Shinoda start

[WhalePirot]

I have yet to see a Shinoda/Mears kitted car in person.

I am seeing my first.

Maybe not too many are aware of the significance of who was involved with it.

I think you are right, so let's raise the flag!

BTW, were you or are you your nickname? I retired from flying the 747 for a US international carrier, cargo and pax.

I've been lurking in the background following this thread with great interest. Maybe there are more people like me out there.
I am impressed with the work that you are doing and so far I love the result. I'm not usually a big fan of the way these kitted-out cars look but this one looks great. I suppose that's a reflection on its creator.
Good luck with the rest of the work and I'll be watching this thread with great anticipation to see the completed project.

Thanks, that's nice Stuart. I cannot promise a quick paint job.

Sometimes ADD kicks in when I do something on the Corvette-suspensioned and powered old F**d truck sitting next to it; also under construction.

[B17Crew]

BTW, were you or are you your nickname? I retired from flying the 747 for a US international carrier, cargo and pax.

You flew one heck of a plane, that had to be an exciting career!

My nickname reflects my interest in WWII U.S. military aircraft, I’ve never been part of a crew. The B-17 is my all time favorite for many reasons. My dad is the one who got me into planes, he had a private pilots license, he used to fly various small aircraft.

B17Crew

[WhalePirot]

You flew one heck of a plane, that had to be an exciting career!

Umm, we tried to keep if from becoming exciting but it USED to be fun and rewarding.

Boeing builds, by far, the best aircraft of any; reflecting the quality of Lockheed and Douglas, but similar to American engineering and build quality. This, versus the fabled Germans or Japanese. I don't buy it and we are seeing validation in this Toyota issue. Now owning my last BMW, I appreciate the engineering in this Corvette and how far ahead it was (despite the bean counters reducing the quality of the build) only lacking enough power for my tastes.

My nickname reflects my interest in WWII U.S. military aircraft. The B-17 is my all time favorite

You probably have seen the B17 DVD I have. Wanna copy?

Here is a shot inside the passenger door. Looking closely, you can see the rivets and the old holes (from following the directions).


I painted the rear piece flat black, to even it all up, and it looks awesome! Now to do something with this exhaust.

[WhalePirot]

As mentioned above, I shot the tail with flat black automotive trim paint. It really cleaned up the look. With my car having wheels like the flat-black postered car, i am strongly drawn to that color, which is surprising.

[CorvetteArchives]

I love this rear end!

I don't care for the Shinoda squares, though, and will probably stay round.

I'd think I'd go with the square ones Larry designed so the valance area is more seemless and flowing...just my 2 cents!

[WhalePirot]

I am rethinking that, as these are not cutting it, plus the Flowmasters are just too loud with this engine.

[B17Crew]

Umm, we tried to keep if from becoming exciting but it USED to be fun and rewarding.

Boeing builds, by far, the best aircraft of any; reflecting the quality of Lockheed and Douglas, but similar to American engineering and build quality. This, versus the fabled Germans or Japanese. I don't buy it and we are seeing validation in this Toyota issue. Now owning my last BMW, I appreciate the engineering in this Corvette and how far ahead it was (despite the bean counters reducing the quality of the build) only lacking enough power for my tastes.

You probably have seen the B17 DVD I have. Wanna copy?

Here is a shot inside the passenger door. Looking closely, you can see the rivets and the old holes (from following the directions).


I painted the rear piece flat black, to even it all up, and it looks awesome! Now to do something with this exhaust.

Hey, WhalePirot.

Yes, “fun” and “rewarding” are the words I should’ve used.

Sorry for taking so long to to respond. Work has been running me into the ground. Thanks for the offer for the DVD, but I won’t have time to watch it until mid-summer. With our company scaling back and not replacing people, things are becoming “exciting” here.

I’ve always liked the aircraft Boeing turns out, they do build them right. I’m waiting for the temps to rise here in Ohio. There’s a pretty nice air museum near Dayton that I’ve been wanting to check out. (there are quite a few planes out doors, so now’s not a good time go)

B17Crew

[WhalePirot]

There’s a pretty nice air museum near Dayton that I’ve been wanting to check out.

Do you mean the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB? I've a classmate who is a lawyer there.

After a short break (admiration of my handiwork and a rest from all that cold concrete), I restarted the project. The nose remained and has turned out to be the hardest. This, due to the number of components, alignment with a hood that moves, prior repair to this area by a less-than-talented Prestige AutoBody, courtesy of being in bed with USAA, and the always-limited space for hands and tools in these cars.

Following the quite-good Shinoda manual instructions, the front bumper cover and the impact bar were removed.
Yes, the hood is ugly as the clearcoat had issues; is half removed. I like the BigMouth, primarily for the rigidity it brings to all that rubber and plastic underneath and it will be kept as it still fits. I will make a screen to keep foreign matter out.

The fog/turn light uses the stock bulbs and sockets and is assembled easily. It connects to the car with four bolts: those that attach the impact bar to the black curved supports to the frame. There are four more bolts that attach the assembly to the car. The lights can be aimed by loosening the light-to-bracket bolt. This shot shows them inverted from the installed orientation.
Here they are installed, along with the center foam bolster that sits behind the license plate area. Also visible is the four bolts holding the light assemblies to the new impact bar (other, stock bolts are actually used when the bar is attached to the frame).

[WhalePirot]

That assembly attaches with the eight bolts, four with some adjustment, to the car's frame. Yeah, that's hours of fun...NOT.

After cleaning the 55W foglight bulbs with alcohol (remove all grease + fingerprints) all bulb assemblies were inserted in the new housings, then functionality, initial alignment and clearances ensured. (I tried some LED turn signal bulbs; one side worked okay, but the other caused indicator problems in the dash.)

The front plate cover has two screws with J-nuts underneath and two Velcro-type attachments. This is the inside of the cover showing the 3M glue-on side:
The receptors are riveted, using reinforcement washers, to the new bumper cover.

I opted to make two braces where the bumper cover attaches to the air dam. The four braces, as explained below, are cut from 17 gage sheetmetal, each 3/4" wide and about 24" long. My template was traced from the outside curve, initially, then refined to fit the shallow groove in the poly-U. I intended to cut the curved pieces on my bandsaw, but Jerry, my artist/expert mechanic/body guy, recommended and used his shear to cut straight pieces, then showed me how to bend them with this cool tool:

The lever moves two jaws that grab the metal, make a small indentation and curve the metal the 'hard way'. It works like a champ. This is a few more hours as the pieces are bent, unbent, then bent some more to fit the template. Two identical pieces on each side sandwich the polyurethane Shinoda pieces. Slightly oversize holes were drilled in each bracing piece for the J-nut bolts to pass through.

Now it's time for more fiberglass in my hands and arms while adding more scratches and abrasions.

I was lucky to find this SnapOn boroscope at a decent price from a Jerry's partner; one of those guys who LOVES tools and has to have the latest and greatest. This boroscope, as you can imagine, has been wonderful to have available for jobs like this, where assorted lights and mirrors don't work real well. The tip has LED lights and the camera, which feeds the image through the 36" flex arm to the LED display.


The worst bolt is the most forward one, which requires alignment of two body panels, the bumper cover and the lower air dam, and the two stiffening brackets, one with J-nut like the others, but is waaaay up where ya cannot see.

Viewed from above:

These home-made brackets follow the idea of kit-provided ones for other panels and those used in all C4 Corvette assembly. I don't know why two short V-shaped ones were included for the very front of this assembly, and none for the sides. Mine were painted with Rustoleum gloss black, similar to the provided brackets, and will be all but invisible. This is the passenger side with much better access; the left side having the vacuum canister and plumbing in addition to the wiring and lights.

This shot shows the access holes under the air dam; the only way for a 10mm socket to reach the joining bolts. I drilled one more to access the front corner; the two existing and closest being misaligned for a socket assembly, but useful for viewing said misalignment.

Now that this is posted, I'll try to finish the install.

[B17Crew]

Do you mean the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB? I've a classmate who is a lawyer there.

The pics are great!

Yes, that’s the museum. I’ve been wanting to check-out or some time. Heard it’s pretty nice and they have a wide range of aircraft on display.

B17Crew

[WhalePirot]

The pics are great

thank you

Yes, that’s the museum. I’ve been wanting to check-out or some time. Heard it’s pretty nice and they have a wide range of aircraft on display.

I saw part of it, decades ago and it is supposed to be the best.


The left front is all secured; finished. Driver's side is much less fun, as it were.

Raising the car has proved to be essential, as is a long-armed retrieval magnetic tool.

[B17Crew]

thank youI saw part of it, decades ago and it is supposed to be the best.

Good to hear that! Once we have warmer/drier days, I’ll be spending the day there.

Those long-armed retrieval magnetic tools... one on the handiest tools in the tool box!

B17Crew

[WhalePirot]

Those long-armed retrieval magnetic tools... one on the handiest tools in the tool box!

For retrieval of some parts, so true.

That boroscope is the only way I'd have gotten the right parts mated, though, and its use inside the door and other tight places saves time at the least.

This project is almost finished, with the right air deflector to go and new exhaust tips. I may change from Flowmasters to Magnaflow mufflers.

Then I need to make/install the debris screen for the air intake.

[C2C3C4]

Here is a pic of one that went through the Mecum auction at Bloomington Gold in 2005. One of the best looking C4s out there.

[C2C3C4]

Here is another. Looks like you are going to have a fabulous car when finished. Keep up the great work!