Xtra

I added a hard 2 part white finish to it to see the shape better. The Jersey Cow marbled look tricks the eye, and the all-white surface shows off the small imperfections better. Still, have a ways to go before it can be tested, but getting closer every day.

Time for an update, I have finished shaping the mold and have polished it. Now I am in the process of drilling holes and cutting slots in it, for the vacuum to pull the ABS into shape.

This has become a bigger project than I originally thought. I thought I would just cast the part, clean it up, and be done in a couple of days. I have worked a few hours every day on this project for weeks on end, and progress is being made, but it is slow dirty work. I added the first sanding coat ( photo above ) but then I realized that it was too soon for that and the mold needed more work before finishing. I needed to make sure that I had a zero or a positive draft angle on all edges so the part will release from the mold and not get stuck. This has to be done without changing the original design in any way so the part will fit properly. I am learning as I go.

Have finished the shaping and just put on the first sanding finish coat. I will wet sand it, then apply another sanding layer and wet sand that as well. At that point, the plug will be ready for a coat of finishing resin, so it will buff out to a high gloss super hard finish ready for the vacuum machine. . . . I hope....

I don't know the answer to that, all I know is what I told you about E85.

Bump....

The stock injectors and HPFP reach their limit with E85 and a tune. The HPFP can have pressure fluctuations trying to keep up with the demand, and injector life will be shortened considerably. The safest and best way to run E85 is with the Xtreme DI HPFP and new larger injectors. Snmjim & Special_K are testing and working on bringing the new larger E85 injectors to market now.

Just a note, I have the H&R springs, Addco Rear Sway bar, and a front strut cross brace installed.

I had a chance to hit the canyons this weekend and took Stunt Road because of the uneven pavement in some of the corners. Having dips in the middle of a corner can really upset a car, and the new B6 struts and shocks worked great. The new set up allows for more rear-end squat when applying power out of a corner and better overall control over uneven pavement. Is it worth the $450 for parts and another $300 or so for install? It depends, there is not a huge difference, but the B6 set up in an improvement over the stock set up. The car remains much more stable and controllable over these uneven surfaces that I had to be very careful of before. I like the ride and the car seams more solid somehow. Is the B6 setup faster than stock? I don't know, but the ride is better, the car still goes like heck and I really like how it comes out of the corners now, over all a good improvement.

I was finally able to install the Bilstein B6 shocks and struts that I originally purchased back on 08/03/2020, it only took 2 1/2 months, LOL . So far I have only a few miles on them but I like the ride, it is compliant, quiet, and smooth. And that was unexpected, I thought that they might be too stiff, more truck-like. It is too bad that the Mulholland Snake is still closed, I did all my testing there and I could get comparison times up the hill. I was able to do a little testing, and for the first time, I tossed the car into a corner. Nominally, I pick an apex and drive as smooth a line as possible. Now, while tossing two + tons around is not advised, the car responded perfectly and remained in balance and under control at all times. I will run some canyons soon and see how they work there. So-far, So-good

Work has resumed, and it is starting to take shape.

Even with the factory tune please be careful, keep it below 5,000RPM, and do not stress the engine. Before I got my tune in I ran the stock tune and the fuel-air mix was lean because the new turbos move so much more air. I cannot stress enough about being conservative until you get that tune in it sorted out.

Please be careful, the LMS tune is not calibrated for your new turbos and can cause severe engine damage. UrbanFree recently destroyed his 2.7EB by running an LMS tune with a modified engine. I recommend that you get a custom tune and not mess around with LMS. The LMS tunes are great for stock cars. They are NOT designed for cars with modified aftermarket turbos. Contact Adam at ZFG he can help you tune the car. Here is the thread:

I cut my right thumb pad while sanding today, darn fiberglass. The cut does not bother me as much as having to shelf the project for a few days while I heal up some.

I pulled the buck from the mold today and did a little rough finish work on it. Sanding makes a huge mess, I had to stop several times to get the dust off of me ☠️. Thank goodness for N95 masks Also, had to leave my clothes outside when I stopped sanding and went inside to clean up. I think this buck is going to work fine. The bottom sanded flat. A bit rough but, the top of the buck is ready for Bondo and finish work to smooth out any imperfections and define the lines..

I finished casting the buck today.. I added hollow places So I can drill through and have vacuum to help pull in the ABS . I floated the last coat to have a flat even foot that I can finish with a little sanding. Tomorrow I will remove it from the mold. I hope that it is good enough to work with this time. If so, then I will get a good mask for all the sanding that will have to be done. ?

Added another couple of layers of glass today and it is coming along. I believe I will have a good starting point with this attempt. It will take a ton of sanding and finish work before it is ready to use.

Gains can be made from the stock turbos with just simple air movement mods. Let it breathe, add downpipes, and a 2.5-inch exhaust. Work on the air intake as well. Just getting the air in and out with less restriction might give you the performance that you desire. Add the custom turbos later if you want more, the rest of your system will be ready to get the most from them. Turbo swaps are expensive! Or go for broke and do it all at the same time. No matter what way you choose to mod the car make sure that you have a tuner lined up before you start. Good luck

Progress is being made, I rebuilt the mold and started casting the vacuum form buck. I believe that I have it figured out now and should have the buck out of the mold by this weekend. It is expensive, dirty work, so this will be my last attempt. Empty mold ready to go. The first critical layer is done.

Yes, it is, but the nipple size is different on each end in my car . So I am not sure how you used just one hose to connect them both unless RamFab corrected the nipple size on the pipe from 5/8 to 1/2 inch to match the stock nipple. If not then you have a 5/8 ID hose on a nipple designed for 1/2 inch, and that can cause problems. That is why I had to install the hose adaptor.

Fiberglass and it is messy and smelly. I am making a buck for the air intake I designed

I have been working on molds to make a buck for the intake I designed, and have completed a couple of attempts without success. Bubbles and uneven mixing of chemicals are a few of the problems I have encountered. I am not deterred and the third time is the charm. I learned so much on the first couple tries I have confidence in this next attempt. Mold ready to release Top of mold The molded buck has many flaws in it and it will be easier to make a new mold and recast the Buck than to try and fix this mess.

Just thought I would add to this thread. When installing the RamnFab pipe you will need to run a hose from the pipe to an airbox sensor. Because the pipe and the airbox have different size nipples, I had to have an adaptor 1/2 to 5/8 inch. I got this adaptor at the local parts store along with the hose and clamps. The adaptor in place. 5/8 hose to the pipe and 1/2 inch to the sensor. The complete hose installed.

It was frustrating for me as well, the parts came late Friday and if they had not, on Monday morning I was going to cancel Shock Warehouse and go with Summit.

I ordered B6 shocks and struts on AUG 3 2020 from Shock Warehouse and I just received them on Friday, Sept 18 2020 after several phone calls and very little customer support.