Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

The front tires would only let me go straight, so something had to be done...



I unfolded the fender edge, cut a few slits, and hammer and dollied it to my best guess. Then I bent a piece of 1/8 rod (I used stainless because I had a length on hand) - to the shape of the final wheel well opening on both sides (I spent some time to get them the same, cutting out a cardboard pattern), and mig welded them to the fender with rods to the underside of the edge. I had some 1/16 white polystyrene sheet, which was great for making patterns for the new metal. I cut them out (of 20 ga) with a bench shear (more accurate) for the mating edge, and a bandsaw (faster) for the outside edge. I decided to oxy/acetylene weld them, with a 0 (smallest) tip on a Cobra Torch (Henrob/DHC2000). These run on 4lbs each of OA, and have a flame about the size of a sharpie tip, giving a soft weld that hammers easily (though I had little trouble with distortion.









A lot of the flares I looked at really covered only the top half of the tire, but as I wanted to keep the rocks off my rear fenders, I brought them on down, and down in front to meet the splitter.





After a little hole filling, more hammering, and sanding, gave them two wet coats of Southern Polyurethane's White epoxy primer, and then some body filler. More sanding, and two more coats of epoxy primer. I will wait til it warms up to shoot the base/clearcoat. (I had to put a couple space heaters on the epoxy. It wants things at least 65.





(One of the things I like about the SP primer is that it dries to a gloss.

Next up, airdam/splitter.
This is 6mm Russian Birch (splitter) and 1/4" bending ply (air dam), screwed together with some aluminum angles I cut from a 1x2"x1/8 angle, my plan is to put an epoxy fillet at the corner, and fiberglass/epoxy the front of the airdam, top of the splitter, and kevlar/epoxy the bottom. The splitter stops a little short of the oil pan, I'll probably run a couple square tubes back and mount the back to the transmission, and the front to the bumper mounts. I am still doodling on the mechanism, as I want a little spring loaded give, a little adjustment, and easy removal.

The shape is cut large, so I can look at the final front edge curve while it is in position, probably about an inch inside of what is there now.





I am considering an extra ramping curve at the junction of splitter, wheel well:



Michael

Fantastic fabrication skills.
Dan

Wow man, I'm really digging it. Normally I don't really like over flared cars, but this looks almost factory. To me, it may be a little abrupt in the slope transitioning from the fender to the flare... as I like a more gradual transition, but that's just me! Really nice.

Looking good!
I also like the idea of the ramp up. Seems to have a nicer flow asteticly.

Matthew

Mad skills. Looks great.
Keith

Continued, slowly;





The 'canard' is expanded polystyrene (the pink stuff at Home Depot - closed cell, waterproof - I made a paper pattern, cut them out on the bandsaw). The top side got a layer of fiberglass (cloth) and epoxy, the bottom a layer of kevlar epoxy. It will get one more coat of epoxy on the bottom, after I rivet it to the little steel sub-frame. Some where in my messy shop I have some Coat-It (epoxy with chopped kevlar and graphite powder) left over from the driftboat bottom, which would make a good last coat for the bottom.



Then a few passes of AllMetal filler, and a couple coats of epoxy primer. The front subframe has a slot, with bolt to a bracket off the bumper mounts, which gives 1 1/2 inches vertical (actually angled back similar to the lower front fender, the back spring loaded bolts into the tranny with an inch or so of fore/aft movement. The mounting bolts are accessible from the wheel well, the back pretty tight without jacking it up. (dreaming of a lift) (:
Here is about the middle of adjustment range ~ 3.5" off the floor (exhaust isnt much taller)





On other fronts I tracked down a frustrating current leak - (disconnected both fuse panels before tracking it down to a bad ebay Ford solinoid (used to power the starting cable), replaced it with a name brand one (from Amazon).

Michael

Looking good. Any idea what the air dam weighs?
Dan

The plywood/fiberglass part is pretty light, and most of the metal frame is light gauge, with a little 12 ga. where the bolts are - so I am guessing 15-20lbs.
I have been debating adding two stainless steel rods from the front bumper (if you look closely there are screw holes) to the front lip. But I haven't figured that out yet.
Not sure I want to try the stand on it test yet, but it feels pretty rigid.

Nice air dam, looks like you possess some artistic flair!

Really nice work! Looks like you're having fun! Gonna have to be careful around tall speed bumps and low parking lot stops, but clearly if you damage it you won't have any trouble fixing it. Its really nice that you can paint it with the white primer and have it look like top coat. So it goes under the car too, like the plastic on modern cars, to reduce drag?

It ends about 3" behind the front cross member, leaving room to drain the oil without filling it (:
I could add a second piece back to the tranny, perhaps with dzus fasteners for access.
With luck it will make into my driveway at home (: