The bottom of the original battery tray measured 3/32 of an inch in
thickness. I found some 1/8th inch angle iron that looked very similar,
and decided to use it for my battery tray. I think I can live with the
1/32nd of an inch difference. I used a speed square to mark the 45 degree
angles, measured twice, and cutting the metal with a hacksaw once! Now
all I have to do is find someone to weld this all together.
The top frame of the battery tray is made of thinner material. It measures
1/32nd of an inch. Making this piece exactly as the original is much more
important because it will be in plain sight in the engine compartment.
The CBS machine shop had some scrap sheetmetal in this thickness, so I
had my friend down there cut some pieces to match. These strips then had
to be folded into a 90 degree angle in a sheet metal brake. Now that I
have the raw material bent into shape, I just need to cut, form, and weld
the pieces together. I wish I owned a mig welder, and had the skill to
weld these pieces myself, but it'll have to wait for another day.
While poking around the CBS Machine Shop scrap pile some aluminum stock
caught my eye. These were solid pieces of aluminum that were discarded
from a past project. I've been looking for something like this, so I asked
if it would be O.K. to use these pieces for my restoration. Here's what
I have in mind...My car is missing its shift knob, and I've been looking
for a nice replacement. The original is small round black plastic affair,
with a dainty look to it. I considered making one from scratch by turning
some black plastic on François' lathe, but there are certainly other
Ferrari knobs I like better than the original one. The Lusso knob seems
to fit better in the palm of your hand, and has a neat two finger notch
that I've always admired. Then there's the infamous GTO with it's perfectly
round aluminum shift knob that I also like. It's a no nonsense shifter
knob that gets the job done. With these pieces of aluminum, I can make
a shift knob from scratch, make one I personally like, and add a touch
of personality to my restoration without having it irreversible. If I ever
find an exact replacement for my car, I can install it then!
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