wgflatliner

i have a 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS (1 of 800 imported). Handling by Lotus, and stock has turbo and AWD. Engine mods mostly done by myself except machining: Performance 1) Block bored 1mm over, honed, decked, dunk tanked 2) Crank forged, polished, nitrated 3) Rods balanced all within .001g of eachother 4) Top-Line main and rod bearings 5) Arias forged 1mm oversized pistons, floating wrist pin design, 9.45:1 compression ratio 6) Toga high volume oil pump 7) High volume water pump 8) Removed air conditioning to fit turbo 9) Decked head 10) 3-angle valve job, new valves, valve springs 11) Hydraulic lifters 12) 1.8 cam upgrades with accompanying oil control valve 13) ARP head bolts 14) Ported and polished intake and exhaust ports on head, gasket matched 15) Fully ported intake plenum and intake runners 16) 1.8 valve cover 17) Custom carbon fiber spark plug cover plate 18) 1.8 intake upgrade, EGR block-off plates 19) Removed all other EGR components 20) Clutchmasters stage 5 unsprung 4-puck clutch 21) Clutchmasters pressure plate 22) Balanced and surfaced flywheel 23) Big 16g turbo from Mitsubishi EVO 8 24) Custom equal length tubular exhaust manifold 25) Custom down pipe 26) Jet-hot coating on exhaust manifold and down pipe 27) Spearco large front mount intercooler with 2.5" inlet and outlet 28) Custom mandrel bent and tig welded stainless steel intercooler pipes 2.5" all the way 29) GREDDY type RS blow-off valve 30) 3-bar map sensor 31) Custom turbo adapter pipe (outlet) stainless steel 32) Silicone couplers 33) Stainless steel t-bolt clamps 34) Oil catch can 35) Drilled/slotted disc brakes 36) EBC Greenstuff brake pads 37) Wire tuck 38) Haltech E6GMX Standalone ECU 39) Honda Civic aluminum racing radiator 2-core 40) Mishimoto 12" thin design fan, 1300 CFM 41) Oil filter relocation kit 42) External oil cooler 43) Stainless steel custom length braided oil lines 44) 460cc injectors 45) Beru Firebraid 8mm plug wires 46) Beru "one step colder" spark plugs 47) Upgraded to distributor less ignition 48) Matched up radiator hoses to make fit 49) Thicker walled vacuum lines 50) CNC machined polished aluminum radiator overflow tank 51) CNC machined turbo oil drain pipe adapter (for turbo and oil pan for turbo oil drain) 52) K&N PU-4950 cone air filter with 2.5" coupler 53) Autometer Cobalt Wideband o2 sensor/gauge 54) Autometer Cobalt 30psi boost/vacuum gauge 55) Autometer Cobalt electric oil pressure gauge 56) a-pillar gauge pod direct replacement of OEM part 57) RTR short throw shifter 58) Odyssey PC680 dry cell battery and mounting box 59) High quality 4-gauge wires for battery there's other stuff i'm missing, but that's the majority of the stuff i have into it. dirty shot of the engine compartment. yeah, most people think mad max when they see the car, but i assure you it's only temporary. and here's the exterior:

alright, so here's my plan, and so far the building has been pretty good. the kit came with both left and right side drive, and as you know, comes with the motor. The kit says it's a highly detailed engine, but apparently not highly detailed enough for me. i started by looking for tires/wheels that would look right and make the stance look mean, and eventually came across a gentleman who happened to have the perfect sized tire for the job. I will be using the pegasus rims that come with the slicks. Once i found the tire, i wanted to go with a tube chassis. where would i get such a thing? well, in the process of looking for the right kit for the slicks, i came across a kit with the wrong slicks, but the chassis WILL work! it still needs to be trimmed to fit the way i'd like it, but it works. also, i did a BMF job on the tube to the throttle body, to help it look unique i suppose. so, kit bashing and donor model: the engine on the model is so tiny, it's almost too hard to detail, but i managed ok. spark plug boots and wires, coil packs, dipstick, oil cap, fuel rail, fittings and lines, injectors and corresponding wires (the yellow/dark blue wires twisted), alternator wire, metal pulleys and real belts, and block painted properly. i also made a manifold out of evergreen, although it's not 100% complete. I plan on scratch building a turbo like on the tutorial. Here's the tube chassis, and a mock-up of the stance. Future plans: seat will be mounted in the center like a true dragster nitrous bottles/lines both dashes cut in half and molded together to get rid of the regular clusters, and make custom gauge cluster exhaust exit at side vent gloss black paint i'm sure there's more that will be done to it, so we'll see how she goes.

Alright ladies and gentlemen. What we have here today is the Tamiya Nismo R34 GTR Z-tune skyline. I wanted to do this kit as close to factory as possible, including colors. The paint i used was Tamiya TS-17 gloss aluminum, and with clear coat and novus #2 and #1 polishing kit. Also included were the Tamiya photo etch kit meant specifically for this model. The kit is very nice, and includes carpeting, brake/gas/clutch pedals, brake hardware, grille inserts, a template for spraying the "nismo" logo on the intercooler, among other odds and ends. I also used SMS carbon fiber plain weave for the rear wing decal. I've had really good luck with their products. Towards the end i was rushing myself just a little bit to just get it done and off my work bench. as a result the window trim wasn't perfect. oh well i'll touch that up later. Any comments and/or feedback is welcome. Enjoy!

This is going to be a thread dedicated to talking about cool stories that involve model cars. It can be how you found a rare kit for 5 bucks, or about your first feeling of happiness when you first executed a decent paint job on your model. I'll start with a story that has happened recently with me. Recently i have been attending some local model building events, and meeting with a couple model building clubs that i never knew existed up until two weeks ago. Last Wednesday, i was attending the model building event, and met some new people, and saw there was an older gentleman that appeared to have his hands full with different models in cases. I offered to assist him, and he was more than thankful for the help. After looking at his excellent work, i started talking to him about his techniques and whatnot. Then later on in the evening he had started talking about how he has a big model collection and it's his pride of his life (building models). I was a little unsure what to expect, and he had invited me over to take a look at his collection. Well, i went over there last night, and needless to say, i was absolutely at a loss for words. His collection consists of literally hundreds of unbuilt models and a multitude of built models, some which have taken 1st place in some contests. I spent a good hour just looking at the models on the shelf, and didn't even get a chance to check out the stuff behind the ones on the front row! There were several models that i recognized and had built as i was a child, and it literally brought back good memories (specifically the 37 ford car with the trailer). I would've opened the box to unleash the memories, but i wouldn't have left until 1am - but with me having to get up for work at 5:30am, i politely rescheduled that "meeting." Some other models of note: the original Little Red Wagon dodge A100, tons of rare Johan kits, and other older revell kits that came out in 1973 (57 Chevy and 57 Chevy nomad with all doors and trunks and hoods movable so you can open and close them.) He also had a very nice collection of resin kits, and promos. Anyways, me and him had talked for a couple hours, about our lives, work, etc, and i am not being in the slightest way sarcastic when i say car models is his passion. He told me that he had been looking for a modeling partner. Well, needless to say, he has a modeling partner now! I was telling other people in the club that i wanted to attend every session and take home a new tip every session and apply it to my own model building. Everybody was more than willing to offer advice, tips, good product recommendations, and even other demos and how-to's. They even have a person who's available to go over air brushing for beginners and advanced modelers alike. So. In the last two weeks, i have located two model car clubs that are local, found a friend that has a lot of models and experience, learned a LOT of things, and got a modeling partner! I'm more than ecstatic at the moment.

well i wasn't happy with the way the engine was turning out. after studying a rotary build up on the real car, i did a tear down and re-do. i fixed the location of the fuel rail, as the injectors actually inject fuel into the side of the plenum facing the passenger fender. I did get braided lines and AN fittings and made fuel lines, swapped out the ignition wires to yellow with spark plug boots, and twisted yellow and dark blue detail wiring, and glued them to the injectors. I also made the dipstick handle, coil packs, and installed an aluminum oil cap, and ran a wire for the alternator. i figured out how i'm going to do the chassis, and found better slicks than the oldsmobile kit. I will wait until i make progress with the chassis and start posting pics when i make some headway.

why couldn't i have seen this earlier? lol well, time to rip off the old turbo and start with a new one. hehe excellent guide. bookmarked it for all my turbo needs.

Hello, I have met up with a local car model club and will be joining them. (they put my truck on public display!) In their display case there was a 1/12 scale F1 racing car that had some really nice looking exhaust pipes. Per the builder's suggestion, i picked up the Tamiya weathering kit D that includes burnt blue, burnt red, and oil stain. This is the same weathering kit he used. For the life of me i cannot remember what color he used for the base on the exhaust, but it was a dark metallic color. all i use pretty much is tamiya for my paint, to give you an idea, and i'm thinking metallic gray. so here comes my question: what color do you find to be the most realistic for exhaust on a turbo application?

more progress on the motor. it's like i'm a motor or something.. hehe done: plug wires alternator wire fuel rail with injectors and harnesses dipstick oil cap pulleys and belts up next - getting liquid masking tape for the harness coming off the back of the engine to wherever it goes

ok i got the oldsmobile model and the slicks appear to be a good size for the stance i want. i just need to fabricate a rear tube chassis to get it to look right. as far as the motor is concerned, i have been detailing it pretty decently in my opinion. i made a generic fuel rail with injectors and wiring harness, and also got some aluminum pulleys. they pulleys have been straightened out after the pics were took. i also removed the rear hatch of the car so i can remove it for display purposes.

well, i have been fiddling with the 70 stang boss 429 for a bit here, and made some progress. the motor is pretty much basic bolt-ups done, no wiring done yet, and the air cleaner comes on later in the instructions. time to rant. this kit has so many stinking ejector pin moldings it's RETARDED. GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. i mean - seriously - ejector pin molds on headers? really? ok done ranting. going to start painting parts of the chassis, and detailing it next.

can you get a detailed pic of the dipstick and how you work it into the motor, please?

i like the roof line. i say go for the 2jz with single turbo upgrade and nice plumbing. There is a supra out there making 2,041 horsepower on that motor, so i think it should be sufficient for pro-street quarter mile times, or in the same league.

forgot to add the truck bed pics:

Here is my submission: AMT 1955 Chevy Cameo, old version with the messed up side windows, etc.. This was a very fun and interesting build for me. It was the first time i successfully pulled off a two-tone paint scheme, and also the first time i did seat belts. The build was pretty much custom, and that's what made it as fun as it was, despite the "wrong" things that are inherited with building this model. what's done to it: RB26DETT Nissan Skyline motor, twin turbo inline 6. Also fabricated all wheel drive. aluminum pipe exhaust, custom rear bed, with wheel wells, a cut-out in the floor and a bed cover. I went with Tamiya TS-56 Brilliant orange and TS-30 silver leaf separated by a black pin stripe. Wheels are from the Tamiya Mitsubishi Evolution VI street version. Removed front grille and put in a black mesh, with an intercooler, all intercooler piping custom made, modernized interior with racing buckets, sparco 4-point harnesses, and floor shifter plus e-brake and fire extinguisher. The exterior is pretty much shaved, and set smoothly. I did lower the ride height a lot as well. anyways, enough blabbing from me, here's my photos: engine shots: intercooler: undercarriage: exterior shots: thanks for looking!!

i will once it's officially complete. thanks for the extension!

now only waiting for the two firewall pieces to dry and glue them in, and it'll be done. here's where she sits now: let me know what you guys think!

making significant progress so far today. in fact it should be done today, hopefully. the bed on the truck is painted and glued in place, the clear plastic over the bottom of the truck bed is still drying but i guess is supposed to dry clear. i made a generic gas cap for the fuel tank. what's left? getting the rear bumper and tail lights done, painting and gluing the firewall pieces, installing the fuel tank, and doing the pin stripes. exhaust pipes enjoy!

alright, since i'm under the spotlight, thought i'd give an update. headlights are installed, turn signals, side windows, trim painted but not completed, all other windows put in, exhaust done, bed is painted and curing as i type this. all that's left: paint firewall pieces, glue in place mask off side of cab, use paint pen to make black pin stripe mask off truck bed, use paint pen to make black pin stripe paint trim silver on truck bed rear bumpers and tail lights clear bed bottom piece glue bed to frame fuel tank fuel cap here's a pic of the exhaust done in aluminum tubing: i'll get more pics tomorrow.

alright i'm about to buy the oldsmobile pro-stock model. keep in mind the mazda is 1/24 and the olds is 1/25. i'm not 100% sure it'll work, but we'll see. if not then i have another model!

alright i made it home finally. i work today and have the next 3 days off. i'll be working on this truck some more.

i can get into the chat room, but also don't have the ability to click on the box to type a message. i tried typing blindly and hitting enter, nothing happened. also, when i'm posting up a regular post here, the fonts, bolds, sizes, etc, is right in middle of the box, so if i'm trying to type a long entry, i have to guess and hope that what i'm typing is correct. i'm not at home so i'm assuming that it has something to do with the computer i'm on and its restrictions... now to look for firefox.....

Hey everybody. Slight update on this scenario, albeit not a positive one. As you know i was scheduled to be out of state from the 19th to the 26th. I made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare, but my airplane didn't. it was about 3 hours late. due to that i missed the connecting flight to denver out of milwaukee. so they told us we needed to re-book our flight, and they won't be able to get us home until wednesday. So i'm stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do for four days. when i get home i'll see what i can do to get this done in a timely manner i will talk to you guys soon.

i suppose if i submit it without the truck bed, then so be it. i'm packing my stuff and getting ready to head up to michigan for a week, but when i get back i have two complete days without work so i'll do what i can to knock it out. i know i won't have enough time to spray the bed, allow it to cure, and mask and spray the other coat. if it doesn't get done, then do i just keep my updates here or in my other thread that i have under workbench?

i must say i'm very very proud of myself with this one, considering there's barely anything stock OOB.. i got the mesh grille installed, a front mount intercooler (hand painted HKS logo), intercooler pipes, got the glass in and didn't smudge it (with the exception of the vent windows that i need to fabricate need to do: mask off hood and spray underside of it, respray truck bed to fix smudge, install headlights and turn signals, get a "thin" fan, run radiator hoses, and the exhaust. it shouldn't be too hard. i may miss the deadline barely but i'm going all out right now.