I'd like to share with the members here a completed project that I started when I was about 16ish(around the mid 90's....) Sitting down with my dad one evening we did a few conceptual sketches for a mid-engine vehicle. Some styling cues were borrowed from classic European sports cars as well as American muscle cars of the late 60's. The SR-71 Blackbird played a key role with regards to the shape of the vehicle - such as the concave surfaces flowing from the front fenders and into the turbos. The interior design was based loosely around a fighterjet cockpit. Our goal was to create something that may have resembled a factory produced elegant supercar in the 60's.
A shot of the SR-71 depicted on the car's show poster.
Then about 3 years later the fun began - building the car. I basically learned how to shape metal, weld, do bodywork, and paint...and while I had some experience from repairing our own vehicles, it wasn't to the degree required in creating an entire car. That came from just picking up the tools and getting into the work.
Rhythm was handcrafted from flat sheet metal entirely from scratch and taking 8 years (8000 hours) to complete. As for the powerplant, I utilized a 'hotrodded' SBC350 Chevy V8 mounted in a reverse rotation (pulleys facing the back of the car) manner. The vehicle is licensed as a fully functional road vehicle.
Ohh...and I almost forgot to mention...the body is all steel.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-30-2011).]
First question I get is.... "What the heck it is?"
The theme took influences from the SR71 blackbird - kinda. Took 8 years to get it built. People that have seen it...i guess depends what cars they're into.. say.. Maserati, Ferarri, Mustang, Camaro, Charger, Jaguar, etc...
Since i can't easily post the display poster that's shown at car shows - too hard to read when posted on the site, I've summarized some of the content below.
Chassis - 'Hotrodded' SBC350 Chevy V8 mounted in a reverse rotation - Fuel tank mounted down the centre of vehicle for a balanced weight distribution - 4 Wheel Disk brakes
Body - All hand-crafted sheet metal body - Fighter jet influences incorporated into overall design - Functional twin turbos provide additional cooling with ‘57 Ford Fairlane lenses at rear - Running, signal, and brake lights retrofitted with LEDs - Sequential signals on rear deck facilitate a tracer effect - Triumph TR7 front and side glass - Jaguar hood 'massaged' for a more aggressive yet elegant appearance - Power mirror supports blended creating an extension of the rear turbo with no visible fasteners - Elliptical shaped exhaust ports flush fit with body - Trim pieces for hood and turbo scoops hand formed and polished - inlaid with woven stainless steel mesh - Side trim pieces machined and hand tailored from billet aluminum - Custom moulded wheel centre caps
Interior - Mat finished interior presents a refined atmosphere - Hand brushed stainless steel trim inlaid into dash and extended into door tops - Driver’s console based on a fighter jet cockpit - occupants experience fighter vision - Heads up display located on ceiling - Steering column ignition key shaved and relocated below dash - Hand-crafted billet aluminum foot pedals
When I get a moment I'll post some pics from one of the most recent car shows in my area.
Cheers
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 04-15-2015).]
Here are some pics from the 2008 Last Chance Car Show in Welland, Ontario. Many of the pictures didn't come out too well as there were a lot of ppl crowded around. It was also raining first thing in the morning so we didn't get to the show untill about 11:30...493rd out of 525 cars.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
I used a 'hotrodded' SBC350 Chevy V8 mounted in a reverse rotation (pulleys facing the back of the car) manner. It puts out about 375HP...enough for some fun.
Cheers.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
Such enthusiasm was expressed in the flipper rear ends thread that I couldn't resist to post this. There's a lot of work involved to get the rear to flip 'weightlessly"...not sure if that's a word...
As requested here are some pictures of how the rear integrates with the car when it's flipped up. The tolerances are 3/16" around all the gaps and nothing has rubbed or chipped.
Here's the fuel filler. Ensures that no one messes with the fuel. You can also see the trim piece for the turbo intakes.
Latching mechanisms can be seen from this perspective. Also, if work needs to be done on the engine, the stops can be disconnected and the rear will flip up the full 90deg.
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[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-30-2011).]
Well it didn't rain tonite so we took Rhythm down to Niagara Falls. Under the motel and casino lights she looked incredible. People would come up to the car while we were stopped at red lights asking questions, snapping pictures, and chatting... utter amazment. Even the girls out there!
The most asked question was "what is it". It's an experience to drive her.
AMAZING! Very nice work and craftsmanship. I gotta' hand it to you... that is a work of art. Making it out of sheet metal is truly mind boggleing. You may have it all figured out, but if you are interested in the information, I have an SBC / Porsche 930 set up in my tube chassis race car that I built. I would love to help you get some horsey in that masterpiece!
Again, fantastic job. (chant while bowing.... we're not worthy... we're not worthy.. )
WOW!!!! I love the interior even though I am not so keen on the exterior. I can still appreciate the effort that has gone into the body and the talent behind all teh modifications!!!!!!
I also have to ask about all these claims people make about the "fighter jet" experience. I have heard this claim from a few builders/tweakers. I actually fly jets and I have to tell you not one of the cars that have claimed that come anywhere even close...not even slightly if you squint with one eye and completely close the other one, to any of the instrumentation of layouts of a jet. Not meaning to be arguementattive or downplay the effort you obviously put into this because it is brilliant. Just wondered which fighter you were in that it was modeled after?
WOW!!!! I love the interior even though I am not so keen on the exterior. I can still appreciate the effort that has gone into the body and the talent behind all teh modifications!!!!!!
I also have to ask about all these claims people make about the "fighter jet" experience. I have heard this claim from a few builders/tweakers. I actually fly jets and I have to tell you not one of the cars that have claimed that come anywhere even close...not even slightly if you squint with one eye and completely close the other one, to any of the instrumentation of layouts of a jet. Not meaning to be arguementattive or downplay the effort you obviously put into this because it is brilliant. Just wondered which fighter you were in that it was modeled after?
Thanks very much! Yeah, with this car I don't think I'll be changing the exterior. Saying that, "the next one" will definitely have the exterior massaged. ie. overhangs shortened, rocker scoops re proportioned, and overall height lowered. Thats the fun of creating. I started building this one at 19/20years old and took 8 years...the next one won't take half as long since I know where I'm going with design and performance. It's been an exponential learning curve. Moreover, when referring to the term "fighter jet cockpit" I'm using it very loosely. I've never flown a jet...that must be one hell of an experience. All I mean is that when the driver is sitting in the car it feels like a cockpit...everything at your fingertips...and with the driver(I'm 6' 3") sitting so low all I see over the hood is the front scoop.
Thanks for looking at her and thanks again for the compliments.
Nick
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[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
There are no visible fasteners holding the power mirror brackets and housings. They've been handcrafted out of steel in such a way that they get proportionally smaller in diameter as they come towards the front of the vehicle. So, imagine the turbo intake scoop creating a tunnel from front to rear... now if one cut two sections out, one in front and one behind the bracket...the bracket would be all that remains.
With all the concave surfaces the reflections produced totally dazzle people. Around the windshield there is no rubber molding...it was gapped with a 3/16" gap around the perimeter and Speedy Glass in Welland installed it so well that it looks seamless with the body. Notice the tops of the doors have been contoured into the roof, again giving that seamless transition. The license plate bracket is removable for the shows...however, we end up leaving it on because people keep asking how the front plate is attached to the car without any notches or fasteners. The rims seem to be a drawback from some people, yet others love them...Guess it all depends on preference. These rims were chosen mainly to compliment the theme of the car as well as to compliment her concave curves. The centres were powdercoated in gunmetal grey, striped with Vermilion orange, and one -off centrecaps were molded providing a place for the iNVision logo in the centre. I think i mentioned earlier that I did borrow a set of 18's ...but they didn't compliment the design.
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[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
AMAZING! Very nice work and craftsmanship. I gotta' hand it to you... that is a work of art. Making it out of sheet metal is truly mind boggleing. You may have it all figured out, but if you are interested in the information, I have an SBC / Porsche 930 set up in my tube chassis race car that I built. I would love to help you get some horsey in that masterpiece!
Again, fantastic job. (chant while bowing.... we're not worthy... we're not worthy.. )
Thanks very much! But, this is something a lot of people are capable of doing...
You yourself have some high performance talents from what I just saw on your site... Great work!
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
Thanks very much! But, this is something a lot of people are capable of doing...
Maybe but I don't think you are giving yourself enough credit. Just because someone is able to do something does not mean that they will do it. You had a vision of a car you wanted to make. You figured out how to do it and then stuck with it. Starting from scratch is (I think) much more difficult than it initially appears. You, sir, stuck with it for 8 years puting in 7800 hours. I see many people start something but never finish it. That is my point when I say that it is amazing. You combinded all of your resources into one piec of art. Nothing less.
Also, I agree on the exponentional learning curve. I feel the same way and still have a ton to learn.
Again... great job. Do you have any construction pictures? Will you post a build thread? I am really interested in seeing how you fabricated those flowing metal pieces and hidden seams.
Again... great job. Do you have any construction pictures? Will you post a build thread? I am really interested in seeing how you fabricated those flowing metal pieces and hidden seams.
Well, thanks again RR. Much appreciated. Finally got home after another late nite in the shop. I do have build pics but they aren't very consistent...ie. when i'm pushing to get stuff done...i often forget to take pics until that something is finished. The other thing is that I need to figure out how to do a build tread on this site(also dunno if admin will like the fact that this car really isn't a Fiero..hmmm.. thinking). By 'hidden seams' ... you mean door, hood , etc gaps? If you do, all edges were hemed with a hammer and dolly on Rhythm...just like on a factory built steel vehicle and if the gap happened to be wider than expected in an area weld was added to close it in..then ground and filed. One thing that needs to be taken into account is that it's 3/16" after primer and paint...and you need to allow for that....fun!
Cheers,
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[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
Having helped others form wing skins & leading edges for aircraft....out of aluminum.....I'm really very impressed with your metal forming skills.
Now if you really want to get serious & produce some fiberglass molds of your creation, give me a shout.
David Breeze
And aluminium is tough to work with...you can't push that material as far as steel - that's awsome!. Thanks for the thumbs up.
About producing moulds on a vehicular scale...I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm not even sure which direction I want to take this car in...it was a great build and supposed to be a driver. However, ppl think I'm crazy to be driving it...
I'd like to learn more about it. Do you have a website I can check out or give me an overview. Shoot me a PM.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 11-09-2008).]
The transverse V6 was deep 6'd as soon as the SBC 350 was ready. That little change makes putting your foot into it a little more fun...at the expense of a much smaller trunk.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 04-15-2015).]
The turbos were created by first rolling the sheet metal...then planishing the material with a hammer and dolly to stretch it and give it the convex curve. To smooth out the highs and lows, the turbo was sanded with a long board to illuminate the highs ... followed by more hammer and dolly work.
This was created using a very primitive english wheel that I built using two truck bearings.
All the pieces for the fascia cutout and prepped. Each piece had the 5/16" edge/lip tipped over a custom shaped anvil with a hammer. It was truly a difficult task(at the time) to create a consistent edge that could be butt jointed with the next piece. You can also see how much more length was added to the hood not only by staggering it, but also by adding the piece at the rear. The pivots created to flip the hood forward were tucked in under the fascia(the yellow thing).
Flirting with a new feature out of cardboard to flow the front scoop into the headlights.
The DOM frame can just barely be made out ... inside the front scoop.
Creating the upper faux scoop for the front hood...something I'd now form out of one piece.
Hood all welded up and headlight surrounds being fitted.
At this stage I believe we were getting ready to finish bringing the bumper feature around the corner. Looking back...I can only remember all the hours of welding and hammer/dollie work...
Gapping the trunk lid with the body.
Here is the body just prior to the high build 2K primer stage. The signal lights still needed to be finished. Some of the welded joints where skim coated with MarGlass...a fiberglass reinforced body filler prior to primer. I'm sure some will dispute this, but speaking from experience nothing beats bondo or MarGlass adhering directly to metal when properly prepared.
Before skinning the doors some trick mirror brackets were developed to raise the mirrors over the turbos. They're held on with a single hidden fastener and conceal the wire for the power mirrors. From this picture you can see how the front door gap curve comes out into a horizontal plane. Days were spent to make it open WITHOUT binding. Moving that curve even 1/8" forward or back didn't allow the door to open.
P/S completed ... and matches the drivers side. Preparing to attach the flute feature to the turbo. Later a one-off marker light will be installed into this area.
Another perspective of the rear. Laying out for the flute feature on top of the turbo. Sitting on the roof is the interior ceiling liner... the only glass panel created for the car.
Backup light mounted as well as bumper feature created and finished. Learned the tuck shrinking procedure through some experimentation when creating the bumper corners...tho I didn't know what it was called back then. The rear deck has a placement for sequential signal lights. It's kinda hard to make out but some torch shrinking took place to rid the upper deck of some oil canning. Filler being applied to clean up the jams.
I'm applying the 3rd and final coat of red dyed high build. Yellowish(not dyed) was the first, then the purple(happened to turn out that way after using up some old bases), then the red.
Giving the arm a break...
Three coats of base were applied...after many many hours of blocking the 2k.
...followed by 4 liberal coats of clear to create that 'deep' paint job.
I do have to say that making the transition to the B/C paint system from the single stage urethanes had a fairly easy learning curve...applying the clear was a little tricky at first...Taking my time and just watching for that 'flash' resulted in non of those evil runs and sags. Saying that, I did take the paint finish to the next level after learning how to cut and polish the clearcoat.
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-30-2011).]
All the trim started from 1"x2" solid aluminum stock.
Front Grill & Side Turbo Scoop Surrounds: The some of the 1"x2" aluminum stock was run though the table saw and ripped into 1"x0.25"x28"LG bars. These bars were then curved by hand(24" adjustable wrench and 2lb sledge) to the required shapes as illustrated with templates.
Side Flutes: 1"x2" aluminum stock was cut to the approximate lengths required. Short stubs were then welded onto the ends at right angles. These pieces were then clamped in the mill using a custom jig. Using a router bit, the excess material was trimmed away leaving a rough triangular shape.
Trim in various stages of completion.
Special clips to hold the centre caps in place.
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[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-29-2011).]
Originally posted by pontiackid86: its like the only thing fiero left
Almost. The dash vent and HVAC unit with controls were also used in the interior...although those actuator motors sound kinda strage when opening and closing.
Starting to bend the main component of the dash in our 5 minute brake.
Simple tools...simple results.
Now for the more complex components...the driver surround. Template was created in the car.
Dad tipping the lead edge with a hammer and pedestal dollie.
Me taking over...
After tipping and creating the correct curvature the piece is located inside the car.
The cockpit is taking shape...
Too bad all this metal work was covered with upholstery.
Due to the time between going to school and coming back to the shop to work on the car on weekends I was always amazed at how fast the panels would corrode. In many places you see green, yellow,.. and yeah.. that rose colour... well they are primers/paints i would mix up and spray onto the metal to prevent rusting if I knew I would be away for an extended period of time. The only thing with that was that I would have to remove it later...very time consuming.
We didn't want any visible fasteners when mounting the panels. So they are fixed to the door in such a way that when you remove one screw, tilt the upper panel they unlock from each other. The grab bars are made from stainless steel oval tubing.
Making the ceiling mold.
This is the only fiberglass panel in the car! ------------------
[This message has been edited by iNVisionPROTOTYPES (edited 05-30-2011).]
That car certainly has a ton of work done to it and is one of a kind for sure.
)
