The Silver Freak Project (Page 7/59)
88White3.4GT FEB 24, 01:38 AM
Blacktree FEB 24, 10:33 AM
Since the fiberglass fabrication on the decklid is finished, I'm now doing the fab work on the rear clip. After chopping off the rear half of the clip, it suddenly becomes really lightweight. Go figure!

But I still wanted to shave off a few more pounds. So I decided that the black triangular trim pieces (the ones above the engine grates) were going to be deleted. This also allowed me to delete the underlying support structure for them. Below, you see photos of the rear clip before and after chopping out the no longer needed support structure.





Oh, and here's an interesting coincidence. These mounting holes are perfectly placed. It's almost as if the GM engineers intended for the rear clip to be cut here.



That saves me some work.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-02-2017).]

Blacktree FEB 25, 01:48 PM
After chopping off the back half of the rear clip, the edge looks a little ugly.



So I decided to mold some end caps into the edge, to give it a more finished look.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-02-2017).]

Blacktree FEB 26, 02:00 PM
It's good to know that the tail lights fit.



In case you're wondering, they're 4" diameter LED lights. I'm going to mount them so that there will be no grommets or bezels. I'll be providing details on that soon.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-02-2017).]

doublec4 FEB 26, 10:03 PM
More pictures! Looks really good!
Blacktree FEB 28, 12:39 PM
Now you get to see how I mounted the tail lamps. First of all, here's a side view of one of the lights.



Notice how the body is stepped on the sides. I used this to my advantage. I made the holes in the decklid just big enough for the red lens portion to go through, but not the rest of the body. Then I put brackets behind the lamps to trap them in place.

First, I molded an aluminum bracket into the decklid.



Then, I added a cross-brace to press against the backs of the lamps.



You can't see it in the photos, but the cross-brace has felt pads between it and the tail lamp housings, to prevent rattles.

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-02-2017).]

HC FEB 28, 04:14 PM

quote
Originally posted by Blacktree:





I really like this side view, the mods are subtle, but they really compliment the car... Cant wait will its done... What rims are these?
Blacktree FEB 28, 08:24 PM
Thanks for the compliments. Basically, I'm taking the original styling and "kicking it up a notch", as Emeril Lagasse would say.

BTW, the wheels are 17x7" Nippon F-2, purchased from eBay (Rota Slipstream knock-offs?). They're lightweight, too... about 17 lb each. But unfortunately, I haven't seen any of the 17" ones on eBay lately... just the 15" and 16" ones.
Blacktree MAR 02, 12:38 PM
I've finished the wiring for the tail lamps. In order to maintain a somewhat factory appearance, I routed the wires through the decklid structure, alongside the trunk release wiring. The only visible part of the tail lamp wiring is the section that splits out to the two sides. See photo below.



Now it's back to work!

[This message has been edited by Blacktree (edited 09-02-2017).]

Blacktree MAR 03, 01:56 PM
The decklid and rear clip are almost ready to install. Tomorrow, I'll be putting on the final touches (some sanding and a coat of primer). Then, on Wednesday or Thursday, the parts will be installed. I wanted to have the parts installed by Thursday afternoon, so I could show them off at the Central Florida Fieros club meeting. It looks like that's gonna happen.

The next photos you see will have the parts installed on the car.