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Thank you!
Hope everyone is doing great. All good here, living the good life...7 days a week at a really cool shop with some badass fabricators working around me. I tell them daily that it's not lost on me.....they are working and I am playing. So very thankful for Kenny and his team. Making progress on the molds, it's just a slow process with curing and making flanges. Tedious but I'm making the spoiler mold pretty stout as there is a decent chance I may need to.... I'm not gonna say it. Attachment 85609 Attachment 85610 Attachment 85607 Attachment 85608 |
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John, I have been following your build from the very beginning.
It first got my attention because I have a 70 RS myself. It has been a true pleasure to see how a real pro fabricator works. Wow, just fantastic work. Can't wait to see more. |
Thanks guys, really appreciate the encouragement and real kind words!
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I use sign makers plastic for making the mold flanges. It's cheap, cuts nicely and shapes with very little heat, and easy to get.
Masking tape so the hot glue doesn't permanently stick to anything. Use a lot of cripples so the plastic doesn't move or break off during laminating, last thing you need with wet 'glass! Attachment 85650 I welded in a fairly stout inner structure while the valence was still on the car. Given the weak-@ss nature of how the shape of the spoiler was created, can't have anything flexing once it comes off the car. Attachment 85651 Attachment 85652 Other side of the bumper mold laminated. Attachment 85653 |
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Tacked up the spoiler mounting brackets.
Attachment 85667 Bumperette mold almost complete Attachment 85668 Spoiler mold almost complete Attachment 85669 Attachment 85670 Attachment 85671 |
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Hope everyone is doing well. Good here. Still very thankful for Kenny (and his guys) to welcome me into his shop to work on this thing while we are building the new house. This dude is beyond dedicated (crazy)...he is at the shop 7 days a week....so if he's there, I'm there. So thankful for not only the use of the shop but the level of talent around me making sure I don't screw up and offering hands is incredible. Not sure what I did to deserve this but I'm doing my best to do my part to earn it!
2 of the molds are complete now, here is the mold sections right after pulling them off the plug. Attachment 85808 The mold parts and the plug. Attachment 85809 The plug getting ready to go in the trash. I cut off some of the nose piece mounting brackets. I will use them on the final part, it will make sense later. I set the mold aside and forgot to take pics of it, will do next week. Attachment 85810 Threw the plug in the trash. That's always weird! I made this mold pretty darn stout and braced the heck out of it so it doesn't warp once I make the part and put it up on a shelf. Hopefully I'll never need it but if so, at least it should be as straight as the day I made it. Attachment 85811 Switched it up as Kenny was kind enough to offer one of his awesome fab guys to help me put the #1 header tube on the headers. The way I mounted my steering column put the shaft right through the middle of the #1 tube. American Racing Headers was kind enough to make me a header without that tube and sent me a box of scrap bends along with the seal and collector. First class people. We spent a day getting this thing right. Couldn't have done this without Adam's help. Next level talent. Attachment 85812 Header done ready for some scotchbrite. Attachment 85813 Kenny spent the weekend with me working on the exhaust. Another next level talented dude. 35 years of badassery.... Parts ready for cut'n. Attachment 85814 Attachment 85815 We got the it built to the X this weekend. Attachment 85816 Started prepping for the mufflers and the rear, figured we would notch the fuel tank for cleanlyness. I decided to run 3" all the way back, I know many go 2 1/2" after the mufflers but I don't have experience with that, so just made way for the 3". Attachment 85817 |
Inspiring work as usual John. :thumbsup:
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Wanted to ask a question about you mentioning using a scotchbrite on the headers. Is that to give it a brushed look? I'm going to have some exhaust work done on some 304 stainless next year and like the brushed look as opposed to the mill finish. Any tips to offer this novice are appreciated to achieve a finish like the pic below, TIA. Attachment 85818 |
Love this build and can’t wait to see more
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Hey Simon. Thank you!!
Yep, Scotchbrite just to clean up the tubes and the welds. Your pic is probably more likely done with a tubing belt sander. I'm going to wrap my entire exhaust so I'm not really super concerned with super detailed finishing but you should easily be able to duplicate your pic. |
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Thanks guys!!
Here are the pics of molds put back together and the stands mounted. I still need to do final wet sanding and polish of the gelcoat before making the parts but that should get underway next week. Attachment 85839 Attachment 85840 Attachment 85841 Attachment 85842 |
Keep those pics coming
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More on the exhaust.
Attachment 85921 Attachment 85922 Attachment 85923 Yes, that's 3" irrigation drain pipe subbing in for a 4" driveshaft. Ha!, use what you got! Attachment 85924 All buttoned up to the rear-end. We will continue out the back next week. Attachment 85925 I'm so thankful for Kenny Welch of Kenny's Rod Shop for helping me for the last 2 weekends get the exhaust looking real nice. So awesome to be around dudes with this level of talent. On Kenny's advice.... Though I did buy a Borla Universal kit, he likes to use sanitary pipe elbows from an industrial piping supply house. Super clean way to have perfect flat surfaces at exactly the right angle. So, I didn't need the Borla kit but I'll find a good home for it - lesson...ask the experts before ordering! When the dust settles, I think the cost of those pieces and a couple straight sections is less than the Universal kit but the fit is sooo tight! Highly recommend! Attachment 85926 |
Sanitary pipe bends are hydro-formed so they don't oval out when you cut them like mandrel bends do. More expensive, but higher quality end product.
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Great info on the sanitary pipe bends. I learned something new! Exhaust looks awesome and super clean.
Man of many talents! :hail: |
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99% finished with the exhaust, still working out how I'm going to connect or not connect to the exhaust tips. Again, more skilled help from one of Kenny's guys! I wouldn't pick up the torch around here! So much fun going to "work" everyday.
Gas tank needed significant notching. Attachment 85966 Attachment 85967 Attachment 85968 Added some bracing to support the tank mounts that I did long ago. Attachment 85969 Attachment 85970 Attachment 85973 Attachment 85971 I know it looks real close, it is! Only about 1/4" but I'm going to wrap the entire exhaust so it should be fine. Once I finish the aluminum surround/side skirt around the exhaust tips (for sure it won't hang down as it is now - just haven't inked it yet), I'll figure out how the exhaust attaches. Attachment 85972 |
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Mold put back together, prepped for laminating the part.
Attachment 85977 Sprayed PVA Mold Release. Attachment 85978 Brushed on the gelcoat. No great way to accurately spray it with this mold, just to many tight areas to insure a consistent layer. Brushing is an OK alternative but will have pin holes. This thing will get body-worked during paint so no worries. Attachment 85979 First layer of 3/4oz mat fiberglass and 3/32" glass fibers in the tight corners. I also added a small piece of 3/8" aluminum in the outer most section for the splitter to bolt up to later. Buried it in with the carbon Will drill and tap. Didn't get pics of that as I was elbows deep in resin. Attachment 85980 Added the carbon. Attachment 85981 Attachment 85982 This will sit in the mold for a couple weeks. More to come soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and Holiday!! Attachment 85983 |
John, I always enjoy seeing your work :military:
Merry Christmas to you and your family too! |
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Thanks guys!!!
Took a couple weeks off visiting family for the holidays, left the spoiler in the mold to fully cure and help keep it's shape. Here is the part out of the mold and just starting to smooth all of the seams where the gelcoat seeps into the joints of the mold. Attachment 86069 First test fit under way. Attachment 86070 Attachment 86071 Attachment 86072 |
It just keeps getting better and better!
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Thanks!
The fiberglass nose, purchased about 6 years ago, shrunk up a bit, so I'll cut it and reshape to get the shape back. Glass does move if you don't anchor it and this piece has been off the car for some time now. My bad, definitely not the manufactures fault. Fix started today. Attachment 86074 |
Still seems to fit better than many I've seen.
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John, I was just wondering if you're going to use a front license plate?
It would be shame to cover up that work. |
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I had planned on using the stock grill insert but the re-pop wasn't great and there was a guy at SEMA who hand made a metal insert with larger grids. It was extremely well executed and looked great. I'm going to redesign the factory grid pattern and try to 3D print a revised version. Down the path now, we'll see if I can get it close enough to fit into this nose piece and then fit the fiberglass to it. Quote:
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Here's the first attempt at doing a plastic insert. Stretched my Solidworks skills big time. Had some help, thankfully. Just hit send for the first test print.
Attachment 86104 |
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Good progress on the grill. My printer isn't large enough to print in one piece but still in mock-up, will find someone to print each side in one piece...hopefully.
Attachment 86140 Attachment 86141 Still in the works but pleased so far. Attachment 86142 First one out of the mold, glass cut for the second. Attachment 86143 In the mold, little chilly right now in ID so helping the cure with some heat. Attachment 86144 Initial trim and a quicky sand. lots more to do. Attachment 86145 Attachment 86146 |
Very nice
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I've used i-Solids for 3D prints too large for me when I wanted it to be one piece. I found them on craftcloud and it was cheaper to go through them then it was through craftcloud.
https://www.i-solids.com/ |
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Just some process pics here.
Needed to reattach the lower portion of the nose, hot-glued some paint sticks to anchor it in place, flat, so it can be fiberglass'd in place . Attachment 86182 2 layers of 1 1/2oz mat laid down in the back over the cut joint. Attachment 86183 After the above cured solid, ground out the cut joint to get down to clean glass, used a round carbide burr. Attachment 86184 Not a great pic here, but used 1/32" glass fibers + resin to create a fiberglass paste and filled that grove that was ground out. Let it cure and then sanded flat. That's all for that now until it gets to body work. Installed and then set up a laser level to start mounting the bumperette's. Attachment 86185 Using a mix of some fiberglass ribs with a metal mounting bracket. Drilled some holes to create a path for the same fiberglass paste to flow through. The end result will be a combination of a chemical and mechanical (mostly) bond to anchor the metal mounting brackets. This is before the fiberglass paste, used a little hot-glue to hold the bracket in place while the glass is laid down. Attachment 86186 This is the first step in laying down the fiberglass paste. Attachment 86187 |
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Hope all is well for everyone.
Bumperette mounts are complete. They are done until bodywork time.Attachment 86222 Final sand on the lower splitter plug. Will start the mold next week. Attachment 86223 Test fit. Attachment 86224 Attachment 86225 |
This front end is going to be a bad ass
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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Started the mold on the lower splitter.
Attachment 86252 Attachment 86253 Mold release Attachment 86255 Gelcoat Attachment 86254 5 Layers of 'glass, first half of the mold complete. Attachment 86256 |
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Needed to get some clear on the carbon interior panels so I could put them away safely, at least for a while. 4 coats of matte clear.
Attachment 86278 Need to have the AC knobs and the switches anodized so quicky fit up to pick the sheen. Attachment 86279 Attachment 86280 |
Forgot to mention, the lettering for the switches and AC control notations were etched with a CO2 laser and then I swept in multiple coats of paint before final wet sanding and then the matte clear. The CO2 laser gave super crisp lines in the carbon fiber/epoxy. Tried a regular laser on a test piece but it burned the epoxy.
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