More progress made on the body : )

[The Stig]

Hope your Thanksgiving was as awesome as your sentiment!

Now get building!!!!

It was, Thank you.

[The Stig]

Resin & Fiber Glass matting.... Check!
3m Bonding agent.... Check!
Hardened polycarbonate (scratch resistant).... Check!
Ability to be patient.... Not so much.

Jason called and said that we're in the home stretch now. The hatch should be finished before Christmas. Sweet!

Courty sent a note to say that the wiring would be finished by Saturday. Sweet!!!

I haven't heard back from Classic Instruments about the Porsche Gauges. I'll call Ron tomorrow and find out about that.

I have a little more sound deadener and heat shielding to install on the dash panels. Then it's going to the interior shop the first week of January. At least that's the schedule...

Stay tuned!

[carbon fiber]

I'm interested in seeing the interior and gauges when they're finished. it sounds like it's gonna be nice, and that's one of the weakest visual aspects of the gtm. I'm still working on my interior also. I'd be done by now but I keep changing things.

[The Stig]

I'm interested in seeing the interior and gauges when they're finished. it sounds like it's gonna be nice, and that's one of the weakest visual aspects of the gtm. I'm still working on my interior also. I'd be done by now but I keep changing things.

I'm pretty excited about the interior too. I should have a graphic proof pretty soon for design sign-off. Once everything gets sorted out, I'll post a scan of the final proof.

On a side note; I saw a Black Ferrari F12 drive past me here in West Palm yesterday. I had a chance to see the rear window/hatch design up close, and all I can say is WOW. It looks really nice and sleek. Now, more than ever, I can't wait to see that similar design on the rear of my GTM. I think it is really going to compliment the look of the rear of the car.

Again, thank you for your willingness to take on this project and bring it to life for me.

Mike

[mikespms]

003.JPG002.JPG Hi Mike,
I was at the upholstery shop and they where working on this Lambo Aventador. I took some pictures of the rear hatch with my cell they are not to clear, the vents on the hatch are scalloped glass and it reminded me of your hatch project

[The Stig]

003.JPG002.JPG Hi Mike,
I was at the upholstery shop and they where working on this Lambo Aventador. I took some pictures of the rear hatch with my cell they are not to clear, the vents on the hatch are scalloped glass and it reminded me of your hatch project

The first plans that I had for the rear hatch were similar to the Murcielago. But that wouldn't work the way I wanted it to. So came plan B with the side vents next to window like the R8, and finally plan C with the hatch shaped like the Ferrari F12 Hatch... I think we have winner with that one.

[carbon fiber]

the cool part is you don't have to cut up the hatch with this design, it should be even stronger than with the stock glass. I just got the materials on Christmas eve, so that put my schedule off a few days. I'm finishing the large mold today. making parts this coming week.

[The Stig]

This is not the overlay for the hatch. And it is not laying upside down on the rack.

This is the mold that will be used to make the part that will lay into the standard GTM hatch, and be bonded into place with 3M bonding agent.

More pics as they become available.

Mike

[carbon fiber]

that's actually the mold the part will be made from. it is upside down compared to how it sits on the car, and the wood frame is glassed to the mold for strength. it gets a little confusing. the part will look like the original "plug" pics, except trimmed to fit the hatch. everything is on track to make the parts this week. I'm still trying to get the double-sided abrasion resistant acrylic sheet though, I may have to look for another supplier if mine can't get it.

[The Stig]

that's actually the mold the part will be made from. it is upside down compared to how it sits on the car, and the wood frame is glassed to the mold for strength. it gets a little confusing. the part will look like the original "plug" pics, except trimmed to fit the hatch. everything is on track to make the parts this week. I'm still trying to get the double-sided abrasion resistant acrylic sheet though, I may have to look for another supplier if mine can't get it.

At some point I'm going to learn to keep my mouth and assumptions at bay, and just wait until the finished product comes...

[carbon fiber]

no big deal, it's coming soon! as soon as mike gets his on the car and painted, we'll post some finished pics. that'll be really cool, as I've been moving from one piece to the next on my car with hardly any finished all the way to paint yet. I'm going to become a vendor here and sell these as soon as we have finished pics. they'll be $1400 for the hatch, cf cover, and the pre-cut lexan. $1200 without the lexan, if you want to cut that yourself. anyone interested?

[VD2021]

no big deal, it's coming soon! as soon as mike gets his on the car and painted, we'll post some finished pics. that'll be really cool, as I've been moving from one piece to the next on my car with hardly any finished all the way to paint yet. I'm going to become a vendor here and sell these as soon as we have finished pics. they'll be $1400 for the hatch, cf cover, and the pre-cut acrylic. $1200 without the acrylic, if you want to cut that yourself. anyone interested?

Gents,

This is going to be a nice addition.

But at that price point I can't say I'm an interested buyer.

[carbon fiber]

I couldn't make this for any less without losing my you know what. looks like I'm going to production car parts. I probably won't offer anything else I've developed for the gtm either, It doesn't seem like the market is there.

[mmaragos]

If I was still in the build stage, I would seriously consider this piece pending the final look. Price seems inline, actually, seems comparatively inexpensive in my opinion.

[VD2021]

I couldn't make this for any less without losing my you know what. looks like I'm going to production car parts. I probably won't offer anything else I've developed for the gtm either, It doesn't seem like the market is there.

J,
I know you've a lot of work in this piece alone and no doubt your price is in-line. I'm still very eager to see the finished product on Mike's GTM. Just outside of my, already blown, budget right now. But how knows exactly what the future holds.

[The Stig]

For me, this is the answer to a couple of issues that has caused me grief for a while: The clashing body & rear glass lines, as well as the heat trap in the engine bay. When I look at my rear hatch and can see into the engine bay through the "gaps" because of the glass, the price of doing this seems well worth it.

Jason on has put A LOT of work into getting this worked out for me. For me, it's worth the money spent. And I think when it's finished and on the car, it'll show how clean the lines can be around the hatch. At least that's the hope...

When I see the quality of the mold the he'll be making the parts from, it makes me pretty comfortable with what the parts will look like. It shouldn't be too much longer, and then we'll see.

Mike

[Aman]

I'm following with great interest!

Depending on the look, I may be seriously interested once I get to that stage. Dreading the bodywork, that hatch in particular.

Thanks for working on these projects guys, the payoff definitely isn't huge but makes this hobby so much better for us as builders.

Aman

[LCD Gauges]

Seeing that a decent carbon spoiler is $1000+, I believe the price is very reasonable.

[carbon fiber]

thanks for the positive comments, maybe I was a little quick to draw conclusions. someone also mentioned all the builders who don't really post but if something is offered they would buy it. I'm really trying to keep the prices down as low as possible, there's a lot involved with making this stuff. i'll keep a more positive attitude and see how it works out.

[RumRunner]

For me, this is the answer to a couple of issues that has caused me grief for a while: The clashing body & rear glass lines, as well as the heat trap in the engine bay. When I look at my rear hatch and can see into the engine bay through the "gaps" because of the glass, the price of doing this seems well worth it.

Mike,

I certainly feel your pain with body fitment. The hatch is particularly challenging because of the fixed glass - everything needs to fit just right. I want to make certain that everyone following your thread (like me) realizes that the rear hatch can be made to look very good with a bit of work (at least on the Gen 2). While my opinion is certainly biased, I think mine came out looking great. Even gaps all around, glass sits flush with the sides, even the glass at the roofline looks good. I've included some pics. For me, the fitment was straightforward, but really benefited from a few tricks here and there.

That said, I really like what you and Jason have come up with. It certainly fills a need for increased ventilation in the engine compartment, and I suspect many builders will want to include this in their car. I probably would if I mine wasn't done already. Can't wait to see the final piece. Keep up the good work!

-Michael

[The Stig]

Mike,

I certainly feel your pain with body fitment. The hatch is particularly challenging because of the fixed glass - everything needs to fit just right. I want to make certain that everyone following your thread (like me) realizes that the rear hatch can be made to look very good with a bit of work (at least on the Gen 2). While my opinion is certainly biased, I think mine came out looking great. Even gaps all around, glass sits flush with the sides, even the glass at the roofline looks good. I've included some pics. For me, the fitment was straightforward, but really benefited from a few tricks here and there.

That said, I really like what you and Jason have come up with. It certainly fills a need for increased ventilation in the engine compartment, and I suspect many builders will want to include this in their car. I probably would if I mine wasn't done already. Can't wait to see the final piece. Keep up the good work!

-Michael

Hi Michael,

You're right. When the bodywork and proper fitment of the glass is addressed prior to paint, the rear window can be made to look very nice. Yours is certainly a perfect and beautiful example of that.

That sort of fit and finish can only be achieved by putting forth the effort to make it right. Without going into details, and for whatever reason, mine wasn't. So, I was left with a decision as to whether or not I wanted to pull the current hatch and start cutting it up... Or do I just buy a new hatch and start over?

Factory Five said that they would make a new hatch for me. So with Jason's help, I'm confident that it will fit the GTM perfectly and look great!

Thank you to Factory Five for pulling out the Gen-I molds and making me a new hatch to use for this project. Special Thanks to Jason Cecil for taking on this project, and for dedicating himself to produce such a high quality solution for me. I'm very appreciative to both.


Mike

[Taz Rules]

thanks for the positive comments, maybe I was a little quick to draw conclusions. someone also mentioned all the builders who don't really post but if something is offered they would buy it. I'm really trying to keep the prices down as low as possible, there's a lot involved with making this stuff. i'll keep a more positive attitude and see how it works out.

My .02...I think the price is right in line, if not even a bit low for the amount of time, work and material involved.

People need to remember that these ideas don't just spring up and turn themselves into molds. It takes time to come up with a concept, refine it, check to see if it works, then redesign the glitches out, then test again, refine some more, and then AND ONLY THEN start looking at hard parts, molds, etc. I've never seen your process, but from the quality of the photos, I'd say that a pretty damn good amount of thought and consideration went into this, not to mention creativity. That kind of special ability needs to be compensated.

Can I afford it? Probably not, but that's my loss. There are others who can afford it, and they are getting a lot of hidden value besides just the cost of CF and polycarb.

Good job.

[The Stig]

Thanks Taz. You're right. There has been a good bit of effort put into this piece.

With that said, it seems that there are some passionate opinions coming to the surface.

That's a good thing!

Mike

[carbon fiber]

thanks taz. I'm not really trying to make a lot of money off the gtm community, just trying to offer some fixes/upgrades. with the exception of this hatch, I was making the parts for myself anyway. if it weren't for that I'd lose money on the deal. it's more of a passion than profit deal. if there were more gtms out there, it might be different. anyway, thanks for the positive comments. I'm looking forward to seeing this finished on mikes car, and maybe this part will help others with their build too.

[The Stig]

I have a couple of questions that I hope someone here can help me with fairly quickly.

I have had my GTM at a mechanic's shop that was recommended to me, in order to have the Gauges, Fog-Lights, Hazzard Lights, and Mirrors wired. It has been there for 12 weeks, and is starting the 13th week today... That's far too long in my oppinion, and I have to say that it has made me very nervous as I wait to find out what it's going to cost me.

When I spoke to him earlier today, he said that he would have it finished up by the end of thw coming week. He said that the Mirrors and the Hazzard & Fog Light switches were causing him the most grief.

1. My donor car was a 1999 Corvette convertible. Is there anything out of the ordinary with the 1999 mirrors that I need to relay to Courty to get them wired and working as they should? Does anyone have a "correct" wiring schematic that I could follow?

2. What's the secret to wiring the Hazard & Fog Light Switches? I'm using the relays that came with the kit, which run to a central ground, and a "switched on" power source. Again, does anyone have a wiring schematic that I can use to get these working correctly.

Any help that you guys can lend would be much appreciated!

Mike

[VD2021]

Hazard SWT

-Painless harness wire #951 (brown) to black wire(30) on the relay harness
-Pin A on the turn signal harness connects to the green wire(87) on the relay harness
-White relay harness wire(85) to ground
-Red relay harness wire(85) connects to Pin-2(NO) on the hazard swt
-Pin-1(C) on the hazard swt +12v
-Pin-3(NC) is not used
-The remaining two swt pins are for the swt's illumination LED.

HTHs.

[The Stig]

Hazard SWT

-Painless harness wire #951 (brown) to black wire(30) on the relay harness
-Pin A on the turn signal harness connects to the green wire(87) on the relay harness
-White relay harness wire(85) to ground
-Red relay harness wire(85) connects to Pin-2(NO) on the hazard swt
-Pin-1(C) on the hazard swt +12v
-Pin-3(NC) is not used
-The remaining two swt pins are for the swt's illumination LED.

HTHs.

Sweet! Thank you Vidal! I'll pass this along, and maybe it'll help him.

Now to find the schematics for the Mirrors. I don't recall hearing people complain too much about getting the mirrors wired.
So I wouldn't have thought that those would have been such a PITA, but I guess they are.

Thanks again Buddy.

Mike

[The Stig]

Mike, you must have gypsies wiring your car! Jim Schenk wired my first GTM in just one day! The worst by far was my i Square system (early isis)

Gary, unfortunately when Jim comes to North Carolina, he would rather hang out with you and ride dirt bikes than wire my GTM... Who could blame him?

As I've said many times in the last year or so, this build has taught me more than I would have ever expected. And 90% of what I've learned has more to do with the people that I've trusted, than actually building the car itself... One of the things that I've learned much more so than any other, is that I grown to despise being dependent on anyone else when it comes to trying to complete a project like this. It tends to cost me time, money, and friendships. And that's not good.

Mike

[Fugly_Old_Cowboy]

Gary, unfortunately when Jim comes to North Carolina, he would rather hang out with you and ride dirt bikes than wire my GTM... Who could blame him?

As I've said many times in the last year or so, this build has taught me more than I would have ever expected. And 90% of what I've learned has more to do with the people that I've trusted, than actually building the car itself... One of the things that I've learned much more so than any other, is that I grown to despise being dependent on anyone else when it comes to trying to complete a project like this. It tends to cost me time, money, and friendships. And that's not good.

Mike

AMEN!!!! that's one of the reasons I intend to do ALL the work on my GTM myself.... I am just a poor working stiff that is toooooooo short on time, money and friends to have to depend on anyone else's time to get it done... that said, anyone willing to volunteer time & expertise (or money) to getting MY GTM built will not be turned away...

[Kempo]

Mike,

What switch are going to use for your mirrors? Ted at QRP has a kit for them. Not sure how much you are being charged to have the harness made. Depending on that you might be better off getting the complete kit from Ted. It comes with the switch and all connectors for the mirrors and switch. He also has a schematic of the mirror wiring. He sent me one but I looked for it and can't find it. The kit is at the bottom of this page:

http://www.quickracingproducts.com/html/electrical.html

HTH

[The Stig]

Mike,

What switch are going to use for your mirrors? Ted at QRP has a kit for them. Not sure how much you are being charged to have the harness made. Depending on that you might be better off getting the complete kit from Ted. It comes with the switch and all connectors for the mirrors and switch. He also has a schematic of the mirror wiring. He sent me one but I looked for it and can't find it. The kit is at the bottom of this page:

http://www.quickracingproducts.com/html/electrical.html

HTH

Damn...

I have that switch, but decided not to use it because I wanted to use the switch that came with the aluminum console cover that I bought a while back. I had completely forgotten about it. I guess could use that switch just to get them wired and working, and then change the switch when I get to the interior shop. (The interior is going to use a matched set of billet switches for anything that requires a switch).

The switch that I am using is actually from a Malibu, and fits fairly flat to the mounting panel. (I also have the correct pig tail for the switch).





But... Like you said, it may make sense to use Ted's switch and just get it working.

Thanks Hugo.

Mike

[Fugly_Old_Cowboy]

having never seen the schematics before, it's just a guess but looking at it in that pic with the mirror selector at the top I'd say on the 3 pin side the upper pin selects the left side, middle pin is a common, lower pin is for the right side... on the 9 pin side I'd guess the lower right is the common feeding the rest of the right hand pins & the left bank goes to the up,down, left & right directional motors... easiest way to figure it out is plug the connector into the switch & attach a 9v battery to a lead (I'd start with the center pin of the smaller set), & a test light to one of the other leads, work thew switch & see which one lights up...

[carbon fiber]

hatch is made, letting it post cure in the mold a few days before trimming/bonding.

[The Stig]

Very nice!

[Aman]

Nice, looking forward to pics!

[The Stig]

Nice, looking forward to pics!

Hi Buddy. I'm looking forward to it also. When Jason gets done, it'll be a part that I can then finish prepping for paint. I plan to go ahead and remove the current hatch and start test fitting, and working the gaps. I'll certainly post some pictures and let you guys see what we've been talking about. I'm pretty excited about it. It would be nice to have it on before the car goes to interior. But if not, I'll take it to Steve's shop and put it on there. I'll post them as soon as I am able too.

[The Stig]

I got a call from Ron Hannah of Classic Instruments Custom Design Department today. He sent me a proof of the gauge cluster that he's working on. I don't know why but I got a little nervous when I saw it...

The rendering is shaped like a cluster from a Porsche 996, instead of the 997. So immediately I started worrying about whether or not they were working on the right cluster for me. He assured me that, so far, I have been the only one crazy enough to spend the money to have this done to a Porsche Cluster... In any event, the attached proof will give you an idea of what the dials will look like.

Proof


Porsche 996 Cluster


Porsche 997 Cluster


I'm hoping that in the revision, his graphics guy changes the rendering to show the correct cluster.

We'll see.

[rev2xs]

It looks like the have definitely based it off the 996 in my opinion. Not to mention the gauges lose their appeal if the speedo and the rev counter are in the in the wrong positions as apposed the the genuine article. The 997 gauges are slightly oval compared to the 996. But, to be honest, i'd be happy with what they've done if they just change it and put the rev counter in the center.

[The Stig]

Pictures of the rear hatch insert prior to being bonded onto the GTM hatch.





One step closer!

[The Stig]

It looks like the have definitely based it off the 996 in my opinion. Not to mention the gauges lose their appeal if the speedo and the rev counter are in the in the wrong positions as apposed the the genuine article. The 997 gauges are slightly oval compared to the 996. But, to be honest, i'd be happy with what they've done if they just change it and put the rev counter in the center.

Hi Rev,

I think that the look and shape of the 997 cluster works better in the GTM, because it fits a little lower and will allow for a little more line of vision. Plus I just think it looks better. I asked Classic Instruments Graphics guy to place the Speedometer in the center for a couple of reasons.

1. I don't primarily drive by the Tach.

2. When I had this particular gauge cluster retrofitted, there is a digital window in the bottom of the three center gauges that will not be used.

If I left the tach in the center, there would be a lot of blank space that would look a bit awkward (at least to me). I was able to fill it up a little more by having the speed marks wrap around the gauge and then have an odometer in the bottom center. That way the tack can just use a 180 degree sweep on the left side.

I know that it isn't as racy as some others, but then I'm not building this one to be a race car. And since I don't have the Cruise Control wired (God knows what that would end up costing me...), I would prefer to see how fast the car is going as opposed to how fast the engine is going.

The North Carolina State Patrol seem to care more about that for some reason.

Anyway, I hope it turns out well. So far, it's working for me.

Take care Buddy!

Mike