Michael Hampson
Supporter
Can anyone help me identify these various brackets?
Michael's GT-R Build
- Thread starter Michael Hampson
- Start date
Top row in pic, mounts for parking brake handle. Used for SL-C on interior center rail.
Next row, front engine mounts, slide on frame between were the engine mount sits on frame.
Parking brake mount.
Gated shifter mount. Tabs that bend down are for SL-C, but you can remove them and use for GT-R. It is upside down in the pic.
Next to it is the mount for the LS throttle pedal that mounts to the pedal assembly.
Next row, front engine mounts, slide on frame between were the engine mount sits on frame.
Parking brake mount.
Gated shifter mount. Tabs that bend down are for SL-C, but you can remove them and use for GT-R. It is upside down in the pic.
Next to it is the mount for the LS throttle pedal that mounts to the pedal assembly.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
A little more splitter work. Ready to temporarily mount and trim the front valence.
Looking great, you are making good progress!
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Haven't posted in a while - haven't had much time! Mainly, in the past couple of weeks, I have been working on body fitment. The whole body was twisted on the frame a good bit - front clip was shifted 1/2" to the driver's side, and rear was shifted to the passenger side. That has been a lot of tedious work! But I want it to be close so there is minimal body work later.
Meanwhile, got the steering column shroud from RCR last week, so I positioned and welded on the steering wheel spline. I cut about 3/4" off of the spline so that I could get the wheel positioned closer to the shroud to close up the ugly gap between the hub and the shroud. Looks better, but still might need some trim.
Meanwhile, got the steering column shroud from RCR last week, so I positioned and welded on the steering wheel spline. I cut about 3/4" off of the spline so that I could get the wheel positioned closer to the shroud to close up the ugly gap between the hub and the shroud. Looks better, but still might need some trim.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
I needed the seat to be raised about an inch to get the Sparco seat adjuster bar to clear the 2"x2" aluminum tube running across the floor board, so I used some 1" square tubing to make a frame for the seat brackets to fit on. I had to use a bottle jack to straighten out the floor because it was so warped from the tub welding. It was domed in the center probably 3/8" or more.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Starting work on the tank. I decided that instead of the swirl tank and excessive number of fuel pumps, hoses and fittings, that I would go with an Aeromotive Phantom 340. It has a built-in baffle thingy that keeps me from having to build a separate recess for the fuel pickup too. So, like H, Kurtiss, etc., I am adding a shelf so that the fuel tank fits in the car with the pump mounted on it. Minor details. I am going to leave this welding to a pro - don't want to risk damaging the tank.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Got the tank welding done. The hole for the sending unit was so badly warped that I had to weld a second plate on top of the existing one, with proper holes.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
... and installed (temporarily). I am thinking of using "Great Stuff" foam around the front and rear top and sides of the tank to ensure a rattle-free and quieter installation. I've seen a lot of folks that bolt through the lower lip of the tank to the tunnel, but I just don't see a way to do that without bending the lip, with the inconsistent tunnel dimensions. I did weld brackets along the bottom of the tank in three places to give the brake lines and coolant lines a place to rest, and I could bold through these to the bottom pan with flathead bolts, but even then, the tank rocks terribly in the center due to a big warp in the floor pan around the center of the tank, so I'd have to put some spacers under the front to prevent the bracket from bending.
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That system looks pretty slick. How are you dealing with fuel filtering though? just a 10micron filter on the fuelpump discharge side? Where you be routing your vent line to?
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Yes, I have a 10u filter to install on the discharge line from the pump. The vent on the pump is blocked off, and I will use the 1/2" NPT fitting on the front of the tank for the vent. I don't know yet how I will route it. Too far ahead!
Thanks for the compliment!
Michael
On my car the middle hose is my vent as you can see leading up to the vent fitting.
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Michael Hampson
Supporter
Looks super, Larry!
Great looking care your building!! I have been looking into building either the superlite SLC or GT-R. It looks as though there is a fair amount of customization involved with your build and others that I've looked at on this site. Does the GT-R kit give a guide to follow, or is the build strait forward for the experienced individual only? Are the modifications that I am seeing you and others doing on this car the norm or is it just limited by skill level? Is there any available pictures of a finished superlite GT-R interior vs. a OEM interior?
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Hello Jim. Thanks so much for the compliments. I prefer the GT-R because it is a much more practical car for my purposes, which is street use. The SL-C is an eye-popper, though!
Fabrication (I won't say "customization") is a requirement for this type of build: The level of fabrication above and beyond that required by the level of completeness of the kit is entirely up to the builder. For instance, brake lines are provided, as is the switch that is mounted in the brake line for the brake lights. But, there is no way to add the switch without cutting, bending, and flaring existing, or just making new brake lines. More body fit is required. many, many things need to be cut, drilled, tapped, etc. Many things just don't fit without mods, like the steering wheel to the provided hub, or the tank sending unit to the tank. On the other hand, adding electric steering assist, or adding an operating trunk, customizing the fuel system, etc. are not required but added as improvements. Here is where some experience in fabrication is required. Just trying to figure out how to fabricate a bracket to mount a steering assist unit is daunting without a ton of experience (that I don't have!). But it just takes a little longer to figure it out, and there is an awesome forum here to search and ask questions on.
There is no "manual" for the GT-R. There is a manual for the SL-C, and that's what we are supposed to go by, as the kits are similar. I haven't done any other kit like this before, so I cannot comment on the level of completeness compared to other kits from this or another manufacturer, but I was surprised by the amount of work needed just to get it put together. Not too disappointed, as I love the ability to customize and learn new things, but definitely surprised.
Search the forums and you will find many GT-R and SL-C builds that are complete or at least WAY farther along than mine!!! One last thing that I will mention: I have done frame-off restorations of several Corvettes over the years. I felt pretty accomplished and experienced. However, I couldn't fathom the restoring a car is so completely different than fabricating this GT-R. This is no Lego kit, or parts-sourcing/refurbishing/re-attaching activity for sure! I love it!
Good luck!
Michael
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Got the electric steering assist (from a 2000 something Saturn), installed and the steering back together finally!
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Starting work on the cutout for a working hood. Started by doing something I should have done a long time ago: Painted the underside of the front clip with resin because I was sick of the loose fibers everywhere, especially stuck in my fingers.
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Hood Cutout done!
Mike, any chance you could walk us through how you planned the layup for the hood/clam edges? I see in the pics what you did, but what's with the tabs on the aluminum? Also, how did you get the inner & outer edges (pics 4 to 5)? Thanks!
Michael Hampson
Supporter
Hi Gabriel;
This was a brilliant idea from H Craft Customs that I followed.
I first used a 1/8" blade on my angle grinder to make slots for the tabs in the aluminum pieces exactly on the cut line. See the attached pic. Then the pieces slid into place and I taped them to each other with aluminum tape. I waxed the pieces thoroughly and glassed up both sides of the aluminum pieces. Probably put 10 layers of alternating matt and cloth on each side. The result is that the two flanges of fiberglass are exactly 1/8 apart all the way around.
Then I broke the aluminum pieces loose from the glass using a soft mallet and a thin putty knife, and pulled them out, leaving the gap.
Finally, I got a thin kerf grinding disc on the angle grinder and cut the rest of the hood out. Then sanded all of the edges with a flap disc.
Does that make sense? So the tabs on the aluminum pieces slot into the hood and perfectly align the location of the two glass flanges and the resultant gap between the two.
Doing it this way ensures that the gaps are perfect. Cutting the hood out and then adding flanges after the fact would be way more difficult to do and retain alignment.
This was a brilliant idea from H Craft Customs that I followed.
I first used a 1/8" blade on my angle grinder to make slots for the tabs in the aluminum pieces exactly on the cut line. See the attached pic. Then the pieces slid into place and I taped them to each other with aluminum tape. I waxed the pieces thoroughly and glassed up both sides of the aluminum pieces. Probably put 10 layers of alternating matt and cloth on each side. The result is that the two flanges of fiberglass are exactly 1/8 apart all the way around.
Then I broke the aluminum pieces loose from the glass using a soft mallet and a thin putty knife, and pulled them out, leaving the gap.
Finally, I got a thin kerf grinding disc on the angle grinder and cut the rest of the hood out. Then sanded all of the edges with a flap disc.
Does that make sense? So the tabs on the aluminum pieces slot into the hood and perfectly align the location of the two glass flanges and the resultant gap between the two.
Doing it this way ensures that the gaps are perfect. Cutting the hood out and then adding flanges after the fact would be way more difficult to do and retain alignment.