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4-24-05
It's been one year!!!
One year ago I started this project. Lemme see if I can figure out how much I've spent so far...
- Jegster Chassis $700
- Jegster Front End $2500
- Rear End $2250
- QA1 Springs and Shocks $400
- Fiberglass front clip $1300
- Chrome goodies $250
- Front disc brakes $400
- Rims and Tires $125
- Headlights $55
- Misc. tools, parts, ect. $500
$8880... or about $9000, not including the cost of travel back and forth to Austin from Burnet, meals for myself and Joaquin
(the least I can do is buy the guy lunch!), and anything else I forgot.
Today Joel came up to lend a hand. We were able to much more accomplished with 3 pairs of hands and 3 semi-intelligent
brains. We mounted the main hoop, the rear hoop supports, front and rear outriggers, and rocker bars. I didn't get a picture
of the end result... but next time we will work on the halo and front supports.
| Joel (standing) and Joaquin (welding) |
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3-27-05
Happy Easter
Over the last couple weeks I've been scouring eBay to purchase QA1 shocks and springs. I saved alot of money. We mounted
the front springs (already had shocks), then welded the rear shock tabs onto the rear shock bar, and mounted the shock/spring
assemblies. Yay! Suspension! I still need to fabricate a cross link to prevent the rear end from lateral movement, but that's
easy.
| Hungry for an LS1 |
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Next major step is constructing the roll cage and for that we needed to know where the body would sit in relation to
the chassis. The rear section need some floor space removed to clear the rear from rails. Then, we bolted the front and rear
halves together and laid the body on top of the chassis. The Jegster frame kit is designed for drag racing and not for a street
car. The chassis has a natural slope to the rear. When the body was placed on the chassis, it appears to be leaning back...
great for a dragster as all the weight is immediately shifted over the rear axle, but it looks silly for a street car. After
some adjustement, I placed some 4"x4" blocks under the center of the body on the lower frame rails. This put the rear end
in almost a perfect location, maybe just 1" too high, but very close. So, we tacked the body to the frame, and called it a
day! It's starting to look and act like a real car!
 3-13-05
Not too much. I built a mock up engine out of cardboard to get an idea of how much space will be needed. I found dimensions
of the engine on the Internet. The LS1 is still big. The intrusion into the firewall and foot space presents some problems,
but I have some ideas to help with that. We cut out more of the firewall. Most of the firewall won't remain. To contiune building
the chassis and rollcage, I am going to connect the two body parts (cab and box) and lower them onto the chassis. Much of
the rear floor is going to get cut out as well. I may end up welding the two halves together, but that is still undecided.
3-3-05
I just cleaned it up a bit, removed all the old wiring, wiper assembly, dash switches, and speedo. I also had better
daylight to get more pictures with the cab sitting on the frame rails. It looks to me that the next step will really require
having the engine and tranny in place. I LOVE the idea of building the car around an engine!
| Temporarily a Jungle Gym |
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2-21-05
We're moving forward! Since before Christmas, I have been trying to track down the front spindles nuts. Apparently, everyone
I talked to for help in a 6 week period were complete morons. Two autoparts stores sold me the wrong nuts, then Jeg's sold
me the wrong nuts. Some dork at a nut and bolt shop lead me on a wild goose chase when he provided me with incorrect measurements.
Finally, I found the nuts I was looking for!!!
I mounted the front hubs, coated the frame with protectant, and laid the cab on the chassis to get an idea on where to
go next.
2-1-05
The website crashed and it looks like I lost some data since 11-24-04... anyways, to get back up to speed.... the rear
end is mounted, still looking for springs... the front end kit included spindles, but no nuts and it turns out that my spindles
are oversize and no one sells the frickin' nuts!!! So I spent another $400 on a second set of spindles and heavy duty 11"
vented rotors. Other than that, the chassis is now "rolling".
| Shortend Ford 9" |
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!
Happy Turkey Day!
11-21-04
The rear end is much heavier than I expected. Two days later my legs are still sore from moving the beast
20ft with Joaquin's help! I knew this was overkill for my application, but I also wanted to add some weight to the rear of
the vehicle. Well, Mission F@#$ing Accomplished! Anyways... We set out to modify the the 4 link brackets to fit over the axle
housing's rear triangulated reinforcement. Also, the axle housing was intended for leaf springs, so we needed to remove the
leaf spring mounts. After cutting them off, it turns out, we really did not need too as they sat further out than the 4 link
brackets eventually will. Oh well, the housing looks cleaner without them. I looked through all the parts that arrived from
Jeg's this week and realized the QA1 rod ends and jam nuts did not arrive. What the?!?! So a quick call to Jeg's and come
to find out the parts took the scenic route... From Columbus, OH to Little Rock, AR to Memphis, TN and finally to Austin,
TX... so they arrived about 3 days late. Without these parts there was very little for us to do. We needed to know the
exact width of the rod ends to determine proper spacing of the 4 link brackets. So next weekend I'll try again, and take
some pictures of the Beast!
One thing I have noticed with Jeg's Jegster parts is that quality finish is not the highest priority. They
are able to manufacture the parts cheaply becasue they don't take the time to perfect the fit and finish of their products.
I can't complain too much, but I wish I did not have to "adjust" and clean up every Jeg's product I purchase.
11-16-04
The rear end arrived this monday. It looks great. Custom axles, reinforced Ford 9" housing, Nodular 3rd
member with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker. The brakes are Wilwood discs. The 4 link kit with adjustable coil over mounts
are on the way with QA1 rod ends and jam nuts as well. I have not measured for the coil overs yet, but I'm going to use
QA1 components. I need to start looking for some cheap steel wheels to toss on the hubs. Once the project is closer to completion
(however many years away!) I will invest in some nice rims and tires.
10-31-04
BOO! Happy Halloween! Hallow all saints and
all souls.
I have purchased a rear end already assembled. It measures 53" hub to hub. I may need to flare the rear
fenders, adjust the back spacing of the wheels, or it may fit just right... but it's gonna be close. When I found this rear
end already assembled so close to my needs, I could not pass it up. To build my own would cost me in excess of $3300. This
one has cost me $2000 so far. I will need to change the gears and add a parking brake. My next purchase is the rear suspension.
I'm using a Jeg's 4 link setup with coil over shocks. Once I get the rear end suspended, I can add tires for a rolling chassis!
10-10-04
WOO HOO!!! Finally I did something right! After last weekends fiasco, I came up with a plan to salvage
the frame rails. But first, I needed to stop by the hardware store to buy soapstone pencils. While there, I looked at
compound miter saws. I decided I needed to buy one. So $250 later.... The saw is designed to cut wood, so it needed to be
modified to accept the 12" metal cutoff wheel. With the compound saw, we were able to perfectly cut the compound angles on
either end of the frame rails. After a few cuts, and some fine tuning, we had it. Once they were welded in, my diagonal measurement
from front to rear was only 1/64th of an inch (or 0.397mm) different from left to right. I can live with that. Check
out our "jig".
  10-3-04
A couple weeks ago we rolled the chassis away and left the body and tubes
behind. The Jegster front end arrived about the same time. The Aerospace Components front brake assemblies look awesome. The
calipers are machined out of billet aluminum and weigh almost nothing. However, the setup is designed for a dragster and the
pads are extremely small. Aerospace Components makes a 4 piston setup for street/track use that I plan to purchase.
So this weekend, we planned on connecting the front end to the rear end.
The 2x3" frame rail needed to be cut down. The angles on each end proved to be too difficult for us to cut. We do not have
a compound miter saw, so eyeballs and stoopid math took over. After 5 hours we had the right side rail completed. We used
it to mirror the left side. After measuring and remeasuring and cutting, we just could not get the diagonal measurements to
match. It turned out that after all of our efforts, we had cut the left side 1/4" short. So 7 hours WASTED.... and now I may
have to purchase a second set of rails..... (I need a jig)
 9-26-04
This the Jegster front end. This is the narrowest one Jeg's builds at 53" hub to hub. We need to cut the frame rails
down and connect the front end to the rear frame.
 8-29-04
The rear section came off very easily. The nice thing is that it is built just like a box, with reinforcing
beams built in. I did not see the need to weld in any additional reinforcement. The cab is a little different. Morris
Minor sedans were one of the first to use "unit body" construction, meaning the body panels are formed in a way to include
structural reinforcement. Most modern cars are built the same way. Trucks, on the other hand, use "body on frame" design.
The frame is constructed and then the body is dropped onto it and bolted down. The body does not serve to add strength to
the vehicle. The Morris trucks and vans were a little bit of both. From the cab rearward, the bed or box is bolted to the
frame. However, the cab is designed to add structural support. The cab, firewall, and front suspension are one unit.
This required some cutting from the torch. I marked the lines I wanted to cut after carefully inspecting the design of the
front section. I made the cuts along existing seams that were spot welded. The cab came off as a complete unit and left behind
a rolling chassis. I'm very happy with the results. I plan to build the frame, add the roll cage, and then drop the body on
top and insulate it with rubber bushings, just like a truck.
8-14-04
Joel is shipping off to the Middle East tomorrow. I hate to see him go, he's a good guy trying to
put himself through medical school. The Army is taking him as a mechanic, his original job in the military. I narrowly avoided
being called to duty because of a knee injury. I'm going to see him and the rest of group off tomorrow. Wish him and everyone
else on the front lines luck. They serve their country whether they agree or disagree with the policy. They made an agreement
to the United States government to protect it's freedom. Although the leaders may sometimes have their own agenda, these men
and women serve all Americans. They want peace more than anyone. Once a person has seen combat and war, that person knows
that peace is the only answer. We live in a world of opposites. Good and evil, light and dark, man and woman, right and wrong.
Regardless of ones religion, there are two paths. As humans, we find ourselves in the middle with the option to choose at
our own will. That is life.
*update* Joel's assignment was dropped. He's still here in the states. My current military obligation has ended as of
9-27-04. My unit was put on standby for deployment the very next day!
7-25-04
We seperated the van section from the frame and removed all of the bolts holding the cab to the frame.
Some bolts had to removed with the "blue tipped wrench". I'll have to fix some sheet metal, but no big deal. The only
thing holding the cab down is the front suspension dampers. This is good news. We can build the chassis outside of the
car and the drop the body on top of it. Now I need to build a jig.
7-11-04
I finally got some free time to work on the Morris. Joaquin and I started around noon working on his
MG. He needed to make a small modification to allow the oil pan to clear the front crossmember. After that we began working
on the rear frame for the Morris. We cut the tack welds I had previously made and remeasured everything. It turns out the
rails are not identical and that was causing my measurement to vary. Without a jig it is very difficult to keep the assembly
symetrical, square, and straight. As welds are made and the metal cools, the metal bends slighty, and where something was
square before, it can vary after the weld is made. A jig prevents this by holding everthing together as the welds are made.
So, after some trial and error, we managed to create the rear section. Only four pieces of steel and four welds..... it was
much more difficult than it should have been. It's about as perfect as we can get it. It will require some cutting once we
determine to total length of the chassis. The next step will be installing the main frame rails which run the length of the
vehicle. They are the "backbone" of the entire chassis.
 6-20-04
I just returned home after spending three weeks with the Army. The project has been put on hold. Joaquin
and I have been working on my friend Joel's '94 Accord turbo project. The 3 weekends before I left were spent working
on Joel's car. We need one more weekend to finish it up. The Accord has an F22 block with stock 8.8:1 compression.... perfect
for a turbo.
I can't wait to get back to working on the Morris though....
5-23-04
Soooo slooooowww.... I barely have the patience I need to take on this project. The Morris
has been sitting a Joaquin's shop since it was dropped off 3 weeks ago. I live 65 miles away, work nights at a rural hospital,
take call for that rural hospital about once a month, and serve in the Texas National Gaurd. That leaves me with only 1 or
2 free weekends a month. Joaquin only has Sundays to work on the car, so that is only 1 or 2 days a month.
We got started really late. Our plans were to lay everything out, study the diagrams and instructions
supplied with the Jegster chassis kit, take some measurements, and get an idea of what we need and were to begin. Neither
Joaquin or myself have any previous experience with such an undertaking. Joaquin is a mechanical engineering student and I'm
a "shadetree."
My firend Joel came up from San Antonio to get some help with a turbo he is installing on an
older Accord. That took all morning. Then just before we were going to break for lunch, another friend arrived to get some
help replacing a broken mirror. More time wasted..... Then we ate a large lunch and returned to the shop. Central Texas is
just beginning to see temperatures of 90 degrees. And then laziness set in..... More time wasted.
Joel continued to pull Joaquin away and I was left to figure out the instructions by myself.
I decided I wanted to tack together the rear section to get an idea of how it will fit into the van. After making some measurements
and a little help from Jonathan, Joel, and Joaquin, we tacked the rear section together. It did not look right. One of my
measurements was 1/2" off. I ground the tack welds, remeasured, and we tacked it again. It looked better but not great. This
is not a permanent weld, just temporary to get an idea of how wide the rear section will be.
I will need to make a jig to insure my permanent welds are near perfect.
5-1-04
The truck is now at Lopez Auto Repair in South Austin. This is where the tube frame chassis will be
installed. Joaquin Lopez is a friend from Junior High and High School. He is a major part of this project. His encouragement
to spend my money building a kit Cobra prompted me to take on this project. He has training as an Electrical Engineer and
Mechanical Engineer, although he has yet to complete either degree. He is also a car nut. He is building (and has been for
3 years) an MGB with a Range Rover 4.6L aluminum V8. It's an awsome machine, and I want him to complete it!!! Joaquin has
offered to help me weld my frame together and offer any other help and advice.
All that steel will make its way into the Morris. It will be a solid platform
for a 300+hp drivetrain. The chassis is from Jeg's. It is designed for drag race applications. It will add a lot of weight
back to the vehicle, but will remain lighter than any production car.
4-22-04
The truck is now "gutted." I removed the front and rear doors, the windshield, the cargo area wood
floor panels, and the interior. Much of the wiring has been removed along with the rear lights. There was also some additional
plumbing left behind from the A/C my uncle installed.
4-12-04
I have removed the engine and tranny. I forgot how easy it is on a Morris. Once the front end is removed
the engine and tranny pull right out through the front. I used a chain hoist to support the engine and pushed the truck backwards.
The engine stays suspended in air and the truck becomes amazingly light. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the engine
and tranny. I have another Morris (1967 Pickup) and I was thinking about swapping the 1098cc for the panel truck's 1275cc.
I am also thinking about building a 1380cc with the old 1275cc block.
These old cars are so easy to work on, but years of dirt, rust, and grime make easy jobs difficult.
I love working on cars, but I hate getting dirt and grease under my fingernails... LOL!! Oh well, kind of goes along with
the territory.
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