`85 Postal Service Golf Restoration: 16V ITBs etc.

How close is the airbox to the slam panel???

 

Just read this from the beginning and i am humbled with the quality of workmanship and attention to detail

 

@daNpy: I want to maintain the original looks, so no motorsport latches for me

@Tristan: When the airbox is correctly fitted, about 15-20mm - on the picture it does not sit correctly since I don`t yet have a proper bracket to mount it.

@VR6T: Well thanks you very much, I am humbled by nice responses like yours

Finally I could start molding, I made the parting planes out of ABS plates, 3mm thick. Closing the edges was done with Pelican Nakiplast:



Then the first layer, aliminium-filled epoxy for a hard-wearing surface of the negative. Sprinkled with glass fiber chips as dry coupling:



And some layers of glass fiber:



These were the first three sides of the molds, only 9 sides of molds to go

 

Beautiful work.

 

Just found this thread this morning have read the whole lot today. Blown away you are so insanely talented !

 

Thanks a lot guys, deeply appreciate the comments

Over the last couple of weeks, I finished the molding of the positives. Here are some impressions:


I had to trim the edges (makes a huge, huge mess) and drill some holes for the bolts which will hold the parts together later in the process:



I started last weekend with the first part, the Air filter housing. I am making it from Carbon fiber since it is relatively easy to work with, the rest of the parts will be done with Aramid fibers (aka Kevlar). Started with making a template followed by cutouts:



I made two halves which I can put together later in the process, here already with the first layer of resin:



I did not have time to make some pictures in between, so here the parts already in vacuum:



Cured but still in the mold, vacuum bag and the other stuff already removed. Peel ply still on the part:



And the parts fresh out of the mold. These are now made of 3 layers of CF. I dropped them the first couple of times because your brain cannot keep up with how light these parts are, so everytime I wanted to grab them they just fell off the table because there is no weight holding them. Cardboard would be heavier

 

It's like OnlyFans for car guys

 

@Tristan: Haha! But something is different, I have to pay and you are watching for free, this can't be right...

Anyway - I owe you an update. Due to a beetle infestation in the forest of my family I was not only busy with the car the last couple of weekends, but I did manage to get something done.

I started making some templates for cutting the fibers:



Then - cutting the fibers. Anyone who has worked with Kevlar before may know the pain I went through:



And a final result, fresh out of the mold:



However, I just wasn't happy with the look of it. The pictures look nice and are not showing it, but the parts have a weird color and it somehow just looked off. So I tried doing them in Carbon, which I liked a lot more. That said, I am also not 100% happy with the look of Carbon, so I may try some other things in the future, but for now this has to suffice. I really don't have the motivation right now to go on and try other combination and varieties. I really would like tr try out the dogbone hybrid weave.



The core of the parts is still made from Kevlar to ensure that it's tough. All parts (except the air filter housing) are now made up of three layers (2x 245g/m² Carbon & 1x 300g/m² Kevlar) Some impressions:



The trumpets came out really great, I wasn't expecting this:



Also the knee piece, still half embedded in the mold:



Current status, nearly all parts finished:



The air filter housing is made up of only carbon, and thinner layers. It was just a bit to sloppy for my taste, and I was a bit anxious that once on the bench, it could collapse. So I made another one last weekend, now made up of five layers - 2x 210g/m² Hybrid, 2x 180g/m² Carbon, and 1x 300g/m² Kevlar.

It's also a bit of a test to get a feeling how much layers equal how much rigidity. Five layers may very well be complete overkill, but never try - never know.

Also the last trumpet was made in the same slip. Will provide further pictures.

 

You could sell those parts.

 

Interested on how you did the trumpets. It appears that you layed them up over 3D printed inserts, but I curious how you got the inserts out and how the outer surface looks like it came out of a mold?

 

@Tristan: If the functionality is proven on the bench I would tend to sell some if there is interest

@boroko: Unfortunatley I do not have pictures atm, but I try to explain: The mold is a negative of the trumpet, and the outer surface is the mold surface. The consumables (vacuum bag etc) goes on the inside of the trumpet. It was a bit of a gamble since it is important that the inside has a good surface finish and no bigger wrinkles etc to enusre good air flow, but the results have been surprisingly good. I do need to sand some small wrinkles down here and there but nothing horrendous.

 

That's good to hear that you had results trying it that way. Like you, I would have suspected that you would have had more problems. I do want to thank you for being an inspiration throughout this thread by sharing it with us. It has been impressive.