4/11/12

Well, I thought I had a great idea earlier. My thinking was thus: since the Toyota axle I'm going to use in the Spit’ has a Ford bolt pattern (it’s actually a British Spridget bolt pattern, but that is splitting hairs unnecessarily), why don’t I convert the front suspension to a Pinto/Mustang II IFS setup? Well, as it turns out, that option is quite a bit more spendy than this car warrants… and all the kits I found were drilled for five-lug wheels. Besides, Gregg tells me that early Formula Fords use the Spit’ front suspension so I otter be able to make that handle pretty well. Hell, the best thing we can do for the handling of a Spit is what we’re already planning to do: ditch the swing axle rear suspension in favor of a four-link live axle. I wonder if the transverse leaf spring would still work with a live axle. It would do away with the need for a Panhard bar. Hmm, that’s something to think about. John, thoughts? I'm sure we’ll disgust that on Saturday. Before jumping into this next wild idea, I had a look on the intergoogles for the track width of a Spit’ versus a Miata. See, I've got a Miata rear suspension sitting on the floor so I thought… Anyhoo, it probably won't work since the Miata’s track width in the rear is 6.2” wider than the Spit’. I mean, I suppose we could do that and run high offset wheels on the rear to narrow it up a little. No, I like the live axle, especially since George is building me a nice 4.10 or 4.30 limited slip differential for it. I'm leaving the ratio up to him depending on what he can find. I don’t want any taller than a 4.10:1… unless we go back to the Z-20 engine idea. Hmm, I suppose if George has some other ring and pinion sets, in taller ratios, I could be convinced to go with the “big” engine. It sure as hell would be faster with the Z-20 than either the Goldwing 999cc or A-14. John, thoughts? Another thing we’ll disgust on Saturday, I'm sure. Know what? I think I might have just talked myself back into the Z-20 in the Spit’. Since we may have a buyer for Super Karate-Monkey Death-Car, I don’t really have a “home” for that engine except the Spit’. Well, I suppose it could go in Herman, but then it would be anything BUT a Slowster! No, Herman will get an A-12, albeit with a single side draft DCOE and header to up the ponies just a bit. I do have an old Formula Vee frame I could cobble the Goldwing engine into as well. I wonder if I'd have to make it a trike to register it on the Goldwing title. Hmm, now this is just about crazy enough to work. I have the Volkswagen front suspension from that car so I could make it a two-front/one-rear trike pretty easily. Oh shit! I'm beginning to think this is a good idea! Ok, hang on now, I'll just tap the brakes on this and push that idea back to a back burner for a bit. Psh, as if. I can't stop thinking about that trike now. I have all the bits. We could do this. It wouldn’t be that difficult. I'd just have to mate the two frames and put all the bits together. The rear suspension would be Goldwing, the front, Volkswagen Beetle. Sure, the Beetle’s trailing-link front suspension isn’t the best… but I have it and it will bolt right on the car. Sure, it wouldn’t have a reverse but the thing won't weigh even as much as The Seven, I wouldn’t imagine. I can, and have, pushed that car quite a ways, uphill and down. Sure, it would have three-wheel drum brakes but… wait, would it? Um, hang on. I'm going to go see if there is a front disc conversion for old Beetles and what the ‘Wing has for rear brakes. Oh crap, front disc conversions are available and WAY cheaper than I expected. We’re talking less than $300.00! And the ‘Wing had a 240mm rear disc brake. I guess front a disc conversion is in order. Oh crap, again! John is on board with the idea! Well, perhaps “on board” is too strong… he’s not talking me out of it. I can see this thing in my mind, and I'm now wondering if I'm going to try and skin it with some sort of body or leave it “nekkid” like an Ariel Atom. Both have their merits. “Nekkid” would be easier and less stifling in the summer time. Skinned would look more complete and afford some protection from flying debris and unexpected weather. I suppose what will happen is it will be built (yes, I think I am going to go ahead and put it on the schedule) “nekkid” but with the idea that skins might come at a later date. Speaking of putting it on the schedule, I think I'll just pop on over to the list of Dimlight Racing vehicles and add it right quick. I'm dumb.