[TPR] Asa's Roll Cage progress

[TeamPantera]

Great job Asa.

Asa Jay Laughton via TPR <tpr at teampanteraracing.com> wrote:

>After taking the Pantera for a spirited run, and after emailing you all 
>the last time, I went back out and began work on securing the front legs 
>of the roll cage.
>
>I had been very reluctant to cut the carpet.  Why?  Well that's a darn 
>good question considering it's the original stock carpet and already has 
>holes through it to the jute underlayment on the driver's side.  Once I 
>took the floor mats out and was reminded of what was actually -under- 
>them... I took knife in hand and had at it.
>
>The first photo (or last depending on how they were attached), shows how 
>I bench-fueled the rebuilt carb and leveled the floats.  Using a 
>handheld vacuum/pressure pump with the jar attached full of gas and 
>attached to the fuel log inlet, just pump until the floats stop coming 
>up.  You can see the sight plug is removed on the left fuel bowl (it was 
>on the right as well but you can't see it.  I had set up the car as 
>level as I could right-to-left (width-wise) and at about the same front 
>to back angle as it would be on the car.  It worked pretty well.
>
>Next, there are a series of four photos showing what I did to finish 
>attaching the roll cage in the front.  I first cut the carpet and peeled 
>it back for access to the rocker.  Using a hole saw, I carefully cut a 
>hole near the roll cage mounting pad.  This gave me rear-access to run 
>the bolts and washers up through.  Then I had to insert a wrench to hold 
>the inside while I tightened the outside.  I then tightened a second nut 
>on top the first to lock them in place.
>
>One photo shows the hole cut in the driver's side.  The other three show 
>the passenger side which has the battery cables running through it.  I 
>first drilled the pilot hole for the hole saw.  I did this by setting 
>the pilot bit in the hold saw so that only about an 1/8" was protruding, 
>that way the hole saw edge would stop me quickly.
>
>I then ran a piece of stiff wire into the hole and felt around for the 
>cables and the immediate back side of the rocker I needed to drill 
>through.  The cables felt like they were well out of the way so I 
>proceeded.  You can see the cables after I got the hole cut.  The last 
>photo shows the nuts and second nuts in place.
>
>For now, I'm just flopping the carpet back in place.  I'm hoping to buy 
>an oil temp gauge this week and I might need to run more stuff through 
>the rockers.  Once I'm finished completely I'll tack the carpet back 
>down with some 3M Super Trim Adhesive.
>
>I tightened all the roll cage bolts all around and we are done.  The 
>roll cage is completely installed.  All I really have left to do on it 
>is attach the padding.
>
>I briefly spoke with my friend a couple doors down who has all the 
>welding equipment.  We weren't able to get together today, but we will 
>tomorrow in order to weld in the O2 sensor bung.  I'll have to run those 
>wires through the driver's side rocker; another good reason not to glue 
>the carpet back down yet.  :)
>
>Alright, I'm off to a barbecue at our Pastor's house, and then later 
>tonight I'll probable be putting in another order at Summit for gear 
>oil, oil temp gauge and pod and probably spark plug wires (I don't 
>recall how old these are).
>
>Getting closer,
>Asa  Jay
>
>-- 
>Asa Jay Laughton - W7TSC, MSgt, USAFR, Retired
>&  Shelley Marie
>Spokane, WA
>******************************
>http://www.racingagainstautism.com
>http://www.teampanteraracing.com
>http://facebook.com/racingagainstautism
>
>
>
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