Because I don’t have enough Lotus kits. ...

[Bainford]

Interesting construction techniques for the chassis. I’m picking up ideas. That engine is looking fantastic. 

[absmiami]

Gracias ...   Don’t drop the ideas that you have picked up -  they’re hard to find on the floor ...

[absmiami]

Decided to see if I could make a roll bar mount and see if the distributor still fits ...  it does.  Will make the other mount and then figure out how to make and mount the water collection  tank that is perched under the roll bar ... caught the tail end of Indy qualifying - there’s nothing like the in-car camera shot at 234 miles an hour ...  the 29 had straight-a-way speeds of - what - 160?

[absmiami]

Walk-a-round alert ...

www.Goodingco.com/lot/1957-lotus-eleven/   
best shoot I’ve ever seen of a lotus sports car  -   There’s smoke coming out of the merit Lotus 11 kit on the shelf above my workbench ...

[absmiami]

And a GT40  chass 1085 is going to auction also. Another bonkers walk-a-round

[absmiami]

Ok. Ok. I know that this does not appear to be much progress for 2 weeks - but Rome was not dismantled in a day ...

[absmiami]

There is a small tank at the front of the engine that directs water exiting the block on its way back to the radiator.   The AMT kit piece is - well - not So great - but it surrendered its cap for my part - made from short lengths of evergreeen and sm diameter plastic tube ...

[absmiami]

The transistor for the ignition system sits up on the left leg of the roll bar - the kit part is usable but needs some love - the fins need some definition - but using this part saves a little time needed to replace other engine accessories...

[absmiami]

The famous 29 roll bar -  

Dan Gurney:  Colin - you’ve fixed the roll bar to the cylinder heads - what happens if I crash and the engine mounts fail ?

Chapman:  Dan - you and Jimmy are the best drivers at Indy - don’t worry - I know you won’t crash - 

it’s about now that Gurney decides he’s going to found All American Racers and build his own Indy cars. 

[absmiami]

The alternator sits down low next to the sump - it’s arrangement was carried forward to the Lotus 34 and 38 engines - made from a short length of .150 copper - not sure about the finish - was probably anodized blue or gold -  mite leave it copper - looks nice - some bling for Judges [oops] ...

[absmiami]

While all hell was breaking loose in Azerbaijan - unbeknownst to me - I’ve started to rivet the monocoque. Some of the riveting must be done before the bulkheads are attached.  using Archer’s rivets and some from Micro Mark to surround the fuel bag openings …

[absmiami]

The decal film for both the Archer and the Micro Mark sheets is thin.  It will disappear under some primer.  

[Big John]

It Was an interesting race with most all the fun happening in the last 2 laps!  Go Vet!

Anyway, Didn't know that such a thing as waterslide rivets existed!  Thanks for the lead.  Looking trick!

[absmiami]

Try the Archers. You’ll like …

[Bainford]

It's coming along nicely. I've been curious about the effectiveness of those rivet decals myself. It seems they could do a good job. Do they have a carrier film outside the edges of the rivet?

On 6/1/2021 at 3:57 PM, absmiami said:

 

 Also, curious where you sourced the grey plastic bolts seen in this photo.

[absmiami]

These are Russian  [who knew]      A range of resin bolts and rivets that are - I think - 3D designed and printed - so they are very precise - and since they are resin - it’s easy to cut the stems off and glue them on - you’ll loose some - but the packets come with a large count ….   There availability sort of comes and goes - but a number of on line pushers show them in their online catalogs fr time to time …

[absmiami]

The rivet sheets fr Archer and Micro Mark both are printed with carrier film - but it’s thin and will disappear under a coat of paint .   Since the rivets are black - you’ll need  a second coat of paint for

good coverage …. No big deal - and you can finish in silver if you are a good painter/finisher …. There are a couple of rivet sheets that have the film stuck to the top of the rivet - to be removed after application - haven’t tried them yet - but I plan to …

[absmiami]

The floor of the monocoque is braced at Three different points - the braces are made fr Evergreen strip - and they will help secure the floor to the left and right halves of the monocoque .   Here again - the Indy museum resto videos show me where everything goes …

[absmiami]

Here’s an example - the restoration - fortunately for me - required that the tub be

stripped , repaired, and repainted - so …

[absmiami]

Bendix fuel pumps  - sitting on the floor on the prototype. - but moved Into a housing behind the dash brace on the race cars - and making a Varley battery that sat under Gurney’s legs - got some black/wh photos of this arrangement - don’t yet know what color for the battery. Maybe translucent white but maybe red …

[absmiami]

Managed to attach the floor

to the chassis “horns”.  CA glue and liquid glue -  checked the width - I’m within 3/4 inch of my target chassis width of 29 -

I’ll take it …

[absmiami]

Got to make the bulkheads - now that I know exact width / profile …

[absmiami]

The engine and seat bulkheads first - with some detail added per the Indy Museum resto …

[absmiami]

The videos also show us the shape and location of the engine mounts …

[absmiami]

Rivets for the fuel tank bulkhead  ….  And using the Clidinst drawing to locate the fuel filler …. The AMT kit fuel filler cap mite be usable with the chrome stripped off - with the removal of the filler ring - the cap is casted off- center …