So the drama continues. Car sat at the body shop for over two weeks, which in a way was a good thing. Their lead fabricator injured his shoulder and needed surgery the weekend before they were to start on my car. He would be out 3 months. So needless to say that isn't enough time to have it ready for the show. I had to pick up all the parts and bring the car home.
Little problem with that was my easy means of getting the hood home. My in-laws sold their truck the week before and for the first time ever got a second car. So I ended up taking my factory hood off, driving there with no hood, and installed the Liberty Walk hood in the parking lot. Factory hood uses studs welded inside the skin. Liberty Walk preinstalled rivnuts. So I grabbed a few sets of sizes and went for it. Everything went well until trying to install the hood latches. For some reason they are fine thread and everything else is coarse thread. So naturally Liberty Walk put coarse thread rivnuts everywhere. Thank goodness there is a mechanic shop as well. So I asked if they had a tap set. Luckily they did, so I rethreaded the rivnut to fit the fine bolt latches. Then the hood wouldnt close! It looked to be hitting the strut bar, so I removed that and it closed.
Got it home and the next day started to do a complete fitment of the hood. I installed the 3 point CF strut brace ive had laying around. Which requires removal and cutting of the windshield plastic shroud. It is a lower profile than the factory bar so I figured maybe that will get us the clearance we need and retain the strut bar. NOPE hood wont latch. So I used a camera to try and find exactly where it was hitting and it was not hitting it anywhere. WTF!
I had the shop put AAM silicone hoses everywhere while the motor was out. The main feed going to the intercoolers was too long and hitting the hood then pressing into the ECU. They should have cut this but didnt. So I went ahead and cut it since I had already spent the entire day fooling with fitment and the strut bar. Tried to close the hood again, still wont latch. I then decided to adjust the hood latches and boom it locked. The only reason I didn't try this first was because you could visibly see the hood bending in the middle as if it were hitting something when fully depressed.
So I take the car to the gas station to top it off with some 98 and try to bring my E content down a bit more since it will be sitting a while. When pulling up to the pump I start to hear a terrible knocking noise. To keep this a bit more brief I have no idea what it is. It goes away with throttle so I do not think its bottom end or top end noise. Ive just spent heaps of money on this car and I dont want it sounding like a **** box. My first thought was I got air trapped from opening the coolant system. Next morning I go get some coolant, drain the entire system, and refill it with my vacuum bleeder. Start the car up. Got excited because I couldn't hear anything at first, then it started making the sound again! So it wasn't air, but that's ok the system needs to be properly filled after opening it up. You can pretty much only hear it from inside the car as well. SO im clueless as to what it could be. I went out and just "sent it" figuring if I blow it up I guess I will just build the block. I took a log and sent to my tuner hopefully he sees nothing and its just a phantom rattle of some kind.
Somehow I managed to talk a 4th body shop into at least meeting with me during this time above. They agreed to hear me out and take on the job. Insuring it will be ready in time for the show. "Fingers Crossed" In my area what I'm running into is no one wanting to do anything beyond insurance claims. Its quick easy money. The custom work just doesn't pay as well. Especially considering the quality of most kits that get brought to them. I told the lead guy that will be working on my car not to go out and hurt himself until my job is finished LoL. He had a bunch of photos of 240s he worked on years ago before this insurance meta started. They all look great as does the insurance work I was able to see.
The phantom noise I will try and figure out once this damn body work is done. Bad pic but the engine bay is coming along nicely. All thats left is installing CF engine cover, HKS CF radiator cross beam cover, and GroupeM CF Ram air system.
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Last edited by Mr&Mrs; 06-11-2024 at 04:07 PM.
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