Sunday, November 21, 2010

November 2010






Still very busy with other things but we ARE making some progress on the roadster. We've got the back bodywork planished and basically ready for a skim coat of polyester filler to smooth out minor imperfections before applying primers and finish paint.

Here are some descriptions for the accompanying photos.

1) The newly formed rear deck center panel being fitted and and welded in place. The fuel cap on the tank is visible through the opening.
2) A rearward view inside the left rear fender and seeing through the tail-light openings. A lot of hammer marks are visible on the inside. Even though the aluminum panels were initially shaped on a wheeling machine, quite a bit of hammering was required to bring everything in line once all the separate pieces were welded together.



3) A view of the bottom of the tail before finishing the surface of the metal underneath. The center part is the beginnings of the new diffuser. Carbon fiber fins will be attached to the aluminum flanges.

4) The tail after planishing, filing and sanding.

5) Another view of the diffuser, also before installing the carbon fiber fins.


6) We made a new panel for the middle of the deck with a sunken mounting surface for the aluminum fuel filler cover so it will sit more flush with the deck surface. A couple of aluminum rings were machined on the lathe to make a forming die and the indentation was then forced in on a 12 ton shop press. I think it came out rather nifty!

7) The head-fairing/rear deck section on a stand to aid in planishing, filing and sanding access. You'll notice that one fairing is larger than the other. The whole car is slightly asymmetric to make more room for the driver, especially in the foot well with the pedals. Even the engine is off-set to the right slightly. It lines the crankshaft up with the differential pinion shaft, which is off-set, and also allows the driver's footwell to be a little wider.



Right now the cowl has been smoothed and the doors are in the process. The trunk lid needs a little welding along the back edge to close up the gap to the body and then attention will be directed at the outer sill panels to get them ready for paint.

September 2010

Were making some more progress on the Mazzer roadster. I'm so busy lately that I have very little time left to work on it. The car is mostly complete. It just needs to have the finishing touches done and painted. In the photos Clyde is installing the diffuser he is fabricating under the tail and Bob is metal-finishing the head fairings and rear deck area to make everything nice and straight in preparation for painting. The new diffuser is very unfinished looking at this point. Everything will be trimmed up and the little machine screws will be replaced with rivets. The long flanges are for mounting air ducting fins which we'll cut from carbon fiber sheet stock and bolt in place.


update August 2010




Here are a couple of shots of the rear body section after doing pick and file (and sanding) work on the right rear quarter and then moving to the tail light area. We're making one new right rear inner fender panel and touching up the louvers and rear valence also. Next we'll apply and sand down a skin coat of polyester filler to hide minor imperfections before proceeding to primers and paint.

photos from spring 2010

After another span of delay we're making progress again. Here are photos from this spring, the left rear quarter after planishing, filing and sanding the aluminum skin. The tape was applied around the louvers as an aid for trimming them evenly.