Fixing my brothers UC hatch
#126 _dirtbag_
Posted 09 January 2010 - 07:34 AM
Does that make me lazy? Yeah, it does : )
#127 _NVS_084_
Posted 09 January 2010 - 10:19 AM
What do you do for a living ??
#128 _dirtbag_
Posted 11 January 2010 - 01:40 AM
Well today I did a bit more fixing of the flares on the RHS. There was just a couple of areas where the flares didn't sit as well against the body as I'd like. I know there will be the rubber strip in there, that probably would hide the gaps, but I want it better. I added some more fibreglass to the areas that needed filling and then refitted the flares over some masking tape I stuck on the body so I could add some filler to the flare and know it's taking the right shape.
Once that fun was taken care of I finally got to chop one of the rear guards.
The first step after marking it out was to cut the outer skin off. There was heaps of body sealer gunk in there, and some wiring stuck in the gunk as well. Nice : )
With the outer skin removed I was able to clean up the inner guard in readiness for it to be pulled outwards and get welded to the outer guard.
I then removed the lip from the edge of the inner guard, as it would make folding the inner guard outwards too difficult.
I cut a couple of slits in the inner guard in the corner to allow me to move the inner guard out enough to join it to the outer guard. It's mainly the tight corners that need the slits. The straightish section along the top shouldn't need any. I say shouldn't, as I haven't done it yet. I'll find out tomorrow : ) I only got a little way with it today.
You can see already how much room there will be for the tyre, without too much effort. I've never fitted flares to a torana before, but I feel this is the easiest ways and still have it look good and be strong. I'm sure there's different/better ways, but my pea brain doesn't know them : )
#129 _torriechick_
Posted 11 January 2010 - 09:44 AM
#130 _dirtbag_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 12:08 AM
I'm using stainless 1/4 inch allen bolts to hold the flares on, so I drilled all the holes out to suit.
Next job was to fit the bonnet and try to get the nosecone to line up. The nosecone has had a pretty decent hit at some stage in it's life and isn't exactly what you'd call straight. I ended up having to put a few cuts into it so I could yank it into the right position before welding it back together. It's all good now though.
I got the bonnet scoop out today. I hadn't even unwrapped it and it's been here for quite a while (since before work on the car started). It's actually not too bad. I'll need to straighten the top up a little bit but at least it isn't horribly sagged in the middle like some.
I pulled the motor out again today so I could rip the sump off and get it ready for modifying. The section marked in pencil is getting cut out and plated, plus the pan needs 50mm taken from it's depth. Yay.
Got the left rear flare into position as well. I still need to make some adjustments to the flare itself, as I did with all of them, and then cut the guard out and weld it.
#131
Posted 13 January 2010 - 06:54 AM
I need someone to knock me up a catch can in the near future, by the time Im ready, I think you will have this thing finished and regoed! haha.
Mate you are a dead set freak (in a good way)
#132
Posted 13 January 2010 - 07:56 AM
#133 _dirtbag_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 08:06 AM
By the way, how can someone be a freak in a bad way? : ) I'm 100% freak and proud!!!!!
The flares are looking OK now. This is the first time I've fitted flares so it's a learning experience.
Colour - still up in the air. Maybe red, maybe orange maybe something else. All I know is he definitely want the black bonnet and window frames, but he wont let me make a marlboro replica. That would be sweet : )
#134 _AD_75_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 06:16 PM
-Ad
#135 _LJ355_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 06:21 PM
And you were my brother
#136
Posted 13 January 2010 - 07:12 PM
Can't wait to see it finished.
Keep that scoop too.
Formula Blue would look good mate, definitely needs to be something that will stand out after all the work you've put in!!
#137 _dirtbag_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 08:16 PM
He wants it to have a "torana" look about it, and the A9X scoop is part of that look. It will look better once it's mounted to the bonnet, as it doesn't really line up at the moment : )
#138
Posted 13 January 2010 - 08:22 PM
#139 _Woodsy_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 09:05 PM
#140
Posted 13 January 2010 - 09:20 PM
I agree that it should be functional but I still think it would look better non-functional than missing entirelyA9X scoop is tacky as if it doesn't breathe through there! Don't do a non-functional scoop!
#141
Posted 13 January 2010 - 09:44 PM
#142 _dirtbag_
Posted 13 January 2010 - 09:58 PM
I'll have to find a way to make it draw air into the motor somehow???? : )
#143
Posted 13 January 2010 - 10:06 PM
#144
Posted 13 January 2010 - 10:06 PM
Just redesign the top end with a sheetmetal high riser and a horizontal EFI throttle-body setup so that the car isn't a ricer
#145
Posted 14 January 2010 - 05:24 AM
Sorry I'm going to disagree again, assuming it has a rear spoiler - they look unbalanced if they have one without the other, like dirtbag says you need it to fatten it up. This is particularly so with the blacked out bonnet but is only my opinion.An A9X doesn't NEED a bonnet scoop to look good!
#146 _dirtbag_
Posted 14 January 2010 - 08:36 PM
Well there's been a little bit more done in the last couple of days so I thought I'd post some more pics, see if we can start any more arguments. I enjoy the arguments : )
It was good to get the bonnet on. Not only so I could get the gaps sorted out, but so I could see how it looked now it's a bit smoother underneath.
The left rear flare got mounted. It didn't fit too badly except for the fact it was so out of shape I couldn't get it to cover the front of the original wheel arch. I tried all sorts of positions, but the best fit overall was how it is in this pic. It just means I'll have to extend the flare to cover the original wheel arch. Yay.
Then it was time to cut the guard.
Weld the guard
Bog the guard. Exciting stuff this hey : )
Now both rear guards are ready for primer.
The bonnet and nose cone are finally getting some attention too. The nose cone was in a fairly bad way, so took a lot of mucking about to get it to line up good and proper. The gaps are looking pretty good now though.
I was totally unhappy with the shape of the right hand rear flare. The bottom of the front section looked to chunky after I'd fixed the big gap. I ended up using a sanding disc on the grinder to cut it into the shape I wanted, then fibreglassed over the top to give it some strength back.
This is the left rear flare getting some extra fibreglass to close up the wheel opening so the metal isn't visible from the side.
Here's what I ended up with once it was dry.
After a bit of a trim down.
It copped a bit of filler front and rear, as I had to cut the back part as well like the other 3 flares. It looks much better now. Don't worry about how it curls back towards the tyre, when it's bolted on properly it doesn't do that. It's just hanging there for the photo.
Here's the front of the other rear flare after I reshaped the bottom section. It's much better now compared to how it was. Again, it's just hanging there, so don't worry about the bad fitment.
#147 _dirtbag_
Posted 14 January 2010 - 08:47 PM
The rear guards got a couple of coats where they were cut out.
Don't they look great now? No? : )
This is the left rear flare that I added all the fibreglass to so the wheel opening was a bit smaller. I think it turned out OK.
The other flares I had to do more work to also got coloured grey.
The bonnet and nose cone actually look like they belong to the car now.
It's nice to finally have the dents taken out of the nose cone. The grill opening was fun to get straight.
Speedway here we come!!!!
It's nice to finally see the whole car the same colour.
Well that's it for now. These areas I primed today will need to be dry sanded and primed again after any imperfections are fixed. Feels a bit like a vicious circle : )
#148
Posted 14 January 2010 - 08:50 PM
#149
Posted 14 January 2010 - 08:56 PM
#150 _dirtbag_
Posted 14 January 2010 - 09:04 PM
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