The Blue Turtle

[S. Heisley]

You're getting there. She does look like a turtle!

[KCStudly]

Can you make it a RORO (roll on roll off) configuration like a roll back car carrier?

[The Blue Turtle]

I did look at this option, it came down to cost, a hydraulic lift system for tilting the bed can be built for the $1500 range. Then I would need ramps and a wench. All in all $2800 to $3000. Basically the cost of the camper. I also considered installing another car lift outside the shop: $1800. I just can't see either way for 3 or 4 times a year (maybe more). I may just try the jacks again using only 3, one in the center at the rear and 2 on the sides. I'm also looking at heavier springs on the jacks to eliminate the free fall option. Now there is one other option: raise the roof on my shop and I would be able to use my existing lift. This would be great but now we're talking a lot of money. You can see space is limited. Oh yeah, not really my first tear drop. I use this one to haul race tires and gear behind the Cobra.
Rob

[KCStudly]

Ooh, ooh, ooh, you've been holding out on us! Nice car. Is that a Factory Five?

[The Blue Turtle]

Good eye, yes it is. I built it back in 2008, Mark III, 5.0,EFI,5 spd. quite a few custom touches. If you Google image "Clemson Cobra" you can see a few pictures of it.
Need one?
Rob

[KCStudly]

Need or want? That's a narrow line to cross.

Doesn't everyone? They are the timeless hot rod sports car. The FF, being a modern interpretation, has to be good, right?

[The Blue Turtle]

If built right, I think it's more capable then the original. Modern fuel injection, better suspension design(5 link rear in my case) horse power available well above original, gas mileage, brakes, safety. The list goes on and on. Now will they be as valuable as an original? not even close. Performance: 12.980 in the 1/4 mile, 8.002 in the 1/8 mile, and over .9 G on track tires. It can be a hand full. As far as need, HA, do any of us really need these toys? We're living the American dream.
Rob

[The Blue Turtle]

Busy week-end, I took the shell down to Conway, about 270 miles, to visit my son and his wife. While we where there we got a lot of work done. I now have a completed roof on the camper. Over all very pleased of how the top came out. All the joints where over lapped and epoxied.
Rob

[MadMango]

Are you going to distress your camper to match that truck? That would look awesome!

[The Blue Turtle]

Not so much distressed as to try and use products available at the time like galvanized corrugated for the sides and round windows. I think I'm also gonna end up doing the PMF for the roof using gray paint. I looked into doing polished aluminum but it get real expensive for the large sheets. I think the galvanized will weather gray pretty quick.
Rob

[noseoil]

Take a look at the semi-truck/trailer industry for aluminum sheeting. They use some stuff you can get for the semi-trailer roof sheet, which is wide & comes in rolls as long as you would need it.

[The Blue Turtle]

Thanks for the tip Noseoil, I had been looking for steel of aluminum coils but had not tried the truck service industry. Now that I have I have found a shop 50 miles form my house which will cut it to length for me. Price? $13.61 per foot (103" wide). So lets see here, I need about 48 to 50 feet if I do the whole camper in aluminum...OUCH. You can also see my donated latter which I will modify to use as steps when it's on the truck bed. It had a fight with a train car and lost.
Rob

[Vedette]

Wish I had seen this post sooner.
A 47 Chev Fleetline body would have slid right on (11' from firewall to tail) lots of cabin room and Galley works great out back.
See Kermit Build.
And I have a 48 Olds 78 Club Sedan (same body as Chev used for their Fleetline) out in the Barn.
Would have been way to cool!
Love your Truck
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[The Blue Turtle]

OK, so after much back and forth I have made a final decision on the outer skin, Aluminum for all surfaces. Dropped over $800 today for a new roof skin for a semi trailer. 102" wide and 54' long. It worked out cheaper getting a full trailer top then the 46 feet I really need. With that I also got 1000 3/16" self sealing rivets. Just for the heck of it I hit a small spot with metal polish and a buffer wheel. That was way to easy.
Rob

[Alan_H]

That's gonna be slick!!