Baby Got Back Window - Project Prelute Part IV

"deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds" (deviantcustoms)
05/12/2018 at 10:50 • Filed to: None

A vehicle I built sitting atop a vehicle I’m building. Poetic, no?

Even with the euphoria of surviving vehicular lobotomy, driving around without a rear wall/window in winter quickly got cold and old. So I set about closing off the glasshouse, starting from the top. Here’s a close up of the corners of the window frame before I started:

Closing off the space between the crossbar and the roof was one of the trickiest parts of the entire build. Flashback to the roof cut itself: for the final trim I projected a construction laser from below, then marked and cut through the two layers of original sheetmetal one at a time. It was actually a slightly curved cut relative to the roof plane since I was projecting a straight laser line at a 12° angle onto a curved roof.

For the close-off panel, I first rough cut a panel that was 1-2mm taller than the roofline. After grinding off several points along the top to be flush with the roof, I tack welded the panel in place. Then I went back and trimmed the entire length of the panel to follow the roof profile, before welding the whole seam.

Was rushing so I didn’t take many pics of the close-off for the sides of the window and pillar, but this sums it up.

At this point the window would just be a stopgap, so I used the laser cutter at work to cut a piece of tinted acrylic to shape, and mounted it to the inside of the frame with pressure sensitive adhesive tape. Figured I could switch to polycarbonate as a more permanent (and expensive!) solution down the road.

Also wired up a new CHMSL (center high mounted stop light or third brake light) so at least I’d be legal from a lighting perspective, if nothing else. Not a big fan of the giant bicycle light look, so this would also be temporary.

And now for the killer app - lockable truck bed bicycle fork clamps. I was originally planning to mount these below the window, but with the bed being only ~4' long, the bike’s rear wheel wouldn’t fit within the bed!

The two fork clamps also double up as mounting points for a sheet material carrying frame that I fashioned from 80/20 channel. This is right after I got home from Ikea with BILLY in the back:

Next couple of installments - closing off the bed, which took waayyy longer than anticipated...

DISCUSSION (30)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 10:51

Very impressive work! Definitely a very unique ride! :)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 10:54

interesting bike..... are those spinergy wheels?

chubby frame hiding a battery? or just for aero purposes?

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 11:00

Spinergy wheels, wow I have not seen those in a very long time. So is the bike structural carbon or is that just aero pieces around the frame?

My X-type is too a real Jaguar > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 11:57

What are you using as a glass donor?

kgman > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 12:01

Very cool! I’d like to hear more about the bike too

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/12/2018 at 12:26

Most def spinergies, I actually road a demo set from the shop for a week, they are terrible wheels compared to what you can get these days. They do have the best look though.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 12:30

Nice build! I didn’t realize there were four parts until I clicked on your profile, I guess you didn’t post those to oppo.

Captain of the Enterprise > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 12:33

Very cool! The Prelude really pulls off the pickup look!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/12/2018 at 12:43

had some years ago... when i thought spending about 1500 bucks on a set of wheels wasnt madness (late 90s roadracing with a team)

rear one asploded in the end...

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/12/2018 at 13:51

Let me guess it assploded right at the drive side hub.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/12/2018 at 13:53

yup

i was just happy it wasnt my front wheel that went

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/12/2018 at 14:13

to be fair to spinergy tho.... i think it was only the early models that were prone to sploding...

still.. first and last time i bought a 4 spoke

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/12/2018 at 15:58

This was an art project based on a broken Litespeed frame missing a downtube. So the CFRP is mostly cosmetic, just for some fun, but the downtube section is structural. It’s a snake-themed bike with a CNC snake head handlebar clamp.

I originally bought the damaged Spinergy Rev-X wheel (rear only) for $80, turned it into a ceiling lamp for another art project. When the LEDs gave out I tore it down, repaired the wheel and put it on the bike, which had different wheels before.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > farscythe - makin da cawfee!
05/12/2018 at 16:00

The Rev X was much more suited to being a ceiling lamp than a bicycle wheel.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
05/12/2018 at 16:01

Only the downtube section is structural, to repair a missing downtube on the original titanium frame. The rest is just for fun.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered
05/12/2018 at 16:01

They’re actually all on Oppo... hmm any tips for better linking the thread together?

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > My X-type is too a real Jaguar
05/12/2018 at 16:02

1/4" tinted acrylic sheet =)

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > kgman
05/12/2018 at 16:02

Maybe a future post =)

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 16:06

welp... great job mate... its eye catching for sure

same goes for the car

(also i now want a rev x ceiling lamp)

(also.... if you ever need an aprentice... i think i could learn a thing or twelve from you)

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 17:13

I also just now found out about your build, I absolutely love it.

You can link them further by hyperlinking the previous post somewhere in your intro, or maybe make a short list with links to all parts or something.

Good luck with the build, I look forward to seeing more, and I’d love to see pics of the bed in use!

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'
05/12/2018 at 19:10

Thanks for the suggestions! I ended up using the recommended stories function to link other my other stories at the bottom.

sn4cktimes > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 23:01

I am LOVING this build. I’ve wanted to chop a Ford Transit Connect into a mini-truck forever. Now I’ve seen this and someone posted a BMW ute last week.... I know what my next auto project after the AMC will be. Just hafta pick the car.

sn4cktimes > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/12/2018 at 23:01

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > sn4cktimes
05/13/2018 at 01:11

Thanks! Definitely photoshop it first. I found two key factors come into play - the flatness of the roofline at the B-pillar, and whether there is an appropriate line defining the top of the bed. A lot of newer cars fail the first criteria (looks weird if the roof starts sloping down and suddenly gets truncated), and for the second, character lines going toward the rear, taillight height etc could dictate where the bed gets cut. I briefly considered a 4th gen prelude, but the taillights going all the way to the high trunklid were a non-starter.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/24/2018 at 11:52

I just found your build. Does the hatch/tailgate ‘do’ anything, openin anyway is is it just there as a closure panel?

Sprinty > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/24/2018 at 12:13

What sort of insane bicycle is that???

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > Sprinty
05/24/2018 at 12:16

Reproducing from an earlier reply:

This was an art project from 2012 based on a broken Litespeed frame missing a downtube. So the CFRP is mostly cosmetic, just for some fun, but the downtube section is structural. It’s a snake-themed bike with a CNC snake head handlebar clamp.

Sprinty > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/24/2018 at 12:22

That’s rad! Do you have any pics of the finished bike?

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > Sprinty
05/24/2018 at 12:36

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Maybe I’ll post a “Bikelopnik” entry in the future.

Thunder > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/24/2018 at 13:26

Loving the ‘ludeamino from the reply in today’s CTRamino front page post... saw the fork mounts and dug into the build thread spotting this. The bike rocks too... very cool!