Brent's RCR GT MKIV Build Log - Page 4

Brent Mills · #61 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 05:11 PM

Well, after a bit of time off...lots of summer and family issues, I have been making some reasonable progress with hopes to get the car to the body shop maybe next week.

Here's the dash which is pretty much completed, with the exception of the foux exposed fuse terminal which will be added. Pics don't really do it justice as I hadn't cleaned up after working all day on the thing, and you can't really see the crinkle finish in the pictures.

Here are some pictures of the rear spoiler and side spoilers.....Kinda fun to make and fairly straight forward. The key was making both sides like the same and to get the arch in the rear spoiler looking smooth and right, as it's not flat which would have been much easier.

Body sags to the left a little....need to talk with Fran on how to correct...at least the spoiler is striaght.

Also needed to make up the front shroud thingy coming from the radiator nostril area. Tried making it close to original and it took me several tries and a lot of hours to get it down.

I first took a flat sheet of metal and put a half inch 90 degree bend on each side of it. The nostril area isn't straight, so I compensated for that with one end down by the radiator being and inch or so narrower than up by the wind shield.
I then started using a shrinker machine to get the appropriate bends to get the appropriate slope, etc down to the radiator.
Then I took a relatively thin sheet and made a patter for the sides....This was relatively tricky and time consuming but ended up with a reasonable fit and look. Had to make sure to get both of the fins that stick up out of the hood to look the same.
Then, from what I can tell by looking at many pictures of orginals, there's a thin strip of aluminum folded over and runs along the top edge of the fins - presumably to make them more ridged. So, I took about a 3/4ths inch wide strip of aluminum, put about a 120 degree bend in it with my brake and then used the clamp on my brake to squeeze it flat (I put a sheet in the crease so it didn't bend it all the way and crack the metal). Then I used my shrinker again and carefully followed the contour of the fins. Once they were good, pried the piece apart with a small screw driver (what a pain in the ass) down the length of the piece so I was able to slide it on the fins. Once on, I used the brake clamp again to squeeze the metal onto the fins and they are secured well.
Then I made a top shroud from the radiator top to the front of the outlet on the hood....this really firmed up the unit too.
There was a lot of other little things that went into it, along with some cursing, and many hours, but I think it turned out ok

A little more progress today. Fabbed a little with aluminum and then cut the filler cover accordingly to fit and then mounted. Kinda fun. Still a bit of finish work, but you get the idea.

*13* · #62 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 05:22 PM

Lookin' good!

Brent Mills · #63 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 07:02 PM

Thanks Hyde...Wish the process was faster, but it's going at the pace I can go.

*13* · #64 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 07:20 PM

If you build it all at once, all that would be left would be driving it.... What a bore ;-)

ZOERA-SC7XX · #65 (**permalink**) 01-02-2010, 07:30 PM

Great progress. Looks like it's almost ready for LeMans. Good luck and keep the photos coming.

ALLEN ENGLISH · #66 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 03:28 AM

Nice fab work Brent! Did you ever get your paint code figured out?

Jamo · #67 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 03:42 AM

Knocking my socks off with your handiwork...this thing's going to be stunning.

Brent Mills · #68 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 12:23 PM

Thanks for the words of encouragement fellas.

Allen, no, I haven't gotten the paint codes yet. Was going to post that again looking for it.

Jamo, I hope my "handiwork" turns out the way I expect....We'll see. My mind typically expects more than what my capabilities are....If it turns out like crap I just tell everyone it's a race car not a show car, duh!

tkb289 · #69 (**permalink**) 01-03-2010, 01:43 PM

Brent,

Great photos and progress ... it's an impressive project and great to see the car evolve and take shape. It looks good as is, but it will be really cool to see it after it's painted!

Brent Mills · #70 (**permalink**) 01-04-2010, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkb289

Brent,

Great photos and progress ... it's an impressive project and great to see the car evolve and take shape. It looks good as is, but it will be really cool to see it after it's painted!

Yeah, I'm getting excited and it'll be just the motivation I need to finish it up.

HighPlainsDrifter · #71 (**permalink**) 01-05-2010, 11:22 AM

Hi,
Well you have been busy, looks like a great project. Enjoy the build as it is a real accomplishment.
Perry.

ItBites · #72 (**permalink**) 01-05-2010, 12:18 PM

Brent, I see you used 6061 for the side spoilers. May I recommend 5052 (or 2024, but it suffers from SCC) instead of 6061 for forming, particularly where sharp corners are required. 6061 has a tendency to crack when folded 90 degrees, where 5052 is specifically used for folded sheetmetal. I do see you folded the flange (to go against the body) and I assume you managed to keep it from cracking, so maybe not an issue for you. I always use 5052 when fabbing folding brackets, etc...

Nice work by the way. It will be a great car.

Brent Mills · #73 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010, 10:31 PM

Well, it may not seem like much in the next few pictures, but it sure was a lot of work. Let me start by saying that for a project like this, an air rivet gun made my life a LOT easier than it could would have been by hand!

I needed to make the ends of the chasis on the inside of the wells look close to original. Required some time and effort to be sure and the pictures really don't do well to show all of the work as the tires were in the way and the flash casts shadows, but it is what it is....

Front setup:

Back:

Added appropriate rivets down the side...A lot of work to make it look pretty ok.

Added Dzus fastener for the fuel cover (front body panel not latched so that's why the gaps don't look quite right...though I do still have a little work to do there):

*13* · #74 (**permalink**) 01-18-2010, 07:24 AM

The aluminum work looks clean! Should paint up real nice!

PatBuckley · #75 (**permalink**) 01-18-2010, 10:15 AM

Nice work, Brent!

D-CEL · #76 (**permalink**) 01-18-2010, 11:24 AM

Hi Brent,

So these cars went 250+ @ Lemans with a naturally aspirated FE. Imagine what it would do with a couple of turbos. Or (god forbid) a 385 series motor with big boost

Jason

Brent Mills · #77 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 03:46 PM

Made a little progress today...Needed to get the firewall mated to the spider and make it it look as original as possible. Didn't really clean things well before taking pictures, so....

tkb289 · #78 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 03:52 PM

Brent,

Looks great! Any idea what your pop rivet count is so far ... or how many when the car is completed? Or ... maybe you don't want to know

Brent Mills · #79 (**permalink**) 01-24-2010, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkb289

Brent,

Looks great! Any idea what your pop rivet count is so far ... or how many when the car is completed? Or ... maybe you don't want to know

I don't want to know!

Just thankful I have an air pop rivit gun!

Brent Mills · #80 (**permalink**) 02-16-2010, 11:12 PM

Well, no pictures to speak of, but the car is at the body shop now. A shop in Monroe Washington called G & L Body Shop. Rich, the owner, is a great guy with a passion for interesting projects, and the GT MKIV passes that test.

We'll be taking pictures throughout the process, and I'm excited to see what he and his guys can do. Going for the original paint scheme and should be done over the next 1-2 months.