Sows Ear Chassis

[garyeanderson]

I have written up some of the story of Tingles race car body
elan-f14/tingles-production-race-elan-body-t16586.html
else where and it needs a bit more work, it needed a chassis as I didn?t have one. Rick Cranshaw got a new one for his Sprint and this chassis needed a bit of work and I got it for the right price, I went to pick it up and removed it from his side yard. This was 3 years ago now. I guess this Elan is really the ?sow?s ear special? as it?s not really much of an Elan but a ton of work. I have not done much of that as of late but its time to get off my ass and start. Somehow they are not getting done by themselves and its time. That said I dragged this chassis down from the rafters after looking at purchasing a new one and the numbers kind of gagged me. Two weeks ago Bill called me and he was in need of something to do and I had helped him some with his last two projects so he said to bring it up. I went to Wednesday lunch at Tiny?s and got the photos of GKN 47D and then went up to Bills and dropped it off. Yesterday I went to pick it up and I figured I would get some pictures of it posted. There are some with the black bitumen scrapped off, some more of the front rotted out vacuum tank opened up and even some more of it welded up. I need to get some primer and paint on it, I am thinking Chassis Black but I may go with the read lead prime color. I need to get some prices but I am guessing that Black will win the day with this budget project. I don?t know if this chassis should have been saved but I guess now that it?s come this far it?s going to work out just fine. Bill says the vacuum tank now holds air so I guess that means it should hold a vacuum too. I want to thank Rick and Bill for all of their help as I do need it and appreciate it greatly.

This is what happens when you don't keep the weep holes at the bottom open and the shit builds up and then moisture stays there too long and aftre 20 years or so they look like this.

This is the other side that looked pretty good until I started poking at it with a screwdriver and I opened it up.

The saddle blanket took it toll on this chassis, I guess it didn't leak enough and the blanket adsorbed the water instead of 90 weight out of the gearbox

[garyeanderson]

A photo is the good side of the spine where the blanket was, I never re-install this, just a bad idea to me to attach anything at all to the chassis that will trap moisture.

I cleaned up the welds a bit better and gave it a quick coat of prime in a can, the wind is blowing 20 mph so I didn't want to start sand blasting as it's just nasty to start with and the wind just doesn't help.

[bast0n]

Gary - brilliant.

Lots of people will tell you this is a NO NO but it ain't as you have shown. My local Elan expert does a fantastic job on repairs, often with the body on!!

Can be stronger than the original and that is not difficult!

[garyeanderson]

Gary - brilliant.

Lots of people will tell you this is a NO NO but it ain't as you have shown. My local Elan expert does a fantastic job on repairs, often with the body on!!

Can be stronger than the original and that is not difficult!

Hi David

This is a low dollar project. the body is about a $100 and this chassis has more diesel fuel in it than anything else, about $70 and 370 miles. I hope to get it built up and hidden away under the body soon. There is no other place to put it so I will build it up in the living room and then move it outside and hide it under the body with EPDM membrane roofing material to protect it from the elements.

Gary

[reb53]

Did the same to mine, in situ, and it lasted for years, ( until I hit something actually....).
My welding was almost as bad....

Cheers
Ralph.

[65sunbeam]

Great job Gary!
I have wondered if it were possible to repair those areas as all the info I have read seems to sound like one should just go order a new chassis. At one time didn't someone sell frame repair sections? Thanks for sharing this and the photos-it will insprire me to put the gas axe to the S3 chassis! Eric

[garyeanderson]

Hi Eric

You need to brace the front turrets by welding diagonals on!

I emailed Bill and he said that there are no photos but he X braced it like this

January 17th 2013

Bill has been working on this chassis and I took this photo to illustrate the bracing that was done to hold the front chassis turrets in place while doing the repairs.

Gary

[Elan45]

Gary,

I was going to repair my SS chassis back in the early 80's, but I plopped for a new galvo chassis instead. I've still got the old one and a set of repair, If I ever get the urge.

Instead of welding on a temp X brace as you've suggested, I made up 6 pieces of metal drilled to fit from the one side to the other and top pin to bottom suspension mounting pin, front and back side of the crossmember. I offered them to a friend recently and in the short time I had to prepare for our Florida migration, I couldn't find all the pieces. Some of the pieces were not straight, in order to clear the frame at the back and the steering rack. When we return in a month, I need to find them and put them in one place. The shop manual shows the pin locations so the math was not a problem.

Roger

[Bill]

Gary and all

I guess I will hang on to the two spare chassis I have (perfect but for dirt/dust compared to the examples posted) and tune them up and keep them. When I restored 26/0538 15 years ago I had it acid dipped to get rid of surface rust grime, paint and such. I epoxy primed the chassis (the chemicals almost killed me) and then red primered it to factory specs.

After 49 years of ownership I 'spose I am becomming a bit of a a pureist.

Keep 'em running guys.

P.S. Gary my winter heat bill was about 10 time yours. The mid west cold came to the west coast of Canader 'eh.

Keep your sticks on the ice - Go Canucks Go!

Bill

[Tonyw]

Hi Guy's,

My car came with a new galvanized chassis (oops frame) so I have not had to repair mine , however I would have no hesitation whatsoever in doing what Gary has done to his, I would have used a gas shielded mig though and perhaps put in the plates then had some additional steel folded to go around three sides, I see Ceejay's front frame strengthening thingy looks to be useful in getting more rigidity across the front although I do not know how anyone would measure the difference or even if it is really needed.

Tonyw

[garyeanderson]

I think some of you folks know what my garage looks like and I can't get the chassis in there so this is where they will be built up into near rollers (differential but no engine or gearbox, wheels, or tir-es). They will be assembled and when they are nearly done I will turn them on there sides and load them on a moving dolly with a pair of milk cases stacked to support the side of the chassis and roll them out through the front door. Its been done before so it works just fine. Anyway I didn't plan to have them in just yet but we had some rain and snow and I just don't need any more prep work than these already need so they came in for a few days.

I was looking at the Sows ear chassis (on the right) and the steering mount on the right side was "puffed up", I though about it and got some tools out. 2 hammers, a piece of 1/2 x 2 inch flat steel, screwdriver, a finger nail file, and a pick that my friend gave me.

This photo show the "after" of removing the rust by first opening up the front edge with a screwdriver. I then picked away at the loose scale. Once I was done, I used the 2 hammers to break up more until I was nearly through and worked from the back. In the end I got the pick all the way though and then cleaned it up with a sheet of sand paper folded in half. I need to get some primer in between still but when thats done I will pinch it back together with a C clamp and hammers

Tools and rust on the floor

Rust swept up into a pile with the tools, I put the rust in an envelope and weighed it - 23 grams of dead weight gone!

Oh Yea, I measured both chassis, between the fulcrum pins and they are exactly the same so there was no distortion with Bill's X method, its nice to have stuff around for comparison.

[garyeanderson]

My tools are old and so am I. I got out the sand blaster to have at it this morning and the hose was leaking so I had to rig it, seems like I had all the tools out just to get a simple job done. How does that work like that? Anyway I got an early start and carried out the chassis and cleaned out the sand blaster, I was storing a chain saw in it and the leaked all of the chain lube into the old sand. So I dumped out what I could and got out the gunk to clean the oil. That led to getting the hose out to wash the gunk out. I dried it out and a little bit of acetone on a rag to get the last of the oil/gunk removed. I ended up using about 160 lbs of body sand and another 60 or so lbs of black beauty. All of it was left over from the last project, I guess I?ll need another 2 or 3 bags of sand and another bag of Black beauty to finish of the other one, That?s going to wait for a bit till I get this one painted. I still got a good days work in and I guess I am going to have to buy some paint now, Oh well that?s just the start of the money pit.

[Sea Ranch]

Really enjoying this thread, Gary.

So, 160 lbs of sand and another 60 of finer material; what do you reckon that much media costs these days?

[Henry VIIII]

One can tell you are not a married person.

[Sea Ranch]

I personally like beautifully engineered pieces in my living room. But the fairer gender usually has a different take on beauty.

Be true to you, Gary