Jump to content

"Swamp thing" JBC 510 racecar


Icehouse

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 839
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Man o Man...that totally stinks...a vintage race car with all that work saving it and then getting it wadded up like you did...damn damn damn...I spent many years racing in circles and when you have those days...sometimes you gotta wonder why you keep doing it...but...adrenaline is worse drug than alcohol...

 

Good luck on the rebuild...

 

MikeC

Link to comment

Carter,

 

Glad you are okay - bummer about the car. Nice to see you are already planning the rebuild of the swamp thing - I love your adventures. I take it you will be the third driver for the next few races 😞

 

I hoped you wouldn't take the rice wagon for a race car <big sigh of relief> I like it for inspiration to keep going on mine!

 

Cheers,

M

Link to comment

Carter,

Glad you are OK. Any wreck you can walk away from is as good as it gets. 

 

I've had my share, barrel rolled 1.5 times landing in a brook. went off at a hill climb into a ledge outcropping taking out the right front, clipped the RR of an MGB when he came uptrack after a tank slapper, launching me into the air (yes it does get quiet when you are n the air), and a few more while road racing and hillclimbing. 

 

In the brook (yes this car continues to race).

gallery_328_471_1483044509_32697.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Thanks for the well wishes guys...

 

Although I had already been securing replacement parts, last night we officially started the come-back.

 

Mainly Sam and Jeff spent the evening separating the inner fenders, frame rails, and core support from a firewall-forward front cut while I worked on stripping the actual car so we could do the same thing with it.

 

Parts starting to come off the car

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(1).JPG.08540

 

Front cut

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(2).JPG.3db29

 

Jeff assures us he knows what he's doing.   (he does)

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(3).JPG.978bf

 

Front sheet metal all gone

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(4).JPG.b3628

 

Champion Radiator better put me on their Christmas card list!

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(5).JPG.fedc6

 

Jeff laying down on the job.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(6).JPG.6649f

 

Teamwork

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(7).JPG.b8443

 

JNC Wheels needs to put me on their Christmas card list too.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(8).JPG.c0cf2

 

Strange thing was - that wheel was on the right front corner.  No contact with the wall.  It appears the front (mainly the anti-roll bar) shifted over and made contact with the wheel.

 

Hit so hard it broke a spoke too!

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(9).JPG.552cf

 

Tire still held air.  : )

 

Front cage was ripped out of the strut towers.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(10).JPG.86c4

 

James Boswell Coachwerks (Not to be confused with J.B. Coachworks in the UK) used this front clip to develop their rack and pinion conversion.  Not only is their rack and pinion setup seeing racing action - now the test bed will be as well.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(11).JPG.1df7

 

After stripping off the extraneous, it was time to weld on the missing items - like T/C rod mounts.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(12).JPG.a08c

 

Meanwhile, the car is ready to lose it's drivetrain

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(13).JPG.41e2

 

Time for a little under/over

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(14).JPG.b792

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(15).JPG.fcab

 

Congratulations!  It's a boy!

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(16).JPG.bce4

 

Sunset...

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(17).JPG.cc97

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

A few photos of the mangled mess this front end became.  We recon the cage really did it's job.  Most of the damage was forward of the drivers protection.  My thanks to the original builders of the car.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(18).JPG.6afb

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(19).JPG.f4d7

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(20).JPG.c256

 

We loaded up the *new* front end into my truck at the end of the night.

 

large.06102020_swamp_thing_(21).JPG.36b2

 

Today we dropped it off at Bulldog Powdercoating to be sandblasted.  Hopefully that will save us a few hours of sanding and grinding.  We need all the hours we can get.

 

large.06112020_swamp_thing.JPG.83afcd09a

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Bulldog Powdercoating saved us a few hours of prep time by sand blasting the font end.

 

large.06122020_swamp_thing.JPG.cd80bbff5

 

Closest we've come to a beach in quite some time.  Nice warm sand...  : )

 

It was great that they were able to fit us in as we had a long Saturday planned with lots to do.

 

Opening up the garage door in the morning revealed Sam had the front end of the car nearly cut off.  Not too long after, the bulk of it was gone and ready for the more meticulous work up next to the firewall

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(1).JPG.d23a5

 

Replacement standing at attention

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(2).JPG.e7bd5

 

While Jeff and Sam were busy up front, I decided to tackle this ugly corner

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(3).JPG.fa9e3

 

Inner fenderwell was pressed up against the tire and coilover.  I had done some earlier work just to free up the tire but now it was time to get serious.

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(4).JPG.d96bd

 

 

 

With the fender flare off, you could really get a good look at the wrinkles!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(5).JPG.ed0dc

 

Ouch!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(6).JPG.8b603

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by carterb
  • Like 1
Link to comment

We had a few things we needed to save off of the old front end. 

 

Hey Jeff!  Notice there is no bolt or nut in the T/C rod end you have your hand on?  I'm blaming it on you!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(7).JPG.95d80

 

I don't think any of us want to do this again

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(8).JPG.55cc7

 

After it became obvious there was no way to straighten back out the left rear quarter (at least not with our skills or available tools) we went to the parts pile to find this quarter panel to graft in.  Notice Mother Nature had already begun preparing it for racing by lightening the bottom half.

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(9).JPG.3d7c9

 

I've never done this before but  measure twice - cut once - and away we go!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(10).JPG.20da

 

Meanwhile, the new front end is hanging in place ready for final fitment/adjustment before welding

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(11).JPG.d8ef

 

Let there be light!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(12).JPG.79e8

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Once the rear quarter was ready for weld, I sanded the fender (this one was from "Freebird" if you are keeping tabs on all of our projects) and replacement hood.

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(13).JPG.85a8

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(14).JPG.471e

 

They didn't get *quite* as much attention as the last set.  Let's just say we are working against the clock a bit this time 'round.

 

Pile of stuff that needs to go back on the car at some point.

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(15).JPG.5505

 

Jeff was on weld duty for a good part of the day!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(16).JPG.ebeb

 

Good as new?

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(17).JPG.cb3e

 

Let's get this thing primed!

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Sam started painting the front while Jeff and I were finishing up the rear quarter.  I'm sure that's exactly how they did it at the factory right?

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(18).JPG.c6a0

 

It took some real effort to pull that floor back out.  Still a little wrinkly but with the quarter panel in place and the trunk lid closed...  Racecar!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(19).JPG.50a3

 

Hurry Jeff!  Sam is almost done and I still have to sand that thing!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(20).JPG.91d1

 

Front end looking exciting and new!  (start humming Love Boat theme song now)

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(21).JPG.60ea

 

Sam handed off the gun and I got the hood, fender and rear quarter

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(22).JPG.86fa

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(23).JPG.98df

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(24).JPG.49b0

 

And it was time to call it a night!

 

large.06132020_swamp_thing_(25).JPG.2227

 

We'd need to let it dry Sunday with plans to return Monday after work and see what we could do.

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

We got right to work Monday, starting with the re-installation of the motor/tranny/crossmember assembly

 

large.09152020_swamp_thing_(1).JPG.7f896

 

Much easier going in that going out since the engine bay was not a parallelogram!

 

Rear flare cut marked out

 

large.09152020_swamp_thing_(2).JPG.9eae2

 

Sam banged this out fast!

 

large.09152020_swamp_thing_(3).JPG.79a6b

 

Front suspension on, wiring harness hooked up, throttle cable, shifter, etc etc etc...

 

large.09152020_swamp_thing_(4).JPG.b3384

 

Remember that T/C rod bolt Jeff *lost* ?

 

Well, we had to have it!  Being some special Futofab bolt.  Jeff and I must have spent an hour looking everywhere in the garage and driveway to no avail.  Finally Sam dove in the garbage can and found many other fasteners (and other treasures) that had been swept up but no T/C rod bolt.  We looked some more but just couldn't give up!  So I dumped the entire trash can on the floor and sorted through it all and was just about to give up when I found the nut!  That means the bolt must be near.  So a 2nd sort through and Sam spotted it.  *phwew*!!!  I think we can celebrate by calling it a night!

 

We're getting close!

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Went back tonight for a couple hours and got the radiator installed, headlight assemblies in, rock guard in place, fenders set, and determined that my 12" Hayden fan is too big for this installation.  Fortunately, Jeff found a suitable replacement in his shed.  Really starting to look the part again now!

 

large.06162020_swamp_thing.JPG.5106ad7bf

  • Like 5
Link to comment
  • Icehouse changed the title to "Swamp thing" JBC 510 racecar

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.