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Update on the Z in paint jail


dr_hunt

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Went to the body shop today, I'll take some pic's later, the car is sanded and all the old bondo was removed. Too bad, it is evident that the car was in another hail storm prior to the hail storm that wrecked it last year. Anyway that's fixed the headlights were deleted and skinned over like the clear plastic covers do. They are rolling the front of the car and it has a small slit for air intake to the radiator. That may change though, I'm going to finalize that decision later.

 

We discussed tubbing it now, but in looking at the car I think I want to just move the ladder bars to the inside of the frame support and then buy some wheels with more offset and wider so I can lower the car and get more "meat" on the ground. I can always add wheelie bars for now. I need to lower the front of the car so I guess I'd better do a search on how to best get that done.

 

Well, off to the body shop to do pic's.

s_stuff_205.jpg

s_stuff_206.jpg

s_stuff_207.jpg

s_stuff_208.jpg

 

later

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updated with pic's. You can see how the earliest hail storm had an effect, the whole car was covered in bondo, he said he'd never seen anything like it. He imagined 50 lbs of bondo all over the roof, passenger door (1 inch thick) passenger door post (2 inches thick) top of car, left rear quarter. Looks like the car had been painted twice in previous life too.

 

Notice the headlight cover on the passenger side. It's red metal, there will be no headlights in this car so street driving is out. Comments on rolling the front, need 'em, let me have 'em good or bad. Ideas?

 

Two fricken months and this is as far as I've got.

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There's some weight savings for you (50 lbs of bondo removed!!)

 

Regarding the front, I was wondering how much air would be pushing up against that front panel. At the speeds we're talking, wouldn't you want some "downforce" to keep the front end planted up on the big end...

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Yeah, that's what I was thinking, just don't know how to fabricate that. I tried to explain it to him that a curved flat surface, air dam, to keep the air from getting under the car would be better than that.

 

Just looking at that it hit me all wrong. Gimme some ideas here.

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What does MSA have, I still have a 50 dollar gift certificate for them from SEZ. Anything would be better than that sheet metal crap he fabbed.

 

Sick, just sick.

 

Trying to picture Kandy Apple Red on that car with traditional flames, Hmmmmm. I can't tell you how that's going to look, but I'll post more pics in about 2 months when they decide to do some more work in it.

 

Crap, at this rate I'm going to have to pull the motor and release the valve train before the springs take a set.

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My opinion would be to remove said sheet metal cover and promptly put in file 513. I think a regular air dam would look better. Good luck on getting the Z out of jail. I also agree that at this rate you better do something with the motor for the valvesprings sake.

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Guest ON3GO

Chuck Norris gave me some tires to put on the back that are larger but don't ask what they do.

 

 

they roundhouse kick people in the FACE!!!

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Hey Dr Hunt, I like it! that rear end treatment is exactly what I am planning to do with mine. Did you fabricate it yourself or is it from a kit?

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Guest Heuristicism

Hummn. Can you see over that scoop?

 

Reminds me of the musclecar boys with their tunnel ram setups.

 

Guess you really don't need to see much when you are just concentrating on a straight line.....

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Quote: Going for the sleeper effect huh?

I don't think you'll be fooling anyone!! LOL

 

Quote: Hummn. Can you see over that scoop?

 

Reminds me of the musclecar boys with their tunnel ram setups.

 

Guess you really don't need to see much when you are just concentrating on a straight line.....

 

 

 

 

 

I want it to look good, I'm sure the sound of that mini V8 kind of gives it away, huh?

 

Your right, I can't see over the scoop at all when the front wheels are a foot off the ground for the first 50 to 60 feet. Scares the crap out of me at times!

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I actually kind of like the sheet metal front. I'd definitely change a few things though. Open it up a little to let some more air in there for one. Add a lip to the bottom edge to keep air from ramming under it. I think in the current configuration it would only make the front end lift situation of the Z bodystyle worse. Not to turn this into another areodynamics thread, but here are my thoughts on this:

 

Front end lift on Z's caused by air entering the engine compartment and being directed downward by the sloping suface of the lower firewall/footwell. This is debatable for sure, but until someone proves me wrong with a wind tunnel, this is my stance. Now imagine the force of all that air being allowed better leverage by being moved forward to the sloping surface of that sheetmetal in the grill. Seems to me that it just gives all that lift some extra mechanical advantage to help flip that car nose up at speed. Adding a lip or a splitter up there would help out a lot by directing air around the sides rather than under I'd imagine, and probably not look half bad.

 

Sounds like the hail storm dimpled that thing up like a golf ball, which is an entirely different ball of areodynamic wax :) Ever see the episode of the Red Green show where he takes a ball peen hammer to a ford escort to improve the high speed areodynamics? Heh Heh Heh.....

 

Mike

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Yeah, the body guy knows nothing but how they "look", he thought that'd look cool. Anyway, I thought of painting it white and calling it the tiger woods special, maybe put titleist on the sides and go hunt for some sponsor money, but it is a car so I thought I'd be more traditional. I'll order the front air dam, the carbon fiber one next week from MSA, use my 50 gift certificate.

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