Tomo Build thread, I can see the future and it is smokey

[Ebush]

How do you like those control arms? Ive thought about possibly getting them since im converting my car to double wishbone up front. Ive got some custom tubular control for my uppers, mounting the shock to the frame rail, and also mounting it to the LCA. Id rather have a steel lower arm with a proper mounting location. Currently Im using the same bolt hole that holes my ball joint.

[Tomo]

https://instagram.com/p/5DJ94zu_v7/

^ Video for those who want to hear rumble rumble rumble pop pop. 


As to the control arms. I like them, a lot. They are nicely designed and well engineered. I don't know how the car behaves on them just yet. I also don't know how exactly you'd use them in your double wishbone set up. You could I suppose use the sway-bar mount as your lower shock mount, though I don't really know if that'd  be a good leverage point. I guess though, being that they are steel you could weld and fab up your own shock mount.

One thing I will warn, they will be very resistant to selling the arms without the knuckles, perhaps more inclined than the other way around. (though they should still work for you, just pushes the arm out and maybe drops the ball joint a little. If you do use it with the knuckles (quicker steering, even if you don't use the angle) the tie-rod ends will be VERY close to the brakes. The "when" part of my eventual brake upgrade may have me hunting ways to have a shallower rotor hat even if it makes wheel fitment harder.

[Tomo]

After being gone for a week I ended up back at the garage this past weekend. I need to take photos but I finished the radiator mounting and plumbing. While I was gone found that I had some manner of leak in the lines going to the heater core, so all sorts of gross fluid in the interior needed to be mopped up.

Got the hood fitted on, requiring cutting bracing at two places. And, managed to actually get it to move under its own power! 


So I moved the car out of the garage and cleaned it up. It was not exactly fun. Though cathartic and then pulled it back in at the end of the day. Looks really tidy here. Not used to seeing it without things everywhere.

[Tomo]

I promised pictures, and like others I don't take many, because I start working and then I don't really stop for pictures.

I'm glad for the progress. That said, I HATE locking lugs, particularly when I don't have the key.     Took an hour and half to get the rear wheel off to do brakes and suspension. Full of hammering, spinning on the lug, swearing, spinning more to pry off. Getting a smaller impact socket cursing a lot. Hammering a lot. Getting lug stuck, hammering some more and finally getting the wheel off.

Only to then have to drill out the rotor screw and hammer a shit ton on the rotor to get it free. Alas, next weekend I'll tackle the otherside. For now some progress. And more importantly pictures.



I tried to get a good picture of the radiator set-up. I may not have been terribly successful.


The swirl pot, as it were


As it sits. 

But what is in that box you ask? Did you notice? No?    well you get to see anyway.

   

[Sho Amo]

I like the radiator setup. Looks clean 

[Tomo]

Does anyone by chance have a source for a Strut tower bar that will typically go over a LS engine?  All the RX7 ones I've seen try to bend the bar out in front of the rotary engine and aren't remotely compatible with the LS.

[Tomo]

More work done this weekend.

Rolled the car around down the street. Kind of lugs around in gear and is hesitant to respond to throttle. Not really sure what that might be about, revs freely and happily in neutral. Seems like it might be time to get some gauges on it.

So, I also pulled the dash cluster apart and put a good and well integra speedo in. Many thanks to those who did the pioneering. I didn't grab any pictures of the process, but it is very much the same as the help guide. I did a face-swap as well, wish I could have found a way to use the Mazda needle given how much better it looks than a painted honda one, but it'll work.

Pictures. because...why not?



Oh, I got my Quick-Latch mini's on! Wasn't too difficult, I'll need to pull them back off when I paint the hood black.





and I figured since I've got all sorts of angle things I should actually have a picture of any of it.




So I'm getting closer and closer. Interior seems to be next up! (well and working lights as it were)

[Tomo]

It's all one color!! Well...kind of

Rattle cans man. Rattle cans.
The paint is literally Rustoleum Metallic blue. I purchased a few different brands looking for the closest match to what was already there. I still need to wet sand more of the clear coat to get the orange peel out, and then hit it with the buffer.

After sanding some preliminary coats of color. Apparently some red coming through from high-spots


After clear!






All done at home, initially in the garage, clear was done outside because phew super toxic. Hoping to get good results out of sanding and buffering.

[Tomo]

Lighting certainly wasn't great when I took this photo over the weekend, but here it is after a cut and polish. Probably could use many more hours of it, but honestly after spending so much time wet sanding its probably the most I want to put into a paint that is just supposed to hold me over.



Its incredibly noticeable that it went from a hazy reflection of the cabinets to practically being able to read the contents in the cabinet.

[largeorangefont]

That looks like it is coming around!

[digitalsolo]

Nice job!

[largeorangefont]

Yea I came back in here to look again.. That hood looks pretty good.

[Tomo]

Thanks for the kind words guys.


I've got to work to panel bond the plug into the roof. Really, just in time for it to sit outside under a cover for the winter 

Plus early next week I will be taking into my care the newest member of the fleet. Dealer said she'll be in somewhere between Monday and Wednesday. Ecoboost Mustang. Very excited.

[digitalsolo]

Should be fun!   The Ecoboost is a pretty fun motor.   I want a ride in my coworkers Focus RS when he gets it.

[Classy]

looks alot better