TacoBill

Remember when I was talking about the paint applied to different surfaces?
Looks a shade darker to me.

Louver concept:
Paint match:

LEO_06GT

Agreed.

So did you get any comments about your shock tower covers? Did you get any more pics of the tungsten stang with the shaker??? I noticed from one of the pics Richard to that he also has the shock tower covers and rad cover.



TOM..Cough Cough

TacoBill

Fixed.



Not too sure if a hair dryer will do it. A heat gun, definitely.



+1



Good job, Leo!

Looks like you won those 2 races pretty easily.

Wanna run against the Taco Man???

LEO_06GT

Bring it on.

TacoBill

That TG must have showed up after I bailed. Before he came, I was the only one with the CDC Shaker!

One of my buddy's there commented on the covers; he liked them. He asked where I got them from. Had a small issue with the passenger side cover not snapping into place smoothly. I think the center strut stud (which the cover keys off of) is not 100% concentric within the strut tower hole, preventing one of the clips from engaging.
It seems to be secure for now, but I may end up centering that stud if the clip pops.



No general comments from by bob-beechin pics from Saleen? I'm sad...

TacoBill

Look here, Leo... I was street racin' when you were only 3 years old!

Ya think you could take this old man?

LEO_06GT

"No general comments from by bob-beechin pics from Saleen? I'm sad... "



Great looking pics Bill.

LEO_06GT

You know what they say someday the apprentice becomes the master.

LEO_06GT

Never noticed your profile pic till now.

Car model Bill. BTW-That shirt looks familiar.

89Trooper

It'll pop off again. They always will since the center stud of the strut moves when you drive the car over bumps and around corners. They won't fall off, but you'll notice that they aren't as tight and you'll have to push them down a little again.

Next time you jack up the nose of the car, pop off the strut tower covers and watch how the center stud moves away from center. Well this happens every time the suspension is moving. Not as much (unless you go airborne), but there is vibration there that'll pop off the covers.

It gets pretty darn hot. But wish I had a heat gun to really get it hot.

TacoBill

True.. true. But, someday is not here yet!
I wish I was closer to Qualcomm so we can put this benchmark racing to bed.



I first noticed Tom's profile pic, then decided to upload mine.
'Car model Bill'?? Think I can make a living from this? (Don't answer that..)

TacoBill

If the cover doesn't stay on, my plan was to jack the front end up (leaving the wheels on) and loosen the 4 strut mounting nuts on the tower. Center the strut stud, then re-tighten the nuts. Is this the way I should do it?

Anyways, here's some pics of the new covers. Red grease is Mobil 1 Synthetic.

habu

I think that looks really nice

habu

Cool vids.

I've got to hit the track once I get a few more things done to my car. If not Irwindale up here then I'd go down to Qualcomm !!


Who else would pay to see Leo & Bill race ??

89Trooper

No. The center stud moves all the time because the strut pivots with the spindle as the suspension goes up and down.

When on the ground, the center stud on my car is centered in the circle. When I lift up the nose the center stud is closer to the outside of the circle - toward the fenderwell. So, if you center the stud with the nose jacked up it will be closer to the inside of the circle when you drop the car back down.

The point is - it moves all the time with suspension activity and it will vibrate the covers loose. Not "falling off" loose. After I drive the car, I'll notice that they rotate easier, so if I press down on them again I'll hear a faint snap and then they're good again. The next day after driving again they will rotate easier again. Make sense?

Just check now and see how easy they rotate on the circle. They should rotate a hair with some drag. Then check them after driving awhile (like in a month for you)... see if they rotate easier.

I would. Bill would have his work cut out for him... it's a lot easier to power brake and then let go of the brake and stomp on the gas than it is to dump the clutch without losing traction and then not miss any shifts. No offense Leo. Actually, just the opposite. I think knowing the way both of your cars are, and knowing that the autos are pretty equally matched to the manuals in these cars... I would put my money on Leo. No offense Bill.

TacoBill

The center stud moves all the time because the strut pivots with the spindle as the suspension goes up and down.

Just check now and see how easy they rotate on the circle. They should rotate a hair with some drag. Then check them after driving awhile (like in a month for you)... see if they rotate easier.
I see. Fact remains that the strut stud is not centered (as opposed to the Driver's side). Being off, it just makes the cover fit worse from the start. So, can the center stud be centered while the car's on the ground?

After I snapped the Passenger side cover on (the easy fit one), it rotates a few degrees with stops on each end.
I'll check the 'after drive' rotation later today. I have to wipe some bug marks off the front end before they start to stain the white stripes.



... and knowing that the autos are pretty equally matched to the manuals in these cars... I would put my money on Leo. No offense Bill.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tom!
Puttin' money on the 'kid', huh? Guess the question now is, can Leo take you as well? Careful how you answer... you'll be exposing the weakest link (or person).

89Trooper

The center stud moves all the time because the strut pivots with the spindle as the suspension goes up and down.

Just check now and see how easy they rotate on the circle. They should rotate a hair with some drag. Then check them after driving awhile (like in a month for you)... see if they rotate easier.
I see. Fact remains that the strut stud is not centered (as opposed to the Driver's side). Being off, it just makes the cover fit worse from the start. So, can the center stud be centered while the car's on the ground?
It's difficult because with the weight on the tires, the stud will want to go toward the inside when you loosen those 4 nuts. I do know this: with the nose in the air, if you center the 4 studs in the little holes, the center stud should be centered in the big hole after the weight is back on the tires. Easier said than done. That's why I used that plastic tubing around the 4 studs to center them in the 4 holes.

After I snapped the Passenger side cover on (the easy fit one), it rotates a few degrees with stops on each end.
Same with mine.

I'll check the 'after drive' rotation later today. I have to wipe some bug marks off the front end before they start to stain the white stripes.
They may feel looser and rotate further. If you drove enough to loosen them up. The polished UPR caps that I used to have on the center stud would come loose for the same reason - so it's not an MWAG problem - it's just the nature of the beast.


... and knowing that the autos are pretty equally matched to the manuals in these cars... I would put my money on Leo. No offense Bill.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Tom!
Puttin' money on the 'kid', huh? Guess the question now is, can Leo take you as well? Careful how you answer... you'll be exposing the weakest link (or person).
I would say yes. I'm sure you both have more HP than me with the O/R pipes and the CAIs, plus I'm heavier. But if we got 1-2-3 in a car show, I'd like to see who was where.

89Trooper

Oh - I'm now bending the reflector back the other way... the hair dryer worked perfect and it was bent too far!

EDIT: Now I'm putting the red reflectors back in. There's just something about them I don't like. I did notice they don't match the reflector part of the front corner lights. The back ones are frostier - maybe that's why the red light coming though looked pink? Also, if the curve isn't perfectly contoured to the bumper it doesn't look right. I got it very close, but you can tell it's off.

Other people must have these problems and don't care. The brand Leo showed me (Mr Body Kit?) look just as frosty and just as flat.

Oh well... at least they weren't that expensive.

TacoBill

It's difficult because with the weight on the tires, the stud will want to go toward the inside when you loosen those 4 nuts. I do know this: with the nose in the air, if you center the 4 studs in the little holes, the center stud should be centered in the big hole after the weight is back on the tires. Easier said than done. That's why I used that plastic tubing around the 4 studs to center them in the 4 holes.
I think my center stud is too far outboard. If you say that loosening the 4 nuts (while on the rubber) will move the stud inboard, I may attempt this first by slowly loosening the 4 nuts until it 'slips' into place. If I botch this, I'll jack up the front and attempt to center the 4 studs.




They may feel looser and rotate further. If you drove enough to loosen them up. The polished UPR caps that I used to have on the center stud would come loose for the same reason - so it's not an MWAG problem - it's just the nature of the beast.
That I understand. It's just that I don't get that warm & fuzzy feeling on the Passenger side cover.




I would say yes. I'm sure you both have more HP than me with the O/R pipes and the CAIs, plus I'm heavier. But if we got 1-2-3 in a car show, I'd like to see who was where.
Hey, leave your weight out of this!
I can't believe what I'm hearing.. Leo can take all of us with manuals??
Although I won't be able to actually race Leo anytime soon, I'll try and shoot some launch videos, both with and without the traction control.

TacoBill

Can't you just return them for a refund? The bulbs are the only thing you'll have to eat.