Aluminum 550 Spyder build

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Bil Brown
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#121 Post by Bil Brown »

Adam.......do you know if your buddy Bill Haupt`s 0054 has 60mm brakes from factory?.....and is it a "high-rail" frame car? I asked LeeRaskin if 0055 was fitted with 60mm brakes, but he could`nt answer that question and referred me to Jerry Slonger`s 4 cam book.....and I looked and he mentions nothing about 550 brakes! I know the big brakes were fitted to some of the 550 cars, but not all.
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Justin Rio
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#122 Post by Justin Rio »

Hey Bill, You can see in these old photos that 550-055 was running standard brake drums.
Q2.jpg
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You can see that the center snout on the front drum protrudes out further from the surface than a GT drum. The extra width on the 60mm brakes went to the outside so the center isn't so pronounced and...
Q40.jpg
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No rear wheel spacers for wheel track compensation.

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Bil Brown
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#123 Post by Bil Brown »

Sure enough Justin.....good eye! Lee just learned a new detail!!
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Vic Skirmants
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#124 Post by Vic Skirmants »

Interesting that the transmission that just sold has the spacers on the rear drums. I wonder who added those?

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Bil Brown
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#125 Post by Bil Brown »

Vic......the first pic in this thread looks like rear spacers are on the rear.
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Bil Brown
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#126 Post by Bil Brown »

Also, when 60mm drums are fitted to a 550 car, a different offset 16" alloy/steel wheel was used. There are 2 different 16" a/s wheels
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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#127 Post by Adam Wright »

Ok, It looks like we are entering the home stretch in terms of the chassis being operational. Geoff has working brakes, exhaust, shifting, engine and gearbox in place. Some of these things sound simple, except when you realize there is no mechanism for a lot of it. Brakes sure, they are brakes. But shifting on a hybrid chassis with components that are new to it. For example, the linkage and shifting that works on the 519 doesn't work on the 644, which I am using, so Geoff had to do a lot of thinking outside the box and trail and error to see what works. Probably a lot of what the Factory had to do when they made the first 550's.
Better him than me. I was recently told by a mechanic who I know really well that I'm a good finder, an ok salesman, but an awful mechanic. He told me politely to play to my strengths!
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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#128 Post by Adam Wright »

Chassis is done, picked it up at Geoff's today, just missing the blizzard that is hitting tonight. A Nor'Easter, they are calling it.

Next stop is Proshaper where we will skin this baby!
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Martin Benade
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#129 Post by Martin Benade »

Nice progress. Any pictures of how you joined the frame to the body sheet metal?
Cleveland Ohio
62 Cabriolet
56 VW
02 IS 300
04 Sienna

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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#130 Post by Adam Wright »

It's alive, fired the motor today, the exhaust is throaty!

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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#131 Post by Adam Wright »

Loaded up the car today to head to Wray's so we can start skinning it this weekend, if you squint you can see the dream!
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Mike Wilson
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#132 Post by Mike Wilson »

Great progress, Adam!

Mike
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'63 B coupe

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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#133 Post by Adam Wright »

It's been a productive weekend. Me and Wray really got rolling on the assembly. Dreams come true at Proshaper!
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Adam Wright
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#134 Post by Adam Wright »

Last pics from the 550 build weekend with Wray Schelin at Proshaper, the car is finally taking shape after all these years of working away.
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Trond Vidar
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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

#135 Post by Trond Vidar »

Looking good, I have seen some of his instructional videos on youtube, impressive skills in metal shaping.
'56A coupe & '63B coupe

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