Another Super 7

[ScaleMaster]

OK, so next I figured I’d make a wheel for it.
I have a hood, and a leftover tire to fit a rim to. All I need to do is make a wheel and then just fill in the stuff between them, right?
I started off with a chunk of 6061 aluminum rod stock, (actually two like this):

Using the lathe, I turned out two parts like this. The basic shape of the face of the spokes/spider is cut in at this point.
Front:

Back:

I made sure they nested together with a positive fit:

Next I cut out everything that wasn’t the spider part of the wheel on the mill and added lug holes:

Here is the dry assembled rim:

I used a 195/50R15 tire. The standard Tamiya kit provided a 15X6 rim. I wanted more. So my rim is 15X8. Any wider (in my mockups) and the tread bowed in like it was underinflated. 8 inches wide is pushing it for this tire, but I like the way the sidewall looks now.
A stock Tamiya (a spare tire from a previous build) is on the right for comparison:


The almost finished wheel; it needs a little surface fine tuning before making a mold:

[Giovanni]

Great wheel!

[Dr Dave]

You're off to a great start Mark. This machining work fascinates me.

[Dougritt]

Excellent machining!

[ScaleMaster]

Thanks guys!
I was enjoying the mill work so much I decided to make a cam cover, something custom to contain a bit rowdier pair of cams. The bolt pattern is the same as what would mount to a BDR Cosworth head. I milled this out of 7075 aluminum. This is the top:

And this is the underside cut to fit the head (I still need to make) positively:

Here I have added the fittings for the PCV line and a made a “710 cap”…

[kmeaders@q.com]

Now that is impressive!

[Old Busted Hotness]

You're putting the Super in this Seven!

I still remember the guys who ran the whole One Lap of America in one of those back in '96. No top, no luggage. I was happy enough in the Mercedes.

[SVtrackhead]

Nice work on the Super 7. Why not just have four machined aluminum wheels instead of casting the rest? (easy for me to say, I know)

I still remember the guys who ran the whole One Lap of America in one of those back in '96. No top, no luggage. I was happy enough in the Mercedes.

That was a replica called a "Rotus" I think, made in MD.

[ScaleMaster]

Thanks guys!

At eight to ten hours machining time per wheel it is a better use of my time to make masters and molds than to machine.
I am doing this the old fashioned way, not CNC.
Let's not even talk about the issue of possibly making an error on a wheel while trying to cut four identical sets...

Plus these will be painted when finished so a polished metal look is not required. I can always machine beauty rings and fit them to the cast wheels if I want.



Before I could fully finish the shape of the rear of the hood, I needed a cowl piece to mate it to. The cowl is made from the same piece of brass as the hood. Here is the basic shape cut from the sheet.

I hammered over the front edge and reinforced it with solder. Relief cuts were made into that flange to allow the shape to match the hood starting at the top center and working outward.

Then a lip for the hood to sit on was formed and soldered on while shaping it to match the hood.

Another arch was made of brass rod and set inside the lip with solder.

Still a little more work fitting the cowl and hood together, but they are coming along…

[Dougritt]

Fun project...keep posting!

[ScaleMaster]

I made some intake horns with mounting flanges so I could mock up/measure the spacing and location of them and the carbs in relation to the hood and determine where to cut the hole in the side of the hood.

[ajwheels]

Those parts are gorgeous............there is something about nicely machined pieces..............cutting metal is one thing, but truly shaping things takes it to a whole different level....................

Tony

[Tage]

Now you need to build a scale "Unisyn" to balance the carbs.

[ScaleMaster]

Before I cut the hole I made ribs to add some rigidity to the hood and soldered them in. I also did a little more work to true up the fit to the cowl.

Then I cut the hole. Still need to do some surface work, but it is stable now.