Major GTX1 Surgery...
- Thread starter Kip Ewing
- Start date
Shelby#18
GTX1 Owner/Moderator
Sinovac
GT Owner
I don't have a GTX1 but I am fascinated by the work you are doing and the quality of the workmanship. Truly impressive.
atspeed
LAST BLU
Many thanks for keeping us updated and sharing the process. This is fascinating and I applaud your work. Very nice!
Michael
Michael
Reminder.
Gentlemen,
Some of our newer members may not be aware of all the cool carbon fiber parts that Kip has developed for non-GTX-1 Ford GTs. Check out Kip's website and order your GT an early Christmas gift! All of Kip's parts are works of art. He is also a Forum sponsor.
Chip
Gentlemen,
Some of our newer members may not be aware of all the cool carbon fiber parts that Kip has developed for non-GTX-1 Ford GTs. Check out Kip's website and order your GT an early Christmas gift! All of Kip's parts are works of art. He is also a Forum sponsor.
Chip
S592R
GT Owner
- Dec 3, 2006
- 2,800
SLF360
GT Owner
I need a carbon fibre replacement for the melted plastic piece around the exhaust outlet, as my entire exhaust train is jetcoated, and hence the end pieces must be smokin hot when I drive her like I stole her (like on the track) and i dont want to end up in smoke....:rofl
my help
Actually, I've got two employees.
My main guy is just brilliant. An excellent pattern maker and really great at the carbon. I joke that when I die, I am going to leave an endowment to exhibit his patterns and mold at the Detroit Institute of Art.
My other employee is a fine artist we have trained. He really is doing great work. I have had really good luck recruiting people with art and design backgrounds. This stuff is learn-able when you start with someone that understands "craft".
Feel free to fly over.
We'll find something for you to do!
Always happy to train people.
Actually, I've got two employees.
My main guy is just brilliant. An excellent pattern maker and really great at the carbon. I joke that when I die, I am going to leave an endowment to exhibit his patterns and mold at the Detroit Institute of Art.
My other employee is a fine artist we have trained. He really is doing great work. I have had really good luck recruiting people with art and design backgrounds. This stuff is learn-able when you start with someone that understands "craft".
Feel free to fly over.
We'll find something for you to do!
Always happy to train people.
Try this ... it's where I got mine:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...s?hash=item3c9a470c8f&_trksid=p4506.m20.l1116
tpraceman
THEE GT OWNER
A forum member abolfaz in Florida made this a year or two ago.
I got one of the first run and get many comments on them as well as the Derry lug nuts.
I stay away from Kips house just in case he is lurking with a sawsall in his hand.:lol
Nice work Kip but we don't expect anything less from you:thumbsup
Last edited:
Latches
Well it's all coming together.
One week to go before the car ships, and all the hard work in pattern making, tooling, and processing the bits is coming together.
This is the fun part when everything starts to look pretty and you get to bolt and bond it all together. It's the "showey bit" a the end of the hard work.
Here's the progress on the latch receivers;
You'll note from the early photos of the receiver development that they looked a bit like 1st year high school shop class. Well, these rough parts were only critical in terms of their geometry. We use these fabricated bits as an armature to sculpt body filler over and make a casting pattern.
Here you can see the finished patterns and the parting boards for the foundry.
With the sand casting process, you have to establish a parting line for both halves of sand mold. The pattern drops into the parting board and you pack sand over it. You then flip that plug of sand over, remove the parting board and pack the sand to the opposite side of the pattern. Once you remove the pattern, you now have cavity to cast into.
Here's a photo of a raw cast latch receiver and a pattern.
Once we have the raw casting, we machine the holes for mounting and the guide pin bushing. We also clean up the surface and get it ready for powder coat.
We sand blast the part, prior to powder coating. We use the Craftsman powdercoating gun. These are not sold anymore. I have no idea why. They are fantastic for the small quantities of parts we coat in-house.
Once the part is sprayed, we put it into the lab oven at 420 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The coating melts, flows out and (in this case) takes a wrinkle finish.
So, here's the finished product.
These things really turned out cool.
Everyone that comes into the shop really digs these things.
You hardly see any of this part, most of it is hidden behind the header trim, but I think it is one of the cooler little details we've done.
OK, so this weekend we finish the headliner, form the rear window, paint the door caps and start to wrap this little monster up!
This thing has been a ton more work than I was expecting.....
4 GTX1s coming in on the heels of this one.
Good thing the new building is about ready.
I drove around the block to look at it today.
New glass block windows, the offices getting renovated....
3000 more square feet is going to be great!
Well it's all coming together.
One week to go before the car ships, and all the hard work in pattern making, tooling, and processing the bits is coming together.
This is the fun part when everything starts to look pretty and you get to bolt and bond it all together. It's the "showey bit" a the end of the hard work.
Here's the progress on the latch receivers;
You'll note from the early photos of the receiver development that they looked a bit like 1st year high school shop class. Well, these rough parts were only critical in terms of their geometry. We use these fabricated bits as an armature to sculpt body filler over and make a casting pattern.
Here you can see the finished patterns and the parting boards for the foundry.
With the sand casting process, you have to establish a parting line for both halves of sand mold. The pattern drops into the parting board and you pack sand over it. You then flip that plug of sand over, remove the parting board and pack the sand to the opposite side of the pattern. Once you remove the pattern, you now have cavity to cast into.
Here's a photo of a raw cast latch receiver and a pattern.
Once we have the raw casting, we machine the holes for mounting and the guide pin bushing. We also clean up the surface and get it ready for powder coat.
We sand blast the part, prior to powder coating. We use the Craftsman powdercoating gun. These are not sold anymore. I have no idea why. They are fantastic for the small quantities of parts we coat in-house.
Once the part is sprayed, we put it into the lab oven at 420 degrees F for about 20 minutes. The coating melts, flows out and (in this case) takes a wrinkle finish.
So, here's the finished product.
These things really turned out cool.
Everyone that comes into the shop really digs these things.
You hardly see any of this part, most of it is hidden behind the header trim, but I think it is one of the cooler little details we've done.
OK, so this weekend we finish the headliner, form the rear window, paint the door caps and start to wrap this little monster up!
This thing has been a ton more work than I was expecting.....
4 GTX1s coming in on the heels of this one.
Good thing the new building is about ready.
I drove around the block to look at it today.
New glass block windows, the offices getting renovated....
3000 more square feet is going to be great!
Shelby#18
GTX1 Owner/Moderator
Looks good Kip, unfortunately that 3,000 more square feet will fill up faster than you can say Carbon Fiber. :cheers
3000 square feet
Yah, that's what I am afraid of......
It's a great problem to have!
I do have my eye on the building next door, already......
It would make for a nice little complex.
Yah, that's what I am afraid of......
It's a great problem to have!
I do have my eye on the building next door, already......
It would make for a nice little complex.
Piana
GT Owner
Kip,
Do you have a price yet? Can the top be installed on the West Coast, or do we have to transport to you?
Tom
Do you have a price yet? Can the top be installed on the West Coast, or do we have to transport to you?
Tom
Roof
Price depends on if it is painted or if we do clear carbon, custom headliner etc. Please ring me to discuss.
There is only one other guy I'd trust to install this, Shadowman....
We'd have to work out the details, but I'd trust him.
All the GTX1s are a little different, so it's not a direct snap-on like a Miata or such. The door caps need a bit of fitment and centering the rear window module takes a bit of care.
Price depends on if it is painted or if we do clear carbon, custom headliner etc. Please ring me to discuss.
There is only one other guy I'd trust to install this, Shadowman....
We'd have to work out the details, but I'd trust him.
All the GTX1s are a little different, so it's not a direct snap-on like a Miata or such. The door caps need a bit of fitment and centering the rear window module takes a bit of care.
BlackICE
GT Owner
His last name
Not to mention his last name is one of those hyphenated British surnames.
It's actually Bill Care Skilled-Knobloch.
I understand that the Skilled is silent and not actually pronounced.
Actually, the 'skilled' is pronounced, but you know what I mean....
Sorry. It's late and I have been handling a lot of solvents today............
Not to mention his last name is one of those hyphenated British surnames.
It's actually Bill Care Skilled-Knobloch.
I understand that the Skilled is silent and not actually pronounced.
Actually, the 'skilled' is pronounced, but you know what I mean....
Sorry. It's late and I have been handling a lot of solvents today............