Carlos Salaff Project Caden

I just wanted to also mention how much I appreciate those who have expressed their enthusiasm for the project and decided to stay tuned!

 

Hi Ryan--Thanks for your encouragement and insights.

I couldn't agree with you more! I often feel that interiors are an afterthought. The interior is where man physically connects with machine, and the experience should be carefully considered.

I will gladly share construction of the interior as it happens--I have special things planned!

 

At Pete's Custom Coachbuilding my key metal shaper is Rodney. In these photos he demonstrates his skills on the english wheel, and in achieving proper body side crown. I really appreciate Rodney's positive energy and willingness to find solutions. He brings with him a wealth of experience restoring vintage cars, and has taken on this new challenge with enthusiasm.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Here I'm discussing next steps with Pete (Owner of Pete's Custom Coachbuilding) and Rodney--and admiring the surface on a newly roughed-in body panel.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hi Pete and all who are interested,

I found early on that there would be too many compromises If I didn't just go ahead and design the chassis from scratch--so that's what I did... Here are a couple of images from the computer to give you a good feel for the layout.
I got as far as I could with the design, and then handed the data off to the capable hands at Metcalf Racing in Texas. They are engineering the suspension geometry, and completing all of the structural design nuances required to construct a great chassis. They are also fabricating the chassis. I will post images of that process.

The tub is an aluminum monocoque, with a stainless rear subframe and wishbones. It has inboard pushrod-actuated coilovers and long oval-profile wishbones.

The drivetrain is mounted very low and midship. It will be 100% electric. The benefits of electric are too compelling for me to deny and I believe a high-torque system in a very light/nimble car will be mind blowing! One strong candidate for the motor is the AM Racing AMR Dual core motor-- a 180lb work of art capable of 700hp. There's still time to decide though and initial chassis testing will be done with a temporary setup.

I will most likely use a pushrod-actuated manual transmission. I feel that manual shifting is a visceral and raw activity that completes the man-machine connection. Having a gearbox with various ratios will help me achieve a broad spectrum of performance/choice vs. a fixed gear. Electric motors have a wide torque band--but in the cases I've seen, a single speed would limit bottom or top-end performance.

The driver will sit in the center like a McLaren F1 or Ferrari 365 P Berlinetta Speciale--because it will feel awesome
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks again Zack, and thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into them. I just want to be sure that the actual surface of the aluminum is visible. Something clear that doesn't fog or dull the natural surface would be ideal.

 

You are very welcome Pete!

 

Thanks for your interest Ryan,

I am after a highly engaging driving experience, and felt it was best to put the driver at the center of the action!

I am shooting to have a running prototype by next summer--2016.

 

Group C racing cars such as the Sauber C9 and Porsche 962C were inspirational in my decision to go with an aluminum monocoque construction. Beyond the functional aspects of aluminum, I find the construction techniques of folded aluminum and rivets to be a thing of beauty that should be curated. I feel that the raw, mechanical feel of these classic cars coupled with modern elements will make for a fresh experience.

A few images of the C9 chassis:
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hi Jack,
thanks for your kind words and helpful feedback!

I do have a taste for the materials and techniques used in vintage automobiles--which can present its challenges!
That said, galvanic corrosion is a consideration in any era. For example, aluminum has a severe galvanic reaction when coupled with carbon fibers, so I'm sure this is dealt with in various ways in today's cars.

In our case, we are planning to isolate the materials from each other with gasket material--possibly silicone sheet. We are always open to suggestions though and I'll look into yours.

Carlos

 

Hi Zack,
Thanks for sharing your concerns regarding seating.

Your concerns are valid. I have however taken time to address many of them. No doubt that ingress/egress, will be more challenging than in a conventional layout, but I will not have any for/aft chassis tunnel impeding the driver's feet from swinging in--which should help.

I thought long and hard about the social impact of staggered seating. I decided to keep the amount of offset enough to generously clear shoulders, but not so much that you can't visually engage with your passengers.

The electric drivetrain will be audible, but not so loud as to obscure speech--as an internal combustion engine can. This should keep the cabin at a comfortable noise level for communication.

Very good point about sight lines. That is a trade off on the street. One advantage is that my car will be compact-- Slightly wider than a 911 Porsche, so distance to the side of the car won't be terribly extreme.

The mission for the car is to be a track day thrill as well as a road car.

At the end of the day I felt that the things I needed to give up, such as a degree of practicality, are well worth letting go for the experience of sitting at the center

Carlos

 

More progress on the bodywork
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Today I sent out the files for laser cutting the fender bucks out of MDF. Here is an example of what those files look like. The pieces are cut, and then assembled like a puzzle. Fun!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Project Caden starting to sing after further surface refinement.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The history of hand made cars is a fascinating one. Project Caden sits alongside a Rolls-Royce restoration at Pete's Custom Coachbuilding.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

From the beginning I wanted Project Caden's chassis to be an integral visual design element. That is to say, I did not want the mechanical design of the car to be covered up with "styling"--as is often the case.

I wanted the suspension, tub, and subframe to be in view and work together with the body and interior design elements. This is a similar approach to watches that have their inner workings on display, or industrial architecture--were structural elements double as aesthetic ones.

In order to do this, I hit the books early on in order to bolster my general understanding of chassis design. From the start, I digitally modeled the chassis along with the bodywork and interior components. It was a dance of needs and wants, boiling the functional and visual design elements down to their essence. In car companies, these disciplines are often separated--with engineers and designers in different rooms, and sometimes countries. Practicing both disciplines simultaneously just felt right to me.

Later in the process I brought on the expertise of chassis designer and fabricator Robert Metcalf to insure safety, performance and quality. These tools gave me a wonderful level of design freedom throughout the project, and the ability to have an intelligent conversation with Robert!

Here are some engineering books which I found indispensable, and a tubular chassis model made of balsa wood, a great tool for "feeling" the torsional rigidity of a chassis design.
Image Unavailable, Please Login