Between 705 & 1200 SQ/FT My Mini Garagemahal

[CGohring]

@CGohring - not, IS there a play, that IS THE PLAY!! LOL

I have that a piece of the rear bumper, then center section in between the tips, so that will get cut/sectioned and used to fill in where the original tip cutouts are and the originals will be moved to the center an made to look like a GT3R or Cayman

End goal is something like this
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Should have know that you are way ahead of me on the design..

 

[fouckhest]

Should have know that you are way ahead of me on the design..

All good, I appreciate the comments and engagement!

 

[fouckhest]

Spent most of the night welding runners, finished the last one of the passengers side this morning.

But last night when I had enough intense focus on welding, I shifted back to the rear bumper. After a bunch of measuring, I cut the spare panel section
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Then some quick mock up, need to start by trimming these panels a little better and decide when I will take the plunge and start cutting up the actual bumper
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

 

[fouckhest]

Back to the shop this weekend, had two runners on the passenger that one move a little and one moved a LOT, so that needed a little more rework, but turned out just fine. Lesson learned, lots of curves move in certain ways, and long straight runs, move in other ways...

Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

After putting the puzzle back together, all 8 primaries are now tacked to the flange in a minimum of three places and ready to be pulled off and welded.

Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Ran to the metal store Saturday morning and grabbed this length of 1/4" wall rectangle tube, should work well to bold the header flange to for weld out, will also allow for a nice little hole to be drilled in the center of the primary tube for the argon to escape while back purging
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr


With the argon tank 98% empty, I decided to move back to the rear bumper yesterday, weather was in the mid-70s, so opened up the shop door and had a cars & crafts day. First step was to cut out the entire lower section, you can see the areas I left are where the bumper cover bolts to the car
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Started the mock-up with the section I cut up last week
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Lots of cutting, clamping, screwing things together, this is where I stopped yesterday to help the wifey start getting ready for dinner. I remembered I have an old exhaust rear section from the R32T that had 4" tips, dug that out this morning, going to see how the 2x 4" tips look in that opening, I feel like its too wide, but I want a better visual, I'm annoyed that I didn't think about it yesterday, but oh well, I was in the zone
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Need to go get more argon at lunch, then back on the bumper tonight, hopefully get that close enough to take to the body shop this week, then back to the headers. I still need to shorten the collector end of the primaries to bring the transition up to clear the x-member/trans support. Then back in the car to start on the tunnel.

 

[larry4406]

How do you measure the header runner lengths to keep them all reasonably the same length?

Impressive!

 

[fouckhest]

How do you measure the header runner lengths to keep them all reasonably the same length?

Impressive!

Honestly, I'd have to go back and look through photos, but I think I was trying to simply measure an inside and outside profile and hope the average was "close enough" to keep me in a +/- 10% between them, I recall being relatively successful. In the end, this is a high enough performance engine for it to matter, mostly for sound, which is a big focus for me, the primaries all hit the collector in a clockwise direction based on firing order, both primaries will feed into a megaphone, then a z-pipe, straight back to a dual 2.5" in/out muffler


In other news, mowed the front lawn Friday at lunch before picking up the wife from the airport, grass is finally coming around, dont pay attention to the clover popping up in a few spots (I'm not showing the really bad spot), but it should start to choke it out now that its doing better
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

 

[fouckhest]

Dug out that old axle back section, cut off the 4" tip sections to do a little mock up....glad I did, just wouldn't have looked right

by fouckhest, on Flickr

Sometimes its better to be lucky than good, luckily, after a little bit of measuring I was able to remove the upper center piece, but `3/4" off each side, slide the outer sections in, get it centered and all is right in the world. Hoping to get the body shop to give me advise on how much more I can/should do, versus just letting them take it from here. Either way, I am stoked at the results and think its going to be a great look on the car.

Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

 

[madison069]

I like your end results better than the beginning with the exhaust exit!

 

[fouckhest]

I like your end results better than the beginning with the exhaust exit!

Thanks, I had a feeling that once the tips were in there the size was going to become apparent.

 

[fouckhest]

Lot of work, but not a lot to show for it. My buddy that runs/is the main guy at the local for dealer body shop stopped by yesterday on his way home, I asked him if he'd come check out my progress and tell me what to do vs. what not to do. My marching orders were to merge everything together that was "overlayed," with the original bumper. Spend about 3hrs last night and an hour this morning getting it all cut in and level, bumper is now off and in the bed of the truck ready to be dropped off today.

Side angle shot, it all lines up pretty well, this was last night, its still missing the little vertical support in the lower valance, but you can sit it in the straight on photo....unfortunately I cut the passenger side piece wrong, so it will need to be fully plastic welded in
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Ready to be removed and dropped off
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

 

[fouckhest]

No shop time last night due to meeting up with an old coworker/friend I haven't seen in a while, but got back at it this morning to start on my welding base to bolt the header flange to while welding the runners.

Started by taking the OEM manifold flange to the 2x6 tube, then using my transfer punches and the OEM exhaust manifold as a template
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Onto the drill press for a pilot hole, then tap drill hole next
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

24x later, onto the tap....I wanted to make sure the holes were dead straight so started them using the drill press chuck as a guild, twisted it by hand to get a bite into the metal, then onto the tap handle...I'm always scared to break a tap (childhood trauma after having to drill a tap out)...so Kroil was used liberally!
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr.

Quick chase of all the holes and a test
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Removed the passengers side header and gave it a quick test, great success! Used m6 countersink bolts at the advise/recommendation of a good friend that has a fab shop, worked great!
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr


I was rather impressed to get that all knocked out before 8am this morning, so hopefully find some time to get the mig tacks cleaned up and start burning them in.

 

[fouckhest]

With yard work done and the wife having dinner with her daughter, I headed to the shop. First order of business was to drill holes for the back purge to bleed out of the runners, then got started on welding the runners to the flange. While getting ready to make a foil purge feed I looked through my welding supply box and realized I had bought this at some point, thanks past me!

Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Put in a few hours last night and another hour and some change this morning, many precarious torch holding positions later I have a couple little sections left to weld and then the drivers side will be done. Its so nice welding to thick steel, makes it seem easy, now if my hands just weren't so shakey!
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Hope to get this them all done and back on the engine to trim the runners back so I can finalize the collector position and get them polished up and get the springs welded on.

 

[Xti04]

Nice work Mike!

 

[fouckhest]

Nice work Mike!

Thanks! Trying to keep the momentum!

 

[madison069]

Past me gets praised and cursed at, just depends on what he did.

 

[fouckhest]

Past me gets praised and cursed at, just depends on what he did.

Sorry of my life! I gave up counting home many times I cursed out 25yr old, Mike when I had to un-EF something on this car!

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Sorry of my life! I gave up counting home many times I cursed out 25yr old, Mike when I had to un-EF something on this car!

That's all part of the learning process boys...if 16-25y/o Marc knew how to wire/wrench/etc like I do today, I would have already conquered the world

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

Slowly getting caught back up on the forum after some time away. The build is progressing nicely, really like the center exit exhaust.

 

[fouckhest]

Slowly getting caught back up on the forum after some time away. The build is progressing nicely, really like the center exit exhaust.

Thanks! Good to see you checking back in

 

[fouckhest]

Was out of town for work the first part of the week, got back and settled Wednesday night after a sitting on the tarmac in Chicago for close to two hours, that was fun....and we were this close! Luckily they get generous with drinks in the cheap seats after they delay you for that long LOL
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

After having a relaxing evening with the wife, I got back to my regular schedule, up yesterday morning before work to get back to the headers, I knew I wanted to shorten the runners as they feed the collector so it would bring the v-band up to allow for better clearance over the gearbox x-member

Took ~1" off one and ~1/2" off the other, could marks, cut off wheel and the portaband made short work of it.
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Before:
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After:
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Pretty happy with the results, they ended up pretty even
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Had to tend to lawn care duties after work last night as first priority, front lawn is starting to come in nicely, my clover/broadleaf crud seems to be "lightening" a bit after the recommended herbicide by @Cdubu52, curious to see how it does over the next week, unfortunately seeing more spittle bugs that I'd like, so going to need to treat the lawn for those little effers next....
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr


Knowing next steps on the car were going to be getting started on the exhaust, I decided it was time to dig out all the components that I've been gathering so that I can re-install the engine and get started on that so I can start working on the tunnel and floor.

First order of business was to tack up my megaphones, not sure why I am so stoked about these things, but I am!
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Here is what I hope will be the majority of the components for the exhaust. I've got additional hangers and pie cut pieces still in a box, and the "Blackwidow, Angry Housewife" muffler that will be a swappable section in the very rear of the car.
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Cleaned up a few things this morning before work and got the engine back in the car. I am rather impressed with this lift/spreader bar contraption, it works really well and allows the entire engine/gearbox to balance nearly perfectly.
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr
Untitled by fouckhest, on Flickr

Hopefully I can get some solid shop time in this weekend.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Building the exhaust is always my favorite part!

Went back through the pages and couldn't find my answer, that is a 4.2L Audi right?

 

[fouckhest]

Building the exhaust is always my favorite part!

Went back through the pages and couldn't find my answer, that is a 4.2L Audi right?

LoL, exhausts are fun for sure! I am certainly excited to get started and see where it goes, I am certainly chasing sound and performance, but have some cool ideas for modularity in the system.

Correct, 4.2L from a b6 s4, 340bhp from the factory, the tuning company that has been big with that platform claims that with a little work you can squeeze another 30-50hp out of them, the top end requires bigger injectors, so that will be TBD, I want linear power, not peak numbers.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

... I want linear power, not peak numbers.

Absolutely, average hp/tq, and a big fat torque curve are what always interest me. Save the peak numbers for the dyno/trailer queens!

 

[fouckhest]

Save the peak numbers for the dyno/trailer queens!

Exactly!