bjhines

more progress with pics... This is the front strut tower reinforcement bar.... this continues through the firewall and into the font of the A-pillar bar.... that will continue through the door x... and on to the rear strut tower.... ...

I found some NEAT STUFF!!!!.... If it were not for the obvious rust issues.... I am seriously thinking about getting INTO my rockers and really rust proofing them....sand blast, phoshoric acid, POR etc.... then I would fill them... Oddly enough I had an aquaintance that was a major automotive audio installer... His shop used foam(and fiberboard) to stiffen the interior of their show cars... It made the "impact" a lot harder.... He did some of that in a few road going customers cars.. and they had worked out neat tricks to ensure water drainage... they taped all seams and corners.. leaving a gap under the tape. I found it in 7.6 oz tubes $31 with a $52 dispenser(ouch)... Terocore structural foam at the bottom... http://www.crestnetsales.com/foams.htm

There was a nice layer of surface rust in there.... as well as a previous bumper bender had tweaked that side mount anyway.... otherwise my car is relatively rust free...

Stony... you can draw more BTUs off faster with water than you ever will using CO2 in quantities useful on a race car.... Technicly the CO2 can come out colder but it warms up considerably in a short distance traveled... unless you have some sort of close running nozzel array within mm of the rotor surfaces... obviously no one wants to use CO2 to cool their brakes... but I was addressing the possible use of any coolant applied to the brakes... water is the best choice for many reasons.... jeeze man....

I figured I would put in a few more pics to keep the post on track.... light weight gussets and punched/ plugged frame clading... Punched front support... removed lower late style bumper mount and weld nuts.... the eary style still exists... for whatever reason....

No doubt.. the more complex the tool is.. the more likely it is to completely fail to work.. or worse... But a simple shear... or bending brake... I spent $50 and got BOTH!!!... The 2 simple tools from MB machine or Vansantent, or even Eastwood would cost $500.... Screw them.. it is like they don't care that we value our dollar... I find it insulting.... Eastwood resells MB machine as well..... at stupid mark up.... WTF! I have gotten great value from chinese tools.... you just need to inspect what you are buying.. and compare it's pricing with other retailers...

ok... Silicone fluid is used for classic cars that sit up for long periods of time... It does not absorb water... It will allow you to store a classic for years without using it... It also shines the paint and rubber parts... instead of stripping them... $7k paint job gets the silicone fuid in my book... you would never track a $7k paint job though.... As far as brake cooling... I personally know 2 driver/owners who use water mist to cool brakes... No problemo with cracking the rotors... I doubt very seriously that CO2 would crack them either... you guys need to really think about the temp variation over short periods of time that brake rotors were designed to endure...

Mittler Bros Machine co.... has the same things... you can get them in several flavors and sizes.... beading, flaring, punch-and-flare in one... I think the 1" hole size is the most useful.... The prices on some of these things are STUPID!!!!!! here is a $120 hammer.... http://vansantent.com/sheet_metal_machines/Cook_Body_hammers.htm .... this kind of thing really pisses me off.... it is a god damn hammer for god's sake.... WTF!!!!! I am all about some Chineese tools from Harbor Freight... I notice that this distributor is carrying Mittler Bros bead forming tools even higher prices than the stupid rediculous MB catalog... Several of the jackass catalogs have simple manual bench tools going for hundreds of dollars... How about a $450 bench mount throatless shear... I can get the same damn thing from Harbor Freight/China for $29.99... with extra blades for $10... sure ti may be a little lower quality... but not that much worse....

You can fight that based on the fact that you were not there earlier.. therefore the cop's story has a gaping hole in the first place... The fact that you had to wait 20 minutes for him to clear you means that he was obviously holding you for the maximum time limit... This is a clear case of harassment... I have gone to traffic court and simply talked to the DA.. who then talked to the officer... with the understanding that if he did not drop it.. I would countinue and come back with a lawyer next time... That officer can get in a lot of trouble for harrassing people based on age, color, sex, or the type of car they drive... He will back down... if not a lawyer can hand him his ass in court...

JM That sounds very interesting... can you draw it for us? rough idea... I am planning on top tower bracing with the roll cage and removable triangle bracing... I am also tieing the sway bar mount location across to the top of the opposite strut tower.... as Tube80Z suggested... this will be removable and bolted in with the sway bar bolts... The gussets are to eliminate any side to side flexing between the strut tower pressing and the lower frame rail... the form of the gussets is an involuted continuation of the lip on the side of the strut pressing... Here is the gusset for the back of the TC bucket... I am also planning on rocker tie ins... and possibly K bracing the crossmember... I have to think of how to keep this light as well... I would fill the frame rails with foam if I was not worried about rust.... ANyway... here is the completed gusseting for the inside of the frame rails... I added lightening holes to match the theme... ...

Why thank you!!!!! ... I still get blow outs in the thin stuff... I can easily fill them in but it gets sloppy looking... I spend way too much time making the parts fit right... because when I start welding... the nice edges get melted back anyway....

Another few shots... I was tinkering again this evening... Completed reinforcing for the crossmember mounting area... 16g sheet metal triangle gussets.... These are a lot lighter than using another strip of angle or filler between the tower pressing and the top lip of the frame rail... ....

Well... my Nismo unit took a lot of effort to remove(easier to reinstall)... I would just be sure you do this over a wood surface... The parts are heavy and the balance of the unit changes drasticly when the carrier comes free... easy to drop it...

They are really easy to take apart yourself.... I will be glad to help with your questions.. either here or PM me... I prefer the design and dissassembly of the R180s.. but a well worn R200 should be pretty easy as well.... for the R200 just be sure to mark the spacers when you remove the caps... then hold it over a wood floor when you drop the carrier out the back...

so what the hell happened in this back story..??? I paid 25$ for a raffle ticket.... I would love to hear the back story Mikelly is talking about... I got a cryptic Email about something someone was sorry about... should I post a copy??? BTW.. the Monte Carlos team was a bunch of idiots.... where the hell did they find that clan??? they should have been drinking bottled water.... the stuff in their well is just WRONG...

srry... I just couldn't resist... running the engine down the road with nothing in the thermostat housing is one of those old timer/ eveyone who knows anything about engines kind of nonos.... It really pains me to see these kind of suggestions flying around.. for your own sake... Hey.. I am not trying to hurt your feelings... If we were in the same local club I would be saying this same thing to you with a smile and a wink... Hey... look at it this way.. no matter what... you are willing to try what comes to mind... most people just scratch their heads and take it to a mechanic..

If you put it in gear... jack up the rear and turn one wheel... the other WILL TURN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.... even with someone holding it providing resistance... check this.... even LSD diffs will perform in this manner... you just have to apply 50ftlbs of torque to break the clutches free....

I have an elecric fan with a $$$ electronic thermo switch... with 2 stages and 2 fans.... along with an "emergency" switch for full fans in the car... I have inadvertantly run the car with the entire cooling fan system disabled... I can tell you that the temp rises slowly once I come to a stop(3-5 minutes to get near overheating)... I can turn on the heater if nothing else and cool the engine considerably while sitting at the stop light... The systems act very strangely when they do not hold pressure.... It has already been mentioned that when you car is low on coolant the guage will often read cold... and then suddenly JUMPs to overheat when you rev the engine or it simply begines to boil over on it's own.... this is because the sender is high and dry... then it suddenly gets a wash of boiling water over it and spikes the guage.... OHH... straight water is a nono unless you buffer it to reduce corrosion.... OHH... and increasing pressure always raises the boiling point... of anything... OHH... technically straight water is a better cooant than water/glycol mix... It boils faster but cools better... I have observed that the electric fans will never turn on when I am cruising down the highway... airflow through the radiator at speed is MORE THAN ENOUGH to properly cool the engine.... for the guy who blew his engine trying to start it with brake cleaner.......DON'T run the car for any period of time without the thermostat in place.... the thermostat never fully opens.... it provides a restriction to the radiator to ensure that water contiues to flow through the engine... if you remove the thermostat YOU MUST REPLACE IT WITH A "TEST PLUG" that has a metered hole in it to ensure water circulation through the engine block.... running you engine without a thermostat is akin to running it without water.... DON'T learn the stupid way....

I am a proponent of using the original wiring..... But.... I have rewired projects using junkyard fuse/relay boxes and using various connectors from electronics suppliers... You can purchase a wire assortment from some suppliers or you can raid the local stereo intall shop for a variety of colors in various lengths.... I have been a scrap pile wire scrounger on many occasions....

JM.... I saw those rocker additions you did.... That is something I am toying with at this moment...

Hey... I was using the non vented Toyota calipers on track for a season... they would overheat and cause problems with sticking pistons... even though the pads and fluid were fine... Just an FYI.... if you start to feel like the car pulls to one side... or is heating one wheel more than the other going down the highway wihtout using brakes.... then in all likelyhood you have burned the seals... I run em till they stick... or I do a major overhaul... I usually end up replacing the seals every season....

The clading metal is 14g .... I think the frame rails are more like 18-20g... I was really surprised at the heavy wear and tear the frame rails had endured in a realatively low mileage and unwrecked car... The frame rails are thin box sections with internal gussets for the main attachment points... TC, sway bar, and crossmember... Mine had popped most of the spot welds forward of the crossmember.. on the outside lip... The mounting surface for the front crossmember was depressed into the bottom of the rails... the outside lip was flexed and bent as well... The front edge of the TC bucket had pulled downward on the bottom of the frame rail and left almost an 1/8" gap at the front... Boxing in the structure was realtively easy... but flattening out the bottom of the frame rails and rewelding the spots was labor intensive... I still have some work to do in this area.... but it is almost complete... Here are some more pics for tonite.... The lip to complete the mounting surface for the crossmember... The finnished lower frome rial crossmember mounting surface... Trial fit of the sway bar mounts....

Here are some pics of progress.... I have clad the frame rails in 14g pre punched angle... I chose this material because it allows for easy rosette welding... I had to pull the various dents and waves out of the bottom of the rails first... PAIN IN THE ASS!!!!! Here is the critical crossmember mounting point... It is flatter and stiffer than ever... I will add a small strip to the bottom to fully cover the bottom side with holes... right where the crossmember mounts... I was thinking about using low cut angle to the outside... I used the tube with thru-bolts for the sway bar mount modification ...

flaring/beading makes a 3 dimensional piece out of a 2 dimensional sheet... depending on how you do it you can add considerable strength.... I have really been hoping that someone would chime in with a good web reference on this topic... I found very little on the subject as it pertains to the materials I am woring with...

The fuel cell is a $3000 bladder and steel can made by Fuel Safe... this is an ASA Vortec Pro cell.... It is literally BOMB PROOF.... secondly.... I am not wheel to wheel "racing".. it is a time trails car... more than likely it will not hit anything very hard in my career... I only need a hoop to run.... Third.... I don't want to make the rear end of the car beyong the strut towers too stiff... think Hans device... and crush zones.... fourth... the tubing only replaces the sheet metal floorpan and spare tiure well.... factory frame rails are intact.... it also serves as a support for the fuel cell.... fith.... I went out side and stood with one foot in the middle of each bar and jumped on it... I figure... what better way to load test it... I weigh more than the cell and the cell will be held by straps nearer the corners... the bars dont budge.... I tried a failure test on a section similar to the lateral pieces.... it will fail suddenly if you crease a corner over a hole... sixth... notice I only drilled one plane on the longitudinal tubes....