This section shows a selection of what has been happening recently in the Chris Isaacs Race Cars shop. It is updated regularly, so be sure to check back every so often and see what's new.
PETER THOMPSON - 1968 CHEVELLE
CIRC built this car a few years back for Dave James, who ran it in a number of classes with ever-bigger motors before selling it to Peter for use in Super Modified. Following Peter's unfortunate incident at the 2011 Summer Nationals where a failed head gasket put water under the rear tyres at 1000ft and sent the car nose-first into the wall at 140mph, the car has come back to CIRC for repair.
Sitting on the jig, the chassis was discovered to be straight and level from the front firewall back, with all significant mounting points still square and true.
The damaged front section of the chassis was cut away, and tubular sleeves made up to fit tightly into the main frame rails and upper strut bars. The new frame rails will fit over these sleeves for a secure repair. Also shown here is the new mid-plate.
The new frame rails in place, along with the new struts set up in position on the jig.
The completed repair. A Herculean effort by Peter and helpers saw the car make it to the track at the 2011 National Finals, and obtain its 7.50 chassis tag once more.
ROB STONE - FORD POP
Now he is homing in on eight second ET's, Rob decided to have a CIRC front splitter fabricated for his Pop. We have made and fitted around a dozen of these to various race and street Pops over the last few years, and they have proven to be very effective in counteracting front-end lift at 150+ mph where standard Pops tend to get light.
JULIAN DAVISON - 100E
A complete build by CIRC,the finished product is shown here as it left the shop. Please click on the above photo to go to the car's build-up page.
PAUL HOLLAND - MK 1 ZEPHYR
* * * * CAR IS NOW COMPLETED - SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FINISHED ITEM * * * *
Paul is building his MK 1 Zephyr with the engine, transmission and suspension from a late-model supercharged Jaguar XJR - the motor is based on the Ford 'Modular' quad-cam unit - and CIRC have been selected to build the spaceframe chassis to take all this running gear. This street- and occasional track day-car is to be a full four-seater, with no roll cage, so the chassis design must be stiff enough to withstand hard use without flexing, whilst being unobtrusive enough to allow for all passengers.
Initial work has seen the body, motor and cast aluminium uprights fixed to the jig, and the first few tubes of what is to be a tubular backbone-style chassis laid down. Also shown here in the lower RH photo is a body mounting point at the end of the main centre crossmember.
Most of the front chassis sides are constructed, and the air-ride dampers are fitted. The front crossmember is fabricated from flat sheet - the steering rack and engine mounts will also go on here.
This fabricated brace across the top of the engine bolts into place using the same bracketry holding the inner pickup points of the fabricated top A-arms (these brackets are yet to be gussetted). Newly fabricated top arms were necessary due to the smaller size of the Zephyr relative to the Jaguar donor car, meaning that these arms needed to be 45mm shorter from inner pickup to outer ball joint in order to clear the valve covers. However, careful plotting of suspension geometry has retained good wheel angles in roll, sufficient anti-dive and good control of the dynamic roll centre.
The LH photo shows another view of the chassis brace and top A-arm. Raked-back angle on the mounting points is a sign of significant anti-dive geometry, in this case mirroring that used on the original Jaguar. The RH photo shows an overview of the front chassis structure. The frontmost section of this, which will eventually mount the radiators and front anti-roll bar, unbolts via the four fixing points at each corner, making engine removal much more straightforward than may first appear!
The central backbone of the chassis is being filled in now, and more tubing is being added to the rear section. More triangulation is still needed here to give a really stiff structure. The differential is mounted on polyurethane bushes, one at front and two at rear. The rear diff mount unbolts from the chassis so the diff can be removed towards the rear of the car, tubes running underneath it stopping it from exiting downwards.
The chassis tubes are now essentially complete. The rear A-arms have also been mounted, as have the rear air shocks.
Some shots of the finished chassis. The whole structure exhibits very good stiffness plus decent suspension geometry, and should give a nice-handling package in the completed car. Incidentally, the rear suspension shots also show the Jaguar electronic handbrake motor, mounted above the diff.
Most of the tinwork pieces have now been completed, as have the seat mounts. A rear seat will eventually be used in this car to make a full four-seater.
This tricky little panel is fabricated from several pieces of sheet steel...
... And fits up behind the dash to seal against the chassis-mounted master cylinder bracket.
The front anti-roll bar is now installed, and the CIRC fabricated arms bolt up to the original Jag drop links at the rear of the track control arm.
The front panels are now mounted, showing the close wheel-to-arch tolerance a la circuit racing saloon. The mountings for the front valance also incorporate the mounts for some of the car's five radiators. There are three here... engine coolant, air conditioning, and intercooler for the supercharger. The other two - the engine and gearbox oil coolers - will go elsewhere. Things are getting tight now!
The car about to leave the shop. The subtle outer appearance belies the amount of work that has gone on underneath. Should make a nice street/track day car when completed.
PAUL DAWSON - 'MR TORQUER' FORDSON
This famous street/strip car is receiving a new, SFI 25.4 chassis to take the proposed power increase planned by current owner Paul Dawson. The existing 10-second big -block Chevy motor is destined to be upgraded at ICE Automotive with a blower and other goodies, however despite the new underpinnings the van will still look very much similar to the way it always did.
Initial work has seen the chassis design finalised and drawn up, and as shown here the body fixed to the jig as well as the first few tubes fitted.
The main chassis structure is taking shape, as is the 4-link and axle case.
All the chassis tubes are now tacked in place, the front struts are mounted and the motor and trans mounts under way. The steering rack is now being narrowed in readiness for starting to mount the steering system.
The new chassis, finished apart from steering column. The rear dampers mount in front of the axle on this car to give space for 4" exhausts and street-size fuel tank in the limited space to the rear. Spring and damper rates need to be increased slightly when using this design. The third picture shows the bolt-in antiroll bar mount integral with the damper mountings.
Some detail shots.
Paul and brother Rick now have the car back in their possession for some bodywork and other details, whilst a return visit to CIRC is planned for tinwork, exhausts and various other small jobs. Next job at CIRC - finally repaint the workshop!
STEVE YOUNG - VW BEETLE
Steve has had CIRC fabricate an 8-point chrome-moly roll cage, seat mounts and harness mounts for his street/strip oval window Beetle. He will be returning to Outlaw Flat Four competition in late 2010 or early 2011.
MATT ELEY - 'RISKY TRIP' POP
Matt's car has returned to CIRC following his unfortunate spill at the 2009 National Finals. Chassis damage was confined to the front end forward of the firewall, however Matt is taking the opportunity to upgrade his chassis to SFI 25.4 spec alongside the repair process, as well as fit a rear anti-roll bar and a built-in aluminium seat.
These photos show the new floor and FC cage tubes well under way.
CIRC's work is almost finished now as the main structure of the car is in place. This shot shows the double-rail style chassis and the forward frame for the aluminium seat. Matt and brother Russ will be completing the car with their usual high attention to detail.
STUART SMITH - CHEVY S10 TRUCK
* * * NOW COMPLETED - SCROLL DOWN FOR THE FINISHED PRODUCT! * * *
The basic central chassis tubes for this truck were laid down by Jon Hogarth a few years ago, now in the hands of Stuart Smith the truck has been brought to CIRC for completion, with the intention to run in Super Comp.
Initial work saw the multi-piece fibreglass body trimmed and fitted together, then fixed to the jig along with the existing chassis structure.
Strange struts have been installed on new front chassis tubes along with the Strange/Stiletto steering rack, and motor mounts for the BBC/'Glide combination fabricated.
The chassis was originally intended to run a swing-arm style rear suspension, but has now been converted to a conventional 4-link and A-frame setup using a CIRC-fabricated sheetmetal axle housing. 40-spline internals will provide the drive.
The rear chassis behind the shock mounts is now in place, ready for the pickup bed to be mounted. The frame for the front-mount fuel cell is in place along with the mounting tree for the front panelwork. Also done but not shown is the door mounts and latches.
The bulkhead and floor tinwork have now been started, and the seats mounted.
Most of the tin is now completed, as are the pedals, steering column, shifter and master cylinder mount plus a host of small brackets and tabs. Also fitted but not shown here is the ubiquitous late-model Mustang dashboard which dzus-fastens into position over the CIRC fabricated gauge pod.
The finished truck.
Chassis is powder-coated gloss black, tinwork is satin black. Also fitted are the aluminium bed cover, Lexan windows, wheelie bars and un-Dzusable bed sides. Stuart has recently collected his Jeff Bull engine and now hopes for a 2012 debut.
