Carlos Salaff Project Caden | Page 3 | FerrariChat

Carlos Salaff Project Caden

Discussion in 'Special Projects & Concept Cars' started by Carlos Salaff, Apr 27, 2015.

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  1. rossocorsa13

    rossocorsa13 F1 Rookie

    Jun 10, 2006
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    I still have Herb Adams' book!

    Very understandable and accessible.
     
  2. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

    Apr 27, 2015
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    I agree! Which is remarkable if you think about how broad the topic is. Go Herb!
     
  3. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #53 Carlos Salaff, May 13, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Here's Rodney patiently forming and fitting each panel of the center portion A.K.A. the "fuselage".

    His aim is to get the sheet metal to make contact with every section of the buck underneath.

    One technique he uses is to gently rub the panels against the buck. He then flips the panel over and looks at where there are traces of MDF on the metal. Were there aren't, he knows he needs to go back to the hammer and wheel and work the panel some more until it evenly rests on the buck.

    This gets tricky on areas like the tail, where there is both a dramatically dropping highlight and a degree of twist--a characteristic that can be difficult to see on the buck alone. Rodney is doing a beautiful job of understanding these surface subtleties and refining them.
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  4. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #54 Carlos Salaff, May 14, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Soon the fender bucks will be in from laser cutting and rough shaping on the fender surfaces can begin. This will be a very exciting step in the build!

    In the meantime it's fun looking at the fender-less center portion of the body. It brings to mind a wingless WWll aircraft fuselage or a lunging metal shark:).
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  5. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #55 Carlos Salaff, May 15, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The desired finish on Project Caden is raw brushed aluminum--possibly a few painted areas.

    Pete--owner of Pete's Custom Coachbuilding--doing a test of brushed aluminum on a scrap piece. He created a nice brushed finish in about two minutes, with a piece of sandpaper and some steel wool. Quite easy to create.

    It seems that upkeep on the raw metal finish will be quite simple. In case of a scratch, just rub steel wool on that spot in the direction of the grain(sandpaper first if a deep scratch). A light waxy layer may also help protect the surface.
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  6. lsmkr01

    lsmkr01 Karting

    Oct 5, 2010
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    Awesome project, I will stay tuned for all of your updates!
     
  7. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    Thanks!!
     
  8. 95spiderman

    95spiderman F1 World Champ
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    Wow, just found this thread. Fantastic. Esp love the central seating which is worth all the trouble it takes to realize. Electric is cool but a 9k redline na v8 option would be nice too. Best of luck
     
  9. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    Thanks for tuning in, and for the great comments! I totally hear you-- If you're like me you love the growl of 60's-era f1 cars, and the high-pitched scream of more recent, high-revving F1 cars. Not to mention the Group C era of engines...drool.

    I've just fallen in love with the instant, smooth, powerful torque that electric can offer. It's something I really want to share and promote. Especially when coupled with a race-spec chassis, analog interface, and center seating, I believe it will feel like an entirely new experience. Plus, I think at full song the sound will be really fresh:)
     
  10. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #60 Carlos Salaff, May 17, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  11. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #61 Carlos Salaff, May 17, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    After learning the surface contours on the driver's side "fuselage", Rodney was able to create the passenger's side surfaces more rapidly. The highlights are looking very nice--even for a rough pass. Great work Rodney.

    It's really starting to come together! Next step with the body development will be roof surfaces, then onto the fenders.
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  12. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #62 Carlos Salaff, May 17, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  13. Far Out

    Far Out F1 Veteran

    Feb 18, 2007
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    Carlos, that's an amazing project - a big thanks for sharing it with us in such detail!

    Being in the hybrid/electric vehicle area myself, I still wonder a bit about your drivetrain. The electric machine you talked about is the easy part, how do you deal with the batteries? If you look at electric cars like the electric AMG SLS, the by far biggest part of the engineering has gone into placement and installation of the battery pack. The thought alone of ensuring function and safety of a LiIo (?) battery pack of the size needed for powering a pure electric sportscar gives me serious headaches :)
     
  14. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #64 Carlos Salaff, May 17, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi Florian, thanks and you are welcome-- I've also learned so much from other people's blogs and builds that I figured it was time to contribute.

    Great question regarding batteries. To be frank, I'm not sure if there is any "easy part" when designing a car from scratch:). Batteries are a rapidly-evolving technology, perhaps that's why they can seem hard to grasp sometimes.

    I feel that the process of designing a car from scratch has been much like a puzzle. Only in this puzzle, you need to decide what pieces you need, and sometimes create the pieces themselves!

    There's so much to say here, but to avoid cranial detonation A.K.A. being overwhelmed, I think the trick is to first define what your car's mission will be--in broad strokes. For me, It had to be beautiful. I wanted a car that would be a thrill on the racetrack and on the road. I wanted a compact design, and a midship layout, rear drive.
    From there, I was after a 40/60 weight distribution, a low CG, and low polar moment. In terms of power, I have given myself a range. The chassis is being built to handle gobs of power and torque, so we'll have lots of room to grow.

    Given those goals, I chose to mount the battery pack midship, as far forward as possible, and very low in the car(under the yellow arrows in the attached photo). The size of the pack as you know, is dictated by range and power needs, and by battery chemistry. I have designed the battery space in the chassis to accept a range of pack sizes, and over time, newer and better batteries. Different motors will likely be tested as well. This way i'm not locked into a form factor that will become obsolete. I thought about a flat battery pack like Tesla's, but I didn't like how much it would raise the occupants off the floor. For a high-performance, compact, low sportscar with central seating I arrived at the aforementioned placement.

    The other reason I chose this layout was easy accessibility for maintenance. With the rear clamshell up, it will be easy to access any component in the drivetrain. The cars' analog nature along with easily accessible components should make maintenance straightforward and not unlike a classic car. This would be difficult with a floor-mounted or central tunnel battery.

    I will create aluminum boxes to house the battery modules and rigidly mount them the floor. A time-tested technique used by many builders.

    There is a very broad spectrum of chemistries within the Lithium-Ion category. I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution. Chemistry will dictate energy and power density, which dictates size and weight of pack, cooling/heating requirements etc. Do you watch Electric Vehicle Television (EVTV)? I have been watching it for years, as it is chock-full of battery info and electric car builds. I would say I have become a generalist in the area of electric drivetrains--and this show has been a big part of that. That said, I have brought on an expert in the subject to help me with battery pack testing and electrical system design and installation.

    I'd be happy to try and answer more specific questions, but in the meantime i'd say outline your car's mission, and go step-by-step, as to not get a huge headache:) Hope this helps!
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  15. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #65 Carlos Salaff, May 18, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  16. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #66 Carlos Salaff, May 19, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Time to create glass for Project Caden's windshield, side glass, and rear glass. In the case of the prototype, polycarbonate.

    Using the digital model(pictured) I'll need to (CNC) mill a male "plug" in foam, create a hard shell, and finish the surface as smoothly as possible... Time to roll up my sleeves. Stay tuned for more details:)
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  17. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

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    So many complex details to go, such as windscreen/window recess/attachment and door/bonnet/boot (engine access) opening and hinges ...
    Pete
     
  18. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    Uh-huh... One bite at a time:)
     
  19. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #69 Carlos Salaff, May 19, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  20. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #70 Carlos Salaff, May 19, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The glass "plug" design. There are 1" margins all around to leave room for the molds that need to be pulled from it, and so that the polycarbonate can be nicely trimmed to fit.
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  21. ScuderiaWithStickPlease

    ScuderiaWithStickPlease F1 World Champ

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    This should be thrilling to follow -- subscribed!
     
  22. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    Thank you for joining the party!
     
  23. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    #73 Carlos Salaff, May 24, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Early 2014 mockup of Project Caden's interior, before the driver's seat was moved to the center.

    A simple mockup A.K.A. interior buck, is a great way to check how well a design will translate to reality, before committing to costly time and materials. It's very easy to move things around with a knife and a hot glue gun!

    I first took measurements from my computer model--used to make the buck in foam core and cardboard. When I finished with the cardboard buck, I took a 3d scan of it. I then imported the scan back to the computer for further digital development.
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  24. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
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    Pete
    I can see a lot more work has gone into this project than we are seeing here. I hope the dream that has been the driving force of this project is rewarded.
    Pete
     
  25. Carlos Salaff

    Carlos Salaff Formula Junior

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    Thanks Pete!
     

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