Author Topic: 1932 Strupp Miller Special  (Read 449 times)

Pip83

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1932 Strupp Miller Special
« on: 07 May 22, 04:32 pm »
Hi all, I'm currently collecting bits and bobs for the build (fair warning, it'll be a while before this is updated with anything particularly interesting), and have decided on an inspiration car. I'm hoping it'll translate into a decent CK.

I was googling pre war race cars and found these photos that really caught my eye, as a good looking car but also one that may be relatively easy to recreate in CK dimensions.

The orange car is a genuine 1932 racer, and the black one a tribute built at a later date (unsure when). What do you think? Am I on the right lines with this?

Looking forward to getting going and finally making a start with this!

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RhysN

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #1 on: 07 May 22, 04:57 pm »
Millers always look good! There are many varieties.
We must avoid torturing our brains with false problems, it occupies but it can annoy. In jest!

Applejack

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #2 on: 07 May 22, 06:33 pm »
If you can build something like that you are on a winner. Good luck.

Jimr1999

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #3 on: 07 May 22, 06:36 pm »
Great lines and a nice car. It is a good start.
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

Ian Fletcher

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #4 on: 07 May 22, 07:14 pm »
That looks great, I like the way the grille is behind the axle.  I cant see how much body there is behind the seat from those photos.  Will there be enough space to get the axle, engine and transmission in?

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #5 on: 08 May 22, 02:22 pm »
Thanks for all the positive replies. I think I may have to get creative with engine packaging to get it all to fit, or deviate slightly from the proportions although I'd really rather not deviate too much.

I did have a reason for choosing a car with axle in front of the grille, and that was so it would be easier to construct in a few pieces to fit in the boot of our car with the seats flat, and bolt together at the events. I know it's extra complexity, but it's a lot cheaper than other options.

I'm hoping to get hold of a used GX200 or similar in the next few days so I can start mocking up chassis dimensions, or bite the bullet and order a new engine depending on what the local lawnmower shop has in its workshop.

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #6 on: 06 Oct 22, 01:03 pm »
Progress finally, I've started tacking the chassis together and thought the best place to re-learn tig welding was the part that'll take the most load. An empty gas bottle has paused progress for now.

The plan is to mount the engine in the curved section in the front of the chassis, with a very long jack shaft to a 90 degree gearbox being the seat. It could end up as a disaster, but I won't know until I try.

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #7 on: 07 Oct 22, 04:49 pm »
Got a little more done today, some spring hangers for the front. You may notice that the spring is a touch oversized for the axle. I'm hoping someone here has had a go at shortening leaf springs before and can give some advice.

So far, I'm thinking cut it to length, weld it, then immediately immerse in some oil, then temper it (not in the kitchen oven?). I do have a spare in case it goes horribly wrong, and they weren't too expensive at £30ish each so I'm happy to experiment.

My other option as far as I see it, is to cut it, then drill a few holes in each side and bolt it back together with plates above and below tying it together (both sides on the same plane).

If anyone has any other thoughts and/or has tried either of these methods before, I'm very happy to take all advice available.


StefanN

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #8 on: 08 Oct 22, 06:44 am »
I’d be interested to hear about any experiences with cutting and welding too.

Being a centrally clamped transverse spring,  I’d imagine you’d get away with cutting it and treating it like 2 quarter elliptic springs clamped end to end.  The clamping may need a bit of thought to keep it all lined up.

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #9 on: 08 Oct 22, 04:36 pm »
I had a go cutting and welding today, it didn't go as planned, it ended up extremely brittle. I suppose if I'd tempered it, it may have improved. I gave up and cut and bolted it together which other than losing the odd drill bit (hardened steel is no fun to drill through) seems to have gone fairly well.

I suspect someone who knows what they're doing could either weld it relatively easily, or wouldn't have bothered.

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Jimr1999

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #10 on: 09 Oct 22, 12:07 pm »
I have been kindly given two spring stacks from a Morris eight that are 1 1/2" wide. I am intending on using three leaves as quarter ellipticals so I have to cut them and drill them. One of the old boys from work has suggested cutting them in a shallow water bath and drilling them at high feed pressure low speed with cobalt bits.
The remaining unused leaf section is long enough to drill the ends and bolt on a small gate band to produce another set of springs if my drilling is successful
... You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead.

RhysN

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #11 on: 09 Oct 22, 05:54 pm »
I have drilled some leaves just in the last few days. As per suggestions from a spring maker I spot heated with a blow torch to red, then left to cool, and drilled on the drill press. It worked for me.
I have previously cut spring leaf with a 1mm disc in the angle grinder. Not being greedy with feed speed it worked for me, if got too warm for comfortable touch I stopped.
We must avoid torturing our brains with false problems, it occupies but it can annoy. In jest!

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #12 on: 17 Nov 22, 12:29 pm »
I'll definitely be using those suggestions next time, thanks both.

A tool I found really useful for cutting a lot of things on the build so far is a little cordless circular saw for cutting steel. I honestly didn't think it'd work, but I cut the whole length of the spring to narrow it slightly and you'd think it was just going through plastic.

I've made a little more progress, got the front end almost done with engine mounting and spring hanging sorted, just need to sort the leading arms if that's what they're called.
« Last Edit: 17 Nov 22, 12:38 pm by Philip83 »

Pip83

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #13 on: 17 Nov 22, 12:37 pm »
I've been looking at steering and found a thrust reverser gearbox from a tornado jet on eBay for £10, so bought one to see if I could use it as a bevel gearbox for doing a steering arm running down the side of the car as per the original. The problem I've found is the input/output on one side is a 5/8ths outer diameter 24 spline socket, the other is a nice and easy 10mm square hole.

Would any of you know of anything I could use that would fit nicely in the splined hole? The closest thing I've found so far would be a 40DP 5/8ths gear that I could weld to a steering shaft, but not sure if the spline geometry would match (happy to file/grind to fit). I was hoping for an input shaft for a gearbox, or maybe a splined camshaft that could found in a scrappers. Any ideas are very welcome

Chris L

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Re: 1932 Strupp Miller Special
« Reply #14 on: 17 Nov 22, 04:25 pm »
Some great work on that front end  ;D. Phillip.     Well Done !!