Drivetrain Carbonized some more
.
sorry to hear that. but it might free you up to help me w/ some cf bits as i try to build a race MINI!
. Well, looks like you have you time to start a little cf parts business. I for one would fund your operation by purchasing your fine products.
Seriously!
Longboard
Sorry to here about your job. I personally feel guys like you are and should be considered artist. I'm into all kinds of racing and MC's are included. American Honda has pulled out of road racing in the US for which is just unbelievable to me. It's sad that a solid company like Audi has to pull out while GM will still spend a boat load next year in Nascar .
Well, looks like you have you time to start a little cf parts business. I for one would fund your operation by purchasing your fine products.
Seriously!
Longboard
. Well, looks like you have you time to start a little cf parts business. I for one would fund your operation by purchasing your fine products.
Seriously!
Longboard
The face of racing is changing big time. Besides those noted above Penske pulled out of ALMS and canceled the Detroit Grand Prix. Subbie is done with WRC for the foreseeable future as well. Wait till you see how empty the NASCAR stands are this coming season. There have been major cuts there as well too. Many shops laid off quite a bit of staff at the end of last season and a few teams folded. We as a whole just don't follow that series to see the extent of the bloodbath going on there too.
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Yep, Porsche out of prototype, Audi out of Prototype and almost out of DTM, Honda F1 out, Subaru and Suzuki rally out. Can't see how Dodge could stay in Nascar and Toyota just idled their Tundra factory,not promising for the nascar truck series. Who is next?
I'm looking in all directions. For sure, the idea to produce composite parts for the Mini was immediately on top of my list and the day after I got the news, I was taking about it with Pete at Minspeed . My view on this is, Mini is a small market, furthermore most of that market, at least for carbon parts, looks at $ first. Look at what I say a few posts back. For the sun roof delete, I start with around $ 350.00 of material alone, what would be the final cost including labor, overhead, and a small profit???? Being around this forum for a few years now, I can hear voices calling my stuff "paolocarbonizUbber"
Yes there are "Real carbon" hoods out there for 5 or $600.00. I believe one of these company folded a while ago. I am not in the wallpaper business. If I make the jump I want to do it right from the start ,and that my friends, takes a few $ trust me.
I'm looking in all directions. For sure, the idea to produce composite parts for the Mini was immediately on top of my list and the day after I got the news, I was taking about it with Pete at Minspeed . My view on this is, Mini is a small market, furthermore most of that market, at least for carbon parts, looks at $ first. Look at what I say a few posts back. For the sun roof delete, I start with around $ 350.00 of material alone, what would be the final cost including labor, overhead, and a small profit???? Being around this forum for a few years now, I can hear voices calling my stuff "paolocarbonizUbber"
Yes there are "Real carbon" hoods out there for 5 or $600.00. I believe one of these company folded a while ago. I am not in the wallpaper business. If I make the jump I want to do it right from the start ,and that my friends, takes a few $ trust me.
There is a difference between charging for quality CF work and charging insane prices for rebranded inexpensive items such as wheels. Where PU went wrong is by thinking their .... didn't stink. I can understand some of CF parts pricing but extending that across a line of non-CF items was part of their downfall on NAM.
Anyway, I wish you the best in finding a new position, I guess there is always military fabrication needs
Anyway, I wish you the best in finding a new position, I guess there is always military fabrication needs
1st Gear
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Warsaw/Poland
:
My view on this is, Mini is a small market, furthermore most of that market, at least for carbon parts, looks at $ first. Look at what I say a few posts back. For the sun roof delete, I start with around $ 350.00 of material alone, what would be the final cost including labor, overhead, and a small profit????
:
My view on this is, Mini is a small market, furthermore most of that market, at least for carbon parts, looks at $ first. Look at what I say a few posts back. For the sun roof delete, I start with around $ 350.00 of material alone, what would be the final cost including labor, overhead, and a small profit????
:
(greetings from Poland...)By the way, do you have any estimate of the weight savings?
Cheers,
Sam
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Sam,
It gives me goose bumps when somebody ask about weight saving
. I've seen numbers from 35 to 46 lbs for the weight of the sun roof , no idea what that include. I will know for sure only after I remove the sun roof itself and put it on the scale. Right now, this is what I know:
Weight difference between sun roof skin and non sun roof skin: 8 lbs. 3.6 Kg
Weight of removed support frame: 6.6 lbs. 3 kg
Weight of the insert 4.4 lbs. 2 Kg
Weight saving over the full steel roof: 3.6 lbs. 1.6 Kg.
Weight saving over sun roof (so far): 2.2 lbs.1 kg.
Still to come out: 2 glass panes, aluminum frames, steel tracks, bearings, wiring, electric motor, switches, gaskets, etc.
I,ll keep you all informed as I go. Ho and I forgot, since I deleted the rear seat, and I have to remove the A B C pillar covers I will take the rear seat belts and air bags out too .
It gives me goose bumps when somebody ask about weight saving
. I've seen numbers from 35 to 46 lbs for the weight of the sun roof , no idea what that include. I will know for sure only after I remove the sun roof itself and put it on the scale. Right now, this is what I know:Weight difference between sun roof skin and non sun roof skin: 8 lbs. 3.6 Kg
Weight of removed support frame: 6.6 lbs. 3 kg
Weight of the insert 4.4 lbs. 2 Kg
Weight saving over the full steel roof: 3.6 lbs. 1.6 Kg.
Weight saving over sun roof (so far): 2.2 lbs.1 kg.
Still to come out: 2 glass panes, aluminum frames, steel tracks, bearings, wiring, electric motor, switches, gaskets, etc.
I,ll keep you all informed as I go. Ho and I forgot, since I deleted the rear seat, and I have to remove the A B C pillar covers I will take the rear seat belts and air bags out too
.
I just did a full anthracite conversion to my 02. If you are removing the headliner, it is not necessary to remove the A & C pillars. You just need to carefully pop the tops out so that you can slide the headliner in and out. If you do remove them, then it is easier to also pull the rear side panels off to get them off. If you delete the rear seat belts, you can get these OEM plugs from a GP that will fill in the hole in the C pillar:
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Good info batrugger, Thanks
I wonder how the sun roofed head liner is held around the openings and what would hang down to keep it from sliding in and out? Why is the manual saying to remove the driver seat?
I wonder how the sun roofed head liner is held around the openings and what would hang down to keep it from sliding in and out? Why is the manual saying to remove the driver seat?
I just reclined the seats all of the way back to get them out of the way. Also the B pillars have no clips so they are easy to do. Check this out starting at post 34:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...dliners-2.html
and there is some other helpful info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hed-kinda.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...dliners-2.html
and there is some other helpful info here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hed-kinda.html
Peace Keeper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,747
Likes: 1
From: Defiance, Ohio
Hey Laurent! Man it is a sad day in the ALMS...Too bad I will not be seeing you at Mid Ohio next summer...though if you would be able to it would be amazing to just organize a day there and have you come up...or even a trip to Detroit and MSFITOY, Tuls, you and I could all meet up!
Hope to talk to you soon.
Chris.
Hope to talk to you soon.
Chris.
Peace Keeper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,747
Likes: 1
From: Defiance, Ohio
What a sad day in the racing world. And to think after Team Audi was dominating and pushing the competition to better themselves...
Hope to see you again Laurent.
Thank you for the experience at Mid Ohio, I will never forget that! It was an amazing day and seeing everything that you showed us was a privilege that I cannot tell you how much I appreciate. Talk to you soon.
Chris.
Hope to see you again Laurent.
Thank you for the experience at Mid Ohio, I will never forget that! It was an amazing day and seeing everything that you showed us was a privilege that I cannot tell you how much I appreciate. Talk to you soon.
Chris.
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
Sun roof has been deleted 
. I did a lot of thinking before getting into it, and yet, had a lot of unanswered questions until seeing what's under the head liner. Thanks to NAMers I got the interior off without braking anything,(some clips where already broken from the factory. replaced them.)
Here is the beast all naked.
The beast out of the car, all 56.4 lbs (25.38 kg) of it.
Next I took a deep breath, 'cause I'm about to hack into the structural part of my car and it's the point of no return! Heck, no guts, no glory.So here is another 6.6 lbs (3 kg) off the car.
In goes the carbon/nomex insert with the help of "Mister Bostik"
Then the B pillar bridge (High modulus carbon UD, carbon/kevlar, foam core). All in all Insert, bridge,adhesive,means 8.56 lbs (3.82 kg) goes back in. Then the interior goes home, and....
...we are done!
Outside
Inside
In the end 54.44 lbs (24.45 kg) left the car Ho! by the way since the interior was off, the rear seat belts and seat latchs (left after R.S.D) came off too,thats another 5.94 lbs (2.69 kg).
. I did a lot of thinking before getting into it, and yet, had a lot of unanswered questions until seeing what's under the head liner. Thanks to NAMers I got the interior off without braking anything,(some clips where already broken from the factory. replaced them.) Here is the beast all naked.
The beast out of the car, all 56.4 lbs (25.38 kg) of it.
Next I took a deep breath, 'cause I'm about to hack into the structural part of my car and it's the point of no return! Heck, no guts, no glory.So here is another 6.6 lbs (3 kg) off the car.
In goes the carbon/nomex insert with the help of "Mister Bostik"
Then the B pillar bridge (High modulus carbon UD, carbon/kevlar, foam core). All in all Insert, bridge,adhesive,means 8.56 lbs (3.82 kg) goes back in. Then the interior goes home, and....
...we are done!
Outside
Inside
In the end 54.44 lbs (24.45 kg) left the car
Ho! by the way since the interior was off, the rear seat belts and seat latchs (left after R.S.D) came off too,thats another 5.94 lbs (2.69 kg).
Very clean and nicely done work!
It looks like your plan really came together well. Although it doesn't appear in the photos, I'm sure there was alot of preparation time in bringing this project together. Well done!
It looks like your plan really came together well. Although it doesn't appear in the photos, I'm sure there was alot of preparation time in bringing this project together. Well done!
My little dose of LITHIUM
iTrader: (1)
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,435
Likes: 2
From: Albuquerque New Mexico
That is truly fantastic! Audi's loss is our gain. I am positive that more than half the time of this project was preparation. In fact, I've never seen a great project that didn't follow that formula.
Excellent job!! The outside view looks factory...very clean!
How about a fiberglass hood?
How about a fiberglass hood?
Thread Starter
|
3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 228
Likes: 0
You bet I spent a lot of time preparing, siting ,looking at the car, trying to see through it, running all possible scenarios in my head, every sequence, every tools needed,etc. But most of all preparing for the unexpected. Preparing to improvise.Things like the B pillar bridge was designed and built in 4 hours after dropping the head liner, and ready to go in by the time the insert's adhesive was cured. I had 3 days max to do it and it all went well. The only hick-up was when I try ed to drop the sunroof by myself expecting 30 lbs. As the last screw came off, holding the beast with one hand, I went hu-ho 
that's no gonna do it 
! Managed to push the thing back up, find the screw and torx wrench that i had dropped and screw it back. That was a U-tube moment when I felt like the idiot who is sawing the branch he is seating on .
that's no gonna do it ! Managed to push the thing back up, find the screw and torx wrench that i had dropped and screw it back. That was a U-tube moment when I felt like the idiot who is sawing the branch he is seating on .
