10 replies to this topic

[Jim Drago]

We are building an 02 car.. We started another build blog. Take a look

Jim

http://mazdaracers.c...-2002-sm-build/

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[dstevens]

What do you guys use to design, bend and notch the tubing for the cages? I use Bendtech Pro and a JD2 Model 3 with SPX air over hydro and JD2 Notchmaster. Small time, but it gets the job done. I do more pit equipment than cages.

[Jim Drago]

We have the bend pro software as well, but truthfully, we ended up using 1/2 conduit ( a long time ago) and a foot bender to get a pattern which helped get all the bars real tight etc. We use a JD squre electric over hydraulic bender and Mittler Brothers end mill style notcher.

[dstevens]

Great idea on the conduit, thanks. I used a couple of sticks of REW to prototype and adjutsed by measuring and was able to cut most of it up and use on other projects before I fabbed in DOM. Would love to have one of the Mittler Bros end mill notchers, just couldn't justify. Hell, I can't even seem to get the car finished at this point. Counting my time and material for only a few grand more I could have had you or Wheeler build me one by the time it's all said and done. But I couldn't have justified all the tools and fab equipment upgrades. I started out doing a 7-8k base build just get me on the track knowing it would be more like 10k and now it'll be about 15k car only at this point. I chose to ignore the advice and didn't get as clean a donor as I should have.

Of course if you had one of these bad boys you wouldn't need the templates. With a set of tooling and freight it's around the price of one of your top shelf SM builds. Need to sell a lot of cages to pay for that baby.........

[Jim Drago]

Great idea on the conduit, thanks. I used a couple of sticks of REW to prototype and adjutsed by measuring and was able to cut most of it up and use on other projects before I fabbed in DOM. Would love to have one of the Mittler Bros end mill notchers, just couldn't justify. Hell, I can't even seem to get the car finished at this point. Counting my time and material for only a few grand more I could have had you or Wheeler build me one by the time it's all said and done. But I couldn't have justified all the tools and fab equipment upgrades. I started out doing a 7-8k base build just get me on the track knowing it would be more like 10k and now it'll be about 15k car only at this point. I chose to ignore the advice and didn't get as clean a donor as I should have.

Of course if you had one of these bad boys you wouldn't need the templates. With a set of tooling and freight it's around the price of one of your top shelf SM builds. Need to sell a lot of cages to pay for that baby.........

If money was no issue... I think we would have a 200,000 sq ft warehouse with all kinds of cool stuff

[Jim Drago]

I posted some new pictures of the car today.. Coming along


http://mazdaracers.c...-2002-sm-build/

Jim

[Brendan O]

Tom Fowler at OPM is building a 2003 for me:

https://picasaweb.go...6024/00OPMBuild#

It was my DD that I did HPDE events with. Will a 2003 be competitive?

[Dan Cooper]

Tom Fowler at OPM is building a 2003 for me:

https://picasaweb.go...6024/00OPMBuild#

It was my DD that I did HPDE events with. Will a 2003 be competitive?

If you drive it faster than anyone else can drive theirs. Yes.

[Dan Cooper]

oops. apparently the mobile post didn't work.

It was supposed to say:

If you drive your 03 faster than anyone else can drive their cars...it will be competitive...

[Brendan O]

oops. apparently the mobile post didn't work.

It was supposed to say:

If you drive your 03 faster than anyone else can drive their cars...it will be competitive...

ok then - i'll drive faster than everyone else

[Dan Cooper]

its the best way to win races -- so i hear...