A3/C Superleggera is going to SEMA!!! As a last minute request from Scott Whitaker @ Dynamic Control, it's going in the "Dynamat" booth!!! I made a slight course correction, instead of coming off the chassis table and heading out for the certified cage and header fabrication.... I finished the plug for the tub/cockpit and pulled molds, I added a triangulated tow hook at the front, complete with a C6R tow hook from Pratt & Miller, (Thanks Mike!!) a push structure at the rear, and plumbed the front brakes, ( for getting out of the trailer... ) and of course a quickie "faux" barn find finish (What else??) Plus covered the whole works in "Dynamat"!!! Pics later this week from the show!!
I pulled the chassis out of the jigs & off the chassis table Friday night after work... putting on the ground for the first time...Saturday I hung the doors & started prepping the body ( It was still in the fresh out of the mlods state...with flash & parting lines, I had simply used it for measurement & fitment) I added the front & rear temporary tow & push structures but didn't get to painting til just before dark Sunday...Lots of acetone to flash off the "faux" finish, as not to leave handprints all over the back decklid pushing it in the trailer...It's two shades of red to give it a "sunburned" appearance.. In & set-up Monday, ready to go...prime location just at the bottom of the ramp from Ford plateau .... leading into the main hall. ( Can't get the pictures to load from my Droid...)
I'm back home and on the computer so I'm loading a few pics from SEMA that I couldn't upload to the site from my Droid... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
A couple more pics.. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
When the chassis comes back from having the cage and jigs made... it will be pulled apart, re-detailed and painted, coated, anodized into final finishes... studio photos taken (longing for that bare chassis & drivetrain ,direct overhead shot...) before being final assembled and covered... Yes there are hydro-formed rails, with composite structures bonded to the body some are bolted for access during development but for the most part the assemblies will be bonded into one cohesive unit, tub being set in & on the rails bonded not bolted... Panel shown is now bonded to the body, bolted at the chassis... VERY rigid.. you could stand or jump on the hood opening or nose area now... no headlight shake or cowl rattle with the solid structure/fit... Image Unavailable, Please Login
I got my TkV WoRKS A3/C "Superleggera" wheels finally!!! Just raw still as I haven't finalized my final car color or scheme as of yet....so that will determine my finish for the wheels....Super excited!! Larry Dove & Mike Curtis @ EVOD Industries has just made pieces of jewelry.... They listened and brought my vision to reality... the proportions are perfect ... considering I went from the original 15 x 7's & 8's to a modern 18 x 10 & 19 x 13 renditions...Real centerlocks & the left/right assemblies also feature left/right tweeks of the spinners/knockoffs as well. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Have car (no longer assortment of parts???) back on the chassis table set-up at new shop space in West LA.... Re-doing the tub section to accomodate twin C6 fuel cells behind the seats.. ( moving the rear bulkhead structures forward 1.5" from my original buck) Starting tooling for window frames also... Once these two are finalized.. I'll be ready to pull it all apart for anodizing,ceramic coating, painting and final finishes on every single piece and assembly... Here's a quick pick of new wheels set on the car with it back in the jigs to recast tub structure.. I also fine tuned the body dolly (to transport new bodies from composite contractor..) taking measurements from Zero Axis off chassis table while body is still mounted. Pulling body back off today and taking the sawzall to back section of tub buck... The wheels are still natural until I decide on final car color, then determine finish and/or color for wheels then... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Look kind of cool the other day with the light coming through the huge skylights..... Image Unavailable, Please Login
You only have two choices RE: color 1) red 2) white with blue stripe Get someone to render it here. Stunning work. Greatly appreciate the updates.
I had re-done the tub buck , moving the rear bulkhead forward to accomodate the twin C6R fuel cells... I had put the original cell over the rear axle, but by moving the bulkhead 2" forward, that weight is now @the floor pan between the axle lines for a better polar moment... My composite guys finally got a break to come up from San Diego so we worked Friday ,Saturday and 1/2 a day today (4/22) to flange and lay up molds of the tub/cockpit buck, package tray area, & firewall... I'll polish and prep those this week and hope to lay up the tub in the next weekend or so.. Once the new piece is done and in place I can get the cage and headers prototyped off the Solidworks, verified then jigs and mandrel bending program finalized for future pieces.... just a few more pieces of tooling and it will be pulled apart for anodizing, ceramic coating, powder coat & paint of final finishes then final assembly can happen... 3-6 mos. depending on tooling cost.... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think Bizzarrini had a better solution putting the tanks outside, it's pretty hard to beat his original design.
Until you get hit there... those were auxiliary as there was one fitted behind the seats rising into the package area... 36 gal. was the capacity target at Le Mans, ditto the 63 Z/O6 Corvettes as well... w/36 gal. capacity ....
The big picture and major tooling came together nicely... but all the "little bits" to be made and manufactured have just taken time to CAD out, then source manufacturers... Hiring two guys this month to source out finding more suppliers... update Cad changes and solidify production inventories....both guys long time INDY car engine supplier and a former chassis supplier related, so have great connections for the manufacturing of "widgets" for assembly elsewhere... LOL!! Weather stripping, door handles, sill plates, light bases and lenses, production wire looms w/aircraft spec hardware, top spec CV 300C drive shafts, my own castings and forgings,ect... Updates and pics as production inventory rolls in for stock...
Thats why you put bladders in there, I think your going to find that Bizzarrini designed the whole package pretty tight, he didn't want to leave extra weight.
No updates...just doing tooling for the little bits needed to complete a car.....Light buckets,covers,trim rings,weather stripping,interior panels, headers, windows....all takes so much time as you can't order them up off the shelf... 3D printing has been a godsend to moving along to make castings& tooling so quick as compared to tooling by hand...Taking sometime away also to help a buddy on a car going to Pebble... as well as finally coming out of my shell to start a family(?) LOL!!
