It looks like you need to train that rabbit to **** in one spot! :p

I like the door inserts - you did an excellent job!

He is trained to recycle newspaper

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1331402803.jpg

On this pic he was only 10weeks old

While the car is still at the body shop, I work on parts. Because I have a lot of selfmade aluminum parts like bushes, spacers and brackets, I decided to anodized them myself. I found a while ago some information and a good source for material and forum.

Here are parts before, whithin anodizing process and after. There are more steps than shown here, but it's mainly:

Cleaning (with removing old coat if there is one)

anodizing

colouring

hardening

Here are the parts before any work, just raw aluminum:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782249.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782317.jpg

Besides some cans with acid etc. and a steamer this is the main equipment:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782488.jpg

Anodizing in progress:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782579.jpg

Here is the final result:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782694.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1334782797.jpg

Some more anodizing, went out very nice too:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1336984123.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1336984141.jpg

Also I tried to nickel-coat (chemical, electroless). First removed old coating, which was very easy, only some caustic soda (10%) on night and the steel is clean. After you have to use two different baths, cleaning and acid cleaning until it comes into the Nibor (brand) bath with contains all the chemicals and the nickel-Boron.

Here is the result:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1336984666.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1336984680.jpg

You've gone plaid with your drill : 0

I don't even recognize those parts, maybe from throttle or clutch?

Nor...

Door lock mechanism:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1336996136.jpg

I just ordered some Nibor thanks to you, I hope you are happy with the results
did you acid dip the spring to clean it ? I heard they will break after a short while, if put in acid.

Yes, I am happy with results, looks really nice. What I can't tell yet is how resistant to corrosion it will be...

I stripped the zinc first in a bath with ca. 10% Natriumhydroxid (easy to get) for about 24 hrs, just look at the bath until no more bubbles will rise. Steel will be blank after, slight corrosion will be removed too. Then into 5% acid sulfur (there are better chemicals but not as easy to get) to remove rest of corrosion (if needed) for a short while, no longer as it's clean. With no rust maybe 2 minutes. this is recommended to prepare for Nibor bath.

It is very important to flush parts between the baths with a lot of water (distilled if possible) and not let them outside longer than necessary, they will start corrode immediately.

I dipped the springs the same way, but did not leave them in the Nibor bath for one hour, but 30min. The thicker the coating, the brittle it will be.

BTW. I had some parts with nickel plating too, this will not be removed by the Natriumhydroxid...

While I still anodizing a lot of selfmade aluminum parts, I disassembled, cleaned and regreased the steering/beam and fitted new boots.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1338661652.jpg

Note: The spacers of my first anodizing try are for the steering to save some weight here too :-)

As I am on the way to lighten my car I made some more parts on my lathe and anodized them together with the other aluminum parts of the suspension:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1339400158.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1339400170.jpg

Update finally!!!
 

While tube is still in work, I am multitasking since a while:

Working on suspension, brakes, fiberglass etc. A lot of parts are somewhere between start and finished.

For now I show my calipers. Media blasted (where red but ugly made) and cleaned:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1343337054.jpg

And after anodizing:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1343337088.jpg

Now they look like stock. I am unsure if I should make them red again. Like red calipers and it would be a nice contrast to the black center of the wheels.

Recommendations welcome:)

Black or silver. No red.

or yellow:)

Update :-)
 

As I am working on several parts, there was not much to show. But I found some anyway;)

Front strut cleaned, Nuts and bushes anodized (of course), bump steer kit mounted too:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344975926.jpg

Front hub before and after anodizing, they a bit darker in real than on pics because of the aluminium alloy. I decided to let it be and not coloring as I like the look:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344976067.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344976089.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1344976113.jpg

Since I mounted the WEVO engine and tranny mounts, I did not liked the golden color that much. Therefore I decided to anodize them black:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1345994145.jpg

Further I worked on my Hargett shifter. The couplers are way to massive for that application and they are raw steel, oxidation will be an issue. Mine started already to show some surface rust. So I machined them a bit to reduce weight and nickelplated (homemade too) them after polishing. They look quit nice now:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1345994344.jpg

Further I drilled the shaft on the front side, where no stress is to expect:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1345994423.jpg

Guess what... ;-)
 

As the order from Pelicanparts is still on the way, I found something more to anodize in different color, my Tial, formerly blue:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346614301.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346614323.jpg

Tell me your opinion
 

I received lot of parts from Pelican yesterday. Among other things I get Tarett sway bars. Now as you know I like to drill and machine almost everything:D

I am suprised, how massive the front sway bar housing for the bushes are (the red round ones), maybe 1" thick! If I compare to others like Smartracing al lot of more material there.

Therefore I thought to machine of some of the material. My thoughts are to remove the red areas on the drawing for about half the thickness. Drawing is a bit somewhat square, would make smoother edges

Please let me know your thoughts about.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346847506.jpg

Different, easier to do version, red machined down to half the thickness:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346850952.jpg

In the last version - is there clearance for the bolt head next to the center thicker part?

I would say go for it. If it breaks it is not a big deal since it is just the anti-sway bar. So in the spirit of Colin Chapman, machine it until it breaks, then get another one and machine it down just a little bit less. :)

As I remember, some of Colin's drivers did not survived.... ;)

I tend to the second one, easier to do and a lot of beef there. I think I will remove material on the lathe down half the thickness (still 11mm thick) and reduce diameter to the middle between teflon bush and screw head/shim

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346877561.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1346877582.jpg