The transformation from an air cooled Porsche to water cooled Porsche has begun. Since the 914 is getting a turbo EJ20, the car needs to have a radiator to cool the engine.With the engine in the back, the front was sealed off for storage. We cut out sections of the front of the car so that air can now enter and pass over the radiator. The 2 boxes are mock up for the radiator and fuel cell. The bar is in place so that the chassis will not flex too much while we are making everything since we cut out the factory bar to make room for the fuel cell. In case you are wondering, the air will exit through vents in the hood. Ducting, and vents to be added later.
Rust removal on Porsche 914 continues
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Rust removal on the Porsche 914 continues. After cleaning off the rust we coated the inside of the bars with POR-15 before we welded the bars back into place. The entire floor was coated with POR-15 then primed. Next step is to remove more rust behind the driver’s seat.
Drift IS300 gas tank modifications
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
In order to prevent fuel sloshing issues with a saddlebag gas tank in the LS1 IS300, the customer decided to have his gas tank cut in half. Then a plate was welded in place of the new large hole on the side of the tank. The only drawback is the estimated 7 gallon holding capacity. This is an inexpensive solution to the problem in comparison to a fuel cell.
Porsche 914 rust removal
Friday, August 19th, 2011
Here we have an old Porsche 914 that is getting restored and modified. The first step is removing all the rust from the interior of the vehicle. That way, the roll cage does not mount to any rust, and the interior can get painted without rust starting back. Overall the chassis has little rust, but there is a fair amount on the interior. Above are before and progress pictures of the interior.
Turbo kit modifications
Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Direct “bolt-on” products from aftermarket manufactures are a lot of times, less than perfect. In this case, the intercooler piping was far from fitting correctly. After conferring with the customer, we decided to modify the piping as well as the intercooler to fit nicely on the car. The kit now fits, and the project continues.
Tail light tinting service
Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
We have had several requests lately for our tail light tinting service and we would just like to remind everyone about the details. We can tint a set of regular size tail lights for $100 and a larger set like a Nissan 240 full bar for $150. You don’t live close to our area? No problem, you can ship us your lights. We will perform our tint service and then carefully pack them back into your box and ship them back. Turn around time is typically 4 days. Please give us a call to make an appointment or for any questions you may have. 770-319-9605
Back gas when welding
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
Part of welding is having a shielding gas to protect the welding area from atmospheric gases, such as oxygen. Most commonly used gas in a TIG welder is argon. If you look closely at the torch used, it is made to flow argon around the welding area. When welding steel, it is nice to have gas behind the weld as well. Having gas helps promote a stronger weld as well as keeping the weld from growing on the inside of the pipe. be Most people in this industry do not use back gas, including us most of the time. This scenario, we are making headers, and it would be best if the welds did not distort the inside of the tubing. The easiest way to back gas an object is to tape up all of the openings, and insert a regulated line from a second tank at a very low flow rate. That way the gas fills the object from the inside, and the torch provides shielding for the outside of the weld. If you are wondering, these headers are for the LS1-IS300, we will blog about building them when they get completed.
Welding top of roll cage
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Many people wonder how do you weld the top of a roll cage. We are about to let you in on how we do it. You drill holes in the floor where the base plates go. Then when everything gets bent and tack welded together, you drop the cage through those holes. That way the top of the cage can be welded. After that the mounting plates get welded in above the holes in the floor, and the cage gets welded to the top of the plates.
AE86 gets a new final drive
Friday, July 8th, 2011
Here is an 1986 Toyota Corolla GT-S that we did some differential work on. The customer had a 4.7 final drive installed, but wanted a 4.3 instead, to improve highway fuel efficiency. We ordered them the correct ring and pinion as well as a complete differential rebuild kit. After the parts arrived, they brought us the car. The internals of the differential were removed so we could swap everything over. Differential’s do not just get put in. They have a few tolerances that must be checked, shimmed, and rechecked until within oem specifications. Then the diff was reinstalled into the corolla, and driven to make sure it functions correctly.
LS1 Is300 runs
Friday, June 17th, 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLvUmmCxxjE
I will keep this blog short and sweet. Last night the LS1 IS300 started for the first time. It has been a long week, and it is still not over. This video makes the hard work worth it. Today there still is a good amount of work left; like tuning and brakes.
