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Project - Tummy Tuck -

C

CrazyTalkSVT

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
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856
Location
Minnesota
The title suggests following suit to Project - Face Lift - with the body modifications, which this thread eventually will. However, instead of removing things I'm actually adding here and there so the title "Project - Breast Implants - probably would be a better fit, but I didn't want to give the youngsters the wrong idea. :rolleyes:

So for comparison sake here is a photo that Redlineracer12 took a couple years ago (minus the Mondeo front end). Tony, you rock!

IMG_5118copy.jpg


There are certain (small) things that have always bugged me and as time has gone on they have become more annoying to me. I have highlighted them in red...be kind, my Paint skills are not the greatest.

SkirtWrap.jpg


The obvious is the jackpoint covers. Which I think the majority of us all kind of say "ish" to. The other is the meet up point to the rocker. Sometimes it looks ok, but mostly they sag in the front and/or the rear. The gap isn't very consistent and alot of the time they develop waves where they spread away from the rocker.

Brandencar-Copy.jpg


Then there is the kick-up in the center of the side skirts. I liked it at first. Then I started feeling like, "well the doors don't kick up, the window line doesn't kick up...for the most part the bottom of the car is straight across...why did Ford build in a kick-up....ughhhh!!" So I have to do something about that as well.

So this is the start

Start.jpg


This is one of the pieces propped up and just taped to the stock skirt to get an idea (cell photo).

041310_19361.jpg


It's a start. Have a good day guys. I'll update when I can. :cool:
 
Oh •••• - This should turn out really good if you are on it! Nice project.

I actually find nothing wrong with the look of the OEM sideskirts besides the jack covers fitting like poo. Fixing just that issue will take your eye away from the other "issues" that bother you.
 
Prepare for a bunch of cheap skates to flood your thread with pleas for a group buy...

Car looks great, and I am excited for the end result :)
 
There ya go... now when your finished we can make a mold and here comes fiberglass or carbon fiber skirts... just a thought ;)
 
i just saw one of these while having some stuff worked on by B. looking sick. he's actually got a lot of things going on with the tour, should be cool to see it back on the street soon :)
 
I f you've ever noticed every car with side skirts has that "kick up" to clear the driveway or speed bumps. Next time you pull into a driveway with any amount of slope, pull up half way and open your door and you'll see just how close the center of the side skirt comes to the curb, especially if your car is lowered. Without that raised portion in the center, you will tear the crap out of those skirts. I recommend you clamp your new skirts on your car and go test them on some driveways..................

FGM
 
CSVTFGM said:
I f you've ever noticed every car with side skirts has that "kick up" to clear the driveway or speed bumps. Next time you pull into a driveway with any amount of slope, pull up half way and open your door and you'll see just how close the center of the side skirt comes to the curb, especially if your car is lowered. Without that raised portion in the center, you will tear the crap out of those skirts. I recommend you clamp your new skirts on your car and go test them on some driveways..................
Click to expand...

I think he knows a little bit about ground clearance he does air ride for a living ;)

Looks good dude, can't wait to see what you come up with. And oh goodness the mold BS has already begun :laugh:
 
CSVTFGM said:
I f you've ever noticed every car with side skirts has that "kick up" to clear the driveway or speed bumps. Next time you pull into a driveway with any amount of slope, pull up half way and open your door and you'll see just how close the center of the side skirt comes to the curb, especially if your car is lowered. Without that raised portion in the center, you will tear the crap out of those skirts. I recommend you clamp your new skirts on your car and go test them on some driveways..................

FGM
Click to expand...

yah dude when he wants to go over a speed bump he just pushes the ^ button.
 
Let me just say....these pics so far,nor will they probably ever do justice for B's work. Seen these mocked up on his car in person and daaaaaamn. Can't wait to see er done.
 
Redlineracer12 said:
And oh goodness the mold BS has already begun :laugh:
Click to expand...

hey, it wasn't even me that started it this time!

what is that that your using for the skirts? almost looks like part of a gutter...

I had almost exactly the same idea, but I was just planning to start with some aluminum channel, screw that to the "fin" under the body, and add a little bondo just so they wouldnt be completely flat...
 
These are made from flat 18ga cold rolled steel. I used a press brake along with a box pan brake and a slip roller to make the main sections. My slip roller along with the box pan brake have a max forming width of 48" so it's slightly unfortunate that they are made of more than one piece. It really is no big deal though because one piece would be impossible and I knew that going into it. They are very intricate parts.
The stock rockers had to go because they stick out too far under the doors and get in the way. However, these skirts use the stock pinch weld under the car just like the factory rockers and were engineered to replace the loss of the rockers in the first place. I wanted to retain as much factory styling as I could so the change would be subtle. :cool:


Car is extremely dusty/dirty, but here is two of the main profiles welded together and just kind of hanging there by some cleco fasteners:


DSC01766.jpg
 
imnotacop420 said:
Will you be able to drop the bags and shoot sparks from the skirts? :laugh:
Click to expand...

Actually.... :laugh:

Well, my car used to have a slight reverse rake when aired out because the rolling diameter of 235/35/19's put my tire right on the inner subframe structure that runs forward to the core support
and my strut height was maxed because of the spindle design. Basically, because of the spindle design (bore) and strut design it wouldn't matter if I cut the subframe structure out. I wouldn't get anymore drop because the spindle bore against the strut was holding me up.

So last weekend I got a fixture going and chucked them spindles up on the mill. I measured it so they wouldn't drag because I don't want to screw them up, but they are close. I gave myself 0.125". ;)
 
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