Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Welcome......To Odd Acres

[Finallygotit]

As the OWWM guys say, it is a slippery slope.

I have a half dozen woodworking machines all older than me waiting to be refurbished and used. That is one of the reasons I need to get my shop organized.

Sounds like it's time for you to start your own thread.

 

[Finallygotit]

Cobra Trunk Update.





Well, remember this? Don't try this at home.......seriously.....it didn't work.

After many tries, I was finally able to get the right length lift support with the right ball ends with the right pressure. (You have no idea how many times I heard "what's the make, model, and year of the vehicle?" After telling them it's for a '65 Cobra, I would get this look. )

So when I told them the specs I needed, and after the forth set, I installed them. They fit and held the trunk open. Eureka!!!! The problem came when I tried to close the trunk lid. I started hearing some cracking. That's not a good sound on a fiber-glassed body. The pressure to hold the lid open was too much for the lid to try to close it. Dang-it! There is no way I can use this type of system.

I'm thinking that my next idea is a stick of hickory.

 

[zmotorsports]

That's too bad Dan because that was a pretty ingenious setup and your execution was spot on.

I wonder if you could just use a prop rod setup and still use the same block mounts. Open the truck and then pop the prop rod into position to hold the trunk open, remove the prop rod and close the trunk? Just a thought so you can still use the mounting blocks.

 

[zmotorsports]

Or I have another idea.

Make a two piece telescoping rod with a groove machined into the outside rod and a pin attached to the inside rod. When closing or closed the inner rod simply slides inside of the outer rod. When open you turn the pin a quarter turn and it locks into a groove in the outer rod to hold the prop rod into position. I had something very similar for the trunk of my 1940 Chev coupe and it worked flawlessly yet still looked nice.

Maybe something similar to this Lokar unit.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...MIjd7hg9Pc4wIVi5yzCh22Bg5bEAQYASABEgJDKfD_BwE

 

[Finallygotit]

Hi Mike!

I like where you're going with this. I have never seen the Lokar unit but I think that will work. In fact, I'm pretty sure it will. Thank you very much for the suggestion

Back to the drawing board and Industrial Metal Supply.

 

[zmotorsports]

Hi Mike!

I like where you're going with this. I have never seen the Lokar unit but I think that will work. In fact, I'm pretty sure it will. Thank you very much for the suggestion

Back to the drawing board and Industrial Metal Supply.

Keep us posted on what you end up with Dan. Looking forward to your revision.

 

[Bob Heine]

Dan, my '87 Corvette hood is held open by a telescoping prop rod with a spring-loaded pin. Pretty crude but might be available from a salvage yard. If not, the Corvette specialty sites sell them.
https://www.zip-corvette.com/85-96-hood-support-telescopic.html

 

[Finallygotit]

Oooooow......options!


Thanks Bob!

 

[Zexx]

maybe a cantilever or torsion system (similar to 280z hood) may work out as well.
Those trunk hinges also look very similar to the style I had on my old Lumina Z34, pretty sure it had a torsion system as well.

 

[Finallygotit]

Hello Zexx and thanks for following along and I appreciate the suggestion.

The problem I have with using any type of spring action (where I currently have the attachments) is that the trunk lid itself doesn't like the force. The attachment plates for the hinges are just bonded to the lid. As much as I would prefer it, there is no mechanical attachment for the two with these hidden hinges. When I push down on the lid, there is enough force pushing the other way that it wants to break off the attachment plates.

The original hinges for Cobra's was this type that were surface mounted and were indeed mechanically fastened.

Mine were not that big lengthwise but other than that they are similar. The originals I had also didn't last very long and broke. The casting was not very good and I suspect the metal used was not all that good as well. I went with the hidden hinges because it gave the body a cleaner look and was beefier than the surface mount hinges.

Also, because the Cobra body has more curves than a Weight Watchers meeting, any type of surface mounted hinge will get stressed through its range of motion.

I'm thinking that the best path forward is a non-spring prop rod of sorts like what Mike and Bob have mentioned.

 

[DynoDave]

Linear actuator?

https://www.ballsrodandkustom.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=114

 

[Finallygotit]

Linear actuator?

https://www.ballsrodandkustom.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=114

OK, that's cool!

But with my luck, the battery will go dead and I won't be able to open the trunk. The battery is in the trunk.

I'm thinking more along the lines of low tech.

 

[jbmatth]

Dyno Dave beat me to it, that would be cool but I'm right there with you and have made due with a hickory stick style devise for 9 years now. Most that I see mount them further out toward the back of the car thus reducing the force needed to both hold the trunk open and the amount to close it. The problem we would both face is the inside of the trunk is finished and there aren't many clean attachment options.

JB

 

[Finallygotit]

Hi JB

You are right on all counts, sir.

I have a new concept swirling around in my little head. Or maybe it was the toilet I just finished using.

 

[sawduststeve]

Dan, I second Bobs idea, perhaps you could fashion one from Hickory.
Failing that, bin the boot lid and call it a pick up truck, as so loved by your fellow countrymen.

Have a nice day.
Steve

Just a thought, how about an old school metal rod that's hinged to the underside of the boot lid
that swings down and locates into a holder next to the wing channel, it only needs to be 12"
or so.
Good luck

 

[Brian R]

Dan, I second Bobs idea, perhaps you could fashion one from Hickory.
Failing that, bin the boot lid and call it a pick up truck, as so loved by your fellow countrymen.

Have a nice day.
Steve

Just a thought, how about an old school metal rod that's hinged to the underside of the boot lid
that swings down and locates into a holder next to the wing channel, it only needs to be 12"
or so.
Good luck

+1 and the method used in my 1967 MG Midget - works for me.

 

[zmotorsports]

Dan, I second Bobs idea, perhaps you could fashion one from Hickory.
Failing that, bin the boot lid and call it a pick up truck, as so loved by your fellow countrymen.

Have a nice day.
Steve

Just a thought, how about an old school metal rod that's hinged to the underside of the boot lid
that swings down and locates into a holder next to the wing channel, it only needs to be 12"
or so.
Good luck

+1 and the method used in my 1967 MG Midget - works for me.

Works on my Jeep Wrangler as well as a hood prop. That's about the only thing on that's OEM.

 

[Finallygotit]

Dan, I second Bobs idea, perhaps you could fashion one from Hickory.
Failing that, bin the boot lid and call it a pick up truck, as so loved by your fellow countrymen.

Have a nice day.
Steve

Just a thought, how about an old school metal rod that's hinged to the underside of the boot lid
that swings down and locates into a holder next to the wing channel, it only needs to be 12"
or so.
Good luck

Hi Steve, you crack me up. "bin the boot lid"

Thanks for stopping by and the recommendations.

+1 and the method used in my 1967 MG Midget - works for me.

Hi Brian, and thanks for following along and the suggestion as well.

Works on my Jeep Wrangler as well as a hood prop. That's about the only thing on that's OEM.

Hey Mike, The hesitation I have with a simple prop rod is my fear of the wind catching the boot lid and flipping it over smacking the roll bars or worse, snapping the boot lid off the hinges. We have a propensity for being windy around here.

I just might consider the simple prop rod but with some kind of catch that would not allow the boot lid to overstroke.

That's about the only thing on that's OEM.

Why doesn't that surprise me.



I really appreciate all of the suggestions guys.

 

[sawduststeve]

Dan,ive just looked at the bonnet prop on my ford transit, it fixes at the bottom and the top has a hook on it to lock around two holes in the underside of the bonnet. There’s no danger of it being blown over.

Steve

 

[zmotorsports]

Hey Mike, The hesitation I have with a simple prop rod is my fear of the wind catching the boot lid and flipping it over smacking the roll bars or worse, snapping the boot lid off the hinges. We have a propensity for being windy around here.

I just might consider the simple prop rod but with some kind of catch that would not allow the boot lid to overstroke.

Dan, look at how the Jeep prop rods are and the ovaled slot in the underside of the hood as they have a flat hook at the end to prevent the same thing. It works to keep the hood from flopping back onto the windshield and the Jeep hood has much more surface area for the wind to catch.

 

[Finallygotit]

Dan,ive just looked at the bonnet prop on my ford transit, it fixes at the bottom and the top has a hook on it to lock around two holes in the underside of the bonnet. There’s no danger of it being blown over.

Steve

Dan, look at how the Jeep prop rods are and the ovaled slot in the underside of the hood as they have a flat hook at the end to prevent the same thing. It works to keep the hood from flopping back onto the windshield and the Jeep hood has much more surface area for the wind to catch.

Steve and Mike, thanks for the suggestions!


I have research and work to do.

 

[rattle_snake]

I suggest first figuring our where to put the Nitrous bottle before another pass at the trunk lid supports. That way they won't interfere with one another.

 

[Finallygotit]

I suggest first figuring our where to put the Nitrous bottle before another pass at the trunk lid supports. That way they won't interfere with one another.

I really like the way you think, Justin!

If I had a little extra money and time, I would throw a blower on there first. I absolutely LOVE the whine of a blower. Not to mention the kick in the backside.

 

[penright]

Dan, finally catching up on your thread. Let me set a little context. Question-related to a few posts back. You plug your battery tender into a socket in the trunk.
Do you keep the car covered?
My reason for asking is that I am struggling with where and what type of plug for the battery tender for our, well actually my wife's but that is another story, 02 Mustang Conv. When it is the garage we keep it covered. I know a cover sounds overkill for an 02, but that is another story also.

So if you keep your covered, I was going to pick your brain on how you work around the cover to get to the plug.

Of course all I have to do is pop the hood, I don't have to pull body panels, still, I am kind of lazy. Just thinking out loud.

 

[Finallygotit]

Hello Penright, and thanks for following along.

To answer your question, I do not cover the Cobra while it's in the garage. The garage does not get a lot of traffic and stays pretty closed up. When I get ready to drive off, I just run a California Duster over it and I'm good to go.

The only time I put a cover on it is if I have it out overnight which is rare.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

 

[Finallygotit]

#31 proudly displayed with the Bob Heine treatment.

 

[bj383ss]

Very Nice. I want to make my own version of that sign.


Bret

 

[cbacres]

Well Dan, I've only got a few pages in on this thread and I'm pretty certain the previous owner of our place here in Florida must of moved out there and bought your place. He said he was a class A-1 contractor, based on all the stuff we fixed over the 27 years, A-1 must mean he couldn't even read a DIY book much less do anything from it.

Thank god he didn't do any concrete work at least.

Did your AC guy find the small sub panel in the attic while he was there?

You've done a really nice job from the little I've read, I'll finish off soon.

Craig

 

[Finallygotit]

Thanks for stopping by Craig!

Now that it's monsoon season here, my shop gets a bit wet at the overhead door if the rain blows towards it. Just another reminder of the PO who should NEVER EVER be allowed near concrete.

Every time I see your avatar, I get hungry.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Dan, I've made it through about 40-52% of the thread. Nice property and beautiful country. I've got an uncle south of you in Green Valley.

 

[Finallygotit]

Hello OutlawDrifter. Thank you for stopping by and the kind comments, sir.

Yep, Green Valley is not too far from us. We like to head that way to go to the Green Valley Pecan Co. They have great stuff and their orchard is HUGE.

 

[Finallygotit]

Wow! I can't believe it's been over four months since I touched this thread. Life and being crazy busy at work have a way of doing that I guess.

Recent snowfall on Mt. Lemmon.

The picture does not do it justice. It is gorgeous to view and more white. Most of the mountains around us have snow.

So now that the temps around here are able to let me, it's time to give my poor trailer some attention. Storing it behind my shop didn't help either; out of sight, out of mind. First order of of work, I recently bought four new radial tires to replace the bias ply **** that came with the trailer. (Geez those were terrible tires )

The deck on this poor thing is shot. I tried putting a sealer on the deck a while back to delay the wear but I got what I paid for and it pealed off. (Lesson learned) Time to buy new lumber; a mix of 4x6's and 4x8's. (A little side note, I really miss a good lumber yard. The big box stores really have ****** lumber.)

The way the manufacturer installed the planks, they had no room for expansion. The past two seasons saw those boards buckle and jack over themselves. They also installed the planks in such a way that you either have to cut a section out and slide the ends out of the C channel or remove the steel keeper at the front of the trailer that was stitch welded on. I chose the former so that I can make the planks a little shorter, shove them in the C channel at the rear, lay them down then move them forward an inch to give them room to expand.

Here's a view of the rear channel

Here is a view of the front

Here is the current state of the trailer. I know, embarrassing, huh?

The planks are held down with 5/16"-18 x 2-1/2" flat head Torx drive screws. I'm going to try to salvage those, we'll see. I will need to drill holes in the new planks to accept those.

So I brought the planks home and cut them to length. They came in 16' (4.8m) lengths, I needed 13' 11" (4.2m).

So here they are as I'm putting the sealer on. The sealer that I'm using is designed to actually soak into the wood and has a UV inhibitor in it, which around here is REALLY needed.

Sure is nice to have a warm dry shop to do this. The temps have only been in the high 40's low 50's (8°C - 11°C) outside with some rain at times. There are a total of 12 planks needed. The first 6 are done and in the Cobra garage.

Before the new planks get installed, the plan is to sand the trailer down and prime and paint it. Will need to move it in the shop to paint it.


More to come!

 

[dchance]

Looks like a great start but I don’t think you will finish this year.�� hope you have a great new year

Dwight

 

[Finallygotit]

Hello Dwight, thanks for stopping in.

You're probably right but hey, there's always next year. (famous Chicago Cubs saying)

Happy New Year to you too sir!

 

[zmotorsports]

I had an early 90's Big Tex 16' tandem axle trailer nearly identical to yours Dan. It worked well for shagging non-running cars as well as transporting cars from my home shop to my parent's farm where my paint shop was setup. Around 2000 when the wood started crumbling and falling apart I stripped it down to the frame, had it sandblasted and then painted it with some commercial urethane black paint and reinstalled new wood and redid the wiring. It worked great until around 2014 when I sold it.

Glad to see you posting in your projects thread again Dan.

 

[fnieto]

Hi Dan!

I stumbled on your Odd Acres and have read through it! I had to use my imagination for the first 20 pages as I see you where a victim of photo bucket. Well I was very thrilled once I was able to view your photos. You have been a busy guy to say the least. I really like your work space and machines. I really like your Bridgeport Mill! I sure wish I would have found your thread sooner, I would have loved to help you with the head rebuild on that beautiful machine. Great project all around Dan!
I'll be keeping an eye on you!

 

[Pressingonward]

Hi Dan,

What species of wood are you using for the trailer planks? I'm guessing they're not pressure treated since you're staining them? I've got a utility trailer that needs a new floor and sidewalls, plus lights and a state inspection to title it since it was home-built and abandoned on our property when we bought it. I'm guessing it came from Oregon since they don't require registration for small trailers. It's been plugging up a corner of my shop for far too long; I need to get it pulled out of there and fixed up so I can put it to work - or get rid of it and replace it with a car trailer like yours

 

[Finallygotit]

I had an early 90's Big Tex 16' tandem axle trailer nearly identical to yours Dan. It worked well for shagging non-running cars as well as transporting cars from my home shop to my parent's farm where my paint shop was setup. Around 2000 when the wood started crumbling and falling apart I stripped it down to the frame, had it sandblasted and then painted it with some commercial urethane black paint and reinstalled new wood and redid the wiring. It worked great until around 2014 when I sold it.

Glad to see you posting in your projects thread again Dan.

Hi Mike and thanks for stopping by. I'm not going to get too carried away with this "refurb" as I plan to sell the trailer in about two years, maybe less. I bought this trailer in 2010 when I was building the Cobra to haul it back and forth to California to have the paint and bodywork done on it. The trailer paid for itself on the first trip. Since then it has hauled all kinds of flotsam.

Hi Dan!

I stumbled on your Odd Acres and have read through it! I had to use my imagination for the first 20 pages as I see you where a victim of photo bucket. Well I was very thrilled once I was able to view your photos. You have been a busy guy to say the least. I really like your work space and machines. I really like your Bridgeport Mill! I sure wish I would have found your thread sooner, I would have loved to help you with the head rebuild on that beautiful machine. Great project all around Dan!
I'll be keeping an eye on you!

Hi Paco! Thanks for checking in. I truly hate Photophukit for what they have done. To go back and fix those links would take so much time; time that I don't have right now. Maybe someday......

Don't keep too close an eye on me. Some of my shenanigans are kinda cringe-worthy.

Hi Dan,

What species of wood are you using for the trailer planks? I'm guessing they're not pressure treated since you're staining them? I've got a utility trailer that needs a new floor and sidewalls, plus lights and a state inspection to title it since it was home-built and abandoned on our property when we bought it. I'm guessing it came from Oregon since they don't require registration for small trailers. It's been plugging up a corner of my shop for far too long; I need to get it pulled out of there and fixed up so I can put it to work - or get rid of it and replace it with a car trailer like yours

Hello Pressingonward, and thanks for stopping in. I looked into pressure treated limber for the deck but I would have had to take out a small loan just for the deck. Not really but I wasn't about to fork out that kind of money just for the length of time I was planning to keep it. I went with regular pine planks.

The sealer that I'm using should last for a few years before it requires a re-coat given the UV inhibitors in it.


Happy New Year to you folks.

 

[StormcrowAz]

Here is the current state of the trailer. I know, embarrassing, huh? 

Dan – If you have no trailer to begin with…that is a whole lot of trailer! I’ve definitely seen and used worse, to the point of falling through the deck, but beggars can’t be choosers and it got the job done. It looks like you’re well on your way to making it right. I’ve often thought about building my own car hauler, just as much because it looks like it would be a fun project as it would be a useful piece of equipment. Did you consider putting a metal deck on that thing? As you pointed out, the sun here can really take its toll on things. Probably cost-prohibitive since you plan on selling it off?

Happy New Year!

 

[Finallygotit]

Hi Todd and thanks for stopping by. I did look at some aluminum diamond plate, sheet steel and even some composite sheet stock. All were too much money. When I'm done with this, I may just throw a tarp over this and secure it and hopefully that will protect it some for the future new owner.