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Author Topic: Kelmark XR-2 Project  (Read 47399 times)

Surfnut

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« on: September 13, 2010, 03:47:00 PM »

Hi,

I'll be posting updates of my Kelmark powered XR-2 project under this thread from now on so most everything will be in one spot.


My two past posts on this topic can be found by searching for,
"The Death and resurrection of my XR-2"  posted Feb. 7th, 2010 under "General"
and
"Kelmark XR2 No Crank / No Start" posted Sept.4th, 2010 under "General"
Or you can search under my member number of 1489 to find them.

In these videos, the rear of the engine/trans is facing us.  The rad and intercooler are connected as in the stock XR-2 but they're up against the wall so that can't be seen from this angle.

The first video I made about a week ago is here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyTWw07xNhk


The second video I made tonight (using my new, snazzy hi-def camcorder...) is here :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKVnIoevy7A


Next I'll wrap up the newly chopped up wiring harness then start on the engine cradle and suspension mounting points.
I hope you enjoy this as construction progresses.

Peace,
Dave
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Surfnut

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #1 on: October 10, 2010, 02:07:00 PM »

I finally started building my engine cradle and frame today.

Start :  24' long, 146 lb piece of 2" X 3" steel tubing.


 


2" X 2" lower part of the engine cradle is laid under the engine.  The stock engine support will bolt to the bottom of the rear 2" X 2" crossmember.  The lower "A" arms (I haven't built them yet) will be attached to the 2 " X 2" steel tubing that makes up the engine cradle.  

The pine 2" X 3" you see being held onto the motor mount with a C clamp is a partial mock-up of the upper frame rail which will be braced / bolted to the lower engine cradle.

 


Here you can see the real steel 2" X 3" upper frame rail clamped to the motor mount.  The upper "A" arm will be bolted to this piece.  In front the 2X3 steel tubing angles down to where the perimeter frame will go under the Kelmark body.


 


Driver's side view of the lower engine cradle from the rear of the engine.


 

Driver's side view of the lower engine cradle from the front of the engine.


 


The drivetrain, engine cradle and frame will be installed from underneath the vehicle.  The 2" X 3" perimeter frame and upper frame rails will be welded to the floor and front suspension of the Kelmark to tie the new rear stuff to the existing floor and front suspension of the car.

If / when I have to pull the engine, the 2 X 2 lower engine cradle will be unbolted from the upper frame rails and then the drivetrain, lower engine cradle and lower "A" arms will come out from underneath the car.

Tomorrow I hope to build the driver's side upper frame rail and start bracing the upper frame rails and the lower engine cradle together with 1" x 1" square tubing.

I'll also have to make an upper frame rail rear crossmember.  Hopefully that will get done tomorrow.

Dave
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Rocketman

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2010, 08:33:00 PM »

Looking good dave. Any pics of where the engine will be ending up?
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Heavensheros

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2010, 01:40:00 AM »

what is a kelmark engine ???
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CapriTypeR

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2010, 04:44:00 AM »

Josh-
A Kelmark GT is a kit car that was styled roughly after Ferrari 246 Dino.

Kelmark Engineering was an auto shop based in Michigan, that focused on the production of rear/mid-engined kit cars. The kits were built by hobbyists or professional mechanics manually. Until 1986, Kelmark Engineering built kits and complete vehicles which were either Volkswagen-based or on tubular race car style frames.

The cars are all "rare" models, but the Kelmark GT body style was the most popular. It was featured in the magazine Car and Driver in 1977 and 1979. The car had exterior styling that was distinctive for its debut in 1969. The styling was reportedly influenced by Ferrari and a Corvette concept car. The "Independence" model was a fiberglass body kit for a Volkswagen chassis, while the "Liberator" model was more customized, and could go on a tube frame, Porsche or VW chassis, or even a custom combination.

Therefore, A Kelmark engine is whatever engine you chose to use in your kit!  Dave has chosen to use a B6T out of an XR2!
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CapriTypeR

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #5 on: October 11, 2010, 05:12:00 AM »

Dave-
Wow! You have a whole lot of work ahead of you!  I tip my hat to you, and I'll tip a Labatts in your honor!

--Russ
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bhazard

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #6 on: October 11, 2010, 06:52:00 AM »

How much is this car gonna weigh? Around 2000 lbs would be sweet.
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Surfnut

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2010, 01:35:00 PM »

Rocketman, I forgot to take pix of where the new engine compartment will be.  I'll do that later this week - sorry.  I had a lot to do today.

Thanks Russ, I'm digging in as best as I can !  I hope to have all the new engine / frame, etc. ready to go in by New Years.  With the aid of my handy-dandy digital angle finder I can safely tell you that I'm within a tenth of a degree on making everything level and even on each side of the engine.  And with the aid of my dollar store tape measure, I'm within a 1/16 of an inch of everything being square.  Dollar store tape measures are very accurate you know.

bhazard, I'm thinking around 2100 lbs.  My Kelmark weighs 1850 (with gas, oil, no driver and all the junk I usually carry - tools, jumper cables, etc...).  

I weighed the ready to run XR-2 engine, trans, axleshafts, spindles, rotors, exhaust manifold, turbo, about 3 feet of exhaust pipe, MY cut-down but complete wiring harness, full rad and factory lower steel engine support today.....449 lbs.  
The lower engine cradle I built is 35 lbs,

 


The upper will probably be around 60? (It's a thicker wall steel).  Subtract the weight of the VW engine and trans and I think the car'll be between 2000 and 2100 lbs.  I'd really like to be ready to run down the road with me in the car and be less than 2200 lbs.  That's a solid 500 lbs less than a stock XR-2 and light weight means more fasterness.  I think Colin Chapman said that.

Anyway, today I had some setbacks but I stayed on it and got some decent results to report.


This will give you a general idea of where the spring and shock will end up (I'm using the stock strut for a mock-up).  From this angle you'd be standing outside of the passenger door.

 


Strut mock up from rear passenger 1/4 angle

 


This is what I got done today :


 
 
 

Next will be more bracing (especially across the rear crossmembers) and more upper and lower frame triangulation.  Which I'm pretty sure is a fancy word for "bracing."  

Dave
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Rocketman

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #8 on: October 11, 2010, 03:47:00 PM »

EXCELLENT!!! MORE!!!
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Surfnut

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2010, 02:13:00 PM »

Thanks Rocket ~
Gotta go buy more steel....more pix in a few days.

Dave
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CapriTypeR

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2010, 05:45:00 PM »

Dave-
Nothing wrong with saving money on tools! I'm amazed at this project - The Kelmark is a sharp car to begin with, now your throwing a turbo at it! Imagine what it would be like with a Rocketchip and MBC!!!
I also notice your pretty clever - unless you crushed your wife or neighbor.......
 

Nice job of improvising!
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Surfnut

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2010, 01:02:00 PM »

Believe it or not, it took me six stinking hours to do this:


 

 

But I'm pretty sure it ain't never gonna move!


Note: I'm only tack welding most of the metal in at this point.  When I know everything's where I want it to stay forever I'm going to have my dad arc weld it.  He's a far better welder than I'll ever be.

Dave
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Rocketman

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« Reply #12 on: October 24, 2010, 05:47:00 PM »

Dave,

Looks like thats getting awful heavy now!

I think I've found a semi-solution. I daily drive a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix - the transmission has been going out. I pulled apart a GP at Harry's for another tranny to put in, at the same time got looking pretty hard at a lot of GM's vehicles.

Most of them have a pretty beefy subframe complete w/ control arms, all held into the body with 4 bolts + bushings.

I saw one from a Grand Am I think, it looked like it would be a really good platform to build off of. I think I'll be using one for my mid-rear project. I might have to go with custom control arms, but at least the mounting points are already there, and I won't have to use custom bushings...

Just food for thought I suppose -

-Rocket
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Rocketman

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« Reply #13 on: October 24, 2010, 06:32:00 PM »

Here's the subframe I pulled off of my GP tonight -  
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bhazard

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Kelmark XR-2 Project
« Reply #14 on: October 24, 2010, 11:36:00 PM »

Yeah I'm gonna have to say you overbuilt that cage a bit lol. Its a B6T not a cummins.
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Best ET 12.99, Best MPH 109.8, 22\\" slicks
88 T-bird Turbo Coupe, 182k miles, slightly modded, 14.71 @ 92.4mph 2.02 60\\\', end of the road
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