How I built the "Flying Brick"

[Evan Bottcher]

Thanks very much for sharing all this MD.  I remember seeing the car at Alfesta in Mooloolaba in '08 and marvelling at the level of detail.

I hope you'll share some more details of your new project soon

[pep105]

Thanks for the insight MD I think you covered this in the right amount of detail

Thanks for sharing, questions will follow no doubt would love to hear the details of your new project GTV (?)
one day when your ready

MD = Dr Transaxle

This thread is longer than pep's wish list 

My wish list is pretty long  difference is this thread was just the right length 
and it got completed...

Cheers
Pep

[Storm_X]

OMG i only seen this thread until now. I am so jealous.

I have a few questions The brake pedal box where did you get it from / who made it?? I need one so BAD,also where did you get your shockers from?

Thats the exact same brake rotors and callipers i am putting on the front of my Giulietta.

[MD]

StormX

Happy to see you are enjoying the topic and getting some inspiration. I must admit jealousy is not a reaction I ever anticipated. You certainly have an alternative take on things.

Now, the pedal box is the original factory unit modified hugely to fit my special circumstances. It can also be the basis for your own project.

The dampers are Koni yellows re-valved for my spring rates front and rear. They have coil over adaptors for the front set.

If you are using my rotors and calipers, consider installing a 25mm bore brake master cylinder with a minimal 6.5 lever ratio on the brake pedal.

Best of luck with your project.

[Storm_X]

I might try a bm44 or a bm50 with the Nissan callipers on the front and Alfa 75 brembros out boarded on the rear. I will try and see if i can get my pedal box modified like yours, i was planing to just keep the booster but after taking it out i dont want to put it back.

[Duk]

Hey MD, is there anything in the rules that says you couldn't move the engine and/or driver back and down?
I was thinking about this when watching something about the V8 Poopoo cars (I actually like  the racing  ), get as much of the mass as central and as low as possible, and thought it could be applied well to a purpose built track Alfa (prolly need a dry sump to move the donk very far, though). Floor mounted pedals (like in the V8's) would save some grief with inlet system clearance.

[MD]

Yes Duk you are in the swim with these ideas but off course it has all been done before and probably the best approach is a space frame front end but how far do you want to go? Why stop at half a space frame?,,,I think you know what I am saying.

As for the pedals, well, all you have to do is look at a 105 for the answer. Have them come up from the floor as you have covered already.

Nothing in local rules say that you couldn't do all these mods and still compete in AASA comps. Look at the rear engined Sud for example being campaigned here. The ex Jim Nielsen Giulietta comes to mind regarding a "hybrid" approach along the lines you are raising although it is more to do with weight saving from what I can recollect as it has the original firewall from memory. Perhaps Jim will clarify it for us..

[hammer]

Giulietta's engine is a little lower than standard but I think it's position in relation to the firewall is the same.

Cheers,

Brent

[Sam]

Hi MD

Great build,  very inspirational.

I wonder if you can provide some info on the Rotisserie you built.

It looks like you used the car's  front and rear Bumper mounting points, to attach it to the Rotisserie is this correct?

I'm thinking of building one for an Alfetta GTV and I was thinking of using the same mounting points,  but I wasn't sure if they were strong enough or if there were any issues supporting the weight.

My car is currently only a shell, but I may want to mount suspension and gearbox bits while it's on the Rotisserie.

What are your thoughts?

Sam

[MD]

Hi Sam,

Yes I did use the bumper mounting points front and rear. Please see photo of the front mount which bolted on via some 10mm plates extending through to the rotisserie support frame.

The rear  is a bit more tricky and  I am sorry to say I have no photos of how to do it. Basically you have to alter the body work to make it strong enough with some plating and then bolt onto that.

There is no problem with the mounts holding the chassis only and the roll cage. Putting other mechanicals I have no experience with and cannot really advise. Please remember that it is not a hoist and shouldn't be used as a substitute for one. Also think of how you will remove it from the rotisserie once you are done.

About the only useful thing to do that doesn't involve any weight to speak of is to relocate the brake and clutch lines away from the tunnel in case the prop shaft munches them up if it gets loose. (and they do !)

I just remembered the GTV front bumper mount differently to the sedan and I would think you would need to weld up that front box section well so that you could bolt onto the captive nuts securely.

[Sam]

Hi MD

Also think of how you will remove it from the rotisserie once you are done.

I was thinking of building it like this one  ...

http://redwingsteelworksplans.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/100_0571.jpg

so raising and lowering should be easly done !?

Sam

[MD]

Well Sam from my viewpoint  I would be keeping it much simpler than that. At the appropriate time  I would be making arrangements with a hoist owner and simply pushing the whole thing into the hoist and letting the hoist hold it whilst you remove the rotisserie from the body and fit some suspension components to move it off.

I used 100mm tube only because I had it lying around. I may be wrong, but the example you provided appeared not to be able to rotate the job being held and isn't that the whole idea? It all seems welded up?.

[Sam]

its not obvious from the picture, but it can rotate.

The 2 nuts (& bolts) on the round pipe are used to stop it in the position he wants it on.

Personally I think he went a bit thin on some of the material.
If you look close you can see a couple of supporting wheels on the centre rail. I think that may be because it was sagging in the middle so he put them in to provide some support.

Anyway I don't have a friend with a hoist, but I do have 2 spare car jacks   

Sam   

[MD]

Finally ?

Here is the Flying Brick at the hands of the current owner playing with other Alfas at Lakeside Park.

http://youtu.be/qSG1jeBWw6Y

[Sam]

hey MD,
I noticed the laptop, is the brick running on EFI? whats the controller ? is it on ITB?