Kilo Racing 3 Rotor FD Conversion
Shine Front Fenders
So the car is not at the body shop just yet. That will happen next week. We did inspect the engine bay and the Shine front fenders.
The engine bay is being prepped for paint. Frankly it was a bit of a mess so Kilo is busy doing a semi-wire tuck on it and some general clean up. My goal is to get all of the relay boxes out of the engine bay, possibly into the driver's side bin. Note the burnt spot on the passenger side frame. That's from the down pipe which was wrapped. Still, over time it did a number on that side. Pics:
The Shine fenders look pretty decent but we won't know for sure until they are test fitted. They do weigh hardly anything at all so we will save some weight over the stock fenders. Don't have the stock units off yet so I don't know how much but the Shine fenders can't weigh more than a few pounds a piece. They have carbon fiber reinforcements on the edges which is nice. On the downside, there are no tabs on the lip to hold on fender liners so Carlos the painter is going to have to make something to hold everything together. If any of you have suggestions, I'd appreciate it. As of now, he's going to put some FRP tabs on to hold on the liners.
Side shot to show the extra 20mm width:
Carbon fiber reinforecment:
So the car is not at the body shop just yet. That will happen next week. We did inspect the engine bay and the Shine front fenders.
The engine bay is being prepped for paint. Frankly it was a bit of a mess so Kilo is busy doing a semi-wire tuck on it and some general clean up. My goal is to get all of the relay boxes out of the engine bay, possibly into the driver's side bin. Note the burnt spot on the passenger side frame. That's from the down pipe which was wrapped. Still, over time it did a number on that side. Pics:
The Shine fenders look pretty decent but we won't know for sure until they are test fitted. They do weigh hardly anything at all so we will save some weight over the stock fenders. Don't have the stock units off yet so I don't know how much but the Shine fenders can't weigh more than a few pounds a piece. They have carbon fiber reinforcements on the edges which is nice. On the downside, there are no tabs on the lip to hold on fender liners so Carlos the painter is going to have to make something to hold everything together. If any of you have suggestions, I'd appreciate it. As of now, he's going to put some FRP tabs on to hold on the liners.
Side shot to show the extra 20mm width:
Carbon fiber reinforecment:
Forgeline Wheels
Love, love, love the way the wheels turned out
I had forgotten how light the Forgeline 3 piece wheels were so taking the new wheels out of the box surprised me. I've got wide rims, and these are super light. As I expected, very high quality and the black matter centers, gloss black lips, and red stripe really sets off the car. I know the red stripe is controversial, but these look really updated and the stripe draws your eye to the wheels. These just ooze quality. 
Can't mount them just yet as the BFGoodrich g-force Rivals won't show until a week or two from now, but I did place them by the car. Still love the old rims, but the new ones rock as well. Will post up some info on Forgeline and their benefits, but for now some shots:
Fronts: 18X10 +30
Rears: 18X11.5 +11
Love, love, love the way the wheels turned out
I had forgotten how light the Forgeline 3 piece wheels were so taking the new wheels out of the box surprised me. I've got wide rims, and these are super light. As I expected, very high quality and the black matter centers, gloss black lips, and red stripe really sets off the car. I know the red stripe is controversial, but these look really updated and the stripe draws your eye to the wheels. These just ooze quality. Can't mount them just yet as the BFGoodrich g-force Rivals won't show until a week or two from now, but I did place them by the car. Still love the old rims, but the new ones rock as well. Will post up some info on Forgeline and their benefits, but for now some shots:
Fronts: 18X10 +30
Rears: 18X11.5 +11
Bubble Tech LHD Passenger Footrest
Speaking of quality, got my Bubble Tech footrest and test fitted it. Great quality piece. What sets this one apart from the others are the inset dimpled holes in the unit versus it just being flat. This gives the footrest some pretty good rigidity for a light unit. And it comes with some cool bubble gum and soap bubble which were a hit at the shop. Two thumbs up!
That's it for now. Let me know what you think.
Speaking of quality, got my Bubble Tech footrest and test fitted it. Great quality piece. What sets this one apart from the others are the inset dimpled holes in the unit versus it just being flat. This gives the footrest some pretty good rigidity for a light unit. And it comes with some cool bubble gum and soap bubble which were a hit at the shop. Two thumbs up!
That's it for now. Let me know what you think.
Thanks guys for the compliments. I really appreciate it. I'm excited to get the new wheels on the car so hopefully the BFGoodrich g-force Rivals will be available this week as expected.
Gordon, Carlos is most comfortable with using "Jet Black" on the car to achieve the wet look I have asked for, so I want him to go with what he knows best. There isn't enough black gloss on the rims to show a difference between the two anyway so I think we are good to go.
On the car front, just ordered a new 3.5 inch universal catalytic converter to try on the car. This one has a larger surface area than the last one I tried, so hopefully it will last longer than the 200 miles of the previous one:
MBS 5" Diameter 100cell (CPSI) High-Flow Race Converter
As it turns out, my exhaust system contains some 3 inch components, restricting the air flow. So, Kilo is going to open everything up to 3.5 inches to help. This is still pretty small for a 3 rotor but I'll sacrifice high end HP for noise reduction. The cat is going on as I need to run one for the Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout and I've always wanted to reduce the rotary "smell factor" on the car. If this doesn't hold up, then I'll try to shoe horn in a dual cat setup, with the down pipe splitting into two runs for two cats and then back to one for the exhaust or as RotorMotor suggested a while ago.
Hope to post up some paint pics starting this week.
Gordon, Carlos is most comfortable with using "Jet Black" on the car to achieve the wet look I have asked for, so I want him to go with what he knows best. There isn't enough black gloss on the rims to show a difference between the two anyway so I think we are good to go.
On the car front, just ordered a new 3.5 inch universal catalytic converter to try on the car. This one has a larger surface area than the last one I tried, so hopefully it will last longer than the 200 miles of the previous one:
MBS 5" Diameter 100cell (CPSI) High-Flow Race Converter
As it turns out, my exhaust system contains some 3 inch components, restricting the air flow. So, Kilo is going to open everything up to 3.5 inches to help. This is still pretty small for a 3 rotor but I'll sacrifice high end HP for noise reduction. The cat is going on as I need to run one for the Modified Magazine Tuner Shootout and I've always wanted to reduce the rotary "smell factor" on the car. If this doesn't hold up, then I'll try to shoe horn in a dual cat setup, with the down pipe splitting into two runs for two cats and then back to one for the exhaust or as RotorMotor suggested a while ago.
Hope to post up some paint pics starting this week.
FWIW, have you looked into random technologies cats? Their 3" 300cpsi cat has the same flow as the above 3" MBS 100 cpsi cat (617cfm vs 615 cfm). The RT 100cpsi cat flows at 670 cfm for their 3" cat.
Me too. Would like to get to drive the car without having to limp along the course due to temp issues.
Thanks, those look really nice and the flow rates are high. I got the 5" diameter, 3.5: inlet/outlet unit and based on the specs for the 2.5" and the 3.0" units, it should flow over 700cfm so it should work just fine. That's assuming (a big assumption) the metal substrate is up to the task as well. All of these brands have different substrates with some being high quality and others, not so much. So, will it take the heat of the rotary plus the flow of the 3 rotor? We are going to slap it on and see.
Thanks Rich, I think they are going to look really nice. Extremely well built for sure as they are used in some pretty big races including the 24 hours of Daytona and inn Grand-Am, American LeMans, and SCCA Pro Racing. As for the weight, I've asked for exacts on that and will post it up, but my guess is around 21 - 23 lbs. The wheels came shipped 2 to a box and the boxes had 50 lbs. listed on them. So, taking away for the pretty substantial packing materials, I'd say that is a good estimate for now. Found on another forum that the fronts would be 21 lbs. and the rears 23 lbs.
So, the car is in paint and all the body work has been done. Today, they are supposed to fit and prep the new Shine front fenders so the car will be ready to be sprayed starting Monday. Paint will take a week from initial spray to wet sanding and buffing. Still waiting on pics and will post them up.
So, the car is in paint and all the body work has been done. Today, they are supposed to fit and prep the new Shine front fenders so the car will be ready to be sprayed starting Monday. Paint will take a week from initial spray to wet sanding and buffing. Still waiting on pics and will post them up.
If this is anything like their past product, the flow, for comparison purposes, is going to be more like 300-->350 cfm @ 20.3" of h2o. This is based on real flow bench tests I've run and is consistent with some of the other manufacturers' tests I've seen. A new metal cat seems to have a slight advantage, of perhaps 10 or 15 percent, in flow over their high flow ceramic counterparts of the similar size.
Moral of the story: don't trust or believe all the marketing hype.
....Thanks, those look really nice and the flow rates are high. I got the 5" diameter, 3.5: inlet/outlet unit and based on the specs for the 2.5" and the 3.0" units, it should flow over 700cfm so it should work just fine. That's assuming (a big assumption) the metal substrate is up to the task as well. All of these brands have different substrates with some being high quality and others, not so much. So, will it take the heat of the rotary plus the flow of the 3 rotor? We are going to slap it on and see....
^ Below are some responses from Random Technology over email from a couple of years ago. Pressure is at 28 inches, same as quoted on the above link. PR or not, tech guys from reputable companies that build quality parts for our cars (they have a plug in FD midpipe), who respond quickly and accurately to emails always get the benefit of the doubt in my book.
"Part number 903018 has been replaced by part number 141-30038. This converter has 3" diameter inlet and outlet and the body itself is 4" in diameter and 6-1/2" long. The converter flows 617 cfm at a test pressure of 28 inches of water. There is a tube in the pipe that allows an air hose to be connected, but this can be easily capped if you don't want to use it. Capping it will not affect converter operation. Let me know if you need any additional information."
and then another for the 100 cpsi cat:
"Part number 141-30038 sells for $407.04. The 100-cell version will run approximately $470.
The 100-cell converters are fully functional and will clean up the exhaust almost as efficiently as the 300-cell models. The "problem" is that there's considerably less surface area in a 100-cell converter (than in a 300-cell model) so conversion won't be quite as efficient. The difference in conversion efficiency will be be considerably greater at wide open throttle, than at idle and cruise speeds because of the velocity of the exhaust gasses passing through the converter. The industry term is "resonance time"-- the actual time the exhaust spends passing through the converter. Less resonance time means less time in contact with the converter substrate.
We estimate the flow rate of the 100-cell model to be 670 cfm. Our flow bench can't test beyond 625 cfm, so we have to test at lower pressures and convert."
"Part number 903018 has been replaced by part number 141-30038. This converter has 3" diameter inlet and outlet and the body itself is 4" in diameter and 6-1/2" long. The converter flows 617 cfm at a test pressure of 28 inches of water. There is a tube in the pipe that allows an air hose to be connected, but this can be easily capped if you don't want to use it. Capping it will not affect converter operation. Let me know if you need any additional information."
and then another for the 100 cpsi cat:
"Part number 141-30038 sells for $407.04. The 100-cell version will run approximately $470.
The 100-cell converters are fully functional and will clean up the exhaust almost as efficiently as the 300-cell models. The "problem" is that there's considerably less surface area in a 100-cell converter (than in a 300-cell model) so conversion won't be quite as efficient. The difference in conversion efficiency will be be considerably greater at wide open throttle, than at idle and cruise speeds because of the velocity of the exhaust gasses passing through the converter. The industry term is "resonance time"-- the actual time the exhaust spends passing through the converter. Less resonance time means less time in contact with the converter substrate.
We estimate the flow rate of the 100-cell model to be 670 cfm. Our flow bench can't test beyond 625 cfm, so we have to test at lower pressures and convert."
Not too much of an update, but some paint shots. The car is now in the paint booth and that will wrap up this week. Here are some prep shots of the work in progress:
After 20 years, the car had its share of dings and nicks here and there. really was in pretty good shape for being that old. Shots of beginning body work:
After 20 years, the car had its share of dings and nicks here and there. really was in pretty good shape for being that old. Shots of beginning body work:
Shine fenders fitted to the car. The body shop guys say they are nice and not a lot will need to be done to get them to work well.
So, once paint is out of the way (hopefully by the end of this week), I can take the current wheel setup off and ship to Tony and then install the new setup. From there, it's on to the reinstall of the engine, all the wiring, and the v-mount setup. Shooting for an early october completion date and tune and dyno session.
So, once paint is out of the way (hopefully by the end of this week), I can take the current wheel setup off and ship to Tony and then install the new setup. From there, it's on to the reinstall of the engine, all the wiring, and the v-mount setup. Shooting for an early october completion date and tune and dyno session.
Several more paint pics for you. The car is out of the paint booth and has been buffed with it being reassembled today.
These pics are pre buffing so I am pretty happy. This is two coats of primer and one coat of sealer, followed by three coats of Jet Black paint and then 4 coats of clear. The clear is a high solid UV protectant paint so it should last. The bumper is getting an extra coat or two of clear to help with protecting against rock chips, etc.
Next stop is back to Kilo's shop for the wheel swap and then the engine install. That will happen quickly and then the car goes to Goto in Orlando for the v-mount setup. Getting closer and I'd think by mid-October I will be back on the road.
These pics are pre buffing so I am pretty happy. This is two coats of primer and one coat of sealer, followed by three coats of Jet Black paint and then 4 coats of clear. The clear is a high solid UV protectant paint so it should last. The bumper is getting an extra coat or two of clear to help with protecting against rock chips, etc.
Next stop is back to Kilo's shop for the wheel swap and then the engine install. That will happen quickly and then the car goes to Goto in Orlando for the v-mount setup. Getting closer and I'd think by mid-October I will be back on the road.
^ Sure thing, I'll post up how it turns out. Carlos from the body and paint shop (Integrity Body Shop: 407.738.7762) is adding in mounting points to the inside of the fenders. We will use these to attach the liners to the fenders.
Thanks for the compliments guys. I appreciate it. I am excited to see how the paint looks in person. Kilo has seen the car and says it looks really nice and he's pretty picky when it comes to paint. I'm most interested in the engine bay as it had the most nicks and scratches so it see it looking new again will be a nice treat. Apparently it had some "goo" like substance in it that the painters had a difficult time removing. The also removed and rewelded the front support bar as they thought it looked pretty suspect. They are doing a great job and I would recommend them highly.
The shop's info:
Integrity Body Shop
1106 Quotation Court #B
St. Cloud FL 34772
407.738.7762
Carlos Santiago is the owner and he's a great guy. His shop is right next to Kilo Racing so you can get your engine work done and then send it over for some new paint without the car having to travel Like I posted up earlier, I've seen some of the cars he sprayed 5 years ago and they still look fantastic.
So, the car will be back at Kilo's by Monday and then he'll swap the wheels, reinstall the engine, and send it over to Gato for fabbing of the v mount setup. Kilo wants me to come down in a few weeks to inspect the work so I am going to do that. Will be great to see it all coming back together. Noel (Salva on this forum) is going to assist with the tune as he knows Haltech so we are figuring out a plan to put 500 miles or so on the car and then get it tuned up. We might take it down to the Florida2K in October for the break in:
FL2K13 Bradenton Motorsports Park
Trey, that is really good news as you are getting close to being done. What color are you going with? Will you be ready for SevenStock? I've got to make it there sometime and it is on my "bucket list".
The shop's info:
Integrity Body Shop
1106 Quotation Court #B
St. Cloud FL 34772
407.738.7762
Carlos Santiago is the owner and he's a great guy. His shop is right next to Kilo Racing so you can get your engine work done and then send it over for some new paint without the car having to travel
Like I posted up earlier, I've seen some of the cars he sprayed 5 years ago and they still look fantastic.So, the car will be back at Kilo's by Monday and then he'll swap the wheels, reinstall the engine, and send it over to Gato for fabbing of the v mount setup. Kilo wants me to come down in a few weeks to inspect the work so I am going to do that. Will be great to see it all coming back together. Noel (Salva on this forum) is going to assist with the tune as he knows Haltech so we are figuring out a plan to put 500 miles or so on the car and then get it tuned up. We might take it down to the Florida2K in October for the break in:
FL2K13 Bradenton Motorsports Park
Trey, that is really good news as you are getting close to being done. What color are you going with? Will you be ready for SevenStock? I've got to make it there sometime and it is on my "bucket list".