Baby template car for DARKO 2016

[aerohead]

I'll construct the new tail much like a fabric-covered WW-1 aircraft.
*The structural framework is welded 1/2-inch EMT steel tubing.
*Bulkhead stations,formers and stringers will be hand selected cedar fence pickets.
I'm taking the time to cull through hundreds of pickets to isolate the few driest and lightest which can be found in each pallet of material at Home Depot.
It's like buying hundreds of dollars worth of Balsa wood for a few bucks.
This wood will be shaped to the exterior form of the tail and attached to the steel and doped with resin to stabilize it.
Then I've got something to skin.
It's only gonna take forever to complete.

[aerohead]

While the boat tail is still 'open' I'm taking advantage of that.
I clamped batter boards to the tail which project rearwards to define the outside dimensions of the stinger,as you'd do with a concrete foundation.
To carry the stinger inside the boat tail for the trip requires that the stinger be able to break down into 3-pcs which can be assembled at DARKO.
So far,I've got a box-truss fashioned which will be the center 1/3rd of the stinger.
It's cedar picket ripped in half,angle cut,glued,and screwed.I'm using Titebond Exterior glue and drywall screws.
The three sections will marry together to form the 41-inch stinger,using 1/4-20 carriage bolts and palm-nuts.
Aluminum flashing,screwed down with pan-heads will create the skin for each section; attaching as a unit to the boat tail,also with carriage bolts and palm-nuts.
After the stinger is 'proved' with no hitches,I'll close in the 49.5-inch boat tail.
At DARKO,I can attach the faux single wheel under the stinger and test as Spirit-II with a single-wheel trailer (ala BamZipPow's Dark Shadow).
Then yank the phony wheel,testing as Spirit-II with a long-tail.
Followed by dropping the stinger for Spirit-II with truncated boat-tail.
And lastly,dropping the boat-tail,for Spirit sans tail.
We'll have an opportunity to actually see what,if any,the extra length actually does to drag.
This will be the 1st time in 40-years or so that I'll get to experience this sort of thing.
PS,If I were to lose the truck bed and start from scratch,with a custom,boat-tailed box, I could shorten the rig by 54-inches and have basically the same Cd.
here's some pics
Rotten plywood is gone and 3-layers of glass go on where new fairings integrate onto aero shell

Cardboard and tape define the new shape and get 3-layers of glass

At the rear,with lofted surface I get the radii required for Morelli's fluid tail

Batter boards clamp on to define exterior limits of stinger


Center 1/3rd section box truss is created inside the batter boards

[aerohead]

I should have the 'framing' for the stinger completed tomorrow.The 3-'boxes' are defined and all I need to do is pull the upper and lower batter-boards so I can complete the center stringers for the middle box.
Everything is trussed now and well triangulated and I can shake the whole truck by wrestling the stinger,with zero deflection.
ACE Hardware has some 5/16-inch handle bolts in the lawnmower section which will be handy for ganging the boxes together,plus attaching the boxes to the rear transom of the new boat tail.
I'll do the same for the faux 1-wheel trailer setup.
This way I won't need any tools to assemble or attach the stinger at DARKO,and at $500/hour will help trim expenses.
The road-going length for Spirit II will be 257-inches,with a fineness ratio of 4.057.
At DARKO and with the stinger,the length will be 311.6-inches,and fineness ratio of 4.671.Hornet,wasp,yellow jacket.

I'll have some new pics for next weekend.

[freebeard]

Hornet,wasp,yellow jacket.

[BamZipPow]

Thought I'd put this image here fer yah. Concept build of the T-100 before it was introduced called the Sidewinder. It had a 6.5' long bed like the Xtra cab.

A year before the first Toyota T-100 hit dealers, the company showed off this "Sidewinder" concept pickup. The name referred to the step-side style. While the production T-100 could carry a 4x8-foot sheet of plywood, the concept truck's shorter bed length required the tailgate be left down to do so. Land Cruiser wheels and custom brush guard with built-in driving lights went well with the pearl yellow paint job. - See more at: The coolest concept trucks that were never built | Medium Duty Work Truck Info

[aerohead]

The 'framing' is pretty much done.
I attempted to get it inside the boat tail.No dice!
So I had to cut out 3-pcs of steel tubing to create a 'trunk'-like opening which easily received the stinger,plus the faux-Viper fiberglass windshield.There's a little extra space for tidbits.Only road testing will prove whether or not the remaining steel is enough to prevent spontaneous disassembly.
Opening the tail was a FAIL! I will need to do an additional pogo for the driver's side front of the tail to protect the swing-away mount.
This morning I found a chrome-plated steel snare drum base for $5 at the thrift store.On castors,it will be a good adjustable support for quickly getting the stinger off the boat tail as one piece to save a little time.
I've been able to get some cedar attached to the boat tail' steel superstructure.The skin will attach to the wood as with the stinger.
I've got to be very careful to rehearse my test procedures before I close in in these critters or face calamity up at DARKO.
I have the camera with me and if Al has time,will post some new pics today.

[aerohead]

About 75% of the stringers are cut,shaped,sanded,drilled,filed.and screw-attached.
Next will come the transverse formers which define the graduated radii at upper and lower corners.
I'll need a 1-pc,lift-off 'trunklid' to access the 'cargo' area of the tail.
And a trap door to provide an opening which I can stand inside when lifting the boat tail on and off of the swing-mount.
Before long I'll need to get Spirit up to the community barn to establish the dimensions for the single faux trailer wheel and fairing.Then I can proceed with that.
June is out for the trip.
I'm now shooting to finish fabrication in August and get to the tunnel in September,a year late.Sorry Gumby!
If I'm gonna do the trip I might as well do all the mods for this trip and not fret over keeping the truck running for another 2-3-years (soonest I could afford to return to DARKO).
And I don't want to have another deadline hanging over my head.I want to know if there are going to be any 'issues' long before I begin the trip.

[gumby79]

Thank you
For the update

I'm in Ogden now helping my mom


The air dam is made from a one off a full size Bronco streched 5.75" wider then lowered 4" with longer bolts and covered with the 6" "shrink wrap " tape I told you about. Its much thinner than what I used on the Aero Tonto . So far so good tested to 150mph(80mph road speed + 70mph head wind) and stable. Bugs nor rocks have not poked holes in it yet. (~ 1000mi 80% at 70mph)

You have plenty of time . Just try to give me a few days heads up when we are a go.

Nice work applying the Russian stacking doll methodology.

[gumby79]

On the transverse formers how do you keep it from sucking in in between them causing ~~shape like an umbrella opened up? That is why I only ran longitudinal skin supports .

[freebeard]

I'm now shooting to finish fabrication in August and get to the tunnel in September,a year late.Sorry Gumby!

Works for me. I've just made the jump from clear premium at 30mpg to biodiesel at 40mpg. By September I might have a new set of tires.