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Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT The 12-Gauge Garage

Workspaces sized between 265 and 485 squarefeet.

Stuart in MN

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Nice! I didn't realize you were one of the winners of that contest, I hadn't read the results over there. TIG is fun, but it's a little like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time. :)

edit: How long before the welder case is repainted Jack Olsen green. ;)
 
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Squankum

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I needed a hook for my steering wheel in my 911. Simple to conform aluminum stock to scrap pipe.

o4IjKr.jpg

Simple? I've had a hard time making round things lately. Did you just patiently beat it with a hammer? I think I've been using less cooperative metals.

Earlier this year I splurged and spent a minor amount on these:

OTC (7661) Caliper Hanger Set
http://amzn.com/B000O80AZS

I'd been using coat hanger wires since forever to hang brake calilpers, and didn't mind it, but thought that for the price, and OTC's reputation, I should give it a try.

When I got them, I felt like a dope, thought, "I should be able to make these", but... i don't really know. Now that I've used them, I love them. They're thick, steel, and strong.

ERmJ0Y.jpg


Is the level a level, a straight edge, or both in this pic? Is the floor level?
 
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Jack Olsen

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Also I haven't seen it mentioned before, or I may have missed it, but what was the movie you were making, and do you know when it'll be out in theaters? I'll be following along for the future adventures.

Thanks for asking. There are two movies -- one was shot in October and one is shooting now. The first is called 'Sleepwalker' and is an indepenent film and will probably go through the festival circuit before it comes out in theaters -- which could mean a long time. The second one is called 'When the Bough Breaks' and is a studio movie. So it might come out sooner. Both are thrillers. I can't guess at the final quality of either, since there's so much that can go wrong in the process of making a movie that a good idea can come out very bad. Sometimes things work out. But you never know.

I figured it out. Jack is using CGI to make the his garage look messy or he just uses the same "clean" picture to show the place cleaned up.:lol:
If only some of that movie magic could make the place bigger. :)

Do you have any data from your track/ride height sensors using the new pan? Just curious if you're seeing any correlation in lap times.

None yet. I tried a larger diffuser back there about 5 years ago, and I got data showing that it worked in straight-line testing. But it was a mess in the corners, when it's position relative to the track surface changed. This one should be less susceptible to that body roll effect, I hope.

Simple? I've had a hard time making round things lately. Did you just patiently beat it with a hammer? I think I've been using less cooperative metals.

Earlier this year I splurged and spent a minor amount on these:

OTC (7661) Caliper Hanger Set
http://amzn.com/B000O80AZS

I'd been using coat hanger wires since forever to hang brake calilpers, and didn't mind it, but thought that for the price, and OTC's reputation, I should give it a try.

When I got them, I felt like a dope, thought, "I should be able to make these", but... i don't really know. Now that I've used them, I love them. They're thick, steel, and strong.

Those would probably have a lot of other uses, too.

I only partly remember how I bent the aluminum. I think I used a bench vise at first, and rolled it along a small piece of pipe and then flattened it out when I had the curve. I think I used a C-clamp in a similar way for the tighter bend, pulled it around, and then used a dead blow hammer to finish it.

Is the level a level, a straight edge, or both in this pic? Is the floor level?

ERmJ0Y.jpg


It's level. I wanted to confirm the angle of the piece once the car was down. But I left it there for the picture because the wide angle lens on the camera distorts so much that I didn't think the angle of the piece would be clear at all.
 
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Jack Olsen

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I'm not saying I'm race-anorexic or anything, but...

I saw a friend's car with the aero piece under the engine. He said he wished he had used thicker aluminum, since there are only two places for the mounts.

yGZyFu.jpg


I opted for much thinner aluminum, and used the turned corners to get my rigidity.

j8czDp.jpg


And my big hope with the garage contest prize package is to get a 3.7-pound Lithium battery to replace my (already-pretty-light) 18-pound battery. (That's 14 pounds!)

$_35.JPG


But I haven't weighed the car lately. If I haven't gotten a 1:25 at Willow Springs by summer, I'm going to put the driver on a diet. :)
 

Squankum

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18 lbs? That's not so light. Don't get me started on race batteries. :D

Good luck with that little battery! When they get this light, you might want to put it closer to the starter. How heavy is the wire from the stock location to the starter? You could substitue smaller gauge wire for that long run if the battery was in back.

Heck, bolt it to the firewall and put an MSD sticker on it!

I wasn't in charge of this decision, but the lightweight autox car I once co-drove had a 5 lb. battery held to a little platform on the transaxle with a very thick zip tie. Then it was 10 inches from the starter, and there was no movement between them.

Moving your battery close to the starter is not the best thing for weight distribution, but at 3.7 lbs, bah! Bah, I say! You can still get it ahead of the axle line! (The imaginary line between wheel centers, in your case, not the same as your output flanges at the transaxle, heh heh.)

Time to start studying titanium bolt catalogs, esp. for miscellaneous things that you're adding like the new diffuser. Even Speedway has Ti now!

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Shop/Tru-Lite-Assorted-Titanium-Hardware/20-23.html

If you don't know Speedway, well, ask them for a catalog. They're big, but focused more on circle track racing fabrication and kustom street rods.

Hmm... Ti bolts for lower shock mounting would be unsprung weight, ya know. An ounce per bolt, four bolts, that's a quarter pound...

.
 
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Squankum

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Now, I've nagged you about alternator amperage and weight before, but if you could find a way (or the machinist with CNC) to make this:

http://performancedistributors.com/product/mini-racing-alternator/

..play well with the mounting bracket and fan, you could gain pounds of lightness and then sell adapter kits with alternators to other people with similar needs, and we all know how much money sloshes about in this demographic.

Its been years since I did this upgrade on the ol' race car (of a friend of mine) and it was easy as pie, and weight loss where we needed it (up front an high in our case, in your case, hanging out back.) Last I looked there were 6 pounders out there but they cost much more.

Off the top of my head, 60A Bosch alternator was 10ish pounds, 90A alternator was 14ish. I never got my hands on a early 40A Rabbit diesel alternator to weigh it, but I doubt it would compare to this thing.

I ordered mine from the link above, good fellers, but really, it's for a Kubota forklift.

.
 
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Squankum

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Also, by this point in your car's development, and you're still determined to not go full Hoosier sticky, I'd say your spring rates are dialed in. Time to go titanium on those, too.

OK, I'll stop now. Time for me to stop spending your money and time for me to get work in the shop. Snow day! Whee!

Edit:
Ooh! And Ti perches! Half of these on your car are unsprung weight.
http://www.racingsprings.com/500-Series-Ti-17-Titanium/Store/154
 
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Gear Wolf

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I really dig the Stronghold garage cabinets and other pieces! Once I finish my fellowship and my wife and I settle down somewhere (for once) I'm following suit!

Nice 911!
 

Trey T

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Dr. Doom:

Edsal also makes those types of cabinets. However, knowing that you'll have solid income as a MD or DO, I would get uniformed cabinets; i.e. Lista or Vidmar. Lista or Vidmar cabinets are very versatile, such as slide shelf in a door-swing cabinets. I wouldn't piece a bunch of different brands like Jack or even myself. A lot of us are on a budget.
 

alpinewhite

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Dr. Doom:

Edsal also makes those types of cabinets. However, knowing that you'll have solid income as a MD or DO, I would get uniformed cabinets; i.e. Lista or Vidmar. Lista or Vidmar cabinets are very versatile, such as slide shelf in a door-swing cabinets. I wouldn't piece a bunch of different brands like Jack or even myself. A lot of us are on a budget.

How do you know he's not a rapper/DJ like Dr. Dre? :rocker:
 

Zeke

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Not sure in which post the battery discussion started but the best place for a battery in a 911 is behind the passenger seat, on the floor and just ahead of the starter. I used a Baker battery and it was outstanding in its cranking performance and longevity. Some big motor trophy trucks use these. The middle size one will crank a 911 all day long. But it's not 18 lbs.
 

Huxley

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Colorado
Did someone mention a lightweight battery? This thing has some very good reviews on another forum that I frequent. I don't have one yet & I have no affiliation. Not sure if it could handle full time car duty w/out some form of backup but it would be an interesting test. 18 oz. would be very hard to beat especially at just over $200!

Microstart XP-10 link
 
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Boosted1

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Georgetown, KY
Huxley,
I've got a different branded version of the same thing. Looks exactly the same with all the same adaptors.
It did / does jump start a dead F-150.
After charging 12/27, I placed in my Tundra.
Pulled it out about a week ago to jump my neighbors 4 wheeler.
It was dead. Not sure if the 2 weeks of single digit temps got it or what.
It took a recharge, but I haven't tried to use it since.
 

Gear Wolf

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Dr. Doom:

Edsal also makes those types of cabinets. However, knowing that you'll have solid income as a MD or DO, I would get uniformed cabinets; i.e. Lista or Vidmar. Lista or Vidmar cabinets are very versatile, such as slide shelf in a door-swing cabinets. I wouldn't piece a bunch of different brands like Jack or even myself. A lot of us are on a budget.

Thanks for the recommendation! I appreciate it.

At the moment, my wife and I bought a bunch of Gladiator cabinets to make sense of our garage and my work space underneath the garage. The logic was to get a combo of their modular and RTA stuff to keep the weight and volume down, since theses are light duty pieces, should we decide to take them with us to wherever we would move. If we take them, I'd retire them, like an old war-bird, to an easy life in a man-cave or what have you.

I'm looking forward to getting something more...substantial. I'll certainly looking into Vidmar or Lista too!
 

Gear Wolf

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How do you know he's not a rapper/DJ like Dr. Dre? :rocker:

I wish I had some fresh beats to drop, but I think I'll stick to my night job (ha-ha) :lol:

People die from the strangest things at night, so during the slower times I get to come here for a few minutes and enjoy the OP's awesome 12-gauge garage and 911!
 
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MisteR Tee

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Nov 8, 2006
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England
Talking of batteries, have any of you over there seen the "Anti-Gravity batteries" that have just appeared over here? Similar technology to the Microstart I guess. As their name implies, they defy gravity in their weight, initially produced for motorcycles, they do one that will turn over a V8. If I hadn't already got an Odyssey for my street rod, I'd have gone for one of these, might still do for my little 4 cylinder FED!!

http://antigravitybatteries.com/ :eyecrazy:
 
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Jack Olsen

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I like the options -- but I'm going to push for the one that'll be free. I only paid $30 for the 18-pound one. I'm so frugal that it's hard to part with it before its lifespan is up. :)

After a year of hedging, I think I've settled on red (the US style) for the rear tail lights. I know this is not a particularly IMPORTANT decision, but it was still a decision. (Until I dig out the amber ones again, that is.)

Y3wD0b.jpg


fEhq1H.jpg
 

M1TCH

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Derbyshire UK
I like the options -- but I'm going to push for the one that'll be free. I only paid $30 for the 18-pound one. I'm so frugal that it's hard to part with it before its lifespan is up. :)

After a year of hedging, I think I've settled on red (the US style) for the rear tail lights. I know this is not a particularly IMPORTANT decision, but it was still a decision. (Until I dig out the amber ones again, that is.)

Y3wD0b.jpg


fEhq1H.jpg

Good choice on a stunning work of art of a car :bow:
 

1Garageman

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Jack, sorry if this has been asked before, but what do you use to clean that beautiful vehicle?? Had to believe it is that old, and is that SHINEY!
What's your secrets on making it shine and look so good?
 
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Jack Olsen

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Good choice on a stunning work of art of a car :bow:

Thanks. Here's the counterpoint picture: 1.45 lateral g's at 133 mph. :)

5uzq.jpg


Jack, sorry if this has been asked before, but what do you use to clean that beautiful vehicle?? Had to believe it is that old, and is that SHINEY!
What's your secrets on making it shine and look so good?

The secret has nothing to do with the cheap soap I used. The key to making a black car look great in a digital picture? The brightness/contrast adjustment in Photoshop. My paint guy did a great job 12 years ago, but the thing is tracked at least 8 times a year, and the desert sand is not kind to my fiberglass. Every year, the pictures get taken from a few steps farther back. And every year, I get a little better at tweaking those settings in Photoshop.


How wide are the rear tires?

255 in front and 315 in back. All the weight is back there, so those are the tires you're really 'driving' with this car. And even with that offset, the rears will wear out first.
 

Outlawmws

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The secret has nothing to do with the cheap soap I used. The key to making a black car look great in a digital picture? The brightness/contrast adjustment in Photoshop. My paint guy did a great job 12 years ago, but the thing is tracked at least 8 times a year, and the desert sand is not kind to my fiberglass. Every year, the pictures get taken from a few steps farther back. And every year, I get a little better at tweaking those settings in Photoshop.
.

Jack, just be careful not to get run over as you continue to step back! :p

:lol:
 

Squankum

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I just stumbled across this on the internet:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1:42.08

"1:42.08 (alternatively known as 1:42.08: A Man and His Car or 1:42.08: To Qualify) is George Lucas's senior project at the University of Southern California in 1966...Shot on 16mm color film with a 14 man student crew, it was filmed at Willow Springs Raceway, north of Los Angeles, CA.[1] The Lotus 23 was driven by Pete Brock."

.
 
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Jack Olsen

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Here's the movie itself. Same track as it is today -- except a lot more green in the infield. It's a reminder of what our drought has done. (Click on the picture of Mr. Brock for the video.)



(A Lotus 23 weighs 1,000 pounds -- which is pretty incredible.)
 

thoraudio

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Alabama
Here's the movie itself. Same track as it is today -- except a lot more green in the infield. It's a reminder of what our drought has done. (Click on the picture of Mr. Brock for the video.)



(A Lotus 23 weighs 1,000 pounds -- which is pretty incredible.)

Add lightness.
 

chili555

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What is your thinking about arm restraint, usually window nets, and head and neck restraint? Your cornering speeds and, therefore, the penalty for a mistake, are pretty high.

I fully realize that most HPDE and track day organizations don't require them, but that doesn't mean they aren't prudent.

I ask based on a twenty-plus year experience as both a club and professional racer and instructor.
 

Madone_si

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Seattle WA & Middlesex UK
I like the options -- but I'm going to push for the one that'll be free. I only paid $30 for the 18-pound one. I'm so frugal that it's hard to part with it before its lifespan is up. :)

After a year of hedging, I think I've settled on red (the US style) for the rear tail lights. I know this is not a particularly IMPORTANT decision, but it was still a decision. (Until I dig out the amber ones again, that is.)

Y3wD0b.jpg


fEhq1H.jpg



Perfection Jack.
 
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Jack Olsen

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What is your thinking about arm restraint, usually window nets, and head and neck restraint? Your cornering speeds and, therefore, the penalty for a mistake, are pretty high.

I fully realize that most HPDE and track day organizations don't require them, but that doesn't mean they aren't prudent.

I ask based on a twenty-plus year experience as both a club and professional racer and instructor.

Well, it's really not possible to argue against any safety device. At the same time, absent a specific set of rules, we all have to make a judgment call about what we're going to do when we bring a street car (or any car) to a track.

Thinking out loud, here's my off-the-cuff list of bad things that could happen to me at the track:

1) My car collides with a wall (or other fixed object), or another car -- and the g-forces snap my neck or tear my aorta or an intrsusion of some kind crunches my body and kills me.

2) My car rolls over and my roof pancakes and kills me (or causes terrible spinal compression injuries).

3) My car catches fire and I die or suffer life-threatening burns.

Having been in a few crashes, those are the big things I think about.

To address those issues, I...

1) do almost all my driving at a track without walls to hit. Generally speaking, this isn't something guys have much of a choice about. But it's huge, in terms of safety.

2) use a head and neck restraint that works for both front-or-rear and lateral impacts.

3) have a full cage in the car to protect in a collision or rollover.

4) have a kill switch, fire extinguisher and integrated Halon fire system built into the car.

I do have window nets, but haven't used them since I raced wheel-to-wheel. I would not be happy to have my arms and hands broken in a rollover, obviously. But I see that as lower down on the list of potential problems than the three above.

I'm not a big fan of arm restraints because of the way they potentially complicate an emergency exit in the case of a fire. But a lot depends on the car, in that respect. And window nets add an additional step as well.

I think there's a false security that comes from thinking that only the really fast cars need to worry about these bigger safety issues. Any car on a track is potentially in for a really bad experience if things go south.

Here's a video that drives the point home:


This guy broke his arm, I'm pretty sure. Although it's hard to say that arm restraints would have been enough in this case. Importantly, he really didn't do anything to bring about the crash. Sometimes things just happen to you.

What are your thoughts?
 
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sean Buick 76

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Edmonton Alberta
Good points Jack, do the best with what you have and let the cards fall where they may....

I am into drag racing and do not wish to go faster than 10 second quarter miles due to all the extra safety stuff required... It would roughly double the cost of my car to make it pass tech inspection for under 10.
 

Zeke

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You didn't ask me, but I see a little thought of safety aspect of a window net and that is to keep incoming debris out of the car. In fact, I think that's one of the major reasons NASCAR mandates them. When those guys crash they unleash all kinds of flotsam and jetsam. In your case doing laps out at Willow, the case can be made that when someone spins they may kick up some rocks that might find their way to you depending on where you are avoiding the other car, especially seeing that you prefer an open face helmet (which I don't understand). I don't think I've worn an open faced helmet since my karting days in the 50's. But that's not intended as criticism.

The guy in the Miata certainly would have benefited from restraints and I would wear them in an open car. When I ran out at Willow with your group, Jack, I had a five point harness and a roll bar only in the 911. The 914 I had prior to that had a cage, race seat, 5-point and a net. Had I stayed the course with the 911 I probably would have added the cage. But most of all, I would now definitely wear a head restraint. That should be as mandatory as a helmet. I would nowadays opt for a 6-point harness as well and I understand they are more comfortable. I always wore full a Nomex suit and shoes except one time at Streets during a Porsche Club time trial. Not sure why I did that. Neither of my cars had a fuel cell.
 

chili555

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My thoughts after seeing the video are that I want to send you three sets of nice Sparco arm restraints in your choice of colors. You couldn't have made my point more perfectly!

I'm not a big fan of arm restraints because of the way they potentially complicate an emergency exit in the case of a fire. But a lot depends on the car, in that respect.

I suspect arm restraints would be preferrable to a window net in your setting, as a window net involves probably undesirable modifications to your gorgeous racecar that masquerades as a streetcar.

I raced several endurance races in an open cockpit car where arm restraints are required. I hooked my loops to the anti-submarine strap and, in every case, when the cam-lock is flipped, my arms were free. I always did a few dress rehearsals before going on track where I practiced getting out smoothly in a simulated emergency. I am mentoring a racer starting HSR vintage racing and rehearsals are required by me. He also is free from his arm restraints (a gift from me!) smoothly. Until he learned to fling the shoulder belts aside, the HANS was his only issue.

I would not be happy to have my arms and hands broken in a rollover, obviously. But I see that as lower down on the list of potential problems than the three above.

I'm not quite sure I agree here. There are far more injuries than fatalities on the track, aren't there? Of course, the highest percentage is people who go to the track and only injure their wallets and egos!

I think there's a false security that comes from thinking that only the really fast cars need to worry about these bigger safety issues. Any car on a track is potentially in for a really bad experience if things go south.
I fully agree.

use a head and neck restraint that works for both front-or-rear and lateral impacts.

Excellent. I missed that.

I recommend every safety precaution at your disposal. Do your loved ones prefer that you hug them with one arm or two?
 

shortykorte

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Tallahassee, Fl
Good morning. It's always a pleasure to look back at your space and the fat fender 911.
A question on painting the metal cabinets. I know you used house paint. Did you use a primer first and if so what? Also did you roll or brush. If rolled, was it form or a regular roller.
Again thank you for your time and inspiration.
 

alpinewhite

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Orange County, California, USA
Good morning. It's always a pleasure to look back at your space and the fat fender 911.
A question on painting the metal cabinets. I know you used house paint. Did you use a primer first and if so what? Also did you roll or brush. If rolled, was it form or a regular roller.
Again thank you for your time and inspiration.

I recall Jack mentioning "self-etching primer" in the thread.
 
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