R/T Tuning Car Builds, Mac's car

[Wiisass]

So we finally got a welder, bender, notcher and some tubing so I could do my first cage in a street car. I think it came out alright for being my first time building something like this without a full model and a jig table, but there's always room to improve. On this car I did some seam welding, fixed a lot of rust and put a normal 6-point cage in. I still need to tub the fenders which will hopefully get done today and do gussets for a lot of the joints once the dimple dies show up, which should hopefully be either today or tomorrow. Anyway, on to the pics.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1154-1/DSC00422.JPG
Here's the car in my little section of the shop.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1145-1/DSC00418.JPG
I was doing the final cleaning on the seams in the engine bay and came across this.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1142-1/DSC00417.JPG
That's what the other side looked like once I got all that shit off of the metal.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1196-1/DSC00445.JPG
So I cut it out.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1226-1/DSC00456.JPG
I grabbed some 16 gauge sheet that I've been using and patched up the frame rail.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1235-1/DSC00459.JPG
And then put another piece on to cover up the rest of the hole and tie it together.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1241-1/DSC00461.JPG
Engine bay shot with that and another spot I had to patch.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1349-1/DSC00467.JPG
Other strut tower, there were two spots I had to patch on the top and another big spot at the bottom of the tower. This side wasn't as bad as the other side. On the other side the rust went through both panels, on this side it was pretty much only through one, so when I ground it all off, I needed to put something on it to patch it all back up.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1315-1/DSC00481.JPG
Another rust patch and one of the front floor plates.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1303-1/DSC00475.JPG
Main hoop and floor plate in place. I really like the way the floor plates came out, now I just need to buy a nice box and pan brake and a nice bandsaw, so I can get them made a lot quicker.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1382-1/DSC00510.JPG
And now the cage is pretty much done. I just need to weld in those two front cross bars.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1380-1/DSC00509.JPG
Side shot.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1376-1/DSC00505.JPG
Shot from the rear.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1360-1/DSC00511.JPG
Passenger's side middle floor plate.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1362-1/DSC00512.JPG
Driver's side.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1364-1/DSC00513.JPG
Driver's side front.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1366-1/DSC00514.JPG
Passenger's side front.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1372-1/DSC00517.JPG
Passenger's side shock tower.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1370-1/DSC00516.JPG
Driver's side shock tower.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1327-1/DSC00487.JPG
And the holes that I'll be working on today.

This is just on Mac's car. I started working on Shawn's car before this, but Mac's car is taking priority right now, so it's getting done first. Just a little more welding and fab work to be done and then it needs to get all cleaned up and go out for interior and engine bay paint. I'll post some pics of how shawn's car is coming along later, I already spent too much time making this post. Maybe soon I'll be able to get my coupe in there and get started on this stuff for myself, maybe.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1163-1/DSC00433.JPG
I want to thank Wawa for being open 24 hours and making all of this possible.

Tim

[Slidin240Wayz]

Very nice!

How were you able to make the angles on the cross bar for the door's x-bar?

Carlos

[SoSideways]

That Mango/Passion fruit Rockstar is awesome. I like their new Guava one better though (in the purple can).

Awesome work dude! I think my fiance's 240 needs some of those treatments... her's is a rust bucket...

[Wiisass]

Carlos, with the help of my new pipemaster tool, I was able to jig up a bar at the angle i wanted and then get a trace of how the bar needed to be cut and then it was a combination of the ziz wheel and angle grinder to get it to fit the way I needed it to. And then I double checked all the angles with my smart tool.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1386-1/DSC00519.JPG

SoSideways, that orange/mango/whatever rockstar is pretty much a daily habit. I pick which wawa or 7-11 I go to based on if they have that or not. I did try the guava one once, not bad, but I'm more a fan of the orange stuff. I don't know what I would do with out it.

[A Spec Products]

http://www.yoursongscollectibles.com/item-918.jpg

It's the miggidy miggidy miggidy MAC daddy!

Lookin good man!

[punxva]

haha logan, great work man, keep the updates coming

[Team Rootbeer]

quality stuff

that pipemaster tool looks handy. where might i purchase?

[slideways14]

monster>rockstar

and give me a surfboard and ill show you a pipe master.

tim is cool. that cage looks identical to the one that use to be in my hatch. were you thinking of my hatch when you did it?

[Wiisass]

Team Rootbeer, I got the pipe tool at Stable Energies in Jersey, but any place that sells longacre stuff should have it. I could've actually gotten it from a company that we deal with regularly, but I needed it in a rush and this place was close.

Ryba, I don't think I ever saw your hatch. My only inspiration was a couple hundred pages of different rule books and Mac's smiling face.

[yokotas13]

i wanna see those equips i sent to him FIT!!

[Macadoshus]

Yeah Logan, those XD9's are looking allllllriiight, just gotta get some paint and aero on it to get the full effect.

i wanna see those equips i sent to him FIT!!

Yeah, me too. Got the front tires mounted up. Just gotta finish tubbing the fenders so they actually turn now.

Still waiting on the last rear and I gotta get some tires for them and fit them up.

Car is going to paint friday so should be going back together real real soon.

[yokotas13]

those last 2 should be ther eby now

i hate i cant trackt he location

[Chasmoore04]

Looks real good, nice measuring before welding.

THe past few days i have seen some shotty cages.

[upSLIDEdown]

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1382-1/DSC00510.JPG


It's hard to tell from the pics, but is the diagonal bar that's in the main hoop all one piece, or is the harness bar one piece? It looks like the harness bar is and the diagonal is not. I was under the impression that the diagonal should be one piece, I could be totally wrong though. No matter what, AWESOME WORK! You've got a lot of fab skills and an endless wealth of knowledge!

[Gavster]

Great work Tim, Keep us updated, this will be an awesome car!

[Wiisass]

It's hard to tell from the pics, but is the diagonal bar that's in the main hoop all one piece, or is the harness bar one piece? It looks like the harness bar is and the diagonal is not. I was under the impression that the diagonal should be one piece, I could be totally wrong though. No matter what, AWESOME WORK! You've got a lot of fab skills and an endless wealth of knowledge!

The diagonal brace is intersected by the harness bar. But the bar is as straight as it can be and connects from the lower passenger side to above the driver's head. And that joint will be gussetted. But it is something I will be doing a little differently on the next one. But this way should still be as strong as doing it any other way.

I've was working on the fender tubs yesterday.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1390-1/DSC00520.JPG
The sides are in place.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1396-1/DSC00523.JPG

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1398-1/DSC00524.JPG
Got the fender to take the shape I needed.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1400-1/DSC00525.JPG
Cheap knockoff vise grips plus 12 gauge. Good for fixing bends in thin shit and holding stuff together.

Now I just need to trim the tubs, get them bead rolled and weld them in place. Then make a patch for any gap that the fender doesn't cover and cut the rest of the stuff I don't need out of the fender. And then it's gussets on the cage and then it's out of my hands for a little bit.

[Wiisass]

Cage and chassis is done. It's out getting the interior and engine bay painted now. And then it will come back and get all the parts fit up and installed and then exterior paint and all of this by the end of February. Oh and along with at least 2 other cars. I'm starting on the next one probably tonight or tomorrow and then maybe I will get to my own car sometime soon as well. Anyway, here are the pics of how it came out so far.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1415-1/DSC00529.JPG
Engine bay shot, fenders tubbed for big boy wheel fitment.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1421-1/DSC00532.JPG
Other side with wheel on to double check fitment in other areas.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1425-1/DSC00534.JPG
Side shot. Door bar gussets.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1433-1/DSC00538.JPG
A and B pillars are both gussetted and on both sides of the bars.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1437-1/DSC00540.JPG
Harness bar and main hoop diagonal brace gussetting.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1439-1/DSC00541.JPG
Looking in from the rear.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1443-1/DSC00543.JPG
Back of the b-pillar.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1445-1/DSC00544.JPG
Door bar closeup.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1447-1/DSC00545.JPG
Back of a-pillar.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1449-1/DSC00546.JPG
Other side.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1453-1/DSC00548.JPG
Front shot.

[Slidin240Wayz]

It is looking very very nice. Do you think it was necessary to double gusset the A and B pillars, compared to just one sheet?

Carlos

[Wiisass]

As far as being necessary, I don't know. The gussets just help to tie everything together. I can't say how much they do or if they even do enough to justify the amount of time put into making them and welding them in place. But in theory, if the chassis were to twist differently than the cage, having only a gusset on only one side wouldn't do anything depending on the relative movement between the two. But by attaching a gusset to both sides, it will tie the chassis and cage together no matter what the relative motion between the two is.

And plus, it looks a lot better with them on both sides than just on one side.

[johngriff]

Looks really good. I dont know about your rear mounts though. I was told that for formula d, i was told that you cannot tie into the towers in the back. What comp are you guys going after?

[Wiisass]

What do you mean? They said you can't have a bar across connecting the tow towers? Or because I don't have the rear braces directly connected to the mounting plates? Or just because I have mounting plates on the shock towers? Did they tell you to mount the rear braces on the floor? I just looked over the rules again and didn't see anything saying that you couldn't do that.

As far as competition, this car will most likely just be seeing a lot of demos and smaller events. We don't have plans with this car to campaign it in any major series at this point. But I am curious about what FD said and why, becuase I'm about to start on two other cars that will be seeing more competitions and such and if it's something that I need to change or call them about, I want to do it before I get anything on the the other cars.

[johngriff]

Well, my largest issue, before i am starting my cage is getting clear cut rules. I went down to the tech inspection shop here in so-cal, and talked to the head tech judge about it. In short. He said that you cannot use the cage to add regidity to the suspension. So tying the cage into the rear towers (which was a specific i asked about), was a no. Basically the cage has to end before the towers for two reason.

A: Fair play, no Overtly Custom suspension (which i guess that falls under)
B: Cage Impact (i guess they want the car to take alot of the impact before a rear ender would hit the cage, so they want the cage to end before the strut towers)

Rule book? I know.. where what? huh? LOL By SCCA safety standards it is legal, but by what seems to be a unclear feeling of the moment judgement on cages it may not be.

So do what I did, go to the Tech Inspection shop for the series you are going to compete in and talk to the guy who is going to sign off on the car, before you put the cage together.

[Slidin240Wayz]

So where would the rear section tie down to? Just the wheel wells? I am curious as well because I will be having the rear strut towers together just like R/T.

Carlos

[Gavster]

Thats weird that he says that, because the FD rulebook (SCCA sanctioned) specifies that the cage be secured toward the rear off the hoop into the frame of body of the car. This means that tying into the shock towers is fine (at least for this car)....you will notice most cars tie into the rear towers IMO. Mine is, and I have researched the rules extensively. Go read section 7 of the 2007 FD rulebook, http://www.formulad.com/forms/5.pdf

[S13-Silvia]

18's and full lock!!!! Can't wait to see the paint.

[johngriff]

Go read section 8.1.1.4 of the 2007 FD rulebook.

[Wiisass]

Section 8.1.1.4 reads
Cars must maintain the original OEM unibody and/or frame structure between
the original front and rear suspension mounting points.

I don't know how you're reading into that relating to the roll cage. The OE chassis is still there. I haven't moved any suspension points, I haven't changed any of the frame. I have added to the chassis in terms of putting a roll cage in.

I'm having trouble understanding what the point of that post was. I mean according to the rules, you're fighting a losing battle. And if it doesn't say it in the rules, then I'm allowed to do it.

[Flybert]

You can tie into the rear strut towers. That's the same way Alex P. designed his s13 cages that he's selling. You just can't go through the firewall and tie in the front suspension.

[johngriff]

I am not posting to be the bearer of bad news at all, I myself have been working of fig'ing the exact rules out. This is what i was told by one of the judges. That "adding onto the suspension to the cage is not allowed"

[Wiisass]

"adding onto the suspension to the cage is not allowed"

Huh? Is it just me or does that not make any sense?

[s13rookie]

nice job, the only shit i can build is made out of legos

[S14DriftstaiN]

Very nice guys!!!

[Gavster]

I know some SCCA techs, and even one of them is a cage fabricator, and he ties into the shock towers on many cars regularly....Tim, youre going great and that cage should pass fine!

[Wiisass]

Thanks guys. As far as the rear shock tower issue, it should be fine, I'm not worried about it.

[Wiisass]

The car just got back from paint.

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1477-1/DSC00567.JPG

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1479-1/DSC00568.JPG

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1481-1/DSC00569.JPG

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1483-1/DSC00570.JPG

http://www.theoryinpracticeengineering.com/gallery/d/1485-1/DSC00565.JPG

[slideways14]

looks awesome tim... great job. what color is mac gonna do the outside?

[S.Milone]

Got the factory fenders cut out and the fiber glass cut and stretched to fit.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/393513321_ab35b3cfe3.jpg
Fuel door modified to sit flush with the fender. The sucken look is mega gay.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/393513323_097100a884.jpg
Remind you of Hellraiser? They are CLECOs and they hold the peices in place for mocking up and can be removed for paint then we can rivet them on for good.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/151/393513324_4497614018.jpg
More of the car.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/393513319_0a5d579af0.jpg
The other side of the car.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/393513327_59b62b8d7f.jpg
A few but not all of the wires being removed from the harness. It's a race car all that bull **** isn't needed.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/180/393513325_9813e73d48.jpg

[S.Milone]

Motor going in.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/394514810_1f29fbb2a2.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/394514869_6bb5540e49.jpg
Some boxxed out action. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/394514750_556d66de39.jpg

[punxva]

wow very clean job there guys, keep the updates coming

[OBEEWON]

Nice work so far. Cage looks perfect. Where are the pictures of your car Shawn?

[sean350z]

Wiisass, I'm going to be done my rear suspension soon so I'll be contacting you guys within the next few weeks to get a corner balance and alignment (preferable mid to late March before the season starts).

[Slidin240Wayz]

Very Nice!

Carlos

[silviaz]

wow awesome work..... keep us updated!

[S.Milone]

My car was put on hold to get this one done. This one is being shipped off and driven in DA demos so we won't see it for months. Because of that we want to get it done and make sure it is in perfect running condition. This car will be done soon and you will start to see progress on my car.
A teaser.....My turbo
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/395533780_3c8138b8ff.jpg

[DisEpyon]

have any more great updated pics of this build? if your still here.....

[S.Milone]

Well I have been slacking on this post. Here are some more pics.

Back from paint, same color white as the interior but it has a **** ton of pearl. Came out cool with a creamy hint to it, the damn flash is making it hard to have the pearl show up in the photos it shows way more in person. Rest of the car is painted as well as the kit it is just waiting to go on until after we are done working on it so we don't scratch it all up.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/429756358_717bb26282.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/429756263_5d3fed7b62.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/429756389_f2bbe1ca68.jpg
Tim playing in the wiring nightmare. Making things longer at the moment. So they can be placed properly out of the way of wheels and hot things.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/429756319_5970cf3fa3.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/429756156_75ab82b395.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/429756200_13c5d61488.jpg
The sweet oil cooler and filter set up.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/429794747_378e9b1112.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/173/429794725_411ce22984.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/429794683_d2f90c287b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/429794663_4caf51da7e.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/159/429794612_22aee390a1.jpg

[S.Milone]

Well she went on her maiden voyage last night. We pulled an all nighter to finish the car for our Club Loose drift event at Englishtown. Did some tire testing for a pending sponsor for the car. It drove well and looked rather good if I do say so myself. Didn't put the kit on yet so here it is as it stands.


Strapping it down to tune.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/228/465486297_8c393b8e1e.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/207/465481160_098cfcaebd.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/465481248_aea289a42e.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/227/465486729_b8c6ec83e0.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/465486781_feea353be9.jpg
We were crunching to get it done. The doors and fenders were actually put on the car as we were running it the dyno.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/217/465481538_7df0b38ce2.jpg
AIM sports cluster.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/194/465481578_dd50b8d27f.jpg
Day after the event, it is still together no damage.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/230/465493383_f70c8e34a4.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/465493415_45384cab3c.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/211/465493447_82f26d6474.jpg

[s13rookie]

Great job, car looks great.

[forum04pl]

amazing build, work looks top notch. i cant wait to see it all together.

[Eyemfaster]

trade ya. ;)

[240trainee]

Looks fucking cool, I bet the pearl is awesome in person.

Personally, the car gives me alittle inspiration, lol, thats what I want to happen to my coupe that is sitting stripped out in my driveway.

[Ian]

lack of action shots=fail

[89dc240]

:wackit: F-ing beautiful.

Yes you did get a nice welder. Is that the model with the digital power and speed displays? Where in relation to philly is your shop?? I would love to have you do that to my car. On the other hand its definitley inspiring to see somebody fix rust in all those spots. I've got plenty. Any trouble with tech at Englishtown, cause if not--how much for that cage installed in 89 coupe?

If you're not too far, I'd really like to come check out helmet/body clearance and see your seat setup. I'm a big guy so def an issue. No Dash goin back in right? Not on my list of things to keep anyway.

Great Job

[sTalnOut]

DAMNNNNNN thats all i can say a masterpiece so whose driving it for the englishtown event?

[drifts135]

wweeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8193/dsc9606fo6.jpg
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7589/dsc9607ai1.jpg

[S.Milone]

Matt Petty will be driving it in D1. We are in Lansdale only a short drive out of Philly. We have an origin kit that will be on it for the event as well hopefully the color of the car will be more obvious.

[S.Milone]

From sexy too..... ouch.
http://s31.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http://w31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/sprinter666/1178636839.pbw&os=1

[Slidin240Wayz]

Craziness...all in good fun.

You guys all did very well.

Carlos

[S.Milone]

Some pre smashed Photos I just found.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/205/498421478_a325e8ab07.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/498421596_9e734a5a18.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/498463973_ca85c83a49.jpg

[S.Milone]

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
http://www.elusivemedia.com/gallery/d/46490-2/IMG_0598.jpg
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c377/sprinter666/IMG_3920copy.jpg
Ooooppps!!... Clean cars are for pussys!!! AHHAHAHAHAHAHA
http://www.elusivemedia.com/gallery/d/46577-2/IMG_0676.jpg
http://www.elusivemedia.com/gallery/d/46586-2/IMG_0679.jpg

[mr_240sx]

sweet looking cars guys!!! too bad about the misfortune.... but dont get discouraged! its just drifting's ways of christening the car!

[S.Milone]

Thanks. Ya we aren't to worried about it shit happens. Also we kinda pushed it the car wasn't set up right and he was driving it. We had to swap out lower control arms before practice and then our alignment was way off we fixxed the toe and then camber was more positive. Then that happened. O well we will have it fixxed and it will be out there soon enough.

[Wiisass]

then camber was more positive.

He means less negative than I wanted. I don't want to be associated with any kinds of positive camber.

[ms!3]

holy shit. your car is fucking sex. plz take random pictures all the time to satisfy my needs, haha. very nice.

[kevtrinh]

I don't want to be associated with any kinds of positive camber.

:keke: message lengthorz

[S.Milone]

Want to see our car eat it? Watch this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcND_lq0A2Y

[Lordrandall]

Wow, not the first or last to hit in that corner.

Nice wreck :)

[S.Milone]

Lol thanks. Luckly we can put it back together

[Howard92884]

Want to see our car eat it? Watch this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcND_lq0A2Y

Damn that wall was getting owned.

[Lordrandall]

Lol thanks. Luckly we can put it back together

Haha, true enough. I can imagine it must be a little weird seeing a car you spent so much time working on hit the wall like that.

Hope it's nothing major. :)

[Wiisass]

Haha, true enough. I can imagine it must be a little weird seeing a car you spent so much time working on hit the wall like that.

Hope it's nothing major. :)

It's nothing, some cracked fiberglass, a little bent metal. We could've definitely kept going that day, but the car was acting funny because I never had enough time to really tune the suspension and get the driver used to the car, so we decided to call it quits.

[S.Milone]

Cars out again we have it handling well. Having some issues with the hand brake so we are going to switch to a different hand brake set up. Also we are gonna play with the a tune a bit and try and make some more mid range power besides that it runs and handles as it should.
http://images24.fotki.com/v854/photos/1/1156588/4996093/DSC_1108-vi.jpg
http://images23.fotki.com/v875/photos/1/1156588/4996093/DSC_1092-vi.jpg
http://images23.fotki.com/v868/photos/1/1156588/4996093/DSC_1076-vi.jpg

[rps13drift]

That car is totaly rad! i saw it at d1! matt petty/clubloose = rad!!! good luck and i hope to see it at DOW soon.

[S.Milone]

http://endless-studios.com/petty1.jpg
One of Chris Forsberg about to rip it up in our car. You might know him from Drift Alliance......Oooohhhhhhh
http://endless-studios.com/chrisf1.jpg