My "Blue Devil" matchbox racer build 2.0

[digitalsolo]

Looks great.  I like the bright red.

[spacevomit]

You could put a wicker on top of the trailing edge of the diffuser.

[tai-lun]

Looks great.  I like the bright red.

Thanks! It will be a like/hate point for some I'm sure, but I dig it also.

You could put a wicker on top of the trailing edge of the diffuser.

Funny you bring that up, I have a wicker for both parts of the diffuser! What I do not have is a gurney flap for the APR wing itself, yet.

[tai-lun]

Closer pic of the titanium hate pipes just because. There is a lot of scratches near the top you can see, does anyone know how to clean these up by chance? a scotch bright pad is what I often use on stainless, but I've never done any titanium cleanup myself. I had a HKS 4" race pipe on the car many years ago, but it was buffed at a shop so I didn't get a chance to see what they used or the process.

[spacevomit]

3M makes a pad specifically for this. It uses silicon carbide (previously "silicone carbine" lol) abrasive media.

[tai-lun]

3M makes a pad specifically for this. It uses silicon carbide (previously "silicone carbine" lol) abrasive media.

Thanks! I'll look for that to clean up the tops there.

I'd like to have the hate pipes kept in the car, possibly the driver side rear bin for something like shows or similar events where a noise restriction isn't in place and the police are not a problem. There is a 95db limit at the track which... most cars fail, but these would be way over 100db so even at the big tracks they are likely a no go. It would be cool to do a few laps with them just to see and hear on video if possible. 

[spacevomit]

If the pipe is angled away from the dB sensor, I've heard this helps.

[tai-lun]

Did some interior work finally, I'm running LRB aluminum panels which are.... okay, I find them a bit flimsy and they rattle too much. So, I've added some extra padding, sound barrier, new edges on the panels and some better hardware.





While the seats were out as I was doing the Ronin transmission mount install, I did a hard carpet clean. Over 30 years of who know what, farts and feet... it was gross. I took a snap of the last deep clean with the Bissel, check that nasty blackened water on the right side. I might do one more clean before putting the seats back in, I keep a moisture absorbing tub in the car while it sits just in case also.

[tai-lun]

While I am having some new mounts made and the Howe radiator modified for the electric pump, it was a good time to start mocking up the front splitter. The mounts I had before, the mounts it came with, and the Racebred mounts all... don't work heh. Intercooler piping, the water pump, or water lines are all in the way. My front tires are also so wide that they will likely hit part of the inside raised duct so some more work to do.






BUT, when the bumper is back on it looks WILD! I worked with the designer for something a bit over the top but I didn't think it would be this intense. Some serious time attack vibes coming out of the splitter now, this one is maybe 3" more out at the most from before but there is actual CFD done to balance out the whole aero package so it's all good. I won't be the person to use the aero to it's full potential, but it will be cool to see how it feels compared to before when cornering or on big sweepers/straights.

[digitalsolo]

That splitter is pretty gnarly.  I don't think I could get out of my garage with that. 

[tai-lun]

That splitter is pretty gnarly.  I don't think I could get out of my garage with that. 

I have doubts about my driveway and garage too... I am going to take the coilovers out soon to see if they can be rebuilt and I may add StanceParts air cups to all four corners. If the shops here cannot rebuild the Quantums, I'll go for Ohlins + air cups next season. Either way, some scraping is going to happen heh.

[spacevomit]

That downforce is gonna feel so cool to drive! I've only experienced downforce in like, Gran Turismo, or something, but I can't wait to actually drive a car with aero.

[digitalsolo]

Air cups are on my list for the Aston.   Seems like a good way to balance low and driveable.

[tai-lun]

Some more splitter updates, once the change in the radiator angle and the intercooler were installed... classic fitment issues mixing so many parts. I went with Racebreed Components splitter mounts with the release cables as the hard mounts that came with the splitter were designed for OEM or rotary based mods in the layout. To get the new mounts to work and clear, I had to reverse the release bracket directions to clear the intercooler pipe on one side, and the water pump on the other. The water pump will also be moved back a little bit so that there is enough clearance for the rad hose along the surrounding brackets. I will have to find a different layout for the wheel ducts on the side also that clear the intercooler piping and also the wheels as the 265's up from really don't leave much space anywhere in the wheel-well.

Clearing the left side piping. This space below the headlight will be where the oil cooler is going after seeing Esser's build and the comments on oil line lengths.



The right side is not as bad with the piping going right under the frame rail for the shortest travel to the turbo. This also means my tow hood will no longer fit anywhere, so I'll have to find a new option there. Anyone know of a different location than then typical frame rail locations? I've see shock tower ones that stick out of the hood, but I'm not so into that if I can avoid it...





Once I have the oil cooler mounted up, I will toss on a front wheel to check clearances for the duct locations on the splitter and measure bumpsteer to get that sorted out before seeing if my Quantum coilovers can be rebuilt. A lot of trimming was needed on the bumper to get the clearance for the thick intercooler. I took my time slowly shaving things down to minimize damage to the fiberglass, enough was left on the bumper thankfully that there are not too many giant holes just for clearance which I sometimes see on builds to clear so much piping.





I am going to seal up the gaps where I can so as much air from the front only hits the intercooler, the rad gets all the air sucked up from the ground directly behind the intercooler which is nice and boxed up partly by the chassis. The hood vent locations will be much farther forward than the usual hood designs so that they are as close to the radiator instead top side. This hopefully helps with the heat extraction as there is so much in the way already blocking air exiting. The hood is going to look like swiss cheese with the amount of vents. Even the little moustache in the bumper is letting air only to the intercooler. Only the far left side bumper opening will remain open for air to the oil cooler, everything else is going to be closed up with some carbon panels.

[tai-lun]

Tired of the brittle as hell OEM fender liners that either road debris or my tires keep destroying, I picked up these CornCarbon (I think that was the company name) fender covers. They were a bit pricey, especially compared to the TED carbon liners that came out a bit later, it was too bad I didn't wait a bit longer, oh well. Fitment was 8/10 but I've learned to just expect nothing to really fit well on the FD being the age plus mixing so many parts. The finish is pretty nice on them, I only had to do some minor clearance work for the tucked harness and better fitment on the chassis.

Right side, very little work to get them to fit but these can't stay on if I run the hate pipes as they will touch. The street pipe though with the integrated wastegate dump clears no problem though, which is really what mattered as I will run that almost always. If I really want to run the hate pipes at a event with no regulations or at a show, the cover is two bolts to remove and it's out.



Left side was a bit more work, but again nothing much. The design does give more tire clearance compared to OEM so that's a bonus as I wouldn't want to be chewing through carbon liners as much as I did with the plastic ones.



Inside, so much more room!



Final shot with everything beginning to come together looking like a car again. I have to find where I stored my headlights now to give them a good polish before installing them again. I may leave them out for a bit still though until all the plumbing, water pump, and wiring is wrapped up on the front end. I have a HID ballast relay to order to which should hopefully help with the intermittent headlight issue I was having before. I'll be focusing on the flat floor again now that the front is in a better spot, I have a new Howe radiator that is being customized so that I can have the electric water pump as well as my heater core working like before. Once that is done, I can do final hardware checks in the engine bay and measure out the spark plug wire lengths to get closer to that electrical testing point.