A.J.'s SL-C build thread

Pete,
That is the attitude you should have when trying to decide what color you want your new/old ride. This gives you, the owner, the chance to try out a new color or scheme. It also allows you to see the color over a season or two, to see if you really like it. Not to forget that this gives you time to save up for that expensive paint job(even if you do it yourself). Lets not forget that you have to erect a paint booth if you paint yourself.
When I painted my car the first time it turned out darker than I imagined and quite frankly didn't really like the color, but cringed at the price when I thought of re doing it after several years. I was being forced into this when I tore up the rear clip. The Plastidip gave me the option of trying the color I had thought about for some time. My efforts told me that the color I had dreamed of was the one I wanted. It was ONLY when I couldn't match the true color that I was forced into going for the color in actual paint. Otherwise I would have worn the Plastidip for at least a season. I was doing this for the first time ever(paint) and had mixed emotions of doing it on my own. So I experimwnted with it to see what it and I could do.
On another subject brought up on this thread, If I was going to sell my car with a Plastidip finish on it I would expect to sell it at a discount. The new owner would be getting a pig in a poke sort of deal in that he might be getting a car with a terrible body work underneath, costing him thousands of $ to repair. On the + side, he could have the car with the dip finish or just peel it off and get it with the under coat finish, which would be a well prepped body ready for a paint job of his choice. Not all buyers will like the color of a car that is up for sale when it is a rare car to be sold. Then he too can experiment with the color palate. I would be willing to bet that most cars sold here on the forum are not in pristine condition, and most buyers will recognize that as well. If driven regularly, paint ages as well as leather
Value is one persons perspective until he goes to sell it, and I would think that if a buyer brought up the price of a Plastidip'd car, that you could use that as a selling point for getting more money for your car that is in pristine paint condition. I think they call that the art of the deal.
Just my perspective.

Bill
 
There are quite a few small signal lines in the "clock-spring" that comes in the GM column. I haven't counted the number of lines, but it may be enough for your controls. Think about the number of controls on a corvette steering wheel, like volume up, volume down, change station up, change station down, change audio mode, horn, air bag, etc.

Thanks for the compliments Pete, Scott & Bill. Interesting about the glass. Maybe I got 2 birds with one stone!

I got the wireless system for the steering wheel from eBay. Looks like this one isn't available anymore, but there are many like it. Buyer beware, this product is straight from China and I'm not 100% confident it will survive the rigors of track duty. That's why I have hard wired redundant controls. I had issues when I first started trying to wire up the receiver, months after I bought it. Part of it was my own ignorance of relays, and worse still, my ignorance of reversing polarity for motors. But this company was responsive to my emails, and their version of Google translate seemed reasonably good. Over the course of a week I realized what I was doing wrong, and their device also wasn't functioning properly. So they sent me a new one.

I almost gave up on the wireless idea again last week, and if I could have found a cat5 coiled cable I would have gone with exposed cables wrapped around the steering column. Problem is, even with cat5 I would have needed 2 cables. Luckily I didn't find any. Through perseverance and dumb luck, a few fuses and a burned up relay later I realized my errors.
 
I'm not even close to wiring the dash but the thought of using the unused switches on the GM column has crossed my mind. I did download the column wiring diagram and was looking at converting the switches to ground based operation for isis for things such as the horn etc. I have not run across any threads to my knowledge where this was done. Any thoughts or prior attempts out there?
 
I haven't looked at the GM clock spring, or how many wires are in them. I have so much time and complexity into my wireless system that I am not going to pursue alternate methods because for now, it all works! I'm just really glad I was able to hard wire it for power using the horn lead that can be utilized with the $2.50 wire from Jegs. Initially I was using a small 12v battery on the remote in the steering wheel, and that was not reliable.

Depending on the electrical architecture of the GM car that used the steering column on the SLC, counting buttons on the wheel doesn't mean that will give you a number of wires in the clock spring. The newer cars have can-bus systems, so communication about what the buttons are doing is passed on a single wire, plus some wires for illumination and ground. I looked at the most complex steering wheel for the Cherokee, and the most leads on the clock spring was 14. There were at least 22 buttons, plus the horn and air bag. Another problem was on the steering wheel side, the wires coming out of the clock spring were actually ribbon cable. I tore things apart and experimented with a lot of ideas. The buttons are solid state, integrated onto the circuit board. Like an Xbox controller. I couldn't even get the LEDs to illuminate. I gave up....and that's rare for me.

I was also determined to have the wheel removeable. If you go the clock spring route, I don't know that it can be made compatible with a quick release without fabricating some sort of terminal for all those leads. The NRG release is nice how it operates, but if you have a custom terminal for passing wiring, assuming it was even robust, putting the wheel on would be a huge PITA.

As I said, I gave up and moved on.

A.J.
 
I'm not even close to wiring the dash but the thought of using the unused switches on the GM column has crossed my mind. I did download the column wiring diagram and was looking at converting the switches to ground based operation for isis for things such as the horn etc. I have not run across any threads to my knowledge where this was done. Any thoughts or prior attempts out there?


My car has a modified OEM wheel from the late C6, and I am using the stock column to send switch data. As has been mentioned by others, the column and wheel are designed to use the differential switches that almost all modern cars now use.

In my case, I had to understand the wheel architecture and wiring first. I did this by using a wiring diagram and ohmmeter to validate the wiring (which was on the diagram) and establish the actual resistance for each button press on the wheel (including the horn, which used a traditional make/break circuit, unlike the rest of the wheel).

I then did the same thing for the column. Again, the wiring diagram was very useful in understanding which wires were intended for what.

Of course, the Corvette wheel and Caddy column differed in key ways, including the connectors, which were incompatible, so I cut off the connectors on each and crimped on new small ones that ran the wires I wanted to use from the wheel to the column, and then through the other end of the column.

I also removed the airbag wiring, since I knew my car wouldn't be using that circuit, and it was in the way.

Finally, I determined that I had destroyed the clock spring during construction, so I bought a new one and installed it. If you are expecting to use the clockspring assembly to send data from the wheel (including the horn function), you must not allow the clockspring on the column to rotate more than the design limits; doing so pulls one end of the ribbon cable out and unless you are really good at soldering extremely small things in a limited area, you'll be buying another one. It's easy to damage when building the car, and the best advice I have on the topic is to remove the clockspring until near the end of the build when you are ready to do final install.

Once the wheel you choose is integrated into the column, you now have to decide how to use it. There are two streams, and they are handled differently.

The horn circuit is a traditional make/break circuit, and the Infinitybox harness already has a wire for that. Once you've gone through the trouble of getting the horn at the wheel connected and run through the column, the horn connection is trivial.

The other buttons are a bit more complex. In most cases, you are probably thinking about using them for audio purposes, or possibly for cruise control. Or maybe you want to use them to fire twin .50 caliber guns under the radiator opening to clear traffic ahead. In any case, you now need to figure out how to translate the different resistance levels for each switch into something that reliably controls something that is probably using a traditional make/break circuit.

In my car, that was mostly audio. I have a hidden 1-DIN radio in the car that was selected in part because it was compatible with OEM steering wheel controls. With an adapter, I was able to connect to the steering wheel and program every switch I wanted to a function on the radio. In my case, I wanted volume up/down, mute, and source select (radio, tablet, USB, etc). I was able to do that, and the buttons on the wheel control the audio as I hoped.

Part of the OEM goal for me was also to illuminate the buttons on the wheel as well, so I used some of the wires from the clockspring and wheel to send 12V to the internal lights on the wheel. Like everything else, this was a product of reading diagrams and carefully checking before I applied power.

If you have bolder dreams than me, the other switches could also be used for something. In my case, I chose not to have the cruise control switches on myh wheel (on the C6 wheel, the switch modules on each spoke are optional, and there are OEM covers for them, so the left side has a blank cover), but I do have a wheel from an automatic car, with the shift paddles. These are also differential switches, and can also be programmed to do something, either with the audio system, or with something else. For example, you could use them to actuate the lift kit, and use the "+" button to raise the car, and the "_" to lower it. To do that, you could use an Arduino to take the inputs from the wheel, monitor the resistance change, and, on the correct signal, send an output to an external relay to operate the Ramlift pump (the ones on the Arduino don't have the capacity to do this by themselves). The possibilities are endless, and limited only by your determination and skill.

Here's a pic of my interior, with the wheel and hidden radio (no, you can't see it, it's hidden!) for reference:

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Thanks, AJ!

My wheel is fixed, and contrary to popular opinion, doesn't really impede entry or exit- for me, at least. Someone with Charles Atlas thighs would have to remember to move the wheel up (the columns have a tilt adjustment) every time, but for me, it works fine.

There is a technique, though. You can't just throw yourself in like a normal car. :)
 
I have my own Technique as well. It would be interesting to compare if they're similar. I have to show my friends how to do it, otherwise they flop and flail and get all tangled up.

I have a smaller diameter wheel, so it impedes the gauges if its not tilted all the way up. There's really no moving it up any further. I ground the plastic stop a bit to gain one more position in the upward swing. But then the wheel is angled too much and that part isn't right. So I made sure to center the instrument view through the wheel in the next lower tilt position. That extra click up doesn't offer much in lap clearance getting out. I don't NEED the wheel to be off to get in and out, but it is more convenient.

A.J.
 
I was asked to provide more detail on the shifter detent that I built for my shifter box. Rather than try to take confusing pictures, I made a YouTube video. I misspoke and said I used 1/4" aluminum channel. I should have said 3/4" aluminum channel. The only thing I actually ordered was from McMaster:
2 Shoulder Bolts

More of what I used is below. The white strip is a peel and stick piece of nylon. It's just something I had laying around. It's to make the contact point slide better, rather than aluminum on aluminum. That felt VERY crude. If you would like more detail let me know
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YouTube description
 
I have power door locks now! I used a mechanical interrupt on the exterior handle. This way the interior handle doesn't ever get locked. If I get locked out, the windows will be screwed on ;-) Also, I ran a set of wires to the front of the car near the battery that allows me to hot wire the lock solenoid. This contraption is bonded to the underside of the door skin. The multiple holes in the mounting bracket are for better adhesion with the Panel Bond:
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I got so tired of re-drawing the reversing polarity relay diagrams that I finally posted this on my cabinet door. I must have drawn this out 5 times. The wireless controller on the steering wheel was the first time I used relays, and I REALLY struggled. It was a few months later that I had to do something similar for the pedals, and I had to relearn it all over again. And so on, and so on....
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It's worth noting that Infinity Box sells modules that will handle the polarity reversing circuits for you so external relays are not necessary. But the modules are very expensive.

I made these light transmitting tubes from 1/2" acrylic I originally intended to use for the taillights:
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Then I heated and bent them so they would fit inside the lock indicator on the inner door handle:
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Later I painted the lock indicator black, and covered with the carbon wrap. It illuminates the inside of the door handles. You can also see the contact switches I used to send power into the door. I didn't want wires going into the doors. I grounded the hinge from inside the body to give me an extra positive lead. 2 for the locks, the door handle light, and the blinker in the mirror:
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Speaking of the mirrors, after struggling with the paint for a long time, I finally finished them!!
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This is how the mirrors are supported. I took an oversized 3/8 stainless washer and cut it to fit inside the PVC shaft, with a notch to pass the wires through. The hole for the wires isn't yet drilled into the mirror housing in that picture. Note the horrible surface on the red paint. Anyways, the locknuts set the height of the mirror and the threaded rod carries the weight. Another locknut goes inside the mirror housing, and compresses the PVC tightly but not enough to distort it. The top of the PVC is contoured to match the mirror housing (which isn't flat on the bottom) so there are no gaps:
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I also hinged the hood!
Hinged nose video clip

I was going to have someone make me an arm like the one Fling did, but they never got back with me. Which was fine because I wasn't sure it was going to work or that I gave them the correct dimensions. So I fabricated a set of arms for proof of concept, and they turned out to be strong enough to use:
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I ran out of rattle can Plasti-Dip (actually the Rustoleum product, which I use, is FAR superior) before getting enough layers down. So I couldn't get to the tail light and bumper. Hell, I'll even need to redo the front because it's not thick enough (won't peel off). I bought a gallon of Plasti-Dip and for the first time am gonna attempt using my HVLP power painter to apply it. I didnt have time for all that last night. I hope it lays down better than the Plasti-Dip rattle can (which has too much texture).

The window flanges are sprayed with the Duplicolor bedliner material.

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Word to the wise: when peeling the border tape after spraying the Plasti-Dip, remove it right after spraying that section. Then move on to the next section. I sprayed the cowl area, then the upper hood before I realized I was running out of paint. So I immediately went to the cowl section and pulled the border tape. Even after just a few minutes, the material along the borders was stretching and tearing. It all needs to be redone. I was hoping to use the HVLP sprayer last night but didn't have time, and hoped there was enough left in the rattle can.

And yes, the Plasti-Dip is only temporary until I paint the car for real. I'm experimenting with accents.

A.J.
 
I am absolutely blown away that it has been so long since I have posted. I did ease off the frantic pace of the build a bit at that time to kind of get my personal life back. Which was quite successful I might add, but that is another story. I never stopped work on the car though, and have been going all winter. The frantic pace has returned now that I have my engine parts and the end is in sight. I'm pushing 1500 hours on the build.

Incidentally, there is an issue with Rennlist, the site that I've used to host all my photos for years and years. All of the links in my build log are broken. Using a desktop computer, the photos can still be viewed but some manual manipulation is required. You have to right click and open the photo in a new tab, and change “.org” to “.com” in the address bar. On mobile devices….I haven't figured that out yet. I asked the gt40 admins if they would allow me to make the changes or do it for me, and I haven't heard anything back. Hopefully Rennlist will get everything back to normal (it has been a month now). In the meantime I've switched to Dropbox.

Here's a (not very) brief recap of what I have been up to:

I painted the black edging around the windows. I used some lexan paint I had from when I painted rc bodies. It didn't stick. I bought the Jerry Bickel paint, followed the directions to a T, it still flaked off. I tried to perfect my technique with Jerry Bickel, it still wasn’t right. I wasted days on this and just decided to move on. I will revisit this when I get vane about how the car looks. It has been about function, this was not a priority. And I don't notice the imperfections as much as I thought I would. It still needs to be fixed, though. From what I understand, urethane is the way to go. I haven't read the forums in quite a while, so in the meantime I may have missed something obvious:
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I made a mold and created a closeout panel for the roof scoop. Then I fiberglassed it directly to the roof:
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Thankfully I water tested it prior to fiberglassing it to the roof, because water seeped through. I added another layer of fiberglass. I blended the opening with the inside of the closeout:
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I have been concerned about doing bodywork on the car because I don't plan to paint the car for a while after getting it running. If I do bodywork, that forces my hand. So I went to the local paint supply store with a large piece cutout from the fender vents and had them match some rattlecan spray. It came out great. It's not perfect, but it lets me get away with minor body filler, then hide it:
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I didn't like the first camera housing I made because the camera was wide angle. I wanted a longer focal length. And of course this meant the camera housing would be much larger. So I did the expanding foam thing again for the housing:
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You know the drill….a few layers of fiberglass over the foam, then dig the foam out. The side got thin, so I had to reinforce with Plexus:
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I cut the front off a GoPro housing to give the camera a good cover to look through and glued it to an aluminum plate (with a hole in it!):
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This was screwed to the housing, so I can get easy access to the camera to switch the lenses or adjust the angle:
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I pulled off the intake and sent it to Troy. In the meantime, I pulled off the valve covers and painted them red. With the covers off, I realized the cams had corrosion on them so I polished them up with 600 grit sandpaper:
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These are the cams all polished up
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Using a regular linear actuator and universal park brake cables I mounted the park brake mechanism on the passenger side pod:
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I got rid of the bolted together gussets that i used on my hood hinges and had them reinforced with welded gussets. I also added heim joints for adjustability, and had new clevises made that could match the reduced width of the heim joints. The area the heim and clevis are in is extremely narrow. The bolt head and nut were pushing on the fiberglass on both sides:
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Since I hinged the nose of the car and have the splitter fastened to the front clam, I had to move the trailer tow quick disconnect from the splitter to the floor in front of the tub:
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This is the aluminum tray I made to keep the wires from sagging down into the radiator opening when the front clam is shut:
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I did the expanding foam again to make the A pillars thick (for aesthetics). I don't want to make covers to enclose the roll bar because I feel the roll bar makes the best handle/grab location for getting in and out of the car. And I don’t want to make the pillars any bigger than they already are with a large cover. So I dressed up the inside of the A pillar since it would be visible:
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You can also see in this picture, at the lower right corner, the contacts that I used to get power in and out of the door. I didn’t want wires. I also grounded the hinge:
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Installed the seat harnesses:
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Since I made my own taillights, I needed to add reflectors. I got these from an Odyssey minivan, roughly 2012 vintage:
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The hole is for reverse sensors:
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The upper left corner of the picture is the control module for the reverse sensors:
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Vanity crept in and I started working on an accent scheme. I took my inspiration mainly from the 2016 Haas F1 nose cone design:
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I added interior lights and pin switches:
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These are the lights I used, $7/pair from Amazon. There are 82 LEDs in each strip. Despite the yellow appearance, they are bright white. This particular light will be attached with Velcro to the underside of the rear clam just behind where the roof scoop air dumps out. There's enough light to use this as a shop light if necessary. I thought about lighting up the entire engine bay, but I'll save that for later if necessary:
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I got some heavy duty felt from Amazon and insulated the hell out of the back panel and ceiling. I will also add it under the dash later:
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You can see the insulation on the top side of the ceiling panel, which is sagged down on top of the dash:
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I've spent entirely too much time on the camera system. I now have 7 cameras around the car, and 4 channels can be recorded via DVR. One of those channels has 3 cameras feeding into it, selectable via a toggle switch under the dash:
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Oops...i realized my engine is too low. Guess how I figured that out?? So I had to raise engine:
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I had a 2nd crossbar welded to the top of the mount, about 1.5” total. I would later discover when mounting the turbos, this was too much….Raising the front of the engine so much, I had to create an extension for the center support. Thankfully the rear supports, the heims that hold the back of the trans, are very easy to adjust and are very flexible:
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This is how the engine bolts to the engine mount, and the engine mount to the frame:
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I decided to secure the ceiling panel with a bracket above the dome light. The front of the ceiling panel will be secured with very powerful magnets (not shown in this picture). The roll bar contacts the ceiling panel on the sides, causing about a ½” gap between the body and ceiling panel. If I try to pinch the flange shut, I would have to use fasteners or bond them, both of which will introduce a lot of stress. So I will cut the ceiling panel and add material so the ceiling comes together properly with the roof, or spider, or body, whatever it's called. Then weatherstrip will be sufficient to hold the sides of the ceiling panel in place:
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The form in the ceiling panel for the roll bar doesn't line up properly on either side. I cut them out and will shape them….later:
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Yay!! My engine parts have arrived from Troy!
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I'm still undecided on how I'm going to adorn the top of the intake. I had crazy ideas of illuminating a plaque and getting all fancy. Scott put a bug in my ear about Front Panel Express, which I already knew about, but later decided to keep things simple. So for now I plan to do a plaque with the badge, and am debating if I should include “Hand crafted by” and my signature. The problem is I didn't build the motor itself by hand….I may save that part for the VIN tag. Which won't be as visible… :-\
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This is the inside of the intake:
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I need to change the water pump with a modified one that Troy sent. Of course….the water pump is behind the timing belt:
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While I was in there, I changed the timing belt, pulleys and hydraulic tensioner. Had to make a tool to get the crank bolt off. And needed LOTS of leverage!
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THANK GOD this thing didn't break!
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I bolted the aluminum tubing directly to the pulley, so I didn't have to worry about it slipping. The extreme torque matchboxed the tubing:
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Time to start digging in!
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Marks for the timing belt:
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The water passage at the front of the engine is badly corroded and needs to be repaired:
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New water pump, modified by Troy (thanks buddy!!)
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I had to add a pulley for the alternator, which will go where the stud is:
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Borg Warner twin scroll turbo, one of two :-D
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Left side turbo, with the intercooler mount to the left of the picture. I used the same rubber isolators that I used on the Setrab oil coolers, but didn't like them in this application. So later I switched the intercooler isolators for ones that are wider diameter, and a little shorter:
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The long strap at the top isn't very effective. On the right side intercooler I did it differently:
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View of left side headers from below:
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View of the clearance to the bulkhead, from below:
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I made a set of taillights for fellow board member. This ate up WAY more time than I anticipated. It was a comedy of errors, but learned a LOT about various LEDs, what works, what doesn't, etc:
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The brace I'm holding is one that I was fabricating and I tried to put all kinds of complicated bends in it. It broke, so I made the next one more simple:
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I was so proud once I got done…..
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….until the turbo didn't fit! I couldn't even get it on the studs. It was hitting one of my intercooler braces. So I dropped the header, removed the brace, got the turbo onto the header, then when I went to tighten the header bolts…..the turbo is still hitting….the frame….ugh:
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Remember the extension I added to the engine mount? Time to get the grinder out. This time I bolted the extension to the rest of the mount, rather than weld. And I made it shimmable. Which is good, because I had to add a few washers. Which are slotted, so they can be adjusted without removing the engine mount. After getting the mount back in, I had to readjust the heim supports for the trans in the rear. And the center support. The engine mounts have a few mm gap to the cross bar, and gentle tightening doesn't draw it home. So I need to also lower/slot the center adapter plate mount to allow the front of the engine to drop. I don't want to kick up the rear of the trans too much. It doesn't take a lot to run out of adjustability in the heim joints. There definitely is a sweet spot, and the center support needs to come down:
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I went to install the right side turbo and found that the top of the turbo housing contacts the frame rail. I tried dropping the engine down, but even with the oil pan below the bottom frame rails, the turbo was still hitting. So I moved the engine back up to where it was, and cut the header off at the mounting flange and changed the angle that the header comes out of the engine:
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I bought a MIG welder and after a lot of trial and even more error, was able to tack weld the headers into position so I could verify the clearances. Then I had a friend finish weld it:
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It turns out I had to move the left side turbo down, too. The wastegate actuator, and bracket it's mounted on, were contacting the frame on the left side. I was just planning on bending the bracket to make it fit. I was told NOT to do that, because spring pressures are everything and the turbos need to be identical side to side. So I cut the header at the flange and changed the angle of the headers on the left side as well.

Intake and painted valve covers installed:
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Trying to figure out the plumbing from the intercoolers to the intake:
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Looks great!
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Once I put the rear clam on….more interference. Common theme….

If the tubing stays directly above, or forward of the diagonals on the horizontal reinforcement above the trans, the tubing won’t contact the body.
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Tada! This worked. It's tight, but not touching. The tubes will be welded, then covered with heat resistant material:
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This is my wide angle reverse camera. I will be investigating moving the roof mounted camera into the engine bay, having it peer out the rear window to clean up the aesthetics….at the suggestion of others ;-)
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The adjustments made to the headers worked, the engine is back to the proper height and both turbos fit with no clearance issues.

I moved the bulky camera mount from the roof to a temporary spot inside the engine bay to see if I can get a good view:
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This is the view with the wide angle backup camera:
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This is the long focal length camera that was on the roof, but now is on the bulkhead above the motor. Quite a difference in view! The backup camera image is reversed so they're not identical. But this underscores the fact that wide angle cameras don't make for a good rear view mirror replacement.
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I think it will work, keep in mind the car is on jack stands so is much higher than normal, and the driveway is on a large slope.

I am finalizing the tubing for the turbos. I should get my intake filters this weekend and will have the entire intake complete! Well, except for welding some joints on the aluminum tubing. My buddy who does that is on vacation for a week
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A few of the supports I made for the intercooler interfered with the tubing going from the turbo to the lower intercooler port. I need to redesign those.
 
I have been trying to come up with a way to fasten the ceiling panel, yet make it easy to remove without disturbing the body or removing anything in the engine bay. Or the tub (gasp!). I decided to make a homemade type of J-clip and use it to secure angle aluminum to the back of the tub:
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I have been trying hard to minimize using fasteners that are visible. So I put one screw under each shoulder harness:
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And will use washers that have caps on them so nothing shiny will be visible
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You'll have to be looking for these to spot them!
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Vanity took over this weekend. I ground off the welds on the intake...
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...and covered it with Lava Mat. I tried my damndest to pull the wrinkles out of the Lava Mat but it just wouldn't work. They package it **folded** instead of rolled, so not only is the material stretched along the seam, its also somewhat discolored. After several tries, this was the best I could get it.

Like the gold foil on the subframe rails (and now the fuel rails), it's part functional, part bling. The Lexus badge is just sitting there. I'm still finalizing ideas for a badge/plaque. Which is fortunate, because I'll use it to hide the worst of the folds and wrinkles:
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I'm getting reasonably good at tack welds! My first welded part. This is the right side turbo-to-resonator pipe. Those are v-band clamps on both ends. I gave up the first attempt at including the racing cat, but came back to it a day later with a better idea and was able to make it work:
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This is what it looks like coming out of the turbo:
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Things are SO TIGHT with the routing and the bends of the 3” tubing that I was hoping the resonator would fit behind the rear suspension uprights. That would have made it easier to include the cats in the horizontal position under the structural crossmember between the uprights. But no way, nowhere near enough room:
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The resonator is in position below the horizontal crossmember:
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Approximate location of the exhaust tip :)
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I spent over an hour at Lowes with my girlfriend, looking for a 4.5” ring that I could use for exhaust trim. No luck, so I had to make them. I bonded threaded studs to the back side to secure to the mesh:
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My first fully welded joint! 2 pieces were welded together here. I pressure tested it, and soapy water came out though all over the joint. I rewelded in the areas til I got it right and eventually ended up with a solid, leak proof piece. Then it turned out to be way more angle than I needed, and I chopped it up so much that I'm pretty sure either of the separate pieces prior to the welding would have been sufficient. Oh well, it was great practice!
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Vibration isolated exhaust hangers from Summit Racing:
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As has been usual, I had to adjust the position of the hangers quite a bit because they interfered with the oil coolers. I have minimal clearance, but it's on the list to get a few more mm gap:
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Trim rings painted black!
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I finally addressed the ceiling panel not fitting the door opening flange properly. I made several relief cuts in the ceiling panel to lengthen the 45 degree surface between the main ceiling panel and the flange:
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I started fiberglassing at the back, where the opposing surfaces are pretty much in the same plane. Farther forward, the two sides are way off plane and I'll have to figure out a way to make a smooth transition:
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