In reply to Patrick :
We're gonna have a splitter ?!?! ......like a real race car?!?!
In reply to Patrick :
We're gonna have a splitter ?!?! ......like a real race car?!?!
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
If Patrick is swinging by, I wouldn't be opposed to him grabbing a sheet for my own splitter... I want clear for the windshield though. Either way, thanks for the offer.
I was making big strides tonight after getting the kids down. I welded the folded part of the fender to one of the existing mounts.
I was going to just tack it a couple times and then decided to keep tacking. Hence it looking like a bunch of tacks lined up.
I then started into what I really wanted to try for Sven - bending up a filler piece for the space opened up when the fender gets bent in.
It's not totally apparent in the picture but the piece is flanged and will get riveted in place. I'm no longer out there working because I put a pretty good gash in my thumb with the angle grinder. I got the bleeding stopped with a butterfly closure but when I went out and started working again it just broke open.
I'll be back at it tomorrow.
Oh and months ago I ordered fresh sway bar end links ($42.85 from RockAuto) because a couple were destroyed during the wreck. Front right was replaced this afternoon.
Fender riveted.
And installed.
Concept proved. Will it do anything for aero? Likely not but I dig it.
In reply to AxeHealey :
It looks awesome!!
This is just my $0.02, but I would consider rounding off that sharp corner. It looks pretty far from the tire, but would hate to see the tire get scraped if you're in a hard left.
In reply to classicJackets (FS) :
If you could have only see me sitting on my stool staring at that very corner for a number of minutes trying to decide if something needed to be done. The options I was considering were to either bend it upward or just round it off like you suggested.
Fold it in, done
In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :
No?
I tried using polycarbonate as a splitter once.... going down the straight at Roebling road, it broke at all the mounting points....
I would NOT make a splitter out of it.
wvumtnbkr said:I tried using polycarbonate as a splitter once.... going down the straight at Roebling road, it broke at all the mounting points....
I would NOT make a splitter out of it.
Second the above comment. Point loading polycarbonate will end badly.
stafford1500 said:wvumtnbkr said:I tried using polycarbonate as a splitter once.... going down the straight at Roebling road, it broke at all the mounting points....
I would NOT make a splitter out of it.
Second the above comment. Point loading polycarbonate will end badly.
Thanks to both of you. Plywood it is.
Driver-side fender complete. It went slightly differently than the passenger side but the end result is about the same. I even spent about 5 minutes smoothing the panel out a little.
The drop link gave me one hell of a time. I had to resort to some pretty fun methods.
The new drop link is in but lots of Daddy duty this evening meant no Guac time. Good enough reason for me. I should have time to get the fender on tomorrow.
Driver side buttoned up. Can't wait to see it lowered.
Not sure what I'll work on next. Cobbling the rad support back together? Cutting out more weight/making access to pound panels more straight-ish? More aero? We'll see...
I think it's 173 days until I leave for Gainesville.
Something I discovered by accident is if you flip the strut tops left for right and redrill the strut towers, you can get a ton more negative camber. You will need 2.5" springs though.
AxeHealey said:Driver side buttoned up. Can't wait to see it lowered.
Not sure what I'll work on next. Cobbling the rad support back together? Cutting out more weight/making access to pound panels more straight-ish? More aero? We'll see...
I think it's 173 days until I leave for Gainesville.
Worry about panels later. Get that thing to an event to see what it needs!
Fender flares and some fender cutting might be needed.
In reply to wvumtnbkr :
Well... I worried. My one test day went pretty well and showed a few issues. I'm racing next weekend and other events are a thin on the ground this time of year in the unfortunate north.
The kink in the top of this door was significantly worse before the 30 min I spent with the car this afternoon while my son napped.
I cut the crash support out and got the dents smoothed out as good as they're going to be. The door sags now since it's so flimsy with the crash support cut out but it actually latches better than it ever has.
I'm still focused on stuff that doesn't really matter but a 10 minute work break doing some panel beating ain't the worst thing.
Before.
After.
I spent a few minutes last week wrapping my brain around the ideas Nocones did in sketch up and how I'd accomplish them. I decided that to make it look how I'd like it, it would be a pretty good amount of work. Rather than jumping into big cuts, I decided to try to just pound this side out and see if I can get it close enough to help make that decision. The jury is still out but it's come a long way.
Two words: Active. Aero.
I had originally planned to set up what's left of the hatch like a truck tailgate but then one day last week it hit me. I wasn't totally sure how it would work but I knew whatever hinge I came up with would need to be on the top of the "tailgate" so I got to capping it.
Next came the hinge. I initially looked at the stock hatch hinges but they weren't really a good fit. Then I saw the trashed sway bar end links sitting in the scrap pile. I cut the threads off of the ball and welded it to the car, Then, since who cares if it's removable, I welded the chopped down end link directly to the tailgate/spoiler.
The factory manual hatch release is what allows it to open/stay shut.
Clearly the existing pneumatic ram set up isn't going to work but I think I'll be able to make the two stock trunk rams work, one on either side.
I know the shape of it is wrong for actual down force and may even cause some lift but I don't even care a little. I love it!
Simple mounts for the pneumatic rams figured out. Square tube from the scrap pile cut into tabs, OEM ball mounts with four random nuts and lock washers found in my misc nut/bolt drawer.
And it works.
The rams are pretty strong but I don't think I'll actually be able to run it like this on track unless I pin it somehow. Pretty sure it'll bounce all over the place.
AxeHealey said:Simple mounts for the pneumatic rams figured out. Square tube from the scrap pile cut into tabs, OEM ball mounts with four random nuts and lock washers found in my misc nut/bolt drawer.
The rams are pretty strong but I don't think I'll actually be able to run it like this on track unless I pin it somehow. Pretty sure it'll bounce all over the place.
can a single ram provide enough "lift assist"? if so, leave one on one side, then have the other side be a tube/bar of some kind that folds "laterally" up to hatch like a hood prop for closing... but then pins in place at the bottom for "in use" time?
In reply to sleepyhead the buffalo :
One ram is enough to lift it, yes. I was talking about pinning it up though so it's not flopping around while driving. When it's closed, it's super solid.
Edit - You must mean the prop rod pins in the bottom, not the tailgate. That could work, yeah...
Other things have taken priority over Guac lately but I have been plugging away. First was trimming up and re-attaching the badly bent exhaust mount cross member thingy and getting the custom turn down mounted.
I then stripped as much weight out of the hood as I could without going too crazy.
It is, of course, lighter but it's still much heavier than one would expect. I then pulled some threaded rod out of the scrap pile to make some hood pins. I was a dope and somehow marked the holes on the hood nowhere near where I wanted the pins to mount on the body so I had to make up some mounts.
I have a bunch large cotter pins in a drawer that were in a bag in the tool box that came mounted to my trailer. I think there are enough that will work.
I think I'm at a point now where I need to get the cheapo coil overs ordered and I noticed today that the alternator belt is in rough shape.
Some really fancy stuff showed up on Friday.
maXpeedingrods super duper fancy adjustable coil overs - $328 to my door.
I started into the rears this afternoon. Turns out the top mounts were total junk.
Fine. Move to the front. Couldn't get them out without a spring compressor.
I figured my completed job for the day would be removing the broken lower engine mount.
How about a budget update?
Guac - $675
Wheel adapter - $50
Queso throw away universal shift knob - $5
Wheels - $160
Door bars - $33.54
Various bits that came with the roll bar kit - $4.02 (I think that's super generous)
Cheapo steering wheel - $20
Left over seat rails/mounts - $10? (scrap price+)
Seat - $50
New front end links - $22
Scrap aluminum and rivets for fenders - $2?
$1,031.56
Recoup wheels - $125
$906.56
Once the coil overs are actually on the car the total will be $1,234.56. I then need to put on the new rear drop links, new top mounts for the rear coils and the bottom engine mount.
I believe most of the remaining stuff is budget exempt but we'll see.
I believe the various bits that came with the roll bar were $4.02. Not just $4.
In reply to wvumtnbkr :
E36 M3, you're right. Edited for accuracy.
When waiting on parts for fun stuff, you do not fun stuff.
I sorta don't believe it but I nailed the drilling of the pin holes. I can't imagine I'll make plates to protect the perfect paint but...
Everything showed up yesterday afternoon, a full day early.
Slightly bad news.
The ridiculous cantilever slicks that weren't even what I intended to order don't clear the coil overs. I could run a small spacer and keep them but, honestly, I don't think I need that much tire, especially in the rear and they already poke out a crazy amount.
The awesome news.
berkeley. Yes.
That's both front and rear turned all the way down. I also have all set at max soft and the rear feels very compliant. Maybe too soft as it sits but I was legitimately concerned that with such little weight even the softest setting would be too stiff.
I am so excited.
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