Measuring to cut off the roof

Since we last left off we had removed the reinforcement panels on the donor roof panel. We then removed the same panels from the t-top car. The reinforcement panels on the b pillar are identical for T top and non t top. The panels for the front a-pillars are slightly different on the t top car being slightly narrower near the sun visor area as well as incorporating in the bolts for the latch mechanism for the t top. I only removed the spot welds on the front portion for these a pillar panels knowing that I was going to be cutting off the rest of the panel anyway. No sense in wasting a bunch of time drilling out spot welds if it is not needed.
After this was done we began taking measurements to actually cut the roof off. Starting with the A pillars we made reference marks and measured from the bottom of the A pillar to the top. Our measurement was 29 inches on both sides (See photos of reference marks) The same reference marks where made on the b pillars. This was 12 5/8 inches. Before we made any cuts we also made measurements at the top of the door to the quarter panel to determine if the car sagged or bent in the middle once the roof was cut off.
We then drilled two holes in the b pillar to accurately scribe a line from one hole to the other. This would be the line we are going to follow when cutting the roof off. Identical holes in as close to the same location as possible where drilled in the donor roof. (See Photos). We then cut through the b pillar with a cutoff wheel attached to an angle grinder. A saws-all would also do but this worked fast and provided a nice cut.
We then focused our attention on the a pillars and simply cut straight through a oval hole that is common on both roof panels. This area was as good as any and served as a nice reference point. (See photos). We cut through the A pillar using the same angle grinder. Now the roof is off !!!!
We then cut the donor roof in almost the same location. We marked the roof in what would be the theoretical exact location then added a ¼ inch of material. This way we where sure not to cut off too much material and we could slowly trim off material until the roof fit perfectly. We started with the A pillars and slowly trimmed and fitted until the butted up together and fit perfectly together. All the while using out reference point to continuously measure the opening until it was a perfect 29 inches. The b pillars where a little more time consuming and tedious but being patient helps. We used a combination of angle grinder , cutoff wheel and tin snips to get the b pillars to fit perfectly. Now that the roof is ready to be welded into place we are temporarily using vice grips to hold it in place so we can easily remove the roof to begin fitting the roll cage. Once we finish welding in the cage we will then weld the roof permanently in place.

Getting rid of the T-Tops

Now that we have got the car home and assessed what is needed we have made plans for the stages of the build. The first thing we have addressed is the fact that the car is a T-top car. T-top cars are not eligible in that form to race in CMC. We found a 92 firebird parts car that was a hardtop. With this $150 parts car we got a good Formula hood and one good door and two good fenders. These are some good pieces to have if you have three guys all running the same type of car. Most importantly we got a good hardtop that we could cut off and graft onto the CMC car.
So we have cut the top off the parts car with plenty of extra sheet metal on the A and B pillars and we removed the reinforcement panels on the A and B pillars with a spot weld cutting tool. (Harbor Freight 5 bucks) By removing these panels on the race car and the donor car we can weld the new top on the race car and get weld all way around the graft area and then the reinforcement panels will be installed by spot welding it just like the factory. By doing it this way the joint will be no stronger or no weaker than the factory joint. Photos will follow that will better explain this procedure.
But before we cut the top off the Race car we are going to bend the main hoop and install the A pillar bars and the upper cross bar for the roll cage. By doing this we can get the cage tight to the roof. Then when we cut the roof off the car we can easily get the 360° welds that are required per NASA rules. Then we will install the non-T-top roof from our donor car. Our plan is to document this well so anybody with a saws-all, spot weld drill, tape measure and welder will be able to do this at home.
The plan for this Thursday(Mar26) is to remove the reinforcement panels on the race car just like We did on the donor car and remove the instrument panel to clear the way for the roll cage. Then we will begin bending the tubing…stay tuned.

Part 2; What do we have?

The next step after bringing the car home was to evaluate what exactly we had just bought. The firebird had not run in over a year and the previous owners destroyed the steering column trying to find the reason why the car would not start. They suspected the cars security system. We started by hooking up a battery and could not get the engine to crank or get the fuel pump to run. In the process of determining if we had power to the starter or not, we pulled the terminal off of the solenoid and figured it was time to replace the starter. After replacing the starter the engine would crank, but the fuel pump still did not turn on. Since the car had been sitting for so long, we suspected it had bad fuel in it. After removal our suspicions were confirmed, bad fuel. Luckily we had scavenged a tank from a friend who converted his car from a TPI to a carburetor which also had a fuel pump in it. After replacing the tank, we cleaned the lines out and added fuel. Now the engine cranks and the fuel pump runs, we also have spark and compression, but it seems the injectors need to be cleaned, because it will not run on its own. We also removed the majority of the interior at this point. We'll see if we can sell any of the interior parts to recoupe some cost.

Team 309 starts the "Plainfield Project" Camaro Mustang Challenge Build

Saturday February 21st, 2009 Bob, Bryan, and Sidney picked up the "Plainfield Project" Camaro Mustang Challenge car. The car is an 1989 Pontiac Firebird we bought for $650. The 305 TPI option and the 5 speed make this the ideal candidate to turn into a race car.

The idea behind the project is to build a competitive CMC car on a budget and to document the time and progress of the project.