Nutt
11-08-2003, 01:37:00 AM
Hey everyone!
I'm taking 3 weeks of leave in Dec-Jan. While I'm home, I'll be working on my Camaro and rebuilding a newer/better x-member for my T-56. I talked to my father on the phone tonight. He said if the work and labor isn't too bad, he'd be willing to build and sell them for anyone who would like to buy one. I searched and priced the 1st gen and 3rd gen x-members, which are ~$150. I think we will be able to match or beat the price with a very high quality product.
The design I'm thinking about building is a x-member using channel iron on the ends, so that it slides in from the rear of the car and wraps around the subframe slightly. It would be secured to the frame by drilling news holes from the side instead of from the top, and possibly going all the way through the subframe for better support. From the rear, the x-member would look something like this (with the horizontal piece on top of channel iron):
]-----|_|-----[
I think this would allow ample room for dual exhaust, as well as the possibility to be used as a place for exhaust hangers. It would also use the 2-hole style tranny bracket. It would be easy to shim the mount if need be. The channel-iron would also help prevent twisting of the subframe since it is wrapped around and would have a much larger contact surface area rather than just a 4" x-member bolted from top.
Soooo.....what do you guys (and gals) think? Anyone interested if I build mine and it turns out nice? I have a digital camera, and could make a new geocities website to post the pics of the final product by itself and also installed. I'm thinking if he sells them, they would be painted black and include all the bolts and directions to mount it. I'm a fighter pilot, not a business man, but I think together with your input we could make a good package.
(For those interested) A little background on my father: he is the owner of BLM Custom Fabrication, Inc. He is located in Barron, WI. He's welded on everything from boat propellors to F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft. I've yet to see anyone weld steal, aluminum, or stainless better than him. He specializes in stainless steel. He designs, builds, and sells custom machinery for many corporations, such as Cargill, Moore's Foods, Clorox, Hormel, Turkey Store, Schwann's, and many more. He designed and built his own 14' tall press-brake that can bend 1" steel, and been using it for 25 years. Ever been to the Metrodome in Minneapolis? He custom made some of the railing in there. Trust me when I say there is nothing this man cannot build. His workmanship speaks for itself.
BTW, I also helped him frame-off restore his first car he ever bought, his 1938 Chevy Coupe w/1954 Blue Flame straight-6.
------------------
1981 Z28
350 Vortech Heads, 268XE, 650DP, 4.10, T-56
The last thing they see on my car when I speed by is my TRAILER HITCH :^D
T-6A: 107.0hrs
AT/T-38B: 122.3hrs
A/OA-10: Feb '04
"The Surgeon General never said anything about smoking the competition." Toyota ST185 ad
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]
I'm taking 3 weeks of leave in Dec-Jan. While I'm home, I'll be working on my Camaro and rebuilding a newer/better x-member for my T-56. I talked to my father on the phone tonight. He said if the work and labor isn't too bad, he'd be willing to build and sell them for anyone who would like to buy one. I searched and priced the 1st gen and 3rd gen x-members, which are ~$150. I think we will be able to match or beat the price with a very high quality product.
The design I'm thinking about building is a x-member using channel iron on the ends, so that it slides in from the rear of the car and wraps around the subframe slightly. It would be secured to the frame by drilling news holes from the side instead of from the top, and possibly going all the way through the subframe for better support. From the rear, the x-member would look something like this (with the horizontal piece on top of channel iron):
]-----|_|-----[
I think this would allow ample room for dual exhaust, as well as the possibility to be used as a place for exhaust hangers. It would also use the 2-hole style tranny bracket. It would be easy to shim the mount if need be. The channel-iron would also help prevent twisting of the subframe since it is wrapped around and would have a much larger contact surface area rather than just a 4" x-member bolted from top.
Soooo.....what do you guys (and gals) think? Anyone interested if I build mine and it turns out nice? I have a digital camera, and could make a new geocities website to post the pics of the final product by itself and also installed. I'm thinking if he sells them, they would be painted black and include all the bolts and directions to mount it. I'm a fighter pilot, not a business man, but I think together with your input we could make a good package.
(For those interested) A little background on my father: he is the owner of BLM Custom Fabrication, Inc. He is located in Barron, WI. He's welded on everything from boat propellors to F-4 Phantom fighter aircraft. I've yet to see anyone weld steal, aluminum, or stainless better than him. He specializes in stainless steel. He designs, builds, and sells custom machinery for many corporations, such as Cargill, Moore's Foods, Clorox, Hormel, Turkey Store, Schwann's, and many more. He designed and built his own 14' tall press-brake that can bend 1" steel, and been using it for 25 years. Ever been to the Metrodome in Minneapolis? He custom made some of the railing in there. Trust me when I say there is nothing this man cannot build. His workmanship speaks for itself.
BTW, I also helped him frame-off restore his first car he ever bought, his 1938 Chevy Coupe w/1954 Blue Flame straight-6.
------------------
1981 Z28
350 Vortech Heads, 268XE, 650DP, 4.10, T-56
The last thing they see on my car when I speed by is my TRAILER HITCH :^D
T-6A: 107.0hrs
AT/T-38B: 122.3hrs
A/OA-10: Feb '04
"The Surgeon General never said anything about smoking the competition." Toyota ST185 ad
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by Nutt (edited November 08, 2003).]