Rmyers progress info and pics

Rmyers · 16-07-2005, 07:35 PM

Well, i tried to keep it a secret, but half of you have come over and seen what i'm upto and the other half have heard about it from the first half, so i might aswell reveal my plans...

Anyways, after my torque converter shat itself, i decided it was time to go manual. Since the car was gunna be off the road for quite some time while I saved up for the gearbox i wanted, and decided it was the best opportunity I had to give the car a nice body kit and a new paintjob.

I was debating whether to revive the idea of the WRX front bar, and it was decided that the project would be given the go ahead. A fair bit had to be cut off the origional EA fibreglass front bumper (the peice on the inside that attaches to the car) to get the front bar to fit, but with the help of John, we managed to get it sitting just right. Only a few very minor adjustments need to be done to the sides to get it to fit perfectly as can be seen in the picture below...

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th1.jpg

I also still had a brock rear bar that I got off sunny, so all that i needed to do was find a suitable set of side skirts. A set of UBC (i think that's what their called) was found at a wrecker on the cheap, and seemed to flow surprising well between the front and rear bar.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th2.jpg

At the time, an XR6 lip spoiler was purchased off Gunns, while only recently, the decision was made to use his old SVO lip spoiler to make the rear end of the car a bit more unique. Adding further to this, it was also decided to get twin exhausts, one on either side of the car. As i have no fuel tank, i was given the option. So the rear bar was firstly repaired (is it was almost broken in half) and a space for the second exhaust was made. We also fibreglassed the space for the tow bar, as I don't think i'll ever be needing it.

At the same time, with the help of John, Dave and my mate Ivan, we stripped the car back to a shell. I even had the rear windscreen taken out aswell as the rear quarter windows, while the front windscreen remains on as it's brand new and the windscreen place told me there was a big chance it'd break if they tried to remove it. The clear was sanded back and now awaits the high fill before the real prepping begins.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th4.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th5.jpg

We also tackled all the rust spots by grinding them out and filling up with fibreglass, then filled the rest with body filler. The ford badge indent on the bonnet was also tackled, as will be the window washer holes and the antenna holes.

Deciding what color was a very hard decisions. The two big contenders were blood orange and mercury silver. I finally decided on mercury, and so i wouldn't change my mind, i went out and bought all the paint, enough to do both inside and out...

Now, something had to be done with the bonnet. I was origionally thinking air vents, but Dave convinced me that they'd look cheap. I had been dreaming of how a BA bonnet bulge would look, and mentioned it to my mate Ivan (without any real intention of doing it). The next day, we were at ferntree gully auto salvage looking for prices on a damaged BA XR8 bonnet. We found one that was slightly damaged at the front while the bulge was still good, and decided to give the project the go ahead...

The two bonnets were marked out, measured, cut and welded together, while the bonnet now awaits a lot of fibreglass, body filler and many many hours work to get perfect.

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th6.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th7.jpg
(Note: the bonnet is not bolted on at this point)

Having a look at the car with all the new body mods dummied in place, i convinced myself that the 16" rims just wouldn't cut it with the added bulkiness of the car, so they were sold off to Mick, and now I am in the market for a nice set of 18's.

Other than what's been mentioned, Dave and I took my old diff out and are in the process of fitting the new 3.7's, but unfortunately after this, the car will probably not be worked on for a pretty long time, so their wont be much progress updates for the next 2 months.

lukey · 16-07-2005, 07:49 PM

thats gonna look crazy man good work

Damo · 16-07-2005, 07:51 PM

OMG! That is insanely awesome!!!

That will be absoloutely goergeous once it's all done, not to mention original. I wish I had the talent/time/money to do a project like this. :P

Can't wait to see the finished project, good luck with it all. We'll have to organise a 'Rmyers car back on the road' cruise once it's all finished.

TIKFD6 · 16-07-2005, 07:55 PM

Not sure about the front bar mate but the bonnet looks like it will come up good.
/me watches with intrest.

FordGirl · 16-07-2005, 08:05 PM

I can't wait to see the finished product... will definitely be unlike anything else out there.

Good luck with the project and hopefully things go your way!

Walkinshaw · 16-07-2005, 08:30 PM

saving for the trans you want. Hrm, supercharged power plant. T5, no, T5Z mabey, T56/TR3550 more likely!!!

Will be a very unique car there mate. Not 100% my cup of tea, but IN awsome none the less. WIll be spectacular.

Any word on hunting down significantly more than 200rwkw?

Rmyers · 16-07-2005, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walkinshaw

saving for the trans you want. Hrm, supercharged power plant. T5, no, T5Z mabey, T56/TR3550 more likely!!!

Will be a very unique car there mate. Not 100% my cup of tea, but IN awsome none the less. WIll be spectacular.

Any word on hunting down significantly more than 200rwkw?

Heh, T56 i wish!! Nah i'm looking at getting T5Z. As for more power, for now i still have my new manifold and a haltech ECU to put on, but other than that, it'll be a while before I look into increasing the power. I'll probably look into more headwork and a lumpier cam in the near future, but that'll be it for now really.

Rmyers · 16-07-2005, 08:39 PM

Here's some more pics of the front bar with the intercooler...

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th8.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4th9.jpg

LUXO_8 · 16-07-2005, 08:46 PM

looking great steve, cant wait for it to be finished mate

**Peuty** · 16-07-2005, 08:59 PM

Wow, the look of the bar with the cooler looks hot!

Can;t wait to see this one finished.

Olympus · 16-07-2005, 09:45 PM

Absolutely awesome mate, you're an ideas man Steve.

InitialD · 16-07-2005, 09:52 PM

Looks crazy in the flesh! lol should come up nicely steve.

those sideskirts are wicked ;)

**Polyal** · 16-07-2005, 10:08 PM

jesus alot of work has obviously been put in; and alot still to come. Top stuff!

16-07-2005, 11:02 PM

great stuff steve! wish i had the money/patience to do stuff like that...dont know about the wrx bar now, maybe a moffat bar would look better? but then that wouldnt be original i suppose :P.

ilsautomotive · 16-07-2005, 11:31 PM

Wow, amazing work Steven!

You keep on pushing the envelope. Keep us posted, this is going to be worth waiting for!

neb · 17-07-2005, 01:25 AM

this is crazy i hadn't heard anything about this, i can't wait to see it finished. should look very good and definately not like any other ea out there

Kenaz · 17-07-2005, 09:14 AM

That's really quite amazing! Good on you Steve, it should be one very sexy and unique EA when it's finished ;)

NZ · 17-07-2005, 09:51 AM

Good work steve. I've got a few questions just out of curiosity, What did ftg charge for the bonnet, and is your car on gas? if not why's there no tank?

It'll look stunning in silver too. I remember once you said you'd love a gunmetal colour too. What do you reckon BA indicators would look like on the guards? I mean actually getting ba guards and getting the little indent peice, grafting it onto your guards and having it in the same spot as the ba's do.

One thing you might attract cop attention being so far from a stock looking car.

Oh yeah that bonnet bulge will look so good! You'll probably get some BA purists critisise it but meh who cares!

Stevo · 17-07-2005, 11:23 AM

I saw a EB with a WRX front bar the other day, very cool.

Cant wait to see it finished finally mate

Rmyers · 17-07-2005, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ

Good work steve. I've got a few questions just out of curiosity, What did ftg charge for the bonnet, and is your car on gas? if not why's there no tank?

They sold me the bonnet for $300. They wanted $1000 for a good one. Yes I do have a gas tank, hadto rip out my install because of it, what i meant to say is thant I have no petrol tank, therefore i've got the room to run a second exhaust tip to the other side.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ

What do you reckon BA indicators would look like on the guards? I mean actually getting ba guards and getting the little indent peice, grafting it onto your guards and having it in the same spot as the ba's do.

Now you've gone and done it, now i'm considering doing it :P I'm a sucker for suggestions, and the more i get, the longer it's gunna take me to finish this thing. (Rmyers rocks up a year later with a two door conversion, lamborghini doors, twin turbo rear mounted v12 etc etc :P)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ

One thing you might attract cop attention being so far from a stock looking car.

Yer, this was the one main thing stopping me from doing all this sooner. It's because of this reason that I didn't do it last time i had the car stripped, as it was going to be a daily driver. But since I got the ED workhorse, i can officially put my car on project status, and my current goal is to get it immortalized into a mag

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ

Oh yeah that bonnet bulge will look so good! You'll probably get some BA purists critisise it but meh who cares!

I'll tell em to stick it up their @rse, at least I actually put the hours and effort into creating something unique, rather than just dropping 40 grand at the nearest dealership and getting something that you can see around every corner...

FRDXR6 · 17-07-2005, 01:58 PM

Have you got any pics of the rear bar with temp fitting of exhaust tips or something? Twin exhaust will look mad!

mcflux · 17-07-2005, 02:08 PM

I love it!!! Keep us updated whenever you can!

:

*this* is one car I'll be lookin out for

NZ · 17-07-2005, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rmyers

Now you've gone and done it, now i'm considering doing it :P I'm a sucker for suggestions, and the more i get, the longer it's gunna take me to finish this thing. (Rmyers rocks up a year later with a two door conversion, lamborghini doors, twin turbo rear mounted v12 etc etc :P)

I've only put the indicators where the stock ones go. The ba's have a little place in the guard where the indicator sits in like the fordbadge on ea bonnets, thats what I was meaning.

The lambo doors would be good you know...

montyv8 · 17-07-2005, 03:31 PM

very impressive. love the bonnet. i've been wanting to do that myself for a while now. still not 100% on the front bar, but if you disguise it well enough (maybe fill the driving light holes) it will look damn good.

as for getting in a mag or two, if JETXR can get in with ricer rims, ricer paint, and a ba motor, i dont think you'll have anything to worry about ;)

i give it 10 out of 10 for individuality

EFFalcon · 17-07-2005, 04:08 PM

its safe to say this is gunna take us a long time ;)
Good thing Steves got good mates like Me & Dave to help him out (ps i hate sanding cars!)

and steve can't kep secrets!

Rmyers · 17-07-2005, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FRDXR6

Have you got any pics of the rear bar with temp fitting of exhaust tips or something? Twin exhaust will look mad!

Nah I don't have the tips yet. I've got a pic of the rear skirt as it is now. As you can see, alot more sanding and shaping needs to take place :P Fibre glass putty is great stuff ;)

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4thB.jpg

Btw, it wont be just the rear section of the exhaust, it'll be twin 2.25 inch exhausts straight out of the pacemakers primaries continuing for the whole length of the car, so essentially, it'll be two very long secondries ;) They'll be twin tips on either side aswell, so it'll be more like quad tip :P

Rmyers · 17-07-2005, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NZ

I've only put the indicators where the stock ones go. The ba's have a little place in the guard where the indicator sits in like the fordbadge on ea bonnets, thats what I was meaning.

Yer i know what you meant, i was looking at a picture of a BA thinking more and more bout how it'd look. Who knows, you might actually see it happen ;)

BTW, here's a pic of the new audio gear going into it. All the amps look identicle to the one that's shown out of the box, but only thing is one is a 4 channel, one's a monoblock and 2 are 2 channel's

http://home.iprimus.com.au/grandmaster1/4thC.jpg

Expect to see another boot install in the works very shortly

No Bling this time, it'll be all class...

Gunns · 17-07-2005, 08:53 PM

Steve, some more food for thought. 3rd converter and NOS!!!!!!! Come on you know you want to!

EFFalcon · 17-07-2005, 09:00 PM

those 2 converters are good for ~350rwkw+ :P

dansedgli · 17-07-2005, 09:03 PM

Supercharger upgrade!!!