Ed's 'StreetRunner' Quad Build

Adding a bit of color to this project.

I'm using Rustoleum silver 'textured' metallic for a base coat.
It is a very rough paint, which I have chosen to leave rough.
In the first trial, I sanded down (lightly) the silver and lost much of the brilliance.

After experimenting with the color coat and two-three coats of clear,
sanded with 400 grit and finally clear coat it again, it comes out smooth as glass.




Battery cover prepped waiting for color coat


The color coat with Duplicolor 'Metacast' from

The price is fantastic @ +/- $6 per can less than local retail.
Bought 12 cans which got me free shipping.
I will be 'decanting' the cans and spraying the paint through my paint gun. (Better spray pattern/control)


This photo doesn't truly show the brilliance of the color or the metal flake sparkle.
This is with only four coats. I think I want it to be a bit darker, so will look to add one-two more heavy coats.

 
Waiting on a better day to paint. In the meantime, I have been busy making a 'griddle' for my two-burner camping stove.
It will do double duty and work on my BBQ as well.

Wicked expensive for the size I want/need. 24" x 16".

Anyway tomorrow morning is the trial run for cooking breakfast.
 
How sweet it is to see some color. Not without some setback and redo.

A mishap with the spray gun, ruined the first basecoat, requiring a complete repaint.
Then the spray gun spattered on the second go requiring another basecoat repaint. (My bad for not cleaning the gun well enough)

So this was sprayed directly from the can. 5 coats to get it all to match.

Next step after a few days of letting the color coat cure will be 3-4 coats of crystal clear enamel.

I practiced on another small piece and clear coated it.
This looks great but the clear coat makes it burst with color and sparkle.



I used Rustoleum Silver 'textured' to achieve the metallic look I wanted.
It takes 4-5 coats of clear to achieve a smooth finish.

Enlarge the photo and you can see the sparkle.



Needs some silver touch-up from tape bleed, but overall it looks great.
 
I'm Back! I really never left,

Sorry folks for being away so long. I've missed keeping everyone up on my progress, or lack thereof.
I just took some time away from the project. Finished enclosing the inner walls of my shop, and put up badly needed shelves.
The weather has turned nice, and enthusiasm has returned.

My lithium battery went bad and I had to have it repaired. All is back to normal now.
The turn signal problem took a while but it's been solved, It works but there is no indicator light on the switch.
That's going to be fixed by adding an external light and/or buzzer.

Nothing new to see, (no pics) but a jumbled mess of wiring to show that I am working on it.
I only blew about ten fuses while trying to figure out what worked and what didn't.

I got the brake problem solved and the wiring is virtually done. It turns out that when the fluid level on the cup says MAX, it doesn't really mean stop at that line.
As a last resort to try and understand why the brakes wouldn't move, I overfilled, (above the MAX line), and voila! we have brakes. Who knew?

Waiting until Tuesday to pick up some 1/2" square tubing to use for a raceway on the bottom of the frame.
All the wiring and switches are 'roughed' in place and each one works as desired.
The next step is to do one more test drive and then it's time to tear it all apart finish welding, prep, and paint it.
The body prep is about 50% complete.

Currently, I'm looking for a business within a reasonable distance, that does 'spray chrome'. Found only one so far, but they are booked for at least a full year.

I will get some pics shortly showing some progress.

Anyway, I'm glad to be back working on it, and I might actually get it done before Christmas. Yeah, I know I've said that before.

.
 
I think this project should be renamed to StreetCrawler, not StreetRunner. It really has been a slow pace getting this completed.
But things have been moving along nicely recently. I've been motivated and working on it for a couple of hours or more each day.

I finished the wiring to the point that I got everything working.
I got a sound system that works, and now I've decided it is time to tear it all apart and finish the welding and any other minor fab work that is needed.

I started with the 'mock engine'.( see pics )
Then I will be removing the drive components and front steering etc.
Paint them all and then reassemble them
.

 
Radical Brad said:
Hello Ed, just a call out to see if all is well.
Brad
Click to expand...

How timely Brad.

Yes, all is well just much slower nowadays. But there is progress.
Is Atomiczombie gone? I guess there have been some changes.
I'm having to learn again how I did things,

Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. Sorry for being absent for so long.
Like most, there has been much in life, that has finally given way to a return to completion.
Recently, I tore the car completely apart for a frame-up painting.
We are nearing completion for a return to a rolling functioning chassis.

She is looking pretty nice. I can't wait to move it out into the sunlight.



The wiring that gave me so much trouble. Hope it will come back to me how and where all the wires go.




Only the exposed parts get the full polish treatment.


 
Yes!
Thanks for the next chapter.
I am travelling so much for work lately and really enjoy seeing all this amazing work.

Strange, I am basically a lurker on my own forum now.

Brad
 
I spent a fair amount of time trying to paint the battery cover, but Mother Nature had other ideas. It's been over the 100s for the better part of two-plus weeks. Each attempt (early morning) with temp and humidity within limits didn't help much.

So after 4 attempts I gave up for now and went on to something else.

Unlaced the front wheels and painted the hub. ( small items received paint better - hmmmm?)

Before


After

.

Note: The truing stand was completed today. No cutting, welding, grinding, or painting. I just have some thoughts on how to use one of the carrying handles from my winch for a truing stand. I'm going to use the winch to operate a trailer off-loader. Think of it as a sliding plow blade inside the bed that will push all the yard debris out.

Something like this.

Another project, soon to be started and completed out of necessity.

Brad, maybe you can make plans based on this idea.
 
The Humpty Dumpty Trailer is .. Done, pre-tested, and dump certified. (y):)


Pretest before load testing.

I reloaded the brush in the video and made a dump trip.

Predump load test
I had a camera in hand at the dump, but had to pay more attention to the unloading process (moving the trailer forward, etc.) to take any video.
Maybe next trip.


The StreetRunner redo is currently in the rewiring stage. I will post photos when there is something worth seeing.

I have suffered a mechanical setback....:mad:, but fixable. Stay tuned for developments.
 
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This is great!
I will have to consider this one day as I too am often moving brush like this around the farm.
The tree crowns often stay in the bush when I am cutting, but they would be great camp fire wood.

Looking forward to the next installment of your StreetRunner build too!
 
Here you go, Brad and fellow Zombies.


The StreetRunner is progressing quite quickly. The frame and front suspension are painted and lubed tight, the brake lines/system is in, sans brake bleeding and the rewiring is nearly to a point where it can be tucked away until the body goes on. And the bodywork, my friends, has re-started in just the last couple of days. Current work involves finishing metal fab on the front 'dashboard' area, general detailing like the body seams welds/filler work, and then on to paint.

Other work includes mounting the engine sound system, (which sounds awesome), and buying new plexiglass for the windshield. Finally comes the upholstery, probably a button tuft, as it is within my abilities to make and look somewhat correct.

Oh, and there is a need/desire to replace the motor that went belly up. I'm thinking of upgrading to a 3000-watt motor this time. The electrical system is now all toggle switches and it's set to operate one primary motor, (M1) @3000 watts, (M2) @1800 watts, or both if needed. Not sure about the feasibility of running these two similar motors at the same time. They each will have controllers that are required for their respective voltages/watts/

I have given myself a rather robust timeline to finish it - April 1st. And we all know what day that is - right?
If not done by April Fool's Day, then next year sometime is quite doable.

Am I excited to finally see the end in sight?..👏😃
Look for a couple of photos soon.
 
Final major 'planned' body modification. The front dashboard area.

It's slow going. Weather permitting (too hot, too cold, too windy), or I'm just too weary. I get in about 2-4 hours a day, which may be a lot for some, but for me, I yearn for the energy I used to have.

Today though another milestone. Near completion of the all-important final metal addition to the body. All curved pieces were cut and curved by hand. (save those small to medium-sized cut-off discs for cutting out those tight turns). They also make great circle templates.

I used a section of a round basketball goalpost to make most of the bends. The spacers are 1/2" square tubes, using increments of 1" and 1/2" markings as my guide. The front housing is where the switches and gauges go. Tomorrow I will finish cutting and welding the top strips. The goal is to have very little body filler.



Tomorrow's plan? Cut and weld on the top curves. and the front face plate.


Some minor shaping of the curved parts is still needed.


 
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DannyC said:
Looks nicely curved Ed. :)
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for that thought Danny, TIG is in my dreams for welding excellence.
I will have one at some point. It looks like so much fun.

But for now, we must return to reality. Todays progress.

Change of plan

As you can see, the plan to enclose the top of the curved pieces didn't happen. Completing the reforming of the dashboard seemed like the thing that needed to satisfy my desire for today.

Before


After


The plan is to use real oak wood for the top of the dash.
From left to right

Top row -

12-volt gauge,
48-volt gauge,
USB port,
12-volt port.

Bottom row

70 amp circuit breaker with red on/off warning light above it

M1 = Motor One, (2000/3000 watt primary power)
M2 + Motor Two, (1800 watt additional power)
'L' = Head/Running lights
'H' = Hazard Lights
'T' = Turn signals
Hole for the horn button (Used to be for the ignition key, which has been done away with)
 
Santa visited and left some goodies,
and ate all his cookies.

With a loud, Ho, Ho, Ho, he left in his bright red sleigh,
now it is time for me to play with [my] big red..' sleigh'.

Down it has come, from its lofty perch,
with crafty thoughts for a human's perch.

Time is ticking away,
for a body that has yet a place to lay.

A body we must fit,
lest we know not how we will sit.

The body of work yet to come, belies any notion,
this project will soon provide forward motion.

Yet we persevere, not looking to the rear.
but forward, to the end peeking in the distance near.

Until I return later, enjoy these
images of my current labor.




My $5 swap meet (pair spinners) purchase, with my red anodized paint for bling
 
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