Swords Evolution
- Thread starter hotmustang95
- Start date
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Splitter Update:
I was able to test the splitter out at Sebring last weekend and it passed with flying colors. I was relieved to hear that I built it very strong from one of my buddies who was there who races in NASA AI. He said it was stronger then his first one. I got the car up around 120+ on the back straight.
Now I did have one issue and that was with my GT500 hood vent flying off. Long story short a month ago I forgot to put my hood pins on and when I hit 45mph the hood flew up and destroyed itself. The vent got a little damaged. I needed a new hood so I found one locally in the same color and cut it up like the last one. Only thing is I cut the hole for the vent just a little to big. It wasn't snug like I had it before so over 100mph it flew straight up. Luckily a track official found it after it had been run over. The old hood I found needed to be painted. I have a guy who does paint and body for me basically for free but he's a little far and now since he sold his truck he can't take any part I give him to his shop which is even further away. I'd have to deliver it myself and since I have no way of delivering a hood that far I thought I'd try my hand at body work myself. I'm thinking I'll do the hard part of sanding and priming the hood and then taking it across the street to a body shop and let them paint it. Should be much cheaper that way.
Here is the stock hood I found. I cut the underside away and the center vent hole. I used a black silicon to glue the upper to lower portions of the hood after I cut it. Then I prepped it and painted it a gloss black.
Here's the hood vent after fixing it up some. I had to sand it down to the plastic and then repaint it gloss black again. This time I added two holes for bolts at the top to keep it in place since it can't hold itself in place. I'll be using SS bolts.
Here's the hood now. Tonight I finished sanding the primer down for final paint.
Figured once the hood and vent are painted that the hood pins should at least also look good. I gave them a little polish for the hell of it.
I was able to test the splitter out at Sebring last weekend and it passed with flying colors. I was relieved to hear that I built it very strong from one of my buddies who was there who races in NASA AI. He said it was stronger then his first one. I got the car up around 120+ on the back straight.
Now I did have one issue and that was with my GT500 hood vent flying off. Long story short a month ago I forgot to put my hood pins on and when I hit 45mph the hood flew up and destroyed itself. The vent got a little damaged. I needed a new hood so I found one locally in the same color and cut it up like the last one. Only thing is I cut the hole for the vent just a little to big. It wasn't snug like I had it before so over 100mph it flew straight up. Luckily a track official found it after it had been run over. The old hood I found needed to be painted. I have a guy who does paint and body for me basically for free but he's a little far and now since he sold his truck he can't take any part I give him to his shop which is even further away. I'd have to deliver it myself and since I have no way of delivering a hood that far I thought I'd try my hand at body work myself. I'm thinking I'll do the hard part of sanding and priming the hood and then taking it across the street to a body shop and let them paint it. Should be much cheaper that way.
Here is the stock hood I found. I cut the underside away and the center vent hole. I used a black silicon to glue the upper to lower portions of the hood after I cut it. Then I prepped it and painted it a gloss black.
Here's the hood vent after fixing it up some. I had to sand it down to the plastic and then repaint it gloss black again. This time I added two holes for bolts at the top to keep it in place since it can't hold itself in place. I'll be using SS bolts.
Here's the hood now. Tonight I finished sanding the primer down for final paint.
Figured once the hood and vent are painted that the hood pins should at least also look good. I gave them a little polish for the hell of it.
Ineedav8
Active Member
Looks good man
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Koni SA Struts and Shocks with Maximum Motorsports Coil Overs.
Finally got to upgrade my suspension. Got some great deals on this stuff. Koni was having a big sale so I bought the fronts new. I also had a nice discount for the front coil overs from 50Resto. I then searched and found the rears used already with coil overs on them. The fronts are #400 and the rears are #250. Installation was easy just time consuming.
Finally got to upgrade my suspension. Got some great deals on this stuff. Koni was having a big sale so I bought the fronts new. I also had a nice discount for the front coil overs from 50Resto. I then searched and found the rears used already with coil overs on them. The fronts are #400 and the rears are #250. Installation was easy just time consuming.
DavidBoren
Active Member
Any pictures of the whole car?
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Theres a video of it on page 6 post 118
I've noticed something almost right away. You should unlearn hand shuffling while steering. Keeping your hands at 9 and 3 usually allows to cover every steering angle necessary for navigating that track. As a bonus you actually get a smoother steering input when you keep your hands in one spot, and you don't have to think about hand position at any point. Try it at the next event, see how it feels.
wmfateam
Active Member
Seconded on the steering. Also, curbs are not always your friends.
DavidBoren
Active Member
I watched the videos... the walk around and the ride along. I, too, noticed your relaxed/nonchalant steering style. Funny thing is that I never would have noticed how you were steering except I just read a bunch of articles on winhdpe's website, as advised in Tyler's autocross classes thread.
Anyways, I was asking for recent pictures in relation to you getting the new coilovers. I was wondering if you changed your stance at all.
Anyways, I was asking for recent pictures in relation to you getting the new coilovers. I was wondering if you changed your stance at all.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
I adjusted them some. The front sits about the same hight now but I did lower the rear some. Too high before with the conventional springs.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Ahhh, yes they are. I use ALL the track. I was taught that anything that's not grass is track.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Was I shuffling again??? I do catch myself doing that sometimes. I've come a long way since being a student though but still have lots to learn.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
I forgot to take a few pics after the hood was painted so I snapped a couple shots today. Here's how it currently looks. Working on making a new rear spoiler so I wanted to capture it before the change.
DavidBoren
Active Member
Those first two pictures are pure sex. Great looking car, sir.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Nascar Style Rear Spoiler
I wanted to add some type of wing to the rear of the car to complement the front splitter and complete the areo package. The Boss Shinoda Super Spoiler I've had for years looks great but does little for downforce. And since I do still drive the car on the streets I didn't want a big wing. Kinda going too far for a street car and a little embarrassing. So the next option was a Nascar type deck lid. I've seen it on many race cars that compete in sanctions that don't allow the use of a wing. Problem is only one company make one for my car, Griggs Racing, but to me it's small. Maier Racing has a nice one but only for 99-04. So, I made my own.
First I made a template using cardboard. It measures out at about 7.5" high. I decided to design it to mount flush to the rear of the trunk. My first idea was to give it some angle but it proved to be difficult. Not having metal working tools and sheet metal on standby made me go in a different direction.
My plan was always to use plexiglass for material. Then I decided I was going to buy a piece of aluminum and cut it myself to keep cost down. After a visit to Palm Beach Plastics, the place I got the material for the front splitter, and talking to the guy that helped me before, he convinced me into going with Lexan vs plexiglass since it's so sturdy and virtually unbreakable. I also left the template with him and allowed them to cut it for me since they have the right tools. When it was done I left the protective film on it while I mocked it up.
The one thing I didn't want was a clear big piece of plastic on the back of the car. In my head I wanted it to be dark to go with the team of the car. My solution to this was using 5% limo tint on one side of the spoiler. I let it sit outside for a few days to allow the tint to dry before installing. A quick visit to ACE for some SS hardware to complement the new addition and boom, this is what you get.
Once all bolted down the thing is solid. It doesn't flex at 70mph. For piece of mind I'll go ahead and add splitter supports to the ends of it. It looks exactly how I imagined it. In all everything cost me under $150. 120 for the spoiler cut to size and around 30 for the hardware and cheap tint.
I wanted to add some type of wing to the rear of the car to complement the front splitter and complete the areo package. The Boss Shinoda Super Spoiler I've had for years looks great but does little for downforce. And since I do still drive the car on the streets I didn't want a big wing. Kinda going too far for a street car and a little embarrassing. So the next option was a Nascar type deck lid. I've seen it on many race cars that compete in sanctions that don't allow the use of a wing. Problem is only one company make one for my car, Griggs Racing, but to me it's small. Maier Racing has a nice one but only for 99-04. So, I made my own.
First I made a template using cardboard. It measures out at about 7.5" high. I decided to design it to mount flush to the rear of the trunk. My first idea was to give it some angle but it proved to be difficult. Not having metal working tools and sheet metal on standby made me go in a different direction.
My plan was always to use plexiglass for material. Then I decided I was going to buy a piece of aluminum and cut it myself to keep cost down. After a visit to Palm Beach Plastics, the place I got the material for the front splitter, and talking to the guy that helped me before, he convinced me into going with Lexan vs plexiglass since it's so sturdy and virtually unbreakable. I also left the template with him and allowed them to cut it for me since they have the right tools. When it was done I left the protective film on it while I mocked it up.
The one thing I didn't want was a clear big piece of plastic on the back of the car. In my head I wanted it to be dark to go with the team of the car. My solution to this was using 5% limo tint on one side of the spoiler. I let it sit outside for a few days to allow the tint to dry before installing. A quick visit to ACE for some SS hardware to complement the new addition and boom, this is what you get.
Once all bolted down the thing is solid. It doesn't flex at 70mph. For piece of mind I'll go ahead and add splitter supports to the ends of it. It looks exactly how I imagined it. In all everything cost me under $150. 120 for the spoiler cut to size and around 30 for the hardware and cheap tint.
DavidBoren
Active Member
So F-ing baller. Any noticeable difference in handling? It looks good, man. It looks really good. I, too, would add the supports, just for peace of mind... an they look racecar.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Swung by Wine Country Motorsports and picked up another pair of splitter rods to use for the spoiler. Also another quick stop at the hardware store for more SS gear. The thing is now fully secure and ready for high speeds. Now all I gotta do is send the trunk off to be repainted. Having the Shinoda spoiler on for years causes the paint underneath it to bubble up. Guess it's from the heat and water that gets trapped.
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hotmustang95
Active Member
Nah, didn't feel any difference. Only got up to 70mph. When I take it to Sebring this May we'll see how it does.
DavidBoren
Active Member
Well, it looks amazing. And, from all the theory I have read on the subject, your wing should be fully functional. What I read said that it needs to be at least 6" high, and at a 60° angle, or steeper. I heard on the velocity channel that for one to be effective it needs to be a minimum of 6.5" @ >65°... you meet/exceed both of those sets of parameters, so I would imagine that you have a fully functional nascar wing.
And it looks so f!cking racecar.
And it looks so f!cking racecar.
