The FLAGSHIP - Panel Cruiser Continued

[soonercruiser]

So, starting another mod project for the "Flagship" - the Panel Cruiser for over winter..

When I saw the picture of this grill from a Brazilian PT Enthusiast, it blew my mind.
I'm sure now that it is a "one-of" custom, as I have begun the project by taking a picture of my PTeaser Full Retro Grill, and modifying it in Photoshop.




I had been selling some stuff and saving up, and just got another Full Retro Grill from Ray Newton at PTeaser.
However, just counting the cross ribs and space, it just didn't add up right.

This is my starting photo.



What you see below is my first draft made up on Photoshop, by filling in every other opening.
But, I came up with one extra space and cross rib on the Pteaser grill that won't let that calculation work.
*That's why I'm sure the Brazilian version is a "one-of" custom by someone.
So, what I did was use/fill-in 3 ribs on the top of the grill.
Actually, I thought the Brazilian version left the top a rather narrow space for mounting the wing.
Here is that drawing...



Your and Ray's concern:
Was the amount of air flow thru the grill to the radiator with wider cross ribs.

First of all.........just my reasoning......the amount of air hitting the grill is the same. The air has to go somewhere, so as it rolls off at the face of the ribs, it will be pulled backwards in the open areas, as in a Venturi Effect.
Now that I've had the work done last week on the Panel Cruiser, the fan does not seem to be running as much.
*So, I am less concerned about overheating with this mod.

Second, since I will have expended more $$ and a lot of effort/personal labor in modifying the grill this winter, I will not use the modified grill with day-driving. I will only use it occasionally. Can't afford to lose it to an accident. Heck, as easy as the grill is to remove, I can bring it to events in the back hatch and put it on there.

Maybe tomorrow, I will redo the grill drawing, staring from the top, and only block off every other space.
Maybe also draw it with 2 spaces open.
**Just in the planning stage now. Plan to use a base of Urethane foam, under light weight body filler to fill in the spaces; as the PT doesn't need more weight!

[soonercruiser]

OK!
So here are my 2 drawings I have done so far.

The one that closes off 3 spaces at the top for the Chrysler wing.
(Drawing 3) Which leaves 6 openings.




And, the one that starts with just filling-in 2 spaces starting at the top.
(Drawing 4) Which only leaves 5 openings for air.
As you can see, this transitions to closing only 1 spaces on the two lower areas.




Watcha think???

I'd have to look at the drawings on a fresh, myself.

[ptprice]

Originally Posted by soonercruiser

OK!
So here are my 2 drawings I have done so far.

The one that closes off 3 spaces at the top for the Chrysler wing.
(Drawing 3) Which leaves 6 openings.




And, the one that starts with just filling-in 2 spaces starting at the top.
(Drawing 4) Which only leaves 5 openings for air.
As you can see, this transitions to closing only 1 spaces on the two lower areas.




Watcha think???


I'd have to look at the drawings on a fresh, myself.

Go with six slots and equal sized horizontal surfaces like the Brazilian model.


OFUX.jpg

[soonercruiser]

I'm not sure why this one looks so different, but this is starting with the lower opening, and filling in every other one, working towards the top.
(Draft 3 of drawing #4)




Now, the problem with starting with the PTeaser grill, and working towards the Brazilian grill, the openings would be much larger.

The math and geometry just don't work.
That's why I am sure it's a "one-of".
I see keeping some the PTeaser cross members as a must for stability and ease of filling-in.
As the fillin-in goes along, I'm sure that the cross members can be thinned a little to make the openings look wider.
Part of that visually will be shortening the cross members from front to back.
When you look at long (front to back) cross members, you are looking at some on an off angle (not straight in front of them) that makes them look wider.

I will try a draft with double spaces....realizing that connecting 2 spaces, will actually make them 3 spaces wide.

[soonercruiser]

The problem with the big spaces version is (connecting 2 open areas), that they are very large openings.
You have to close the small bottom space for rigidity sake. But you will loose rigidity overall, risking cracking with any significant flexing in the filled-in areas.
And it only has 5 spaces.......and not enough face with to mount the wing badge at the top.
(One of my goals)




So I'm leaning towards draft 4, and thinning the cross members as much as possible to make the spaces wider.

[soonercruiser]

Artistically, and optically, the openings can be made to look bigger when viewed on an angle simply by decreasing the depth of the cross bibs.
This picture, with the arrow showing the depth of the urethane rib, illustrates how deep they are.



And, once the centers are filled in and the depth reduced, then I can get aggressive on widening the openings; even at the risk of perferating the urethane. As, when filling-in between the ribs I will gain the rigidity up and downwards, that they originally had from outwards to inwards.

This picture shows how thick the urethane is on each "U" shaped rib.



So, I think that I will start with "Draft 3" of Drawing 4 with the wing, and mock up the solid parts (wider ribs) in paper.....spraying that a different color.
I have come to accept the fact that I cannot easily modify the PTeaser grill to look EXACTLY like the Brazilian one.

[soonercruiser]

Originally Posted by ptprice

Go with six slots and equal sized horizontal surfaces like the Brazilian model.


Attachment 50572

Sorry!
Can't do it Price!

I am not starting from zero. I don't have a body shop myself.
I have to use the PTeaser grill as a starting point; substrate.
And it just doesn't work out.

Actually, it looks like I may have to use Drawing #4, with 2 row fills from the top; and transition to one row and space at the bottom; 5 spaces.
I think that the thickness of the Urethane will allow me to grind edges and widen the open spaces.
The goal would be to have larger spaces at the top, and transition to smaller as we go downward.
I have it mocked-up with paper and tape.
But, it's just too cold today to spray it for a contrast look.

Remember, the object is to get away from so many ribs and spaces.
The more there are, the more it still resembles the PTeaser Retro grill.
So, why bother doing it in the first place?

[ptprice]

With entirely too much time on my hands, I decided to sketch up a reasonable modification of your PT Teaser grill from your photo. A bit of slicing,
structure Bondo, a bit of grinding and final coat of finishing Bondo, prime and paint, and your PT Teaser grill should be very similar to the Brazilion model.
SOONER CRUISER gets a Brazilion without a shave.
OFUX.jpgPPP.jpg

[soonercruiser]

Originally Posted by ptprice

With entirely too much time on my hands, I decided to sketch up a reasonable modification of your PT Teaser grill from your photo. A bit of slicing,
structure Bondo, a bit of grinding and final coat of finishing Bondo, prime and paint, and your PT Teaser grill should be very similar to the Brazilion model.
SOONER CRUISER gets a Brazilion without a shave.
Attachment 50592Attachment 50593

This is the only good 6 space option with the PTeaser grill.
And it creates a wider cross bar on the top; which I don't like.

[ptprice]

Originally Posted by soonercruiser

This is the only good 6 space option with the PTeaser grill.
And it creates a wider cross bar on the top; which I don't like.

Nope, It can be done. The one I'm designing from your PT Teaser grill photo conforms to every nuiance of the Brazilion grill. 6 slots space by 2 bars each starting from the top. This might have been how it was done, but in Portuguese.
Sketch posted tomorrow. I was filling in the modifications with a black magic marker and discovered the ink bled through the paper to my Formica table top. A bit of rubbing with some Comet got it out but It's a sign I'm done for the day.
It's really going to end up looking like the Brazilion grill. From my design, you'll just have to measure, establish lines and curves where the structural Bondo goes, grinding, filling with structural Bondo, shaping, finishing with surfacing Bondo, sand, prime and paint.
As I putzed out how to do it, design wize, I made notes. Converted them to actual fabrication notes I'll post with a picture of the modifications.