Flo's Superlite Apex

[Florin Blebea]

Hey Everybody,
Time to start my build thread, with plenty of pictures for my Apex!

Here it goes!

About a year ago I picked up a pretty clean 1995 Eagle Talon TSi AWD for $1500. It had symptoms of 'Crankwalk' but it drove home.
So far I've parted out things I didn't need like the Transmission, Rear Diff, and suspension, and wheels, and I've made back $1200 from the initial $1500. As far as a donor car investment that's not bad, plus I gave back to the DSM community allowing others to get their cars back on the road...

So here's what the Talon looked like...

 

[Florin Blebea]

The start of the teardown to a bare shell.

 

[Florin Blebea]

more teardown...

 

[Florin Blebea]

cutting of the car

 

[Florin Blebea]

A few months ago I picked up some Corvette C5 Brakes and full suspension local, and just last week I got my Apex kit from Superlite Cars, now the real fun begins!

 

[Scott Davis]

I recognize your name from the binder with the renderings posted a while back. Assuming you might have also done the clay work? Nice work!!! Glad you're making one all the way through also. Can't wait to start myself.

Generally, what are your plans for the build?

 

[Florin Blebea]

My plans are LS power. Haven't sourced an engine or transaxle yet. Still doing some research, as I am on a limited budget and might go for a second hand engine. No idea what rims or color for the car. As for the interior I've already started re-conditioning the doors, console, and seats. I plan to plop in the stock seats to be able to drive it around.

 

[Justin Hutson]

I'm going to be keeping an eye on these builds, I'm tempted to go buy a modded gsx or tsi and play with it til I can buy an apex kit!!

 

[Scott Davis]

Flo, I'm curious what your plans are for the bulkhead as its a big concern for me. Each time I look at the pics of the rearend I'm like...whattt no bulkhead? Like this pic.

The opening is large. The floor and sides of the eclipse sheet metal are in and out, the cage has several angles, and there's the roll bar entering the car for us LS cage guys. I don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I say 95% of the kit builds on here don't have such an intricate part fabricated whether voluntary or involuntary. Martins having a part water jet and mentioned the cost of this (I can imagine with programming the WJ). Curious if you put any thought toward this yet. Card board template and start cutting, bending? Having looked at it up close does it appear to be an easier job than I'm thinking?

 

[Justin Hutson]

So superlite doesnt have a bulkhead at all for the car? Its not a huge deal if not because i can make one just kinda curious as to why they wouldnt...

 

[Keith]

Darn it Fran.you're gonna have to start over..:shout:

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Well chaps we did have a bulkhead for the car when it was a four cylinder package...but as the V8 brigades peer pressure determined that the car had to be a V8, then chassis had to completely redesigned and the bulkhead is the last part to be finished...I have not said there isn't one , its just not completed due to all the other changes made to the Apex...and the kit price went down not up I may add...

 

[Scott Davis]

Fair enough...so maybe there will be an add-on? or maybe it will be included with the kit? ...but sounds like there will be a bulkhead developed/offered later one way or the other. Thats good because while I knew I could manage making one...my goal is to get this thing driving, trying to not get bogged down on any one thing.

 

[Guillaume NL]

I'm glad to see a build thread after all these years following the Apex saga

 

[Tom]

Me too, and there are 2 build threads. . .

Edit - no make that 3!