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Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Mon Jun 07, 2021 2:56 pm
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.

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:31 pm
by Justin Rio
Hey Bill, You can see in these old photos that 550-055 was running standard brake drums.
Q2.jpg
Q2.jpg (116.57 KiB) Viewed 18061 times
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
Q40.jpg (97.44 KiB) Viewed 18061 times
No rear wheel spacers for wheel track compensation.

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2021 4:33 pm
by Bil Brown
Sure enough Justin.....good eye! Lee just learned a new detail!!

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:08 am
by Vic Skirmants
Interesting that the transmission that just sold has the spacers on the rear drums. I wonder who added those?

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:14 am
by Bil Brown
Vic......the first pic in this thread looks like rear spacers are on the rear.

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 8:16 am
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

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:03 pm
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!

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:45 pm
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!

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 4:24 pm
by Martin Benade
Nice progress. Any pictures of how you joined the frame to the body sheet metal?

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:18 pm
by Adam Wright
It's alive, fired the motor today, the exhaust is throaty!

https://www.facebook.com/adam.wright.96 ... 3681017111

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 7:28 pm
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!

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2022 9:30 pm
by Mike Wilson
Great progress, Adam!

Mike

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 12:55 am
by Adam Wright
It's been a productive weekend. Me and Wray really got rolling on the assembly. Dreams come true at Proshaper!

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 12:52 am
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.

Re: Aluminum 550 Spyder build

Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 10:21 am
by Trond Vidar
Looking good, I have seen some of his instructional videos on youtube, impressive skills in metal shaping.