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A reverse chronological log of the construction of my racecar.
Click on small images to view large image in new window.
Click here for earlier construction highlights (2002).
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8/01 to 8/08/2003
On 8/1/2003 the Yota took a trip to the paint shop. I sprayed it myself, over the course of that weekend. Then I ended up sick for the following week! Not from paint though, as I use a forced air breathing apparatus. Many thanks to Colby's Tire and Auto Center for hauling the racer for me!
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After applying the gloss white the previous evening, I masked off and applied the light blue sections.
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Another view after the light blue coat was applied. Upon the first repaint (eg. upon first crash), I will darken this blue a bit.
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Here we are on 8/3/03, after the previous night's light blue coat dried. The remaining exposed part will be sprayed dark blue.
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There I am, spraying my heart out! Many thanks to my employer, Sheepscot Machine Works, for use of the paint facilities.
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Another action photo, courtesy of J-Man. He also provided moral support and refreshments!
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The nose all painted and headlight stickers applied. I need to tweak the next round of head and taillight stickers a bit.
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All paint coats dry! The light blue stripe along the side skirts looked good in my mind's eye, and not so good in reality. They will be sprayed dark blue ASAP.
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Rear view. In hindsight, the numbers on the taillight sticker are too small to see. Also, I made the head and taillight stickers from regular paper sticker stock... getting wet destroys them.
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Left side view. This is "the good side", which unfortunately is not the side toward the crowd! I put a Sheepscot Machine Works sticker on the light blue part of the door: this was to thank them for using the paint room.
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Right front view. I painted the numbers on... big mistake. I just didn't want to spend the bucks for vinyl numbers until I knew I wanted to continue racing. Stenciling numbers this big over an imperfect door was very frustrating!
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Right rear view. In support of our country and the troops that protect us, I placed American flag stickers on both sides at the rear window. The difference in the dark blue paint is where I tried fixing the numbers.
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7/07 to 7/30/2003
IT'S ALIVE!!!!!Around 7/07/2003, I fired "the YOTA" up for the first time since 10/27/2002. I was amazed that it still ran so good! Actually, I was amazed that it ran AT ALL! I also began the bodywork, as well as tying up some loose ends.
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After successfully firing up the racer, I rolled right on to the bodywork. There was a lot of rot at the fenders and rocker panels. I took a long time with the bodywork, as a fine looking ride is important to me. But, as time went on, I lowered my expectations in favor of racing this year!
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This sporty little FX-16 GT-S had stock side skirts and low-riding front and rear bumper covers. I wanted to maintain this look, but with all the rot I could not reattach the side skirts. Some new tin and a nifty thing called a rivet nut solved this dilemma.
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A rivet nut is just that: installed like a rivet, but once installed it has a threaded hole through it's center. Superb for placing threads in thin metal. I didn't buy the installation tool; I installed with a bolt, nut and washer as the tool. **see more on this in my upcoming Tips and Tricks section!
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Driver side bodywork is done, including side skirt, bumper covers, and head and taillight sheet metal panels. I hurried toward the end, so a close look reveals some flaws in the body filler work. Just as long as it looks good from the stands!
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Looking forward to the firewall, you can see my efforts to "clean house." I installed some wire loom (blue) to organize the rats nest of wires, and zip-tied it to the stock dash bar (extreme top of pic.) Above the gas and brake pedals at left, the shiny cable is my tether for the ignition key. At extreme right is my fuel line conduit. Dead center and just above the ECU is my battery thru-panel, covered by a red rubber boot. The gray conduit runs on the floor back to the battery box.
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Now you're on the other side of the firewall. The FX-16 GT-S has these stock suspension braces going from center to each front strut tower. At middle left beneath the suspension brace and beside the big yellow plug is where the fuel conduit comes through. Just right of center is the battery thru-panel, again covered by a red rubber boot. I used 3/4" coolant hose as a protective covering for fuel lines and for my positive battery cable.
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Looking in from the passenger side provides a good view of the cockpit. The fuel line conduit runs straight back to the rear firewall. The positive battery cable conduit runs from front firewall back to the battery box. I mounted my battery disconnect switch right in the top of the battery box, well within my reach. You can see my new dash also, made from 28g sheet metal.
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With headlight sheet metal in place, my car once again has eyes! But I guess I'll have to live with that signature dent in the front bumper! I tried clamping and heating the bumper cover, which worked for a while. Once I installed the bumper cover, I drilled a hole and filled the void (previously occupied by the dent) with expanding foam insulation. But the dent came back. My first loss! Certainly not my last either, but I just wanna' race, make new friends, and HAVE FUN!!!!
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6/16 to 7/06/2003
Finishing up the cage, fuel cell basket, and installing the fuel cell and lines.
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It felt good to begin welding the passenger door bars in. I had left them out for a while to allow easier access to the inside work. The silver tube just inboard of them is the fuel line conduit. Also visible is the stock dash bar (behind cage dash bar), the newer version of my steering helm, and my anti-stress agent.
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Looking toward the rear of the car, you can see where the fuel line conduit penetrates the rear firewall. I used 28g galvanized steel for the firewall (as well as all other bodywork) . The fuel line conduit is 1-1/2" x 1/64" wall aluminum tubing, with EMT type sealing conduit fittings. I will be applying 100 percent silicone caulking to the gap where firewall meets the irregular floor (where back seat used to be.)
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Here you can see the rubber fuel lines entering the fuel cell area, via the fuel line conduit. I used a conduit primarily for my safety. I didn't want the lines going through my area with the chance of them chafing, leaking, the BOOOOM! Within the conduit, if a leak occurs it will (in theory) run downhill back into the fuel cell area. The conduit also is convenient if I need to change a line. I intend to paint the conduit a very conspicuous color (likely red) and stencil warnings on it.
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The fuel cell basket in its home (the trunk.) A while ago, I had cut out the sheet metal in the spare tire well due to rot. I cleaned up the area and put some new sheet in. The cell basket is flourescent green because I like the color and wanted to use it somewhere! It also could be a tribute to a couple other racers who have helped me out a lot, answering my dumb questions and letting me hang with them on race night. I put foam weatherstripping where the can sits, to keep it from chafing and rusting out.
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The stock fuel pump and bracket after a good cleaning and some paint. I wanted to adapt the pump as an external, to ease maintenance and allow easier fuel cell disconnection and removal. It seems that most fuel injected cars have in-tank pumps, and I had no luck with this one external. It would pump, but upon shutdown the gas would drain from a siphon hole in the pump bottom. No good for external use!
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I removed the -8AN pickup fitting from the Jaz fuel cell. I wanted to locate the pump in the same location as the pickup (outside rear of cell.) I eyeballed the locale, and started cutting the can with a holesaw (not a half saw, ha ha ha!) I started this with the liner in, so the pilot drill would mark the liner. I still ended up with some misalignment, but nothing I can't live with.
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Plop goes the fuel pump. Using the stock bracket, the fuel pickup foot landed about an inch off the bottom of the cell liner. The stock bracket had a rubber gasket, which sits under the red flange. I made a sheet metal backer ring to go inside the liner, and bolted through the whole thing. The pump clearance hole I cut in the can top is big enough to worm around the tubes on the top of the bracket.
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5/30 to 6/15/2003
Yet more cage work! Also seat mockup for bracket design, and repairing the rear strut towers.
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I recruited my mother to help with the layout of the head and shoulder supports. While in the seat, I held the support where I wanted it to be. She then traced the outline onto the seat back. I'm surprised she didn't do her best to stall the process, as she doesn't want me to finish and go racing. I assured her this car will be safer than my road vehicle!
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The seat all mocked up. I had to do this to design and locate my seat mounts. Some of the cage layout was dependent on the seat position also. *TIP* Don't drill any holes until you have finished welding the piece. Welding heat will warp the metal and throw your holes off.
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Detail of right side head support. However, if you look real close you will see it says left side. I actually mounted the head supports on opposite sides, therefore upside down. I was able to get them in a better location this way, giving me a better side view when seated while maintaining all the support.
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When I first gutted out the car last summer, I had to cut away a lot of rot. The wheel wells and part of the rear strut towers had to come out. Concerned with the loss of strut support, I had to come up with a plan to repair this crucial area. I tried welding plates to the strut towers for connecting a brace to. But the sheet metal just melted away!
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I decided to bend some sheet metal (~18g) to conform to the strut tower shape. I nested two pieces inside the strut tower, and two pieces inside the car. Then I bolted through, making a sandwich of the strut tower.
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Looking up into the strut tower, you can see the inside sheet metal form. The bolt heads did not interfere with the spring (phew!) I used fender washers at the bolt heads and also on the nuts on the other side.
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The completed "strut tower sandwich". I also included a 1/8" plate on the inside face, to weld the rear downtubes to.
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With the rear downtubes in place and welded to the 1/8" plate, this should give plenty of support to the strut tower.
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5/19 to 5/29/2003
More cage work, especially driver side door bars.
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The notched door bar dividers didn't want to fall into place. I used a 2x4 to spring the door bars apart enough to set them in. *TIP* Slide them all to one side as you set them in, to allow more spring in the door bars for the next ones.
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Door bar dividers all welded up (please don't look at the welds!) I got the top door bar a little uneven and high, but the first time I'm hit there I'll appreciate the protection it will give.
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Centered in the photo is the foor guard I welded in. It doesn't extend much further than the front downtube, but will help in a major wreck. I only did this to the driver side.
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Hey! Who took my dashboard?! I finally decided the dash had to go. It will be much easier now to install the dash bar and windshield braces. I will make a sheet metal dash panel.
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Take a good look, as you won't see this again (I hope!) Outside view of driver side door bar work, with some "makeup" on (gray primer.) When the door gets welded shut, you'll never see this unless something really bad happens.
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Driver side door intrusion plate installed. The rules spec out a 16 gauge steel sheet, approximately 40"x20", to be welded between driver side door cage and the outside car skin.
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Inside view toward driver side door, showing the intrusion plate. I've seen why they require this: a pro-stock had someone elses tube bumper penetrate the door in a wreck (luckily he was unhurt, and he even had the plate in there. Imagine not having it!)
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This is the trailer I'll use to transport the car. My cousin loaned it to me temporarily. I intend to build a tandem axle trailer as soon as I can (hint-hint.... I'll be building them to sell also!)
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5/11 to 5/18/2003
I've been concentrating on the roll cage lately. I need to get it done so I can reconnect the alternator and engine controller, so I can fire the beast up again!
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I wish all my welds came out this good! Now I know why people build cages outside the car, and then saw the roof off to drop the cage in. Uspide down welding, tight corners, and blown out tubing all suck! This is one of my bottom seat mounts, radiused for welding to the seat rail tubes.
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I tried folding over the sheet metal where gutting left sharp or ragged edges. This is on the bottom of the driver's side door. I ended up doing some major folding on the top of the driver's door to accomodate the upper door bar.
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I bought a notcher consisting of a frame and a hole saw arbor. It works great on straight tubes, but if you try notching close to a bend you can forget it. In these cases I use my angle grinder and my precision eyeballs (protected by goggles!)
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I tacked up the lower cross bar, seat rails, and a full-width front cross bar. Then I could remove them together and weld them (nicely) outside of the car. In the process, things became slightly misaligned. It shouldn't be a problem though.
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Detail of the seat rails. I originally wanted the tubes the other way around, so the dip landed closer to the rear lower cross bar. But after messing up several bends, I just flipped them around and cut my losses. I'll drill holes for the seat bolts once all the tubing is in.
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Oh yeah, baby! I got my driver's side door bars tacked up. Once I finish welding them, I'll fabricate and weld in the door bar dividers. All those short scraps of tubing will be handy for making those! Before long I'll be able to weld the driver door shut.
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5/6 to 5/10/2003
It really is looking more like a racecar now! After much fiddling and farting around, I managed to fit everything together. I now have the four-point frame in. Next time I will install door bars, main loop "X", seat rail tubes, dash bar, rear strut braces, and rear downtubes.
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Bungee cords are a big help when fitting tubes. This is the halo bar where it meets the main loop at the passenger side. It wasn't so pretty when I got done welding; I blew lots of holes in the tubes and had to do a lot of buildups/fillings. At least I got plenty of metal there for a good bond.
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When I laid a straight edge across the main loop and halo bar, I noticed the halo sat a little higher on the driver side. I don't mind this, as it still should be below the plane of the sheet metal going on the roof. This will also give me a little extra headroom, which I'll need with the old "brain-bucket" on.
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View down through sunroof hole, before four-point frame was done. Two more braces will go from the halo bar to the main loop, above the driver position (in-line with the two shown here.)
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4/23/2003
I finally begin putting some rollcage tubing in! Maybe now it will begin to look like a racecar. This installment, I focused on learning how to use my new bender to create the main loop. I had previously tried using a pipe bender; like everyone says, you can't use a pipe bender for tubing!
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The finished main loop (sorry for the dark picture.) The tubing bender uses a mandrel sized for tubing, both the profile and the radius. Pipe benders kink tubing!
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Interior through windshield area, prior to main loop installation. The main loop will start at the driver side square tube rail, follow the path of the "B" pillar up, across the roof and down to the passenger side "B" pillar, ending at that side's square tube rail.
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The main loop installed and primed, as viewed through the sunroof opening. I enlarged the sunroof opening toward the rear, so I can weld at the top of the main loop.
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~4/17/2003
After the long snowy winter, I was able to pull the car out on March 21. I didn't do much until about April 17th, when I started work on the driver side rear bumper. That corner was crushed in from the accident that ended the car's road life.
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I cut the damaged bumper section off. A piece of 2"x3" steel tube took it's place, with a 1/4" flat plate on top to help hold the bumper cover.
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A piece of 1-1/2" square tube braces the rectangle tube. One tow ring is visible just above the square tube. The chain connects the bumper to the frame, per the rules.
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Detail of driver side rear tow ring. I bought a couple big shackles (clevis hooks) and cut the ears off, then welded them to the frame inside the trunk.
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Construction Progress Page 2003 - #83 BEC Racing Toyota
