My SC has arrived

[celicauk]

Well its finally arrived and the shop are getting ready to do the install early next week.

Take a look on the site linked below and go to modifications for more info.

[Bobbeh]

Hmmm, didnt go with the Blitz one then? Any idea of the likely performance gains you'll be getting?

I'll have to stay on the look out for a v fast VVTi now :)

[bboyfranky]

This is pretty interesting. Please give us more info on the total cost with installation. I'm sure some fabrication will be needed. Also, I have the VVTL-i engine, does the company make anything for me that you know of? Thanks.

[Stephen G]

Bob, if you are coming to the Bolney meet in March, you can see it. Will you be there?

[celicauk]

Yes there will be a fair bit of fabrication to be done. IT is looking like the A/C compressor will be relocated to the alternator mounting and the alternator moved down at the bottom of the engine near the sump. The SC should then mount between.

This is a bit of speculation based on the Blitz layout as we haven't yet refitted the engine ready to measure up.

I have no idea on the power output to be had, this is all a bit of an unknown. The SC will be running 10+ psi so expect a fair increase.

As stephean says, the car should be at Bolney for all to have a nosey at and Nick at Stealth will be happy to discuss any requirements you may have.

I'll keep you posted through the week.

Cheers

[DaksGT]

Godd luck, always great to see.

[Bobbeh]

I dont know anything about this meet.. but it sounds fun. I cant commit to anything right now, but I'll seriously think about it ;) Also how many people are likely to be there?

/me looks on streetmap.co.uk as hes never heard of the place :)

Ah, been past that on the way to Brighton.. fairly easy to get to for me (A1-M25-M23 etc). Got a url for more info about the meet?

[celicauk]

Take a look in he meeting section on the Celica Club site. There are a few pics from last years meet and details for this March.

Expecting 200+ cars for this one, all Jap.

[Bobbeh]

Dammit, looks like a good meet and would make our car look positively slow! :D
Does someone own that Blitz Supra or do the company bring it down to show if off? PLus do they give rides, Id be willing to pay! Hehehe

[celicauk]

Ah yes, the Supra, its owned privately I think, although from the stickers on it I guess it has some form of sponsorship. I don't think he gives rides though, which is a pity.

[00CericaRuss]

Simon, You're truly mad! ;) I checked out the UK forums, and people are quite innovative.. I like the custom gauge pod on the dash that someone's making, and the pics of your pistons are nice.

If only I could understand what you guys were saying sometimes :D

[celicauk]

The custom gauge pod is mine too :D

[00CericaRuss]

it's nice... still in progress?

what color you gonna paint it? and how hard was it to pull it out?

[celicauk]

One way or another it will me silver, I have some flowcoat and have had some special metallic silver pigment made up. I am still not sure if I will use it yet as getting a good finish is really hard and possibly a bit ambitious. If I don't use the flowcaot I will probably use something like the Foliatec spray paint which is meant for interior colouring.

Removing the dash is easy enough but you do have to remove all the front and centre tunnel panels to do it. Also there are some clips built into the vent unit to hold cables in place. THe vent housing is all fixed to the main dash so you have to get under it to unscrew a couple of clips and disconnect the others. Its fidly but not diificult, I think in all it took me about an hour to remove.

[00CericaRuss]

not bad.... I may have to do something like that at some point in time.... is the car still drivable w/out the dash? is the airbag still there?

[celicauk]

The airbag is in a box full of padding as I don't want to risk the system getting confused. The instrument cluster is taped to the cross support so all I need to make the car drivable is there, perhaps not as nice but definitely drivable.

Of course having no engine doesn't really help :D

[00CericaRuss]

I hear that... I was just thinking how feasible it would be to not have a dashboard for about a week

[celicauk]

It really shouldn't be a problem, the biggest issue will be that you will have no stereo!!!!!

If everything is taped up out of the way then it shouldn't present any problems.

[kuruptgt]

what are you talkin about i don't see any custom guage thing

[00CericaRuss]

it's in the message boards... maybe page 2.. he's got the whole top dash out... don't make me dig for the link :D

[celicauk]

Actually the only bits of interior trim left in the car are the door panels and the roof lining :D

I don't muck about much when I strip a car.

Link to custom dash build (http://www.celica-club.co.uk/cgi-bin/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=39&boardid=3&styleid=2)

[00CericaRuss]

So, out of curiosity, is there a reason you're fiberglassing the entire dash?

[celicauk]

Actually that plan has gone out the window, I was going to layup the entire dash and then flowcoat it in a metallic silver finish, however, thats proving to be a real pain in the a$$ so I am not doing it now.

The dash has been stripped of its fibreglass and I am now making a new gauge pod insert which I will blend into the top centre of the dash unit, in the same position as the original gauge pod.

This will then be painted along with the rest of the dash.

Seemed like a good idea at the time :rolleyes:

[00CericaRuss]

yeah.. i hear ya... kinda overkill though I guess.... I'm quite interested in how the dash color ends up after you paint it

[kuruptgt]

man you are crazy takin yur dash out and tuff i wouldn't know hwere to start. but can u make me one of those guage pods?? how much

[celicauk]

I am working on a new version that will be easier to fit/blend into the original dash unit. Once this is done and depending on how big a job it is to fit I may offer them up for sale, on the other hand I might just keep it as a one off :D

[jotan82]

PIX PLEASE!!!!!!

[celicauk]

Just got finished up last night, I'll be putting more pictures up when its done as there is a conversion for the centre pods to take a couple of speakers as well.

http://www.celica-club.co.uk/images/dash_rebuild/thread1.jpg

http://www.celica-club.co.uk/images/dash_rebuild/thread2.jpg

http://www.celica-club.co.uk/images/dash_rebuild/thread3.jpg


Just waiting for some LEDs then I can refit my dash :D

[silver-s]

any chance on a left hand drive version?

[celicauk]

I don't see why not, the gauge pod can be of any style you like, all you do is cut a hole in the dash top to fit it in, then glue it from the underside to hold it in place when you are working on it, the use filler around the edges and smooth to blend it in with the lines of the dash.

The downside to this is you then need to paint it or cover it with something. I have painted mine and also all the other interior panels.

This is a big job and not to be taken lightly. I will not be offering this as an item for resale, mainly because of the cost of shipping and the risk of damage to the finished article.

I will be publishing a howto on my site though, so anyone brave enough can give it a go.

[veilside02celi]

thats pretty badd ass :thumbsup:

[jotan82]

damn that is nice

[atehrani]

That is very nice. Think you could do a left hand drive version? Maybe even all of it in CF?

[celicauk]

Note the post above I won't be making any more unless its part of a full install done by me.

I don't see any reason why this layout wouldn't work for a left hooker and if you want CF then go for it, I reckon that would be pretty difficult to lay up CF sheet over it all as the counters are quite difficult to layup in CF.

The other problem would be the raised profile of the edges, the clip in bits like the dash cowl and centre panels would be recessed instead of flush as they are now.

Of course, you could use the stick on sheet stuff but I reckon that would be nigh on impossible to do, feel free to prove me wrong though as I would like to see it done.

[Omni]

wouldnt carbon fiber be extremely reflective for the top of the dash though?

[celicauk]

I suspect so but as it would be uniform across the width it shouldn't be too much of a problem. A friend of mine has a New Beetle with the dash painted a nice shiny red, it reflects a lot on the windscreen but as it is across the full width it is not really a=n issue.

I still reckon it would be almost impossible to do CF on the dash though.