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S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

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Fabman

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And there it is, battery box and cover.
Total weight savings, 20 pounds.

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Fabman

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F.D. Sako said:
Shiney!
Carry the hex key with you, incase you need to jump it 8)
I'm wiring in a shut off switch on the firewall which will also serve as a charging station. :)
 

302 Hi Pro

Boss 302 - Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car
2,009
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Fabman said:
Thank you.
That top plate is going to mount the battery cover so I wanted a fairly wide surface to support it.
The bottom of it has an adhesive foam strip to cushion the battery so drilling holes in it would just reduce the cushioned area for the sake of saving a few ounces.
It's all aluminum so it's very light. I'll get a weight comparison to the stock setup when it all done.

Tig Welding is one of the most difficult welding processes to learn.
I would strongly suggest taking a beginning mig/tig class at a local collage and getting the basics down first.


Regarding machines, I'm old school so I have all big 350 amp transformer machines, both Lincoln and Miller.
There are other machines out there but the smart money is spent on those 2 main brands.
That's where the quality is, the support, the ease of securing replacement parts and where the value is.

There is a new breed of welders out now called "Inverter welders". They are much smaller and lighter.
I have a portable one that's the size of a lunchbox that I use for onsite emergencies.
Not much capacity but it seems to weld ok as long as it's thin steel or stainless (no aluminum).
There have bigger ones, but I haven't had a chance to try one out yet.

You'll want to get one that's water cooled. (air cooled is cheaper but you'll learn to hate it very quickly)
Also make sure it is a high frequency machine, not scratch start or lift arc.
You won't be able to weld aluminum with out a high freq box in it.

The best bang for your buck is a Miller Syncrowave 250. It will do all you need and more.
They are very easy to find used and are easy to sell when the time comes. Its basically the standard of the industry. Everybody has parts and consumables (which you'll go through a LOT in the learning process) and they are super durable.

If you are shopping for a brand new machine, I'd say visit your local Miller dealer and tell him what you want to do and see what the latest models offer. Don't under estimate what you are going to do; buy up-not down.
You would be much better off buying a good quality used machine than a new machine that's off brand or too small.

Tig Welding is hard enough to learn without trying to trouble shoot a goofy machine on top of it all.

And that's my advice.....for what it's worth.

Fabman:

Thank you so much! I hadn't thought of a used machine, but great idea. Will stick with a Lincoln or Miller machine and will buy up for a high frequency unit. And for what's it worth? To me it's worth a lot and you probably saved me untold angst from buying the wrong unit.

As Always,
2HP
 

Fabman

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Grant 302 said:
Good stuff. Wish they were a direct fit for the '10-'12 hood. :(

And IIRC, that type of louver works a bit better if it has a wicker bill at its leading edge. Not unlike the raised front/perimeter area on the Tiger Racing design.
Ask and ye shall receive:


http://trackspecmotorsports.com/shop-by-vehicle/mustang/s197-mustang-10-12.html
 

Fabman

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Grant 302 said:
Thanks for the heads-up! Now I gotta get a hood to butcher!! >:D
www.Grassrootsmotorsports.com is supposedly doing a live install tonight at 6:00 at least that's what I heard.
I must say though, these are really starting to grow on me. The more I look at them the more I like them.
 
100
109
Utah
I installed my TrackSpec hood louvers a few months ago. I opted just for the side louvers instead of complete side and front louvers as shown on Fabmans Mustang. I elected not to buy/install the two center louvers as they would have been placed just in front of my hood scoop and would vent hot underhood air. My Saleen hood scoop is a fully functional "Shaker Hood Scoop" with all the incoming air to the throttle body and the SC coming solely through the hood scoop. You might say that it is the ultimate "cold air intake (ambient air). The TrackSpec louvers leading edge are located right at the trailing edge of the radiator.

I have not had a chance to try them out as the track season here in Utah starts in March but I am expecting/hoping for good results. I think it a good alternative to the Tiger Racing hood.

zajac

IMG_2929.JPG
 

Fabman

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zajac said:
I installed my TrackSpec hood louvers a few months ago. I opted just for the side louvers instead of complete side and front louvers as shown on Fabmans Mustang. I elected not to buy/install the two center louvers as they would have been placed just in front of my hood scoop and would vent hot underhood air. My Saleen hood scoop is a fully functional "Shaker Hood Scoop" with all the incoming air to the throttle body and the SC coming solely through the hood scoop. You might say that it is the ultimate "cold air intake (ambient air). The TrackSpec louvers leading edge are located right at the trailing edge of the radiator.

I have not had a chance to try them out as the track season here in Utah starts in March but I am expecting/hoping for good results. I think it a good alternative to the Tiger Racing hood.

zajac

IMG_2929.JPG
Yup....that's why I removed my scoop. It was in the way....plus it was fake. I'm not crazy about fake.
 

Fabman

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Here we go....check it out:


https://www.facebook.com/grassrootsmotorsports/videos/10155108031488140/?autoplay_reason=all_page_organic_allowed&video_container_type=4&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=1684078671830257&live_video_guests=0
 

Fabman

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Grant 302 said:
Thanks for the heads-up! Now I gotta get a hood to butcher!! >:D
10-12 louvers on sale first few days....better scoup 'em up quick!
 

Fabman

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That's a fun track. I wish it was closer I'd go more often.
Maybe there's something with my particular phone or the way the software was transferred.
I still haven't had any luck with it. I made tons of track addict video with my 6 without issue.
 
You can call me if you want we can try and work it out. I had a mess with a few things to get that app working on my 7. I'm a network and systems engineer and I could figure out that kind of stuff. PM me if you want my number. And I'm in San Diego, so we are somewhat the same distance to that track. It's super fun. Of course it's not fun losing brakes at 115 miles an hour.

Nonetheless, we should meet up at an event there in the next couple months. My arm should be good in my car should be ready.

On another note, I saw the louvers for my year Mustang, but it looks like the ones you put on would fit on my hood too and offer more area to let air out. What do you think?
 

Fabman

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I think they both look great, but I sorta like the newer style twin vents. They are bigger so I'm sure you aren't loosing any efficiency.
PM me your number and I'll ring you up this weekend. Thanks for the help!
 
Well, I called John over there and talk to him and then ordered some. I got them yesterday and they really do look great. They're a lot bigger than I thought. They measure about 11 1/2 inches at the bottom and 12 1/2 inches at the top and there are 19 inches long. They look great and will definitely help suck air out.

I'l install and post pics as soon as I can. Not sure if I can do it with limited use of my of me left hand but I will try. I am tired of not being able to do things right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Fabman

Dances with Racecars
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Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
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Exp. Type
W2W Racing
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20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
Well Kevin was by on Sunday and attacked my dashboard like a pack of wolverines.
I don't think the defroster is ever gonna work again. :(

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While he was busy throwing parts away I made some new radiator ducting and an aluminum panel for the Dash.

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I told him to drive home very carefully because if he gets run over by a truck I'll never be able to figure the wiring out.
 
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