Project No Flight?
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 5
From: Valrico Florida
I corresponded with him a while back about how he was going to form the headlight covers for his fixed headlight installation. He reported no progress at that time. It's been quite a while now though - almost 11 months.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 36
From: Annapolis MD
No Flight has pretty much been in hibernation the last two years, the fate of many projects that run too long and start to burn out. A combination of being in over my head with the EFI system leading to a loss in enthusiasm, coupled with not wanting to spend a lot of money on it (to take it to Tony's so they can dyno tune it) due to other expences.
I keep planning to get back on it (everytime I go by it taking stuff to the recycle bin in the garage I think about how it is wasting away just letting it sit there) but so far haven't actually done much. Some re-plumbing of the cooling system being the last thing from my need-to-do list to get done. I've tried to get my brother in-law over to help with a few things that need an extra set of hands but since he now works/lives in NY during the week and is only down to his MD house on weekends that hasn't materialized either.
I have figured out how to do (or try) the headlight covers and now that I can get Juliet's '70 out of the garage without being snow bound today would be a good day to take a crack at it. Who knows, maybe someone else pushing me will get some progress.
-Greg
I keep planning to get back on it (everytime I go by it taking stuff to the recycle bin in the garage I think about how it is wasting away just letting it sit there) but so far haven't actually done much. Some re-plumbing of the cooling system being the last thing from my need-to-do list to get done. I've tried to get my brother in-law over to help with a few things that need an extra set of hands but since he now works/lives in NY during the week and is only down to his MD house on weekends that hasn't materialized either.
I have figured out how to do (or try) the headlight covers and now that I can get Juliet's '70 out of the garage without being snow bound today would be a good day to take a crack at it. Who knows, maybe someone else pushing me will get some progress.
-Greg
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 5
From: Valrico Florida
There are two sayings I try to keep in mind when thinking about my long languishing '66 projects:
"Even if you are eating an Elephant, you can only go one bite at a time."
"The worst part of any job is dreading it.
"Even if you are eating an Elephant, you can only go one bite at a time."
"The worst part of any job is dreading it.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 36
From: Annapolis MD
Ok Vogie, part one of bending headlight covers. I got the rough trimmed blanks cut and bent, I need to borrow a couple tools to trim my end supports before I can start to final trim and mount them.
http://www.gregorypage.net/mar10/65corvette35.htm
-Greg
http://www.gregorypage.net/mar10/65corvette35.htm
-Greg
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 5
From: Valrico Florida
Thanks Greg.
I am nowhere near making headlight covers yet. I have stored your document in my favorites. I had considered making a form and heat the plastic with a radiant heater, but after reading your document, it is obvious that would be overkill.
I have discovered that BMW E30 headlight assemblies work in the opening perfectly and have one projector lens. On ebay, HID units are available with the "angel eyes" as on the new Camaro.
I am nowhere near making headlight covers yet. I have stored your document in my favorites. I had considered making a form and heat the plastic with a radiant heater, but after reading your document, it is obvious that would be overkill.
I have discovered that BMW E30 headlight assemblies work in the opening perfectly and have one projector lens. On ebay, HID units are available with the "angel eyes" as on the new Camaro.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 36
From: Annapolis MD
To relieve some of the pressure from curving the upper and lower sections I clamped them to the end pieces and heated the panels all over with my heat gun. It put some initial curve into the panels and significantly reduced the pressure that will eventually be held by the screws. I'll add a picture to the page when I finish the cover install.
-g
-g
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 0
From: Hawaii
Welcome back Greg.
I too have oftened wondered what became of Project "No Flight". Keep up the good work and check back regularly with your forum buddies. The sharing of your many skills are a real asset to our corvette community. We'll be waiting for the next installment
I too have oftened wondered what became of Project "No Flight". Keep up the good work and check back regularly with your forum buddies. The sharing of your many skills are a real asset to our corvette community. We'll be waiting for the next installment
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,805
Likes: 36
From: Annapolis MD
Next step in the headlight covers. As usual once I got further into it I decided to make some changes in how to attach things. I spend more time in the garage staring at it and wondering how I'm going to make it work than actually fabricating (or re-fabricating). I really wanted to avoid visible fasteners but in the end decided I can't make it work without them, and it will make it much less work if (when?) I break one to make a replacement (I'm going to pull final patterns off them when all the fitting is done and stash them where I hope I can remember where to find them). I'll end up with (hopefully) just three visible fasteners on the top edge of each cover and two less noticable ones on the bottom edge corners.
-Greg
http://www.gregorypage.net/mar10/65corvette35.htm
-Greg
http://www.gregorypage.net/mar10/65corvette35.htm
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,973
Likes: 5
From: Valrico Florida
Thanks Greg. Excellent work and another bite out of the elephant. You have reinforced a couple of ideas I had, and have proved a couple unuseable. I hope to incorporate the lens mounting into the mounts for the headlight buckets.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 19,777
Likes: 4,592
From: Canada's capital
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Nothing like a kick in the *** from your buds to get in there and keep chewing on that pachyderm. Tell your friends there's lots to go around and get 'em over to help, or at least to hand you beer!
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Last edited by Kerrmudgeon; Mar 15, 2010 at 10:25 AM.