Neil's Aventador build (Page 6/74)
fireboss MAY 30, 08:43 AM
Amazing all the room you got ....keep it up
Neils88 JUN 03, 10:28 PM
A quick look at the front end. The front spaceframe section has been cut (just forward of the headlight mounts) and will be stretched and dropped several inches to better line up with the bumper molding. The metal bumper will be cut to properly fit into the molding and then reinstalled. The forward spaceframe section will also be widened to allow the Aventador headlights to fit and have a proper bracket available for mounting. The large open area will eventually be walled in (sheet metal? fiberglass? ) to create the new front trunk. There is a fair bit of space there, extending right to the front bulkhead, so I'll be able to make a small closed off space next to the brake booster / master cylinder to carry some tools and a tire sealant / inflation bottle (not going to carry a spare).

The picture shows how the front section has been cut off, roughly aligned and held in place with some C-clamps. Once I get the height and location locked in, then the whole unit will be welded in and made to blend in as much as possible.
Neils88 JUN 06, 10:46 PM
Starting to frame up the roof section. I plan on "re-purposing" the Fiero roof, specifically the forward and rear sections. A small piece has been removed from the middle of the rear section, and the B pillar angles have been opened up to match the Aventador roof. The B pillars still need to be modified to account for the small quarter window. Lots more work needed on the front section and the A pillars will be beefed up substantially. I'll also add some addition bracing due to the large unsupported area of fiberglass.
Neils88 JUN 09, 10:19 PM
Slow progress, but got a little more framing completed on the roof section. Have to be really careful to ensure everything is lined up at the correct angles. I'll be building the roof section up for maximum strength whilst maintaining the thin stock panel profile.



The complex part is that the roof isn't flat or a simple curve. It is modeled after a stealth fighter, so it has multiple angles (tough to see in the pics) which makes it a little bit harder to get all the pieces to line up properly....

[This message has been edited by Neils88 (edited 06-09-2015).]

zzzhuh JUN 09, 10:51 PM
Keep up the good work mate! It looks like it is coming together, can't wait to see it complete!

Neils88 JUN 10, 10:04 AM

quote
Originally posted by zzzhuh:

Keep up the good work mate! It looks like it is coming together, can't wait to see it complete!




Thanks zzzhuh, There is definitely a satisfying feeling as I progress
Neils88 JUN 13, 08:25 PM
Spent several hours welding a number of parts together...then noticed I had the heat setting wrong (I was looking at the welder from above and read it backwards). The welds looked nice, but doubtful that I had good penetration. I wasn't taking any chances so I ground down the welds and re-welded them all with the correct heat setting. Then....during the last weld of the day...this happened....



Thick smoke was pouring out of the welder One of the switches melted. I ordered some new switches, so the welder will be out of action for the next week or so until they arrive. That's ok...lots of other work I can do while I wait
Neils88 JUN 14, 05:04 PM
With the welder down for a bit, I'm taking this opportunity to do some minor surgery on the spaceframe. The dash needs some work in order to fit in the correct location, which is a little lower and forward than possible with the existing framing. It's much easier to get the dash positioned without the roof in the way. The first step is to remove the lower windshield support. It will be moved forward to the new location to give some additional support to the fiberglass windshield framing. I will compensate for the removed metal with a new cross support welded to the door supports. This will stiffen the complete structure, plus ensure a rigid frame for the new "lambo" doors, which require a very strong support to account for the weight of the door and the single hinge per side.



The next pic shows a rough placement of the dash panels. They still need to be moved forward another 6 inches or so. Also, you can see the positioning of the gauge pod is going to be a little bit too far out to the side. This would probably work if I was using a tube frame chassis, but doesn't fit the stock placement of the Fiero steering wheel since the Fiero is much narrower than the Aventador. I'll have to adjust this a little. You can also see the rough placement of the center console.

Neils88 JUN 22, 08:01 PM

quote
Originally posted by Neils88:






I've spent the better part of the last two weeks working on the roof section. My goal was to use the original Fiero roof, cut into quadrants, separated and then have the gaps all filled in. I figured this would come out looking close to stock. But the more I worked on it, the messier it became. I finally looked at it today and decided that it was the wrong strategy; there is just too much difference between the Fiero and Aventador roof. So today I removed the Fiero portions of the roof, and will continue building the roof frame up properly as I should have done from the beginning.
Neils88 JUN 24, 09:13 PM
Back on track...



There will be a couple more pieces put in to strengthen the rear roof support, then everything will get finish welded.