Better Grow a Mullet!

[grendel]

Got a door on, so I can set gaps with the quarter and soon to be carbon fiber fender.

Funny, with the quarter in the right place, I don't have to grind door hinges... I didn't grind these, but based on fresh metal, someone did..

Also, won't show 'em yet, but I think the carbon fiber rockers will look amazing.

I do have Ring Bros billet hinges for these, now that the doors fit in a factory location.

That's a new door skin, BTW. It's been reinforced for the smaller fiberglass mirrors that will be shaped and fit to clear the wide body on this car.

[waynieZ]

Its' coming together, and looking good.

[jydracing]

Was looking at your build thread. As for the body, I doesn't look like you changed much, added some Bondo to the firewall to smooth it up, split the rear fenders/quarters so as to make them flair more.... "why did you not put the spacer metal under the quarter panel instead of on top"???? Will you not have to build up the body putty to cover the hump of the metal???? Would it of not been easier to fill a gap, by welding the metal under the cut fender, than to building up putty up over the filler metal on the outside of the quarter??? Your rear cradle looks nice, but it looks exactly the same as when it left the shop in Baldwin, Kansas. The DSE parts look exactly the same also???? What did you change about them???? New ones or are they the same ones???? They also look the same as what left Baldwin, Kansas!!! Your build is coming along nicely!!!! Are you doing it a Blue Ribbon Restoration??? I do not see any high priced Lamborghini's, Porsche's, or Ferrari's, in any of the pictures???? Maybe at another garage????

[grendel]

Originally Posted by jydracing

Was looking at your build thread. As for the body, I doesn't look like you changed much, added some Bondo to the firewall to smooth it up, split the rear fenders/quarters so as to make them flair more.... "why did you not put the spacer metal under the quarter panel instead of on top"???? Will you not have to build up the body putty to cover the hump of the metal???? Would it of not been easier to fill a gap, by welding the metal under the cut fender, than to building up putty up over the filler metal on the outside of the quarter??? Your rear cradle looks nice, but it looks exactly the same as when it left the shop in Baldwin, Kansas. The DSE parts look exactly the same also???? What did you change about them???? New ones or are they the same ones???? They also look the same as what left Baldwin, Kansas!!! Your build is coming along nicely!!!! Are you doing it a Blue Ribbon Restoration??? I do not see any high priced Lamborghini's, Porsche's, or Ferrari's, in any of the pictures???? Maybe at another garage????

You couldn't let sleeping dogs sleep, eh?

I will answer your questions.

I guess you didn't see the other pics? Where I cut off both quarters, re-did the wheel tubs that weren't welded on as it would not pass a NH safety inspection the way I got it from Baldwin, KS?

That the body is now 2" wider through the quarters to actually fit the IRS and rims/tires spec'd out. The spacer metal follows the natural lines of the car and provides a lot of metal to shape the way I want to. I plan to keep the filler to a minimum. Easier to take metal off the top and shape it the lines I want.

Like here: https://lateral-g.net/forums/show...&postcount=296

I had to replace the wheel tub (He cut off the outer mounting flange) and its now welded to the quarter, unlike this:



To remove this:



I even matched both quarters to the trunk panels. Good gaps at the doors and trunk lid that I didn't have before.

Want the email where he sent pics that match up to those cut lines but didn't show the other welds?

Want more pics of how it left Baldwin, KS? I know you're friends with Chubby, but you really won't help your friend by attacking me. I have all his pics and his email, including where "I will hang on to the money and airfilter until you deside to not post any of this."

Yep, I posted it and yep, he kept money he did not earn.

Yep, the firewall was done right, so it got mud and sand work.

Why would I take pics of customer cars for my build thread? This build is happening in the back ground of several shops. I now own two and contract with two others.

The cradle itself is the same, the body has been modified to reinforce the cradle. A tube welded through sheet metal does not make a solid rear IRS mount, certainly does not handle the forces that can be applied to it when racing. The cage was reinforced through the back wall, where he cut for the wheel tubs, we also added a tab and gussets to grab the top of the bolt. We did fit a 9" to it, but want to use a stock diff to keep costs down. This car won't need 9" strength. It also kept Camaro hubs, instead of the Corvette ones he sold me. The Camaro axle shafts even fit. We're also installed the DSE sway bar he said wouldn't fit and guess what, it doesn't hit the coil overs the way he mounted them. We do have to modify the coil over mounts he welded in to fit rims and tires spec'd out.

DSE parts look the same, eh? Here's a pic of the DSE parts he modified. This got all new DSE arms and custom uppers. Pay attention to the cuts at the hex. There is more than 1" of thread engagement missing on some links. Do you want to buy the DSE left overs?



and then look at this pic:



I'll post up a side by side pic soon, but I am not taking this apart again.

Or hey, how about the front upper arms that hit the coil overs? Here's a pic of that... it needs a new upper mount or a shorter shock or a different upper control arm. We went with new arms and mounts. Even with the proper alignment (note the shim behind the stock upper control arm). Several others have needed similar mods. I even have pics he sent showing contact, if you know to look for it.

Want to keep at this? I am glad you're a good friend to Chubby. Good friends are worth having around. Good friends also know when they're not helping their friends. Per court documents, this was supposed to be dead.

Back to build shortly.

[grendel]

Here's a Scott Mock cut lower link vs the DSE as-manufactured.

DSE in no way shape or form suggested cutting or running cut links with less than specified thread engagement. Happy to send the email conversations if you like. DSE says you can narrow them up, by spinning the links in, not cutting them...

The mounting points of the rear suspension were full FEA engineered, unlike before.

I am done with Scott, it's about my build now. My 18yo daughter wants to race this along side me in my other car(s), so it's received a saving grace. It will be safe, it will be right. It wasn't when I got it from Baldwin.

If Scott wants to talk, we have the feedback thread... If you don't have constructive criticism or positive feedback, stay out.

[Che70velle]

DoubleJ, the build is moving forward with excellence! Keep at it, and your daughter will be racing the car before you know it!

[grendel]

More work on the body ( I have black boogers from grinding) and Giff is working away on the sub frames. Giff is my pit boss who's been hustling to work out bugs in the IRS and front sub-frame. Patience of a Saint, as I'd be throwing stuff through the window. We're good at bouncing ideas off each other.

I really want to run C6/C7 arms, since they're much lighter than the ones I built. They're also available off the shelf and pretty cheap. They'd be shared architecture with my 2015 Z06/7.

To keep the shock out of the control arm, we came up with this - we offset the shock from the upright. We feel the uprights will help it handle a bit more stress and FEA testing shows that it will.

Talking with Darren at Ride Tech about a set set of spacers for the offset side in front, although I could make a spacer, it wouldn't be as elegant. Also ordered the stuff to put his rear shocks into the DSE lowers and new upper shock mounts that will keep the coil overs out of the 5th Gen Camaro DSE sway bar that fits wonderfully in the back. May have to swap my rear shocks for something that can handle more angle, as these were not ordered correctly. They float in the lower control arms (SAE bolts were installed in metric holes), hit the previously installed sway bar and float in the top bracket. They may also hit/rub on the chassis when we move the mount from the outside to the inside of the rear frame rail to clear tires. The DSE rear sway bar looks like it will clear. It installed easily, like it was originally supposed to. Funny, someone told me it wouldn't fit.

Getting the new springs ordered too. I can't run ones that were beat to crap due to poor installation/configuration.

Tempted to go with the Ride Tech 5th gen components in the back. They really rock.

[grendel]

This is the last bug to fight, shock placement.

The way I got it, no rim/tire specififed would clear the shock or spring.

The stock/cut sway bar was hitting the shocks when I got it from KS. I was told the DSE bar didn't fit, but it does, nicely in fact. The mounting points for the sway bar didn't change, when the length of the arms did... because the arms were cut well past where the sway bar comes in. Ironically, we didn't have to cut the stock sway bar, the DSE lower control arms had provisions for it. It probably wouldn't' have damaged my springs, either.

So, on to pics. I have pictures of every spec'd rim hitting the springs of the coil over. The only tires that fit were the front Boyd Coddingtons that were on the car when I shipped it out there. Yep, I got the front tires on the back and back tires on the front.

The first pic is a 18x10 with 8" of back spacing from a Z06 vette, hitting the shock. I think the new upper control arms will allow a tighter placement of that shock in-board.

So, what I hope to do is move the shock mount inside the frame rail, swap the shock tops for something that will handle the inboard mount angle. I think it will actually clear the mounts, if I use the same mount the was installed outboard the rails. I may get a more compliant (read squishy) ride, but that can be changed with spring rates.

[grendel]

Originally Posted by waynieZ

Its' coming together, and looking good.

Originally Posted by Che70velle

DoubleJ, the build is moving forward with excellence! Keep at it, and your daughter will be racing the car before you know it!

Thanks guys. It's refreshing to actually be back on this.

[glassman]

Looking real good. Love to see the progress.....hopefully when its done, you can look back at this tough build, and it will become one of you favorites!!!

I'm looking forward to the next steps, please continue to keep us in the loop...