Want to add a little Sport into your Toad but on a budget, lookie here!!

[rellick]

Larry, do you have a welder in there? And maybe a lathe and milling machine? I'd love to come down there and help build some bad a$$ cars and coaches!!

[Neweller]

Factory Fives are not like any other kit cars in that they DRIVE and RACE their designs. The 818R is about to go up against the fastest open track cars in the country at the annual Ultimate Track Challenge sponsored by Grassroots Motorsports Magazine, July 19-21!

Larry, that is a darn interesting offer.

Keith, are you itching to machine some components? Can you machine close ratio gear sets?

[rellick]

Haven't worked in a gear shop for about 15 years Ken, but with the right tooling anything is possible! What kind of ratio are you talking? Probably wouldn't be practical to tool up for a couple of sets but I do still have friends at the gear shop, they would need to be spiral bevel heat treated gears, there is quite a science to building them. Send me some info and I could get a qoute on some.

[larryweikart]

Well, you car guys need to go out and take a good look at this place, you might be surprised! The shop is pretty well equipped including a welder, Drill press, metal lathe, etc.

[Neweller]

Originally Posted by rellick

Haven't worked in a gear shop for about 15 years Ken, but with the right tooling anything is possible! What kind of ratio are you talking? Probably wouldn't be practical to tool up for a couple of sets but I do still have friends at the gear shop, they would need to be spiral bevel heat treated gears, there is quite a science to building them. Send me some info and I could get a qoute on some.

Gear sets like this Keith. There are lots of things you could machine to save thousands or to make thousands.



Keith it does look like there is a mill behind some of that equipment Larry is picturing. It might be a Bridgeport?

[rellick]

Hey Nice shop!!Yes that does look like a bridgeport or maybe a summit. Those look like helical transmission gears, can you get any specs on them? and or a set to measure up? Would have to get ahold of a rotory indexing head and the right cutter. They would still have to be heat treated and precision ground after they're cut, but possible.

[Neweller]

You down there now Larry? I sent you a PM.

Keith, yeah those are Subi close ratio trans gears. They run around $2300 WD a set. These particular ones come out of Japan.

[rellick]

Are they stock ratios? building gear drives is one of those things, either you get into the big leagues or its not practical to do it, they use very specialized tooling, there is a different cutter for every diametral pitch or tooth shape. gears like this need to be carborized after rough machining then hardened, after that tempered, this takes a very controlled heat and atmosphere. Then precision ground. This gives the gear a very hard tooth surface so it doesnt wear out but still leaving a softer tough inner tooth. There really is alot more to it than meets the eye. Gears can be cut on a conventional mill but not for this application. We could get some engineered drawings and cnc programs made up and get some quotes. Quantity is where it would be practical.

[larryweikart]

No Ken, I'm in Michigan getting ready to go to France for the 24hr DuMans. I don't find a PM from you. By the way some of that equipment in the shop belongs to our friend who was chief mechanic on the White Lighting ALMS championship team, and who also designed and built all of the Herbie Love Bugs. He might be interested in building something. There are also 2 very large shipping containers located outside for parts storage. You can see them behind the van, By the way, look at this beautiful sunset outside of the shop, nice to look at after a hard day building a handsome car.

[Neweller]

Keith, I figured it would take a much more in-depth setup to make those kind of gears. That is why I always paid the piper for the hard goods. The closet thing I've been to a machine shop was high schoool and back in the eighties I invested in an automotive machine shop with a friend who now builds Sprint and some Nascar Tour engines. I did spend a little time using a a headshop, Sunnen CK-10 and Sioux Valve Grinder. It was fun but tough times in a suckie economy.

Larry, I realize why you don't get my PM's, I have been sending them to your old name we set up for you a long time ago for migrating the old Newell Coach Techtalk. I have probably done that with others. I should migrate those names for you. I'll send you another to the right name.