1956 Red Goddess - No socks for this birthday!

[PureSilver]

Sweet. The only thing the Goddess needs now is dirty great shark teeth on the wings to match the Healey.

Nov 10, 2013 21:58:28 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Sadly this picture makes me realize that with a bit more steel and another set of rams it could have been a double decker

Where would the second car go? Over the cab?

[grifterkid]

That is just looking insanely glorious...!!!

This is just one of THE best things I've seen in eons.

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 11, 2013 15:36:00 GMT PureSilver said:

Sweet. The only thing the Goddess needs now is dirty great shark teeth on the wings to match the Healey.

Nov 10, 2013 21:58:28 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Sadly this picture makes me realize that with a bit more steel and another set of rams it could have been a double decker

Where would the second car go? Over the cab?

Think something like this which I will be measuring up the next time I see it

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 11, 2013 15:28:11 GMT tenman said:

That is gonna look amazing blasting(trundling) up the M6 with the Healey on the back, if I see you I'll be one of the many randoms giving you a toot and a thumbs up....

.....and I shall give you merry toot (blast) back with my N.Y.F.D. firetruck horns that I believe Santa may bring me

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 11, 2013 13:20:34 GMT blackpopracing said:

Why are you worried about modifications/VOSA? is it because it's a commercial it needs inspecting for plating?

I don't think Vosa would notice a 1 or 2" packer with bigger U bolts if all painted black like the rest of it. As long as it looks stock then it must be stock surely

Two words. Accident investigation. Now I know that conducting the Goddess along the Queen's highway in a responsible manner will be like Driving Miss Daisy but high winds, black ice and morons cutting into my braking zone (more dangerous for them) means that as long as I keep it within the 7.5 tons and do not substantially** modify it then I am safe in the event of some official nastiness. It doesn't need plating because it will not be used for commercial purposes or for gain or so I am told but the classic commercial world runs on nods and winks and exemptions. For example the beast is still registered as a fire engine which I will change as soon as I'm back on the road however some people will state that this is still allowable if I have a fire extinguisher in the cab. I really do not want to come up against the intractable pedantry of VOSA officialdom because unless it is really squeaky clean then it's on my head only.

Once the car is on I am forecasting the need a 4-5 inch packer hence the fascination with airsprings.

** Don't ask what this means as you will get a different answer every time and it can only be tested in court, or so i am told once again.

[darrenh]

all sound logic and thinking mate, thanks for the clarification. i'm with you on the grey areas, a vehicle as gregarious as this needs all the important bits kept above board

[bluffin]

Wow, what a thread ! It has taken me a couple of day's of ducking in and out but I have pretty much covered all the pages I have now caught up on 3 years of work. Ready for more now please hurry up .

[blackpopracing]

I think you worry too much, far too much scaremongering on the web. How would VOSA know if the blocks (assuming only 2" or less) were fitted by you or by the fire service 30 years ago. The truth is they don't even know their own rules.

Having said that, 5" blocks might seem a little obvious so I agree with the bagging option.

[bmwv8capri]

amazing to see that tilt bed finally in action! looking forward to seeing this in a race paddock somewhere next year

[agree with BlackPop, 1-2" raising blocks & longer U-bolts constitutes less in the way of modification than the tilt-bed itself. & if VOSA officials were hiding behind lamp posts ready to pounce then nearly every project on this forum would be up the creek]

great project BTW

[optimusprime]

Nov 12, 2013 13:03:34 GMT blackpopracing said:

I think you worry too much, far too much scaremongering on the web. How would VOSA know if the blocks (assuming only 2" or less) were fitted by you or by the fire service 30 years ago. The truth is they don't even know their own rules.

Having said that, 5" blocks might seem a little obvious so I agree with the bagging option.

Trouble with Vosa is that they can virtually do what they want.
They'll just impound the vehicle and wait for 'expert' opinion .......
(oh and its now a £100 fine for a commercial vehicle for having a bulb out ...... per bulb as well gits ....)

[optimusprime]

Nov 11, 2013 15:36:00 GMT PureSilver said:

Sweet. The only thing the Goddess needs now is dirty great shark teeth on the wings to match the Healey.

Nov 10, 2013 21:58:28 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Sadly this picture makes me realize that with a bit more steel and another set of rams it could have been a double decker

Where would the second car go? Over the cab?

Be pushing the 7.5t limit surely?

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 12, 2013 21:30:25 GMT optimusprime said:

Nov 11, 2013 15:36:00 GMT PureSilver said:

Sweet. The only thing the Goddess needs now is dirty great shark teeth on the wings to match the Healey.

Where would the second car go? Over the cab?

Be pushing the 7.5t limit surely?

Maybe but I could dispense with the sub-bed (heavy) and use the lower deck as crew quarters and tool storage with the car(s) on top. It would mean an extra set of rams and reinforcement for the upper deck and of course no corner or bend could be taken at more than 5mph. Could be doable on No. 2

[optimusprime]

Nov 12, 2013 22:19:37 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Nov 12, 2013 21:30:25 GMT optimusprime said:

Be pushing the 7.5t limit surely?

Maybe but I could dispense with the sub-bed (heavy) and use the lower deck as crew quarters and tool storage with the car(s) on top. It would mean an extra set of rams and reinforcement for the upper deck and of course no corner or bend could be taken at more than 5mph. Could be doable on No. 2

You have so got to do that now ......... that would be even more awesome ........

[Frankenhealey]

Got a few hours in today with Dangerous. Wanted to get the Healey fully on the back to gauge the minimum gap for the airbags. We managed to get enough screws in the bedplates so they didn't move and winched the car on. I do have a very poor video but it's mostly upside down so I'll get a better one later.

Car on







The bed is angled due to lower pressure in the right hand rear tyre





Soft tyre



Not on the bump stops yet



and no real clearance on the ramp guides



Then we took the car off. No dramas but I need to make a spacer gauge to get the ramp centres absolutely spot on.



Checked the clearance of the greater diameter G388's on the front wheel wells. No problems and the weight of the car on the back will make for lighter steering on the front.





The mini headlamp bezels are still too large so I'm going to machine two flats, one on each to get them to fit.



Fitted the the lashing points



and came up against some quality problems on the stainless bolts



We cut a section out of the ramp guides to get another 25mm clearance and to make the plastic mudguards easier to fit.



We could use one previous holes and then found we had forgotten the 14mm drill to make another.

Ah well, we got some work done.

[blackpopracing]

Ah, Chinese stainless at its best! Use some copperslip on the threads as stainless is good at 'picking up' itself especially if it's poorer quality. You are probably better off using std cad plated 8.8 bolts, brush paint them after fitting if necessary.

I'd feel better using proper 8.8 bolts, they are holding you car down after all.

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 24, 2013 21:25:53 GMT blackpopracing said:

Ah, Chinese stainless at its best! Use some copperslip on the threads as stainless is good at 'picking up' itself especially if it's poorer quality. You are probably better off using std cad plated 8.8 bolts, brush paint them after fitting if necessary.

I'd feel better using proper 8.8 bolts, they are holding you car down after all.

Thank you for those wise words. Sometimes my anti-corrosion crusade does me no favours.

[blackpopracing]

I know, I've got the same issues
When I compare my US bought stainless ARP bolts, they are in a different world compared to the curse word we get over here.

I've used stainless just about everywhere unless it's load bearing, then I've used ARP bolts or std 8.8 or grade 12 bolts (proper Allen bolts)

[ferny]

Same as. I'd be concerned about the quality of the "good" ones. Also, if these are meant to stop the car from coming off in a bang or sudden stop then is stainless strong enough?

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 25, 2013 8:00:59 GMT ferny said:

Same as. I'd be concerned about the quality of the "good" ones. Also, if these are meant to stop the car from coming off in a bang or sudden stop then is stainless strong enough?

On mature reflection probably not so they will be replaced however a trucker of my acquaintance has pointed out that any major (high speed) incident is likely to be a world of woe anyway. Wooden cabs don't give much protection and I watched the Paris-Dakar Rally documentary last night and saw what happens to reasonably modern trucks with roll cages in a big one :-(

[eurogranada]

A great alternative to stainless and standard cad plated is P1000/P2000 coated. I did that (see my thread) and over a year later being stored in a shed, the bolts still look new while the standars black, yellow and blue are actually corroding.