Thread: Stirlsilver's Disco Ute Project

Fibreglass will probably allow more scope for the unexpected and is more forgiving. But, oh, the sanding!

Putting the gutter round the back will be a major advantage I reckon, just remember to put some drain holes behind the driver and passenger doors, you know, like on the ute cab roof on the Stage 1

Alan

Way too much thought going into this, just cut and shut the f@cker and be done with it .

Yr basing yr computer model on the fact that the land rover body and chassis is going to be the same on both sides.... i had 15mm difference at the body mounts on the chassis from right to left when i cut my rangie up and 10mm 10 40mm when i cut the disco. I had to cut the c pillar mount with a grinder to match the driverside and in the end I had to shim the body mounts to keep it level so it didnt **** with the doors and panel alignment!!

Keep up the good work and good luck just remember somethings aren't ment to be mm perfect! It will just do yr head in!

Mick

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Way too much thought going into this, just cut and shut the f@cker and be done with it .

I'm an engineer... thinking is what I do!

Originally Posted by disco_ute

Yr basing yr computer model on the fact that the land rover body and chassis is going to be the same on both sides.... i had 15mm difference at the body mounts on the chassis from right to left when i cut my rangie up and 10mm 10 40mm when i cut the disco. I had to cut the c pillar mount with a grinder to match the driverside and in the end I had to shim the body mounts to keep it level so it didnt **** with the doors and panel alignment!!

Keep up the good work and good luck just remember somethings aren't ment to be mm perfect! It will just do yr head in!

Mick

Thanks for the info Mick, these sorts of details are very handy to know for this. Although from my measurements so far everything is pretty square. I fully appreciate that it is impossible to be accurate. The purpose of the modelling is just to allow visualisation of what I want. Also, for example when I start designing the frame I have an idea of the shape, the sizing and approximate amount of material needed to get the job done. The details would come out as it was built.

I'll have to start trying some ways to do the gutter. Maybe next weekend I'll make a start on that. Will see.

Originally Posted by stirlsilver

I'll have to start trying some ways to do the gutter. Maybe next weekend I'll make a start on that. Will see.

The disco roof is PITA cause it all steel and doesn't pull apart very easy. Mine was based on a range rover so i had the use the alloy roof and could screw it on and off and LRA sell fiberglass caps for them only problem is if you are tall yr hair rubs on the hood lining. pm me yr email address if you like I have loads of pics of my build that i never posted anywhere.

Mick

If you are stuck for ideas for the gutter corners have a look at what ive done, i think i have pictures up.... if not i will put some up soon.

Cheers,

tim

Originally Posted by stirlsilver

I'm an engineer... thinking to much is what I do!

I was looking at that quote on me rovercare. And I though "Dammit I spelt "too" wrong" then next time I came online I realised that wasn't actually my quote ya mongrel

Tonight I started playing with a way to make up the gutters and it seems like it might work. As I had made up the channels in SolidWorks I simply exported part of the model and produced some drawings from it. Then printed them out 1:1 scale so I could use them as templates.



By using a 1.5" flat bar, I can fit both turns onto a single piece.




And then by using some thinner 20mm flat bar I spot welded the two together and used a hammer to make the material follow the profile spot welding along the joint.





Overall I think this might be a good way to making up the gutter. It ends up pretty close to the original profile and it allows me to get that little lip on the underside which the plastic trimming can hook on to.

What I'm thinking of doing is making up 5 flat sections, the two sections which have the radiused bends and the other 3 pieces being the straight parts (2 on the side and the long one across the back). Then welding the pieces together and then bending and spot welding the lip along the outside edge.

I'll have to get some more material and do a proper attempt to make the final items then weld them together to make a single piece.