Re: Snapey's 1935 Racing Biposto

Posted by Matt snape On 2011/7/25 2:14:01

As this is my 100th post on PackardInfo, I thought it appropriate that it should be made here, in the Project Blog.

Only a little work has been done on the biposto project over the last couple of weeks, as life and other varied pursuits keep getting in the way. the BW is currently in training for the 'City to Surf' fun run here in Sydney in a few weeks and I have been accompanying her on her longer, early morning runs to supply moral support and carry the water bottle.

Meanwhile, I have managed some time in the shed. Recent progress has included much head scratching and looking closely at moving the brake cross shaft as previously described. It won't be quite as easy as I had originally hoped as in it's new location it sits very close to the drive shaft. To combat this it will be installed as low in the chassis rail as possible and only just behind the centre section of the crucifix. The original mounts will have to be replaced with something that allows this. There are other options, of course, but I will have to make a visit to the bearing supplier I use before I will be able to come up with the best answer.

Meanwhile removing the cross shaft has meant I have been able to relocate to engine further back in the chassis, which helped a little with the clearance issue already mentioned, but not enough.

I have also continued work on the front of the chassis and separated the original chassis sections that were cut off from the spring hangers etc (no easy job). These have been trimmed up a little and will be incorporated back into the front of the chassis where they will serve to give a surface to mount the old rear hangers to and also 'box' in the chassis for added strength. Some excess steel that used to connect to the front cross member was also removed from the inside, lower edges of the chassis rails.

So, the pile of discarded metal continues to grow, as does the bucket full of 70 odd year old dirt, grease, stones, rivets and rust that is slowly falling onto the floor beneath the chassis.

And Echo, the workshop foreman, still spends much of this time sitting on the dog bed in the corner, with a kind of sad look on his face, wondering how I could possibly think that what I am doing can be more entertaining than throwing a tennis ball for him to chase.

PS - No photos this time, but we will catch up soon enough.