2005-06 Ford GT Build from Scratch Project

[HighHP]

great project, looking forward to your updates...

you do your own cad cam design and fabrication?

I do my own design, old school, by drawings on paper. I draw every single part before fabrication. That way everything fits perfectly when fabbed. In my younger days, I did not have time for drawings, so just started building. I would spend hours or maybe days fabricating an assembly, just to find out there was interference, or........ Then I would have to throw it away and start over or hack it up to modify it. I did not have time to do it right, but found I had time to do it all over again. Drawings take time, but it is very nice to build to drawing specs and then have the perfect fit. I have given copies to others to build for their Jeeps. Mostly, the bumper assembly builds. The rear bumper assembly includes a swing away tire carrier.
In respect of the Forum administrator, DBK, I will very much abreviate my non-GT info on this forum.

 

[SkeletonGT]

you do your own cad cam design and fabrication?

I do my own CAD work, but sub out the machining. My next post is kind of a change of focus where I'm making some 3D plastic parts. I'll post them later tonight.

 

[Tiago]

cool project, subscribing.

 

[SkeletonGT]

Hi Guys, I've had a lot of people ask for a set of my bushings and although I am confident on how they are constructed (machined from billet 6061-T6 and molded/bonded polyurethane) I'd like to get some road time on these before releasing them. If you want to reserve a set DM me and with a deposit I'll reserve you a set. If someone out there has an immediate need and is willing to put some road time on them with this understanding, DM me also and we'll make arrangements.

Now on anther note, I've been playing a lot with 3D printing and decided that I would try to make some parts this way. The plastic is really durable and can with stand temperatures over 400F. I started with making a USB port bezel for my R8, which didn't have one, but had an ashtray! Here is the original ashtray and here is how the R8 Console USB Ports turned out. I was pretty happy with it so I moved forward onto GT parts. One of the first parts that has to go in, is the fresh air cowl duct, since it gets enveloped by everything else. These parts were too big for my printer so I decided to split them up and plastic weld them with some great stuff I found at SEMA last year. This is the screen bezel that mounts to the cowl near the wipers. You might be able to see where I printed it in two pieces and plastic welded it. The plastic sands and paints well and can be body filled if needed to look like a factory part. I kept going with the bigger parts. Here is part of the duct printing on my printer. This piece alone took 30 hours to print! I eventually printed all of the parts and experimented with body filling to see how that would work. Here are all the duct parts. Ford put these together with steel S-Clips and there are even some that are stapled together. I'm thinking that one or the other didn't work well. I decided to hunt down the clips and was actually able to find them. I had to buy 100, so if anyone lost a clip, let me know and I'll drop one in the mail. I could have plastic welded them too, but I'm thinking that the clips allow for some compliance when the duct is bolted on each end. From a distance, it almost looks like a factory part doesn't it? So not that this is the next step of my project, but rather me thinking of other plastic part I could make, I made a defroster vent. You can see that in this picture it is how it comes off the printer. I would probably want to clean it up a little. I made the flange about 3mm wider all the way around because the leather on the stock dashpad shrinks over time and the edge gets exposed near these vents. When I find my dash pad, I won't have to worry about the leather edge showing. Anyway, I need 4 more, but I'll print those later when I need them. I will need some clamshell louvers down the road and if I can't find any I think I will go this route.

 

[ChipBeck]

Hi Guys, I've had a lot of people ask for a set of my bushings and although I am confident on how they are constructed (machined from billet 6061-T6 and molded/bonded polyurethane) I'd like to get some road time on these before releasing them. If you want to reserve a set DM me and with a deposit I'll reserve you a set. If someone out there has an immediate need and is willing to put some road time on them with this understanding, DM me also and we'll make arrangements.

Now on anther note, I've been playing a lot with 3D printing and decided that I would try to make some parts this way. The plastic is really durable and can with stand temperatures over 400F. I started with making a USB port bezel for my R8, which didn't have one, but had an ashtray! Here is the original ashtray and here is how the R8 Console USB Ports turned out. I was pretty happy with it so I moved forward onto GT parts. One of the first parts that has to go in, is the fresh air cowl duct, since it gets enveloped by everything else. These parts were too big for my printer so I decided to split them up and plastic weld them with some great stuff I found at SEMA last year. This is the screen bezel that mounts to the cowl near the wipers. You might be able to see where I printed it in two pieces and plastic welded it. The plastic sands and paints well and can be body filled if needed to look like a factory part. I kept going with the bigger parts. Here is part of the duct printing on my printer. This piece alone took 30 hours to print! I eventually printed all of the parts and experimented with body filling to see how that would work. Here are all the duct parts. Ford put these together with steel S-Clips and there are even some that are stapled together. I'm thinking that one or the other didn't work well. I decided to hunt down the clips and was actually able to find them. I had to buy 100, so if anyone lost a clip, let me know and I'll drop one in the mail. I could have plastic welded them too, but I'm thinking that the clips allow for some compliance when the duct is bolted on each end. From a distance, it almost looks like a factory part doesn't it? So not that this is the next step of my project, but rather me thinking of other plastic part I could make, I made a defroster vent. You can see that in this picture it is how it comes off the printer. I would probably want to clean it up a little. I made the flange about 3mm wider all the way around because the leather on the stock dashpad shrinks over time and the edge gets exposed near these vents. When I find my dash pad, I won't have to worry about the leather edge showing. Anyway, I need 4 more, but I'll print those later when I need them. I will need some clamshell louvers down the road and if I can't find any I think I will go this route.

Holy shit dude!! That is a serious project!! More photos and regular updates please.

Chip

 

[ultrasportracing]

Hi, Ive done a similar ground up build. Lets see some pics please.

 

[Tomcat]

I made a defroster vent. You can see that in this picture it is how it comes off the printer. I would probably want to clean it up a little. I made the flange about 3mm wider all the way around because the leather on the stock dashpad shrinks over time and the edge gets exposed near these vents.

Man, you are talented and busy! This is how we (GTGuys and I) did the defroster vent issue a few years back. Powder coated collar and 3D printed vent.

 

[SkeletonGT]

@Tomcat great job on the defroster trim pieces. They look great! @ultrasportracing I would love to see pics of your final project. What did you do for your tube bundles? I know I can make these, but I'm really dreading it. I keep hoping for a wreck to pop up. As far as pictures, For some reason I can't embed pictures like you can can (I keep getting forum Errors), but if you go to my wordy posts, you will see it littered with links to all of the pictures as I describe things and that seems to work.

 

[ultrasportracing]

Hi. Tube bundles. I bought new. Were not that expensive. Try Torrie at Fast parts.

 

[Specracer]

You need to resize the pictures to be smaller to upload them here.

As far as pictures, For some reason I can't embed pictures like you can can (I keep getting forum Errors),

 

[Ron Resech]

cool project, subscribing.

My rear outer control arm bushings are starting to leak some grease. I have the billet control arms. Do I need to replace the bushings, if yes with what bushings?

 

[2112]

Man, you are talented and busy! This is how we (GTGuys and I) did the defroster vent issue a few years back. Powder coated collar and 3D printed vent.

Will you sell these? I reached out to Rich and never got a response.

 

[morsben]

That's a cool project. Looking forward to seeing more updates and pics.

 

[Silverbullitt]

You can get boots to cover the bushings from another forum member. Do a search and it should pop up. I bought a set a few years back. They work great.

 

[Tomcat]

Will you sell these? I reached out to Rich and never got a response.

I do not have any particular insight to Rich's activities...although I know he stays quite busy. I did not buy extras of ether the collars nor the vents as I thought/assumed that GTGuys would be the source (as needed). I will try to help you source them. I gotta say, they are perfect it fit/finish and form/function.

 

[Jim]

Silverbullitt, I've used new boots purchased off ebay to replace the rear lower control arm bushing. The boot size is 22 30 20 and there is an outfit from Bulgari (don't laugh) that sells them. No issues with delivery. If you go on ebay and search "dust boots 22 30 20" you will get hits.
Replacing is a bit of a pain getting the wire clip to sit right but take your time. The actual bushing that's pressed into the rear lower control arm outer is based off the Lincoln LS rear bushing from Lemforder. It's a 47mm cartridge ball joint that articulates 8 degrees. I'm in the process of pressing them out of a set of arms and pressing new ones in.

 

[SkeletonGT]

Hi. Tube bundles. I bought new. Were not that expensive. Try Torrie at Fast parts.

@ultrasportracing can you DM me the contact info for Fast Parts? Really Excited if I can buy the tube bundles!

 

[SkeletonGT]

Hi. Tube bundles. I bought new. Were not that expensive. Try Torrie at Fast parts.

I found Torrie - a man of few words... still trying to explain what the tube bundles are to him lol!

 

[ultrasportracing]

Im back in a couple of weeks. Will get you the part number. Or look on giant ford parts website.

 

[SkeletonGT]

Hi @ultrasportracing I did get a hold of Torrie. No dice though. Thanks for the lead anyway.