you should have bought one of them cf plugs floating around and put it in and then painted it, would looked like there was no sunroof and wouldnt have to deal with all the bondo and the problems you are/might have with the bondo.
good luck with the project n hope you get it fixed.
I applaud your effort in making your own plug for the car... but I agree with what zack and allen have said.
Here is my personal view on this: You have done all sorts of work on your car, all in the hope you become a "future" H2 racer. Now if what zack has said is true, and you have absolutely NO track experience, then how can you possibly do all these mods blindly? You put what looks like, well, spray painted paper mache', in your sunroof area in an effort to make your car lighter. Why? Why does your car need to be light? ...more specifically, why the roof? Have you determined that your roof is so heavy that it is causing excessive body roll? How would you know without the track experience to tell?
And what about safety measures... if you roll your car, you have taken whatever strutual rigidity the sunroof added to your roof, away (albeit it was never that much in the first place, but probably a lot more than 3lbs. of bondo would add).
I hear your subframe is bent? Why in gods name would you waste the time of the day modifying your car when the SINGLE BEST improvement to your handling would be either 1) buying a new car or 2) fixing the frame properly. I read that you WILL in fact be getting it fixed properly, which is great, but this should have been done first.
Your a future H2 driver? Well than by that note I am too... but I won't be for a while. I have a lot of reasearch to do, studying driver videos, track time at Limerock Park, trying different suspension setups, etc. But I can only do so much with my current financial status.
This is NOT a flame post. My ideas may be off. But these are my ideas and observations... I am simply writing so you don't hurt yourself.
__________________ '02 Maxima SE '93 Prelude vtec - sold
you should have bought one of them cf plugs floating around and put it in and then painted it, would looked like there was no sunroof and wouldnt have to deal with all the bondo and the problems you are/might have with the bondo.
Carbon fiber plugs are not allowed in SCCA. Those rule makers fear the stuff for some reason. That also would have cost more money. There are no problems as of yet.
Good luck with the project n hope you get it fixed.
Thanks.
----------------------------- I applaud your effort in making your own plug for the car... but I agree with what zack and allen have said.
Thanks. I appreciate both Zack and Drew's supportive opinions and ideas towards my project as well as their constructive criticism. Naturally, I do not intend to see eye to eye with them on all issues.
Now if what zack has said is true, and you have absolutely NO track experience,
I have not participated in more than a handful of autoX's either. Does any of this bother me? Absolutely not. I am not concerned with my lack of track time in the least. There will be plenty of time for that. I don't expect you to understand my passions and motives.
then how can you possibly do all these mods blindly?
Mainly I have done a bit of weight reduction. Aside from that are some basic bolt on's. A car does not need to be taken to the track to feel the benefits of a modification.
You put what looks like, well, spray painted paper mache', in your sunroof area in an effort to make your car lighter.
The sunroof is not finished. This is no showcar either. Im not out to win a medal for the biggest spinners or best cameleon paint job. Don't worry thought, when its finished it will look seemless.
Why?
The sunroof was removed for weight reduction. It's going to be trackcar.
Why does your car need to be light?
Because its going to be a trackcar. Weight reduction will improve the performance of any vehicle. Weight reduction = Faster = Better.
...more specifically, why the roof?
Because the glass roof is heavy. You don't want a big 50 lb weight on the top center of a car when you are pursuing an improved center of gravity and better handling. And because its a going to be a trackcar..
Have you determined that your roof is so heavy that it is causing excessive body roll
Yes, I have. There is an undeniable increase in handling with the sunroof pluged.
How would you know without the track experience to tell?
Its common sense. You remove weight, you go faster. You remove weight from the top of the car, it will handle better.
You ask 10 honda challenge racers and 10 of them will tell you its a good idea to remove the sunroof and have it filled, in some fashion. Not one person will say "You know, you might want to consider keeping that sunroof in your racecar..."
You can feel the difference driving on any road. You don't need to go to the track to feel the effects of a suspension upgrade or modification.
And what about safety measures... if you roll your car, you have taken whatever strutual rigidity the sunroof added to your roof, away (albeit it was never that much in the first place, but probably a lot more than 3lbs. of bondo would add).
That's what the rollcage is for. You don't want a glass roof when your car is rolling like a tumbleweed. The rules require you to either remove the glass from the sunroof or have it filled.
Bondo is very, very light. Saying bondo is heavy is completely false and ridiculous.
I hear your subframe is bent?
Yes, it was bent. A replacement has been ordered. It will arrive by the end of the week.
Why in gods name would you waste the time of the day modifying your car when the SINGLE BEST improvement to your handling would be either 1) buying a new car or 2) fixing the frame properly.
The replacement rear subframe, as stated above, will be installed soon.
I read that you WILL in fact be getting it fixed properly, which is great, but this should have been done first.
I didn't actually know that it was bent until a month ago. It drives fine. The main issue is a lack of camber on the left side of the car. The rear subframe will be installed in early January.
Your a future H2 driver? Well than by that note I am too... but I won't be for a while.
Yes I am. I'll glad to hear that you are too. What series will you race in?
I have a lot of reasearch to do, studying driver videos, track time at Limerock Park, trying different suspension setups, etc. But I can only do so much with my current financial status.
Awesome. You are correct, it's definately not cheap.
This is NOT a flame post. My ideas may be off. But these are my ideas and observations... I am simply writing so you don't hurt yourself.
No problem. I appreciate all compliments, complaints, and concerns.
----------------------------- slapping 3 cans of bondo on the roof of a car with a bent subframe doesn't make it a race car.
It was much more than 3 cans. I'm actually about to add a couple more cans to smooth it out. I had a friend weld a steer bar to the bottom of it so it in much more sturdy. And no, the steer bar did not weight very much.
The car is not a racecar, yet. It is a car that is being prepared for amatuer racing.
Driving on bald tires because you're too busy ****ing up the interior to get new ones doesn't make it a race car.
I'm driving on nearly perfect tires and stock wheels at the moment.
The volks are sitting in the garage until it the weather warms up. Then after the tires are ruined I'll order more. They are still fine.
Nothing that has been done to teh car thus far makes it legal to get on the track.
The car is track legal. You can take a rental car to the track if you so inclined.
So at this point, all he's done is **** up a perfectly decent street car. and that my friend, is a waste of a car.
To each their own.
----------------------------- Sell the lude, head to skip barber proof your skills there...
I've tried cutting hair with only limited success. I've deemed it not for me.
dont be stupid and use the street roads as your track.
I do not condone or participate in street racing. I drive spiritedly like most car enthusiast. Can you say you drive the exact speed limit?
-----------------------------
I do not intend for anyone to agree with what I have done or plan to do. If you like it, thanks. If not, thats perfectly fine. Thank you for reading my long ass post.
nice try on the roof, but when you track the car that bondo will crack, maybe less if you get a rollcage installed. although i'm not sure why you did it in the first place - the best way to go fast is to get seat time. when (not if) you redo it, you would be a lot better off welding it in, or at least riviting the sheet metal to the roof, otherwise there is no structual rigidity there.
i also went through a weight reduction phase... drove around with nothing in my trunk except relocated battery, stripped out some heat shielding, installed a CF hood, etc. but it didn't make any difference except at the drag strip, which i could care less about.
btw if you plan on doing track events you need to save up a lot of money. i budget about 700 bucks for a 2 day event inc. lodging and expenses. it adds up really quick, but there's no better way to be fast.
Bondo is very, very light. Saying bondo is heavy is completely false and ridiculous.
Uh, no its not. Even the smallest container of Bondo (pint) weighs over 2 lbs. So if you were using 5 pints, thats over 10 lbs of bondo. Most people would buy in larger sizes, so this means you could have been buying quarts, which would be 20 lbs.
I had an auto body design class way back in the days of high school that we built 1:12 scale cars that we designed. A cardboard frame and HALF of a car (cut down the center) with body finished in bondo usually weighed over 5 lbs.
I have been wondering, just how old are you? I'm only 22, but have enough common sense to not drive a "track car" every day.
I'd imagine you'd do more damage to yourself at a track, then on a street.
I understand you'd have a 10th of the accidents, on a track. However, when you do **** up, you'll be doing over 100mphs and into a concrete wall(grass if youre lucky).
Just keep it safe, and show them all, you're right!
Uh, no its not. Even the smallest container of Bondo (pint) weighs over 2 lbs. So if you were using 5 pints, thats over 10 lbs of bondo. Most people would buy in larger sizes, so this means you could have been buying quarts, which would be 20 lbs.
I had an auto body design class way back in the days of high school that we built 1:12 scale cars that we designed. A cardboard frame and HALF of a car (cut down the center) with body finished in bondo usually weighed over 5 lbs.
I have been wondering, just how old are you? I'm only 22, but have enough common sense to not drive a "track car" every day.
it depends on what bonbo you use. the cheap stuff is heavy. Im a painter in a bodyshop and i also do bodywork and the stuff we have a gallon of it is like 3 lbs. i think hes only going to have a thin layer anyways hes just sanding down the waves trying to make it as smooth as he can, i give him alot of props, not to many people would do that. Hes enjoying working on his car i can tell from how he talks about it. plus theres nothing wrong with driving a track car everyday, its all taste. I like rideing my moutian bike to work rather then my car, some people think that would suck but its something i love to do. theres a few guys in orlando with more of a track car driving around all the time.
note: which brand of bondo ru useing, if u can get ur hands on some evercoat youll love useing it, sands really nice, when ur getting ready to finish it off use a glaze coat over it, before u do any coats make sure you blow off all the dust and blow out any dust in the bondo where pin holes will trap it, other wise it will come out again someday.
I have been wondering, just how old are you? I'm only 22, but have enough common sense to not drive a "track car" every day.
I'm 21. The car has a very mild suspension setup at the moment. No 1000 lb springs yet. It's very easy to drive.
note: which brand of bondo ru useing, if u can get ur hands on some evercoat youll love useing it, sands really nice, when ur getting ready to finish it off use a glaze coat over it, before u do any coats make sure you blow off all the dust and blow out any dust in the bondo where pin holes will trap it, other wise it will come out again someday.
Just the bondo brand stuff. I should have tried evercoat when I started but I'm almost finished. Oh well, maybe next time.
I do love the glaze coat.
I have been using a shopvac to blow off all the dust in between applications.
i think hes only going to have a thin layer anyways hes just sanding down the waves trying to make it as smooth as he can
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