end floats a bit until it
gets fully planted; not badly-just
enough to tell you that the rear
wheel is going faster than the car.
Although we didn't try hard cornering !It 90 mph, we did slow it
down a bit for some sliding turns
just to see what happened. Tri-Magnurn basically understeers, which is
what it's designed to do. The center
of gravity is located low and close to
the front wheels in order to provide
·a large-margin of safety against rollover. The trade-off in gaining rollover protection is in~herent under·
steer, which means Tri~MaKnum
acts pretty much like your basic
Chevy when pushed to the max.
Directional stability is another
benefit gained by placing the center
of gravity up fronl. Tri-Magnum
stubbornly resists swapping ends no
mailer how it's treated. A lockedwheel, sliding stop from 50 mph
produces a straight-ahead line of
travel with the rear end floating
first a little to one side, then a little
15
October 1988
to the other. Even full-power lurns
with the rear wheel spinning wildly
occupants. Finally, there is no dash,
so you can't bump your knees.
Of course, the biggest safety feaing more than a little sideways float
ture is the ability to avoid a colliat the rear.
sion. Tri-Magnum has plenty of exCorners are taken fiat with almost tra power to get you out of a tight
no body roll. 'l'his thanks to the stiff situation, and it's highly malleuverstabilizer bar on the VW front end.
able with virtually no unusual hanIn our case it's a necessary item bedling characteristics.
cause all the roll stiffness of a threeWe estimate the cost oC building
wheeler must come from the two
Tri-Magnum at about $2,000, plus
side-by-side wheels.
the cost of the motorcycle. The moThree-wheelers are considered
torcycle is not altered except for remotorcycles by the government,
moving the front-Cork and wheel astherefore they are required only to
sembly and welding on two small
meet the legal requirements of a
brackets at the lower front of the
motorcycle. In effect, this means
frame. (Although we can't imagine
that just about anything with three
Why anyone would want to do it,
wheels can be licensed for the
the motorcycle can later be restreets. A three-wheeler does not'
moved from the Tri-Magnum, refithave to meet any of the safety reted with accessories and put back
quirements of a car. It doesn't even
on its two wheels.) The cost of a
have to be equipped with bumpers
used bike ranges from about $400
Or a windshield, and it can be lifor a smaller and older machine, up
censed with only one headlight and
to about $2,000 for a nearly new,
one taillight. Our ideas are a little'
late-model high-powered version.
different where safety is concerned.
As mentioned earlier, we paid $800
Consequently, we've given proper
for our '76 KZ9oo, which had only
attention to many design features
17,000 miles on the odometer. It had
not required by law.
a couple of broken lights, a dented
First of all, we think that other
drivers should be able to tell where
across the pavement produce oath.
dition. The price was about right Cor
what we got and we sold the fork
and wheel assembly Cor $150 to recoup some oC the cost.
You can assemble the chassis in
about two weekends. It involves
cutting and welding steel tubing.
The body is basically a fiberglassing
project. ~'igure on about 300 hours,
start to finish. The plans, which
take you through the whole project,
step by step, with photos and drawings, are designed with the assumption that you have never fiber.
glassed before, so illustrations and
instructions are complete and detailed. The plans also describe the
technique for establishing the 'shape
and contour of body panels, so if
you want to experiment with styling
changes yo'u'll know how to get the
results you're after. And the result
most of us are after is an attractive,
personalized vehicle that delivers
the mileage and performance we
want at a price we can afford.
·the corners of the car lay, so we've
designed Tri-Magnum with two
headlights and two taillights. We've
installed a foam-filled front bumper
(a design proven to have extremely
high impact-absorbing capabilities
in safety studies) and tied it into the
frame with a large steel supporting
structure that is fiberglasscd into '
the body for increased rigidity. The
canopy is steel reinforced throughout. Side intrusion protection is in-
creased by leaving the body unbroken by side-door opening~, The
bulkhead that forms the rear of the
cockpit is built up with foam around
the perimeter to a thickness of 3
inches, then fiberglassed over, This
creates a built-in roll bar and adds
even further to the capabilities of
the body to withstand a side impact
at the passenger compartment. A
bump at the rear would be absorbed first by the foam-filled body
and then by the wheel located at
the rear of the car. Loads transferred to the motorcycle are
stopped by the tripod structure that
secures the motorcycle at the front.
Potential whiplash is eliminated by
the thickly padded rear wall of the
cockpit which extends upward to
the roof, completely protecting the
42"
1 - - - - _ - ' - ' 65"
-.,-----i
16
Spare Parts
October 1988
17
WELDING .
Although the subject of welding covers a lot of ground, it really doesn't
take a lot of technique or expensive
equipment for the small (and sometimes not so small) jobs that the average home craftsman might tackle in
his garage workshop. You'll probably
be working with steel 'about '/,6 to V4
inch thick. These jobs can be done
well with an oxyg'en/acetylene welder
or a small 110-volt arc-welder, and
you can teach yourself how to weld in
an afternoon. Of course, you can rent
the equipment. But you might consider
purchasing it because it's relatively inexpensive. You can buy a small arcwelder for right around $100, while a
gas-welder costs about $150.
What actually happens to the work
when you weld is very basic and simple. In essence, you're melting two
pieces of steel together. Plus you're
adding a little extra steel with the
welding rod. The heat to melt the ma-.
terial comes from the flame of a gaswelder. Or it's caused by the electricity arcing from the rod .to the work if
you're using an arc-welder. Good
technique simply means that you've
learned to do this smoothly and in a
way that results in good penetration
and a thorough mixing of the molten .
metals. If yOlj just melt the rod and let
it stick to the surface of the work,
that's bad technique ... and the weld
will not hold.,Good technique comes
with practice, and it really doesn't'take
long to get the hang of it.
Naturally, you wear dark goggles to
protect your eyes from the flame of .a
gas-welder. Wear a full-face .·mask' and
welding gloves when you're arc-welding to protect yourself from spattering
metal ejected, from the weld. An assistant should not look directly at the, arc
or the flame. Both,are intense enough ,:
to cause serious eye burns. Make',!:.".',::
sure there are no flammable malerials}"
nearby.
" , :,~<:/>
Gas-welding equipment consists 0('
two large tanks (one containing the .
oxygen and the other containing the, ,
acetylene), a regulator assembly a((·>.,'
A(;,(IIlf:.~
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Ullffftr wlrll ...-e.-tr,ycA'y GU£
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f;'p,~G#
the top of each tank, a pair of hoses
leading from the regulators to the
torch handle and the torch handle itself. The first thing to do is adjust the,
line pressure, which is controlled by
the large wing nut on the front of each
regulator. Close both valves on the
torch handle (one controls the oxygen
and the other controls the acetylene).
Then slowly open the large 'valves at '
the top of the tanks. It's good-practice
to stand to one side when aoing this
because the sudden pressure could
blowout the face of a defective
gauge and send parts flying. Next,
open one valve on the torch handle
·about a half turn, then screw the regulatorwing.nut in or out, until lin,e pressure reads about 5 'psi, Close the
valve,' then adjuslthe,other liRe to the
same pressure,
'
. yUse a.N.o, ,2 or. No,"3 welding tip,
~;a~d ;b!'lginby experimenting ,with· a .
,,;plece:',of!,scrap. metal.:The basic idea
18
Spare Parts
isto:use the torch to create a small .•,:;'
puddle of molten metal.on·thework:,
then put the end of the wel<:Jing rod .
into the puddle. This melts the rod,
causing it to .mix with the. molten111eh .
ai, which bonds the two pieces to-.".
gether. Uyou do that correctly,·you •. \,
,will have made a good weld. Ifyo~d'i::
don't apply enough heat to get the':'-.fi'.:
work to puddle, but instead simply'; 'k,
melt .the rod ~nt<? the ...wo~k, .thEl~E!l<;J.~;
will not·hold,
".: " ..•., '::.::"rr!Kt:::'
If you apply too much .heat to's,single spot, you'll melt away the work en-:
tirely, leaving a large hole. Good tech~ .
nique involves adjusting the torch to
the correct intensity for the thickness
of the work, creating a good 'puddle,
and moving the puddle' alorig at the
correct rate as you feed the correct
amount of rod. A feel for that comes
only with practice.
No matter how you try, you won't
make a good weld unless you correctly adjust the torch. Figure 1 shows
four types of flames. The difference
between them is caused by the relationship between the amount of oxygen and acetylene, which is controlled
by the two valves on the torch handle.
The flame you're after is the neutral
flame which comes just as the acetylene feather of the carburizing flam~ .
disappears into the inner cone. The
correct intensity is determined by the
thickness of the work and by how rapidly you move the puddle along. Beginners tend to do better with a lower
flame because it allows them to work
more slowly..
Figures 2, 3 and· 4 show how to
hold and move the torch. Angle the
flame toward' the work with the 'rod
coming in from the opposite direction.
Once the puddle forms, move the
torch in circular or semicircular patterns across the weld as you slowly
advance the puddle. Continue to feed
the rod, but don't force it into the work
or it'll stick. When things start flowing
correctly, you'll know it's right.
Like adjusting the intensity of the
flame with gas-welding, with arc-welding you'll have to se! the heat range
by changing the amperage setting on
the welder. This is done either with a
October 1988
dial or by plugging the hot lead into
one of several fixed-amperage receptacles on the welder. As a general
rule, use %2-inch rod and 75 amps
on Va-inch material, changing to 1O0
amps for up to V.-inch material. Thinner C/,6-inch) material is more difficult
to weld and you'll have to experiment
with smaller rod and lower heat
ranges (amp settings),
Although what you're after is basically the sBJTie, technique is different
with arc-welding. You have to establish an arc, which melts the work and
the rod simultaneously and deposits
the rod on the work. To establish an
arc simply scratch the end of the
electrode (rod) across the work, just
like lighting a match.
As soon as the spark'jumps, move
the tip of the electrode slightly away
from the work, then move the arc over
to the weld and begin welding. If you
move the eJecfrode too far away you'll
break the arc. If it's too close, the
electrode will stick to the work, which
probably will liappen several times be-
19
-IDm/
·r----Rob coRE
~--_ PR.~TEc7ivE
G,q5~
PeNe7""RAT»N
OeP/1T
fore you get the hang of it. A good
arc has a crisp, crackling sound.
. It's good practice to lead the arc
with the electrode just a little so you
can see the puddle develop. Keep in
mind that the electrode continues to
melt away so you'll have to move it
closer to the work as you weld. Move
the electrode along the weld slowly,
allowing the molten puddle to follow. If
you move too rapidly the puddle will
not fully develop and the weld will be
weak. figure 5 shows the arc weld
graphically. P8rP
20
Spare Parts