If it were easy everyone would do it? [Archive]

sk7500

03-18-2012, 10:14 AM

Interior is coming along

And I thought the body work was taking forever. If I could just stick with the beautiful stock interior I'd be done by now. I know these are the ugly pictures but someday (soon I hope) it will be beautiful and I'll have pictures to remind me that it has to look bad before it can look better.

We still have to install the heater core bypass kit from Crash and then insulate all the hot water going through the tunnel, install the amp and sub woofer and all the sound/heat deadening . Then the leather stretching can begin.

April 24th 2009 was our delivery date, so were coming up on three years. Good thing it fun because it's taking forever. 83838382838183848385

sk7500

03-18-2012, 10:18 AM

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riptide motorsport

03-18-2012, 11:10 AM

Beautiful!!!!!!

RonSchofield

03-18-2012, 11:14 AM

That is amazing work. I feel you pain and joy. It has taken me about a year to make a custom interior for the coupe I am building. Your work puts mine to shame. You should be very proud of what you have created.

Ron

GTMsomeday

03-18-2012, 02:16 PM

This has to be one of the best builds. All is very impressive. Looks like a production car. :cool:
Since you mentioned heater core bypass - This is my bypass valve. One way for winter and the other for summer. Works great. What a difference it makes for the A/C.
My favorite part of your build is the opening in the front. Great mod! Interior is incredable! WOW!

LCD Gauges

03-18-2012, 10:19 PM

Has anyone found that 'drool' emoticon yet?

tcarlson

03-31-2012, 07:04 PM

The red and black go very well together. :) Nice job!!

LS MAN

04-01-2012, 12:45 PM

Steve, the interior design is awesome, definitely to the next level, as usual.
Keep up the good work, I'm sure you are inspiring many future builds.

sk7500

04-09-2012, 11:15 PM

Finally a little bling to go on the car. We got our exhaust Cherma chromed and back to us. Now if I can just get my partner to quit messing around with the other car projects and focus on the improtant car, I'll be able to talk him into installing it. Also got our sub woofer enclosure built, glassed and installed and got the dash and console a little further done.87378736873587348732

shinn497

04-10-2012, 03:00 AM

Do you have a build log for this? Did you do it yourself or was it a custom job?

kabacj

04-10-2012, 05:33 AM

Great idea to use the aft section of the center console for storage. Keep up the good work Steve.

John

sk7500

04-10-2012, 06:43 AM

:)
Do you have a build log for this? Did you do it yourself or was it a custom job?

The closest thing we have to a build log would be on the other forum under "Pretty Cool Build"

sk7500

04-10-2012, 06:49 AM

Thanks John. This car will not be an every day driver and since I have the memory of a gnat, I needed somewhere to store the instructions for the stereo, alarm and other various electronic gizmos that are on the car.
Great idea to use the aft section of the center console for storage. Keep up the good work Steve.

John

mikespms

04-11-2012, 08:48 AM

sk7500

09-17-2012, 07:59 AM

Worked on interior this weekend. Made some ABS covers over the seat belt reels. Finished the bodywork, foamed and upholstered the roll bar covers. Sewed the edging onto the first piece of carpet and ordered our Red leather.

WIS89

09-17-2012, 10:05 AM

Steve-

Did you say that your interior looked ugly? Well Sir, you have lost your mind!! That interior is going to look crazy hot!!

Your body work and paint job are stunning!! You have done an absolutely beautiful job on this build, and should be over the moon happy!!

I like some of the other cars in the background too... However, that GTM is STUNNING!! Can't wait to see it finished!

Regards,

Steve

Rumbles

09-17-2012, 12:00 PM

Your interior looks great!

Wow, How can it look so cheap in a Corvette and yet look so good in your GTM...Amazing

Do you have the Corvette gauges working yet? Any tricks to getting them functional?

timmy318

09-17-2012, 01:11 PM

Steve, the interior design is awesome, definitely to the next level, as usual.
Keep up the good work, I'm sure you are inspiring many future builds.

He's definitelyinspiring my 818 build. (Hopefully a GTM after this one). And yes, his build is amazing, great job!

beeman

09-17-2012, 01:26 PM

GTMsomeday-
So where's your "lose sum" lever? :confused:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8390&d=1332097957

sk7500

09-17-2012, 02:37 PM

Looking at your center console in these pictures and the pictueres of the finish lay out with the storage compartment. Did you use the original lay out to make a mold or just glassed over it ?
I just glassed onto the original piece. The only mold I made for the car was for the exhaust outlets.

sk7500

09-17-2012, 02:45 PM

sk7500

09-17-2012, 02:50 PM

Your interior looks great!

Wow, How can it look so cheap in a Corvette and yet look so good in your GTM...Amazing

Do you have the Corvette gauges working yet? Any tricks to getting them functional?

Thanks for the encouragement. The gauges are fully functional. Cooler than the gauges is the heads up display. There is a trick. Take it to LS Man. He's a wizard with gm electronics.

Rumbles

09-18-2012, 11:13 PM

Who is the "LS Man"?

mendo

09-18-2012, 11:45 PM

Who is the "LS Man"?
he is Ted at Quick Racing Products, he really is the man. you can find him on this forum, I believe he is a sponsor.

sk7500

09-24-2012, 11:50 PM

Finally got all the driver door gremlins sorted out so I could install the door panel for the last time. Or so I thought. Looks like it will come off one more time so I can install some kind of wiper on the inside of the glass to keep if from rattling against the top of the regulator. And a little more leather stretching. But at least I got to see some color other than black, grey or foam.

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Kempo

09-25-2012, 12:49 AM

Very nice work. It looks awesome.

sk7500

09-25-2012, 05:32 AM

Very nice work. It looks awesome.

Thanks Kempo. Just trying to keep up the impossibly high standard you're setting.:)

LCD Gauges

09-25-2012, 03:49 PM

Thanks Kempo. Just trying to keep up the impossibly high standard you're setting.

I've given up chasing either of you (and others). I'd have to sell my home, and give up my first born to keep pace! ;)

You get best original interior, dash, and paint award as far as I'm concerned.

frydaddy

09-25-2012, 04:38 PM

I agree, the work you have done is very professional.

VD2021

09-25-2012, 05:55 PM

:cool:Steve,
Impressive!

The finish line is just around the corner....

David Hodgkins

09-25-2012, 06:50 PM

Wow, Wow, Wow, fantastic work!

:)

sk7500

09-25-2012, 11:49 PM

:cool:Steve,
Impressive!

The finish line is just around the corner....

What!! There's an end to this madness? Thank God. I'm getting too old to crawl around in the tiny GTM cabin.

sk7500

09-26-2012, 12:03 AM

I've given up chasing either of you (and others). I'd have to sell my home, and give up my first born to keep pace! ;)

You get best original interior, dash, and paint award as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks Tino. Your car is coming along just fine and when it's done it will be better than 99% of the cars on the road. You should be thankful you don't have the mental problem that won't allow you to leave well enough alone.
Steve

mikespms

09-26-2012, 09:26 AM

Thanks Tino. Your car is coming along just fine and when it's done it will be better than 99% of the cars on the road. You should be thankful you don't have the mental problem that won't allow you to leave well enough alone.
Steve

That's a commun problem,It is very hard to leave well enough alone. I've been working on my interior for months and every time I think I am done I find something to change or add.

Steve I see that you are looking for a wider window seal to stop a rattle , I have the opposite problem I need a thinner seal. I am using the corvette seal on my door panels but it's a little tight, I need to find a thinner one.

Rick Masters

09-26-2012, 02:30 PM

Everything looks great can't wait to see it finished.

GTMsomeday

09-27-2012, 10:03 AM

GTMsomeday-
So where's your "lose sum" lever? :confused:

http://thefactoryfiveforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8390&d=1332097957

"Lose sum" is not an option!:cool: However I cannot compete against this car. It is one AWESOME car!!!

sk7500

09-29-2012, 08:52 PM

Can't wait for tomorrow

Edgeman

09-30-2012, 06:58 PM

WOW,
The red looks really sharp. I like the look of that small pannel, finishes it off really nice.

sk7500

09-30-2012, 11:37 PM

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timmy318

10-01-2012, 12:08 AM

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Awesome man! Just plain awesome! I'm actually kinda jealous :p!

Richard Oben

10-01-2012, 07:24 AM

Lots and lots of great work, looks really good. Richard.

sk7500

10-01-2012, 02:54 PM

Awesome man! Just plain awesome! I'm actually kinda jealous :p!

Thanks. Don't be jealous, be inspired.

Stage7

10-04-2012, 07:34 AM

I love your creativity and attention to details. I'm anxious to see the finished product.

sk7500

10-14-2012, 02:03 PM

Installed one of Shane's engine covers after adding some quickie stickers. As usual the parts fit and quality are second to none. What a difference it makes.
Finished up the dash enough to make it to the party. The leather on the center console is just temporary.

kabacj

10-15-2012, 05:10 AM

Wow Steve. Your GTM looks awesome. I'm sure it got lots of attention. Funny how the GTM easily upstages super cars like the Audi R8. The Audi was in the background of one of your pictures. Even though its a beautiful car it still looks like everything else. Mass produced. Factories can't duplicate the time and care you put into every detail.

I especially like your interior and polycarbonate rear hatch window. Those are on my list.

I could not make it out to your party this year but next year it's on the list. I need to see your car in person.

Thanks for the inspiration.

John

scottvette1989

10-15-2012, 08:35 AM

Do you have any pictures of your rear spoiler? It looks very cool from what I can see. Did it start off as an existing spoiler or did you make it from scratch?
Thanks Scott

sk7500

10-18-2012, 11:33 PM

Do you have any pictures of your rear spoiler? It looks very cool from what I can see. Did it start off as an existing spoiler or did you make it from scratch?
Thanks Scott

Thanks Scott,
The rear spoiler started out as a rear spoiler from probably a early 90s Honda accord. I widened it front to back and stretched it side to side and made my own stands. The main thing I liked was the shape and the row of leds behind a nice lens. One down side is since there is so much glasswork done on it the rear hatch weighs a ton. Funny thing, I put it on because I just thought it looked good but you can definitely feel the difference when the speed gets into the triple digits. I don't know if it's the shape or the weight but the car definitely tracks better at speed with the wing.

sk7500

11-04-2012, 11:47 PM

I mounted a string of LEDs behind the front grill. I pulled the dash and most of the interior so I have access to the wiring. I mounted the under dash LEDs. Mounted the front hood release handle under the dash (just in case the electric sol ever fails). I sealed up some a/c air leaks under the front hood. Installed a nylon molding on the front air dam (for those times when I forget to lift the front end). There are no pop rivets on our car. All panels are held on by 8/32 stainless button head screws. So I screwed on most of the under body panels. I cut a hole in the front and rear of the underneath center panel , in an attempt to let air flow through the tunnel instead of just building heat.

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Darkpiggy's dad

11-05-2012, 12:52 PM

What a beautiful job. My hat is off to you.

LCD Gauges

11-05-2012, 08:49 PM

I love the photo on the hoist that makes it appear the car is floating. Nice job on the rear lights!

sk7500

11-17-2012, 07:36 PM

I've been wondering what I would do for the rear hatch lifting struts. The stock ones were never going to hold up the hatch and they had an annoying habit of pushing the rear hatch back. Since I did a one piece body we didn't use the front end struts and they are pretty stout so I figured I would give them a try. They worked perfectly. I have about 4 inches of clearance between the strut and the closest exhaust pipe when closed so I hope they don't get too hot and loose their charge. With this configuration, the struts push the hatch into the body, which makes the glass fit awesome. WIN WIN for once,

I also removed the rear tail light lens in preparation of finishing the light buckets. I kind of like the chrome look better than the stealth look with the lens on. What do you guys think. Should I chrome the buckets and make a clear lens?

sk7500

11-23-2012, 10:36 PM

I was able to build and fit the last grills I needed. Now I just need to remove, powder coat and reinstall for the outside to be complete

flotowngtm

11-24-2012, 10:03 AM

Man those grills look awesome, Bugatti level of craftsmanship. I think that's the most tasteful grill I have seen on any GTM.

sk7500

11-24-2012, 10:41 AM

Man those grills look awesome, Bugatti level of craftsmanship. I think that's the most tasteful grill I have seen on any GTM.

Thanks. Openings to me are sort of like potato chips. You can't fill just one.

timmy318

11-24-2012, 01:05 PM

Thanks. Openings to me are sort of like potato chips. You can't fill just one.

Once done with the 818 this is the type of GTM I'm going to build! This is just plain damn sexy!!!!! Exactly how can you do all this stuff????? :p

sk7500

11-24-2012, 02:08 PM

Thanks Timmy.

I do these things with talent on loan from God, being too dumb to leave well enough alone, and having a wife who says "you can do it". With all that going for me how can I fail? Well maybe one day I'll post the wall of shame of all the things that didn't work out so good. I try not to keep track of the failures, but I'm willing to bet that for every success there are two or three failures. If you look at some of the early posts on the other forum, you'll see these are actually the second set of grills I did for this opening.

Once done with the 818 this is the type of GTM I'm going to build! This is just plain damn sexy!!!!! Exactly how can you do all this stuff????? :p

sk7500

01-01-2013, 09:58 PM

Santa brought me some new front lifting rams. The original ones were just not reliable enough. But of course the new rams don't have internal limit switches, so I had to make brackets and mount some external switches to stop the rams at full extension and compression. Then had to rewired the control relays.

Mounted some LEDs under the hood that come on when the hood opens.

Finished mounting all our new LED switches to the switch panels and then installed them onto the the Rosewood console insert. Now I just have to make the trim ring for the AC outlets

kabacj

01-02-2013, 07:02 PM

Optimism is the key to success. If you dont believe you can of course you cant! I love those grills too. I have never seen that done! Great progress on the details. All these little things take a ton of time but its worth it. Makes a very special car even better.

John

fastthings

01-03-2013, 08:24 AM

Oh boy, what alot of good work youv'e done. Looks like it all worked out great. Back a couple posts you were asking opinions about the tail lights.

I think the chrome look goes well with the theme of the car, but I think it's almost too much? How about using the dark covers with a white or chrome stripes. There is chrome striping tape you could lay them out simular to the grills you have. I think it would end up looking like another hole with a grill in it, matching the rest of your car.

Looking good man, keep up the good work.
Gene

sk7500

01-03-2013, 02:37 PM

You nailed it. Something in between is just what I need. Thanks for the compliments and suggestions.

Oh boy, what alot of good work youv'e done. Looks like it all worked out great. Back a couple posts you were asking opinions about the tail lights.

I think the chrome look goes well with the theme of the car, but I think it's almost too much? How about using the dark covers with a white or chrome stripes. There is chrome striping tape you could lay them out simular to the grills you have. I think it would end up looking like another hole with a grill in it, matching the rest of your car.

Looking good man, keep up the good work.
Gene

Taz Rules

01-04-2013, 12:29 PM

I really cannot overstate how much I love those louvres!
For me, its the creative element as well as the execution that sets a great build apart from a truly spectacular one.

BTW, I'm with Gene on the taillights...all chrome is a bit too much, but a chrome highlight around a black or body coloured bezel.... well, here's a sample.
If you have any other ideas for variations, let me know and I'll mock them up in Photoshop for you.
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shagydeep

01-08-2013, 02:00 AM

Hello,
That's a very hard work then make the out structure of car...

sk7500

02-03-2013, 08:52 PM

Just have to make the lenses. I'm going to try both a clear lens and a red lens to see what I like best.
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shinn497

02-13-2013, 12:30 AM

I'm really digging this is inspiring me as well.

Vman7

02-22-2013, 05:24 PM

sk7500, Your GTM is amazing! I love the paint scheme, all the detail work, the rear area is outstanding!

WIS89

02-22-2013, 06:28 PM

I have been watching your build and posts for a while now. Your craftsmanship, attention to detail, and artistry are magnificent!!

Your interior is second to none, your lighting and various grills are superb, and I am running out of superlatives.

Would you be interested in moving to Chapel Hill for a few months to help me build a roadster? You can have one of my boys' rooms, since they are away at school. The pay is lousy, but my wife is a great cook, as measured by my waistline!!

Please keep us posted, and then let us know whenever you travel so we will know when we can come take a close look at it.

Once again, keep up the amazing work, and please keep those pictures coming!! Excellent work!

Regards,

Steve

sk7500

03-12-2013, 08:00 PM

Since I wanted to use custom door rubbers I had to move the pinch weld in. So I had exposed spacers all around the door opening. This forced me to make the sill plates wider and make cover plates for the front and rear of the door openings.
Then I go to the Ford dealer thinking I can just order up some brand new door rubbers for a 96 Taurus, install and I'd be styling. WRONG!!!! no longer available.
I'm sure there is a plan B (or is it C) out there, just haven't discovered it yet.

sk7500

03-12-2013, 09:18 PM

When doing the body I glassed in some round flanges sealed to the side scoops. From there I wanted to tube fresh air into an air box surrounding the stock GTM air cleaner. Here are some along the way pictures. Should have the finished pictures hopefully by this weekend.
The back of the box is not as close to the exhaust as it looks but I might need to do some more work back there. We'll see

kabacj

03-12-2013, 09:31 PM

SK That intake looks great. An intake to pump in cold filtered air is on my short list. You have a very sanitary design I hope i can make mine look as good.

John

The Stig

03-12-2013, 11:41 PM

sk7500

03-13-2013, 11:56 PM

John,
Yours will wind up being better than ours and I'll be happy if I have inspired a little bit of your creativity.

Mike,
Yes we had to make our own sill plates to fit our door mods.

Got the air box painted today and I think it turned out pretty good?

Taz Rules

03-15-2013, 06:36 PM

John,

Got the air box painted today and I think it turned out pretty good?
Hell YEAH, it does!!!!

I'd love to heap superlatives on you, but all I can say is....damn!

timmy318

03-15-2013, 07:35 PM

I'm at a loss of words right now..... I'll just second what Taz Rules said....... Damn!

sk7500

03-16-2013, 10:04 PM

Thanks guys

I spent the day today with a good friend of mine doing some Glamor shot video. I think you guys are going to be blown away. It should be ready in about a week. After that I plan to do a video series on our car. I have been taking pictures for the last four years as we were building the car and I plan to do a narrated series of videos talking about the changes we made to our car. I think we will create a separate 3-5 minute video on the engine, chassis, body modifications, paint, interior.
In the mean time after looking at the car for nearly 8 hours today I had to take my buddy for a ride. He pulled out his I phone and shot a little video of us going down the road. Were scooting along at 60 and it feels like were idling in the driveway. It's OK, after we got of the main highway I gave him a 150 mph blast. I guess my new airbox didn't slow us down to much.
This will be the last boring video. I promise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOCEa9XnqVc&feature=youtu.be

Presto51

03-17-2013, 07:54 AM

Are there any boring GTM videos :confused:

I haven't seen one yet

Thanks for sharing

Ron

sk7500

04-06-2013, 09:45 AM

Just received our new Momo GTR2 steering wheel. Finally, something that truly just bolts in. Fit was perfect and the size is just right for the larger Corvette gauge cluster. If you are considering a Momo wheel its good to know it will bolt right onto the FFR adapter. It also makes slow speed steering in a non PS car easier.
Also finally finished the latch on our glove box.

Just in time for me go watch my GTM buddies @ team PDG run around the race track at Buttonwillow. It's going to be a good day!

sk7500

04-06-2013, 10:31 AM

Are there any boring GTM videos :confused:

I haven't seen one yet

Thanks for sharing

Ron

Thanks Ron, but wait until you see what we have coming up.

Taz Rules

04-06-2013, 05:45 PM

That is one fine looking interior.

I still love the way you lit it up. Glove box latch all hidden away is a nice touch.

sk7500

04-07-2013, 03:55 PM

That is one fine looking interior.

I still love the way you lit it up. Glove box latch all hidden away is a nice touch.

Thanks Ash.

LCD Gauges

04-07-2013, 05:00 PM

That is some amazing detail, and finish. I'm so impressed with everyone on this site, the talent is incredible.

Every time I check one of these threads, my wishlist bank account loses $1000.

sk7500

04-11-2013, 06:17 AM

As most of you know I did a Polycarbonate rear window. We'll I have had it in for about a year now and have had no problems at all with heat or scratches. The one problem I did have was my insufficient preperation of the surface I back painted black. I used a PC that is hard faced on both side for scratch resistance and UV protection. So sanding it was most difficult and I apparently did not do a good enough job because when I glued it in I developed air bubbles where the paint pulled from the PC. This happened immediately when I installed it and then got worse over time.
The bubbles bugged me too much so I pulled the window to try again. HOLY COW!!!! What a job to get that window back out. I wound up de laminating some of the build up I put on the hatch to get the shape right. And I'll be cutting and fitting a new back window because I damage the original with the heat gun. Heat does nothing to soften the urethane adhesive.

So I include a couple pictures for you to look at to remind you "Prep, Prep, Prep" before you paint!

fastthings

04-11-2013, 07:48 AM

Holly crap, you fought that. Looks like the it broke the top layer of the hatch right off, wow. That urothane is rock solid. It's a little late for you, but I use a 1/2 inch pipe to cut out windsheilds.

What you do is smash the end of the pipe with a hammer, flat, about 3 inches up. One of those industial razor blades fits in the slit you just created by smashing the pipe. Now you have a tool with lots of leverage to get in there and cut the glass out. It's never easy but less damage.

Hope you get it done before the next show, good luck.

crash

04-11-2013, 09:08 AM

Yep, some might have found my preaching this about the front covers annoying, but after having experiences much like yours, I simply didn't feel I could stress enough that the glue will only stick as well as the PAINT you use if you paint a perimeter on the polycarbonate, and that means you must prep the surface REALLY well, as the paint will only stick as well as the surface is prepped.

sk7500

04-11-2013, 10:03 AM

I think I'll make one of the tools you describe. My thinking is if I have it I'll never need it. ;-) Which means I'll never have to this again.

Thanks for the idea.

Holly crap, you fought that. Looks like the it broke the top layer of the hatch right off, wow. That urothane is rock solid. It's a little late for you, but I use a 1/2 inch pipe to cut out windsheilds.

What you do is smash the end of the pipe with a hammer, flat, about 3 inches up. One of those industial razor blades fits in the slit you just created by smashing the pipe. Now you have a tool with lots of leverage to get in there and cut the glass out. It's never easy but less damage.

Hope you get it done before the next show, good luck.

Kempo

04-11-2013, 10:53 AM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WINDSHIELD-REMOVING-REMOVE-REMOVAL-PIANO-WIRE-L-K-TOOL-WORKS-/250935521733?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr&hash=item3a6cec31c5#ht_416wt_1328

fastthings

04-11-2013, 02:16 PM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WINDSHIELD-REMOVING-REMOVE-REMOVAL-PIANO-WIRE-L-K-TOOL-WORKS-/250935521733?pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr&hash=item3a6cec31c5#ht_416wt_1328

My answer to that is piano wire and a couple of vise grips to hold it. We used piano wire for years, mainly when glass used to be held in by butyl. Ever since they started using eurothane, with plastic mouldings around the glass, piano wire was out. A glass guy can cut out a window with a pipe and a razor in less than 5 min.

I will admit though, for the hatch, that would have been the tool of choice. The eurothane patch on that hatch was a couple inches wide, the blade would have never went alll the way though, and no moulding to worry about.

kabacj

04-11-2013, 04:28 PM

Good to know guys. Last windshield I took out was 15 years ago. I was planning on using a few blobs of urethane adhesive and over the winshield edge clips to keep my windshield in place while I test the car on the track. I figure since the windshield is in that little depression, a few spots of glue with clips on 4 corners its unlikely that its going anywhere.

If it seems to loosen up some gorilla tape and ill be fine. When its time to do the finish bodywork I can pull it out so the work and install so its water tight.

I was not going to bother with the rear hatch glass for testing.

I am inspired by your Polycarbonate hatch Steve. I am also going to try to make one as well.

John

sk7500

04-11-2013, 06:15 PM

Would a DXF pattern be of any help? I had mine cut on a water jet and then finished fitting by hand.

Good to know guys. Last windshield I took out was 15 years ago. I was planning on using a few blobs of urethane adhesive and over the winshield edge clips to keep my windshield in place while I test the car on the track. I figure since the windshield is in that little depression, a few spots of glue with clips on 4 corners its unlikely that its going anywhere.

If it seems to loosen up some gorilla tape and ill be fine. When its time to do the finish bodywork I can pull it out so the work and install so its water tight.

I was not going to bother with the rear hatch glass for testing.

I am inspired by your Polycarbonate hatch Steve. I am also going to try to make one as well.

John

kabacj

04-11-2013, 09:44 PM

sk7500

04-13-2013, 08:21 AM

Well i normally don't go so high tech as using a water jet :). I was thinking of just using a paper template made from the glass window/ the opening in the car.

I hope to be able to vaccuform some lovers into the window. Very ambitious I know. Another idea was to make a shaker style intake that bumps out through a hole in the window. Ill have a clear bubble over my intakes.

I have a few pictures in my mind of how I can do it. We will see how far I get with those ideas as I try to implement them. If I fail on those ideas the water jet and cad file is the way to go for sure.

John

I have cut plenty of PC with a jig saw or band saw and that works just fine. I'm not sure about vacuum forming hard faced PC. I tried using the heat gun to soften the urethane and it deformed the coating. It would be great if you could do your forming and then have it coated. What ever you do, I know it'll be spectacular!

mikespms

04-13-2013, 11:51 AM

If your old PC window is in one piece and was agood fit , you can use it for a template and cut it with a router using a carbide bit with a guide bearing. Use bouble side tape to hold pieces in place and it will be an exact copy with a smooth cut.

kabacj

04-15-2013, 03:11 PM

I have cut plenty of PC with a jig saw or band saw and that works just fine. I'm not sure about vacuum forming hard faced PC. I tried using the heat gun to soften the urethane and it deformed the coating

Yeah thats a good point on the hard face. I was planning on putting the sheet in a oven (or an oven like structure that I setup for heating the PC) maybe it would not screw up the hard face if the sheet is warmed slowly. Ill be sure to do a few practice runs to see how the hard face deals with getting pulled into a form. I might need to vary the design and or materials to get it done. It will be an adventure.

John

crash

04-16-2013, 10:20 AM

My suggestion would be to heat it in stages so that air bubbles do not form within the PC. If you heat too high too fast this will be a problem.

LS MAN

04-16-2013, 12:35 PM

April 15th was a tough day for everyone... Prayers go out to all in Boston.
We were fortunate to have fun cars to work on at least.
Thanks to Steve for bringing his & Franks awesome GTM over, so we could iron out the last few bugs.

1671216713

sk7500

04-20-2013, 09:20 PM

Well I wish I could say inspiration came from the bottom of the Margarita glass, but I found the internet more helpful. The proper material to use to back paint the PC is the urethane primer they use to fix scratches at the auto glass shop.
So I went to the local auto glass guy with my masked window he put on two coats of urethane primer, sold me a couple tubes of urethane glue and window trim and I was off. Front and back windows are in with no troubles with bubbles. Gluing in the windows is something I have been dreaming about for a long time, because I knew like carpet in a new house, it signals things are almost done.

It's amazing how much the windshield stabilizes the body.

sk7500

04-20-2013, 09:21 PM

I took Monday off last week and spent the day with Ted Harrison of Quick Racing Products (LSMAN). We were ironing out some final electrical customizations so I could put the interior and windshield in for the last time. While I was there we put on a set of Teds GTM street shocks. He put the car up on the scales and balanced the springs until the front wheels had 560 lbs ea and the rears had 750lbs. total car weight of 2620. I would have guessed we added more weight with AC and my attempt at sound and heat deadening and the stereo equipment. I wasn't shooting for a target weight, just curious.

Anyway after putting the glass in I took the car out for a drive. Windows up, AC blowing, tunes playing. It was a good drive. But two things really stuck out. First: I don't even pretend to understand the science or magic of suspension tuning. But I can tell you that with the stock black Koni shocks inverted (I know but they didn't fit the other way) I always had a tense driving posture. Every time you hit an irregularity in the road, the steering wheel would twitch. Not like it made the car swerve or anything it just didn't feel stable. I was beginning to think the only solution for this was going to be power steering. And going over bumps with all four tires felt bouncy long after the initial impact. I'd like to say a little like riding a skateboard but skateboards don't continue to bounce.
Well those are now things in my past. I intentionally went looking for bad roads (didn't have to look far) to see the difference. Rock steady steering wheel no matter what I ran over. I don't know if I would say the ride is smoother but the irregularities are so well controlled that you don't mind them as much. I didn't get a chance to do any high speed testing but I know it will feel much more stable at speed. So bottom line is BUY THE KIT! If you want to enjoy driving your GTM.

The second thing I noticed today was a strange scraping noise coming from the right rear of the car when ever I brake or make a hard left turn. It's associated with engine speed. I have over a 1000 miles on the car and I've never heard this noise before. I have my suspicion that it's the AC clutch rubbing on that little plate that covers the hole in the sheet metal on AC equipped cars. This is the first time I have driven the car with the AC clutch spinning. So it looks like the interior comes out again. Good thing I have lots of practice.

sk7500

04-20-2013, 09:24 PM

Fit, upholstered and installed the glove box panels Put a trim around our rear diffuser. And I'll bet no one know why I had to make a cover plate for the lower window screws.

sk7500

04-21-2013, 08:41 AM

Welded a bung in the side if the tank to help clean ip the lines.

sk7500

06-12-2013, 06:56 AM

A good GTM buddy let me try his brand new FFR wheels and tires on our car. They are beautiful but I'm afraid I'm a chrome wheel guy and am too used to the rear wheel being bigger. So I put back on the Vette wheels until I can find something I like better. But I had to do something about the Vette logo on the center cap so I made some GTM centers.

sk7500

10-13-2013, 05:04 AM

Just ran across these pictures of our car on the Factory 5 gallery section of the 2013 Huntington Beach show.

LCD Gauges

10-13-2013, 05:22 AM

That beauty shines! It's nice to see a picture of you close up as well.

Kalstar

10-13-2013, 11:47 AM

What a beautiful car.

sk7500

10-24-2013, 07:24 AM

Boy I had a really great GTM weekend. I got to work most of Saturday finishing up the paint jobs on my mini GTMs. Spent the rest of the day cleaning the real thing. On Sunday we took the car to a fund raiser/ car show/Halloween party. Of course the car was a big hit. Then at 4:00 we met with Steve Temple from Kit Car Builder magazine. We have a brand new freeway in Bakersfield and I picked a yet to be opened part as our photo opportunity. I'm not sure what was illegal about what we were doing but I suspected we had a small window of opportunity before some one or the cops would stop and run us off. Sure enough a big 4x4 truck pulls up. But instead of it being someone trying to run us off, it was the owner of the other GTM owner in Bakersfield. What are the chances of him being at that exact spot at that time? Totally cool. And here I didn't want anyone to stop. I'll attach a couple shots Steve sent me.

fastthings

10-24-2013, 07:32 AM

Ya, awsome weekend. Sweet.

sk7500

12-22-2013, 09:17 AM

I was finally able to spend some time with the red head and my dad. I installed an overflow tank for the radiator, replaced a loose rear tie rod end, tightened the door hinge nuts so the doors don't swing open so fast when the poppers unlatch, adjusted the front hood latch, General clean up and installed a lifter for the rear hatch. My partner told me lifters go in the motor not on the body.:o
I also noticed I have antifreeze dripping off the center panel underneath. So it looks like it's up on jack stands and laying on a creeper for me today.

Fugly_Old_Cowboy

12-22-2013, 01:11 PM

ok... I've decided that i am going to keep pouring over ALL the build logs until I get to the point that i can finish a GTM of my own... but after looking at y'all's logs & seeing the attention to detail & the quality of craftsmanship, I'm going to be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy tooooooooo ashamed to post my shoddy attempts at integrating some of your innovation inspired ideas into what I already have in mind... I have always been one that was able to make pretty much anything I put my mind to.. but DAMN!!!!! y'all set the mark soooooooooooooooo far into the stratosphere that us mere mortals are screwed....

keep up the awesome work....

sk7500

12-22-2013, 07:12 PM

Don't get discouraged. There are builds of all levels. I set my sights pretty high on this one, but I'm building another one that will have 1/4 the work involved. It will probably be more fun to drive and get just as many looks. If there is one thing I admire about the people on these forums is that there is support regardless of the design intent of the car. It's a personal journey. If it makes you happy that's all that matters. People here will be happy with you. And a GTM is so far beyond the realm of reality for the rest of the world, that just about any quality level is beyond the scope of most peoples comprehension. So keep those pictures coming.;)

ok... I've decided that i am going to keep pouring over ALL the build logs until I get to the point that i can finish a GTM of my own... but after looking at y'all's logs & seeing the attention to detail & the quality of craftsmanship, I'm going to be waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy tooooooooo ashamed to post my shoddy attempts at integrating some of your innovation inspired ideas into what I already have in mind... I have always been one that was able to make pretty much anything I put my mind to.. but DAMN!!!!! y'all set the mark soooooooooooooooo far into the stratosphere that us mere mortals are screwed....

keep up the awesome work....

sk7500

12-22-2013, 09:33 PM

Removed all the lower panels today trying to see where anti freeze was coming from. All the hoses in there are dry. So it must be leaking from the frame because that's the only place I seen it. :lol:
I cleaned everything up and left the lower panels off so I can do a better inspection. There was nothing under the car tonight after my video run. There is anti freeze in the line to my new overflow tank. So I'm thinking maybe when the catch tank expanded my old overflow line might have just puked some AF on the frame and it just drained to the lowest point. Keeping my fingers crossed. Either way I'm glad for the catch tank because my old overflow exited right in front of the drivers tire. Which is the worst place for it to be.
Well after all that work it was time for a little Sunday afternoon drive. I still have trouble with it getting squirmy if I break the rear tires loose. I replaced the right rear tie rod end in an attempt to minimize this sensation. The left end was replaced when we built the car. But in looking at the video at about 3:35 it looks like the left rear wheel toes in when accelerating hard enough to spin the tires. I'll have to do another video on the right side to see if it does the same thing with the new tie rod end. Then towards the end of the video a turbo Porsche and I had to figure out who was going to get to go first when the lanes merged. He tried but just didn't have it. He gave me the thumbs up at the next light and was smiling so I'm pretty sure it was his thumb?
Any ways, I was trying to get some SPL readings before, during and after the dispute and I came up with the following.

Windows rolled up A/C on Idle = 95DB.
Cruising @ 60 6 gear = 104DB.
Making sure the GTM gets in front of the Porsche = 110db

Here's the video link

http://youtu.be/0iaCY8WDe9o

flotowngtm

12-22-2013, 11:03 PM

I know there was an issue some guys were having with the frame mount for the rear tie rods not being strong enough under acceleration. I know I had Shane beef mine up a little. Might want to check that out.

sk7500

12-23-2013, 12:19 AM

Never heard of that one, but I'll check it out. Thanks

I know there was an issue some guys were having with the frame mount for the rear tie rods not being strong enough under acceleration. I know I had Shane beef mine up a little. Might want to check that out.

sk7500

10-13-2014, 10:59 PM

As usual the GTM drew a constant crowd. But I did manage to get a few shots after the crowd started to thin.

The Stig

10-13-2014, 11:29 PM

Beautiful!

sk7500

11-21-2015, 09:42 AM

I put these pictures together for the "Finished GTMs" page. Figured I'd put them here with the cars build history.

http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/11%20November.jpg (http://s1269.photobucket.com/user/Sk7500/media/11%20November.jpg.html)
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/DSC_7320.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/IMG_1110.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/IMG_1022.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/IMG_0842.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Facebook/Wall%20Photos/HuntingtonBeach1.jpg
http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj599/Sk7500/Our%20Finished%20GTM%20Photos/huntington%202.jpeg