click here for a over critical hobbiest welder

[pigeon]

Whats up, my names Shankle, been toying with the idea of a build thread for a while, I figured I have enough to start one now that should progress fairly quickly until completion. Rewind to 2011 November my last event at Summit before I came up with the great idea of taking apart a running car.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/1.jpg
I wanted it to be lower, look cooler, go faster and just be more awesome all around. So naturally this happened..
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/027-1.jpg
Sold off pretty much everything except my suspension, and a few wheels.
It took until about May to sell off everything, but the first thing I bought was a shit ton of 1.5 seamless tube and a JD2 bender and notcher. That kept me busy for a while.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/2.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/3.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/4.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/10.jpg
Felt pretty happy about the fitment of my first cage, I'm 6.2 so I needed it to be as tight as possible. Then I continued to cut things off the car which would force me to learn how to fab at a higher level. This is strickly hobby only, Ill be the first to tell you how everything I do could be better.
Anyways I think Im having more fun building this thing than I will driving it.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/5.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/6.jpg
Finally got around to picking up some cool parts from George and MAMotorsports
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/12.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/13.jpg
I have been wanting to cage a car since high school, so after 6 years of ideas from all types of car and track events etc, this is what I started coming up
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/7.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/8.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/9.jpg
The door bars are my favorite part. I have so much room inside the car its not funny.
Went to Road A and then palm beach with Mr. Lewallen
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/14.jpg
He built a pretty sick rig, and drives it even better, you should check him out.
I got this idea from my jeep, I like being able to just lift the doors off. So I cut up the door brackets/hinges what ever you want to call them and made it so I can just lift the door skins off.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/17.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/18.jpg
Should make working on this thing easier.
Doing drastic things
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/11.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/16.jpg
Rear firewall, copied Miro here.
Fitment is more important with welding instead of wheels Im finding out
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/15.jpg
Got a box for fuel
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/20.jpg
Made a box for the box
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/21.jpg
Did the whole subframe thing
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/31.jpgSteering colum holder. Dimple because there cool, welds= bag of dicks as usual.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/19.jpg
More unessacary cutting and fab
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/25.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/35.jpg
Made a stinger for the front of my jeep, got one set of fn's powder coated.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/27.jpg
Made a fab table
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/28.jpg
Got a compressor and small lathe
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/26.jpg
More Dimples to try and be cool
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/22.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/23.jpg
Booger welded in place
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/24.jpg
Figured I could use more bars for when I wreck and roll this thing and my shit welds break loose. Triangulation..
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/29.jpg
Yes that is a Aileron from a airplane on top of the car It will be used...
Typical collection of stickers
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/30.jpg
Got some solid mounts
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/36.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/37.jpg
Started making roll center correction stuff and mono ball things to replace the ball joint that pukes grease everywhere. More lathe stuff, found out that i need a bearing with a higher misalignment. There on order, more waiting.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/33.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/32.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/34.jpg
Both the tie rod and ball joint tapers on the spindle had to be drilled out to a straight 5/8 and 3/4 shank. Saw this happen on Stew Leasks car and it seemed pretty bitchen.
Should be able to get some decent angle with my flca's scalloped out for the tie rod (now hiem) and the knuckles from MA. So I figured I should move the rack forward too.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/38.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/39.jpg
Got it to move forward about an inch or so
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/40.jpg
Shouldnt have any over centering problems.
Got a TIG machine and redid my front bar.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/41.jpg
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/42.jpg
Learning a lot every time I pick up the torch.
Renforcing
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/43.jpg

That's pretty much where I'm at right now. I need to buy a shit ton of fiber glass and finish the fab work, and then hopefully before the year is up I'll be driving this thing..
Non car related I made a rottisery
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/44.jpg
And put a Airplane on it.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/45.jpg

Everyone loves a homeless looking dog
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/46.jpg

[tdaffern]

Sick work man!!! can't wait for updates

[bova17]

sweet ass build man, whats that tig welder though?

[alexisthemovie]

Wow, what is the cleanest cutting / preferred tool for cutting thin sheetmetal like quarter panels?

[StryfeS13]

What do you do for a living?

[di-devol]

I need a welder stat. Awesome work dude!

[Teigen]

great welding!

[STL240SXDRIFT]

Great job! Cannot wait to see more!

[projectkouki]

Badass build and welding!

[D.Adams]

Amazing build so far. Love all the fabrication work your doing cant wait fo another update. Your garage space is huge.

Subbed

[zooopreme]

Liking the fab work for this car, definitely going to keep a look out for this thread. Nice work!

[EmpyreS13]

amazing work, subscribed for updates.

[Treize]

Mother of cutting your car's rear end off lmaoooooooooooo

[PoorMans180SX]

Be careful with the ball joint extension, it'll run into your brake rotor pretty quick, and adds a lot of ackerman.

[Extreme Dimensions]

keep this thing up !

[Trinidrift3]

dude, jezzzz. sub'd

[240boi115]

is there any part of your car that hasnt been hacked and modified??... lol its a sick thread though!

[hotlavaflow]

So unnecessary, I love it

[cchondro]

Hot damn subscribed.

[Got Insulin?]

I'm geekin' over your garage space, man. Looks like a really promising start to a rad build!

[IIIXziuR]

The thread title is very misleading. Great welding work.
Your work shed looks very roomy.

[pigeon]

sweet ass build man, whats that tig welder though?
Thanks, I have had a miller 140 autoset mig since highschool, and just recently got a 200dx dynasty tig machine. Its way more than I can use right now but I like steep learning curves lol.

[pigeon]

Be careful with the ball joint extension, it'll run into your brake rotor pretty quick, and adds a lot of ackerman.
Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't thought over the rotor yet, However Im basiclly coping Stew's set up so ill find a way to make it work.

Wow, what is the cleanest cutting / preferred tool for cutting thin sheetmetal like quarter panels?
I just use a electric grinder with a thin cut off wheel. After a lot of use, you learn to get good with it.

What do you do for a living?
I push the start/stop buttons on a 5 axis CNC mill making aircraft parts out of composite core. We make parts for Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GKN and various other companies that make Bitchen planes. Cut a F35B Bomb Bay door the other day.


Thanks to the rest, Ill do my best to keep you all entertained lol.

[pigeon]

The shop is a project that My Grandfather, Dad and I took on three years ago, needed a work area and a place for a tractor (which is now back outside again haha) and some other equipment. Cool thing is, it powers the house and the barn and any left over is run back into the grid and sold to power companies.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/48.jpg

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/47.jpg

Airplane parts

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/49.jpg

Anyways, back to the car. I got the rear subframe put on and put the motor and trans back in for another mock up. I need to make up a trans mount and then the underside of the car will be mostly done apart from running fuel and brake lines.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/53.jpg

With Georges dual caliper spacing the wheel out another 8mm or so and then a 15mm spacer on a 17x10 +12 I should be filling out some 50mm fenders pretty well i think.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/51.jpg

Steering is still unfinished, I have s14 FLCA that I cut and put heims on the inside of the arm so it wouldnt bind, extended the arm by 25mm after the tension rod and then scalloped the arm for even more room for the steering heim. Moved the steering rack forward almost an inch, picture is earlier in the thread, and now im waiting on my spherical bearing from Aurora. I got bearings from the chassis shop but the misalignment on those were only 8 degrees or so which is not enough. The Aurora bearings will 18 degrees of misalignment.
Ill be running a 17x9 +15 wheel with a 15mm spacer. still looks like the tension rod is going to be the limiting factor but I have a good idea of what I want to do with that.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/54.jpg

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/52.jpg

All I have for now, Thanks again for all the love.

[energy0uth]

Are you on MA?

Don't remember the car at Summit. I love the solar setup and airplane work pays real well!

[pigeon]

MA? No I don't think so, Local forum?

I drove a Nov event in 2011, car broke some rockers around lunch so not a whole lot of driving.

[240boi115]

if thats going to be the final angle of your tires "lock to lock" then daaaaaaaaaaaaamn son!!!!!!!!!! thats ill!!

[bc.]

wowowowwow

[onthegrind]

This car is insane... and your fab skills are just as insane!

[izzy-]

Best build thread! Great ideal with the doors!

[eklipse38]

Awesome build I can't wait to see the finished product.

[pigeon]

if thats going to be the final angle of your tires "lock to lock" then daaaaaaaaaaaaamn son!!!!!!!!!! thats ill!!
I think I'm going to make a one piece flca and tension rod, because even after extending my flca I'm still all up on the tension rod. I need more room, so possibly more.

This car is insane... and your fab skills are just as insane!
Thanks! There both a work in progress

Best build thread! Great ideal with the doors!
Thank you


Waiting on some parts to show up this week. Been at work all weekend. Some more progress this next week and weekend.

[[email protected]]

Are you on MA?

MA? No I don't think so, Local forum?

I drove a Nov event in 2011, car broke some rockers around lunch so not a whole lot of driving.

MA240SX.net (http://www.MA240sx.net) <-------Click
It is our local forum.

[ryandriftingfat]

I got this idea from my jeep, I like being able to just lift the doors off. So I cut up the door brackets/hinges what ever you want to call them and made it so I can just lift the door skins off.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/17.jpg

This is brilliant. Could you talk about what you did a little more?

I thought it was a good idea when I built my car but looking at the OEM hinge it didn't seem like an easy task. My garage ain't huge and I'd love to take the doors off sometimes.

Stock:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g80/kaiseiken/g20/SDC10002.jpg

[pigeon]

MA240SX.net (http://www.MA240sx.net) <-------Click
It is our local forum.
Thanks, I check it out. I have a couple things left to sell too.

This is brilliant. Could you talk about what you did a little more?

I thought it was a good idea when I built my car but looking at the OEM hinge it didn't seem like an easy task. My garage ain't huge and I'd love to take the doors off sometimes.


The s13 is slightly different I think, The part of the door on the s13 is more of a sleeve that fits inside of the mount that bolts to the car. Ill take better pictures of it here soon.
But all I did was hammer the pin out, cut the top of the bracket off, cut the pin in half and insert it in from the bottom up and weld it in place. I would not recommend it really. There is a good amount of slop in the door now, however I completely gutted my doors, so it is strictly a skin that weights next to nothing. Ill get a few shots of it on there so it will make sense.

Driving up to Elite JDM and stopping by Chaser tomorrow on my day off this week. Fiber glass pictures soon.

[JohnnyDrfiter22]

What Heim joints are you going to use for the FLCA can you give a link. My Gawd what awesome fab work!

[corkscrew]

holy shit
10char

[pigeon]

Here a few more of the door situation
Just a skin, cut out all the important stuff lol
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130403_241414_532.jpg

When its shut its pretty solid, and as soon as you unlatch it you can lift it straight up and off the car and out of the way.
I think the biggest thing that it will help with will be getting in and out of the car after putting it on a open trailer.
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130403_241502_300.jpg

Needed a front central jack mount so I made a butt plug..
Having a good solid notcher has made a huge difference. I started out trying to just use my electric grinder to fit pipe and could get it close but never perfect.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130402_214657_349.jpg

Zero gaps has made learning to TIG a lot easier

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130402_215358_706.jpg

Melted it in place after closing off the bottom and grinding it out smooth.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130403_241739_227.jpg

Drove up to Elite JDM in Philly to pick up some 40mm front fenders 50mm rears, both origin. Needed the space up front for the new control arms and angle and the rears for the zero gap fitment due to me having no stock metal out back and I didn't want there to be dead space back there.
Stopped in Chaser on the way up and grabbed a BN type 2 kit.
So the idea is silvia front obviously, BN, Gloss black inside and out

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130404_195040_828.jpg

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130404_195321_412.jpg

Going to have to glass some stuff, like the fuel door since I wont need that, and the side skirt cause there almost 2 inches short.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130405_201943_026.jpg

Trunk lid, going to loose the factory wing and weld up the holes
Now I have all the panels I can start on the rear tube structure to hold the lights, fenders, deck lid, and the bumper and make it all fit nice and tight.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130405_201805_423.jpg

Got this freakin sweet shifter so I can move it closer to me

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130404_202420_971.jpg

and practiced on some stainless in prep for attempting to fab my own headers...

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130317_240346_268.jpg

Im to the point now where my to do list has grown again, and now that its not freezing outside my motivation is picking up.

[pigeon]

What Heim joints are you going to use for the FLCA can you give a link. My Gawd what awesome fab work!

Circle Track Racing Rod Ends | Dirt Track Heim Joints | QA1 Precision Products (http://www.qa1.net/qa1_motorsports/circle-track/rod-ends.html)

I used stuff from QA1, 5/8 and 3/4 heims

The Chassis Shop (http://secure.chassisshop.com/default.aspx?serverid=TCS)

Chassis Shop carries Aurora stuff too which I think a lot of guys use too.

[godrifttoday]

But how big of a spacer for the rod ends?

[pigeon]

I forget off the top of my head, I used dial calipers to measure the sub frame and then subtracted the size of the heim and then lathed up some spacers. I don't know of they sell any that would be the exact fit or not.

[TekuDrifter18]

Do you work in a fab shop at all? Progress looks great.

[IsBettyBish]

Two suggestions.

1. Don't paint the car black. Why? You are spending so much time in the details of the chassis and the black will just cover all that up. In that respect and respect to your work, you should look at doing a different color. Maybe even a flamboyant flake! lol

2. This car would look way sweeter with a set of Regamasters!

[240boi115]

mmmmmmm dat motor bay... and you were saying with the front lca's modified you were going to get more angle!?!?!?!?!?! jeesh! lol how would you go around making room for that in the wheel well? how did you do that in the first place???? xD sweet progress though!

[pigeon]

Do you work in a fab shop at all? Progress looks great.

No I don't. I wish I did, however I have spent quite a bit of time around that stuff when I lived in Charlotte. I got to sweep floors/apprentice at a sweet skid racing shop and spent all my time making mental notes and asking the crazy Kiwi's a million questions.

Two suggestions.

1. Don't paint the car black. Why? You are spending so much time in the details of the chassis and the black will just cover all that up. In that respect and respect to your work, you should look at doing a different color. Maybe even a flamboyant flake! lol

2. This car would look way sweeter with a set of Regamasters!

No argument at all on the Regamasters. I am awaiting them haha.
Either all black everything, or maybe a white interior and bright red outside... the car was already red once tho. I would like for the car to be subtle and the driving to be the thing that sticks out if anything.

mmmmmmm dat motor bay... and you were saying with the front lca's modified you were going to get more angle!?!?!?!?!?! jeesh! lol how would you go around making room for that in the wheel well? how did you do that in the first place???? xD sweet progress though!

I have the s14 lowers and made them longer, giving me more space in the wheel well. Ill run a small 17x9 but it was hitting on the tension rod.
So I figured I could make an arm some what similar to a wisefab style control arm except out of chromoly tube. Im trying it out just to see if I can.. we'll see what happens haha

[IsBettyBish]

White interior would look good. Maybe you should go with a grey exterior. You can keep the neon wheels and it will look good with that pallet. It would be a better version of the original MA zombie car.

[Petitt]

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/52.jpg



http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa429/jekkala1/jaw_drop.gif (http://media.photobucket.com/user/jekkala1/media/jaw_drop.gif.html)

Awesome build.

[Matthew Murphy]

Wow this thing is absolutely amazing your welds are some of the nicest welds I've seen out of a 'hobbiest' ever tried titanium?

Also are you just the button pusher on those five axis machines or are you able to make/edit the program and proficient in the set up of the machine (ie... Locate tools load program clamp part to the table etc...) loving what your doing with the car?

[I<3BEWBZ]

Oh fuck yea. Subscribed.

[project7x]

Wow. By far one of the best builds I've ever seen. Big props. I love how many bars you put in. As a tig welder myself, I have to say you are doing a fantastic job.

[pigeon]

White interior would look good. Maybe you should go with a grey exterior. You can keep the neon wheels and it will look good with that pallet. It would be a better version of the original MA zombie car.

There's no toping the zombie car lol 9k rpm SR= winning


Wow this thing is absolutely amazing your welds are some of the nicest welds I've seen out of a 'hobbiest' ever tried titanium?

Also are you just the button pusher on those five axis machines or are you able to make/edit the program and proficient in the set up of the machine (ie... Locate tools load program clamp part to the table etc...) loving what your doing with the car?

Never tried titanium. I can set the machine up, load tools and programs, basically everything but modify and write the programs. Have the ability to insert jumps into the program if I only need to run the last hour of a 8hr. part etc. The computers that run the machines do not have the CAD/CAM software on them. All that is left up to the big guys up front that get paid a lot more. So a button pusher basically haha

[pigeon]

Wow. By far one of the best builds I've ever seen. Big props. I love how many bars you put in. As a tig welder myself, I have to say you are doing a fantastic job.

Thanks, I've been working on not over heating, I know that Chromoly can be very easily overdone but Ill save that for the next chassis.

[PerilousActs]

Awesome build, man! You started this exactly how I did mine. Now, I'm knee deep in more fab than 90% of people do to these cars lol

[dsc4130]

Have you ever worked on or built nhra pro stock or pro mod cars? Lol those door hinges look like the ones from my work hahah

[pigeon]

Have you ever worked on or built nhra pro stock or pro mod cars? Lol those door hinges look like the ones from my work hahah

No, not yet. lol

Been slow lately on the progress, lots of searching and part collecting for a bit of a twist motor wise. I'm going to sell the LS1 that I have a go with a 5.3 iron block instead. I've got ls6 intake, ported throttle body, katech rod bolts, comp trunion upgrades for the rockers, going to do a ls6 cam with upgraded valve springs and pushrods, metal headgaskets and arp headstuds and flip those truck manifolds around and bolt a turbo on this thing and try and make a solid 550 with a safe tune and moderate boost. Mostly just to put my welding practice to the test. Being able to fab all of the piping makes going turbo way more cost effective than chasing 450+ with a NA LS. Plus turbos are cool.
Gonna try and get it all nice and clean, I'm gonna try out Vibrants wiggens style clamps for the intercooler piping and what not, got a monster clutch on the way that will support around 700. Also orders Parts shop max rear drop knuckles. So I will be selling stock knuckles with a dual caliper bracket soon as well. Ill post up when I get my pictures together and have a f/s thread up for those of you that could use any of this.
here a few pics to keep the thread going..
http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130423_193838_451.jpg (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/smatt944/media/IMG_20130423_193838_451.jpg.html)

Got a pair of knock off seat too, don't really plan on competing anytime soon so no need to drop 600 on a seat that is only good for 5 yrs.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130423_190404_395.jpg (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/smatt944/media/IMG_20130423_190404_395.jpg.html)

Welded some chromoly for my flca's, the threaded tube adapter gets welded and then I drilled 2 holes to plug weld for additional strength.
Must have had too much Mtn Dew, my hands like to shake lol

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130412_201157_191.jpg (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/smatt944/media/IMG_20130412_201157_191.jpg.html)

Got to use cleako's (spelling?) for the first time, pretty neat. Painted the door black very quickly with a rattle can. Trying for the Hit and Run look haha. Tried on the other set of FN's that are gloss black.

http://i587.photobucket.com/albums/ss311/smatt944/IMG_20130417_175846_641.jpg (http://s587.photobucket.com/user/smatt944/media/IMG_20130417_175846_641.jpg.html)

That's all for now. More updates and parts soon hopefully.

[alexanderig]

Need more updates your work is top notch

[05subysti]

MOAR updates :yum:

[nissanpwrds14]

Gen 3 internal 5.3?

[EmpyreS13]

Any updates on this thing? It's been forever!!!!!!!!

[FKNGRSY]

This thing is so badass. I want to cut up my car now.

[dluevanos01]

OH LAWD!!!! One of my favorite build threads ever. Can't wait to see this completed. MAkes me want to learn how to weld even more!!!

[Ramonesfreak2010]

Holy crap. Its Thomas! When I first came to your shop yesterday, I thought about this build thread, but didn't actually think it was you! lol

[maces13]

im just getting into tig welding and your badass build is definitely inspiring to say the least, keep up the great fab work and please update soon! subscribed!

[va240dude]

Glad to see some quality craftsmanship going into this! Would love to see the car in person sometime if you still have it!

[ka-titties]

hell yeah. subscribing to this awesomeness.

[imoverherre]

Wtf I need more of this (drug addict voice)... Please!!!!!!!!!!!!! awesome work and fab skills man... But please update this with more.

[Jissan]

Would love to see more of this build.

[Hoonigan19]

hey you, welder, I LIKE YOU

[MeSs]

This need updates.

[Jorgs_7]

Not sure how I found this thread, but F this is savage and wonderful.

Updates!!

[SevenPistolero]

Ironic how I found this


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