Lilchopshop’s Subaru Conversion Project, Making it up as I go Options

[rick 918-S]

Nice project. That will be very fast! Kent's car rocks! I was lucky to have been able to drive it once. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

[Lilchopshop]

Thanks guys! Means a lot to me coming from all you masters! I’m pretty proud of how the shroud is turning out, but then I remember that it’s all going to be hidden by a big ol’ spare tire! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

[Lilchopshop]

Hi All,
Made some more progress over the last few weeks. I switched gears a little bit to work on the front valance/spoiler and a grille for this new hole in the front of the car. For the valance, I started with a fiberglass spoiler that I bought a while back from AIR products. I originally decided on this part because I like the look of the LE spoilers, but I couldn’t find one with a cut-out for an oil cooler/radiator. My rationale was that I could modify the AIR part to make it look more like the LE spoiler but retain the oil cooler cut out. The AIR spoiler was less than half the cost of the cheapest reproduction fiberglass LE spoiler that I could find. I’m questioning my logic now after I see how much chopping up and re-fabricating I’m going to end up doing to convert the AIR spoiler into something that resembles an LE spoiler. Oh well… good thing I don’t do this stuff for money.

The AIR spoiler temporarily secured on the car for an initial look. The horizontal sharpie lines show the material I will cut out to shorten the spoiler.



Then, here’s the spoiler with the center section cut out and taped/riveted together in preparation for adding fiberglass to the back side to join the pieces back together.




And then some pictures of the process to add fiberglass to the back side of the spoiler




This is where I stopped with the spoiler. I still have a ways to go on the front side to add material and get it all back to a reasonable shape. I’ll grind away material from the seams I made and scarf in some layers of a lighter-weight fiberglass fabric until I get close to the final shape. Then, I’ll finish the shape with bondo. I also had to cut off some of the original mounting tabs because they didn’t allow the spoiler to line up flush with the bumper. I’ll have to re-build those mounting tabs from fiberglass in the correct shape.

[Lilchopshop]

The other project I’ve been working on is a 3D printed grille for the radiator hole in the bumper/spoiler. Here is a picture of the current CAD model I’m working to.


Here is print #1 out of PLA filament so I can test the shape/fit



This iteration fit fine and I’m happy with the grille pattern, but I wanted to make it a little more beefy looking and design in some proper glue joints. Here is the second print in black ABS. I like how this came out and I may just run with it, but I’m also considering changing some of the features that will fasten this to the metalwork on the car. If I re-print it, I will make it from ASA filament so that it is more UV resistant.



Now that I have the grille figured out, I can shorten the metal inlet that sticks through the bumper so that the grille will sit flush with the bumper and future spoiler. This is exciting, so I hope to be able to post more updates soon! Thanks for looking!

[Lilchopshop]

Been making some progress on the bumper/spoiler/grille over the last couple weeks. Got the bumper opening mostly done, but still honing in on the final shape of the spoiler. Man, that thing was WAY off to begin with. Here are some pictures of a very rough fit-up with my 3d printed grille.

[Montreal914]

Just went through the thread. Very nice custom fabrication work all around! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)
Hooked, definitely watching! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)
BTW, love the wife's earlier comment... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

[Lilchopshop]

A little more progress on the bumper/grille/spoiler. In these pictures, there’s no body filler on the bumper. Just smoothed the welds and shot some primer on it for now. I’m pretty happy with how the spoiler is turning out, but I still need to re-shape the ends at the wheel arches. I’m going to install flares (I think), so I’m waiting on finishing the spoiler until the flares are on (or until I give up on that idea). For the grille, I’m going do another design iteration. I need to make it oversized for the collar that it mounts to so that I can adjust its position to line up better with the bumper and spoiler. You can see that it’s a little crooked in the opening now.

[tygaboy]

Is your printer in your shop or house? I'm planning on some ASA parts but I understand there are odor and VOC issues and it REALLY needs to be vented outside.
Do you have specific plans to address this? Thanks.

And your build is coming along nicely! Great work on that spoiler mod.

[Lilchopshop]

Is your printer in your shop or house? I'm planning on some ASA parts but I understand there are odor and VOC issues and it REALLY needs to be vented outside.
Do you have specific plans to address this? Thanks.

And your build is coming along nicely! Great work on that spoiler mod.

@tygaboy My 3d printer is in the basement of my house and I don’t have any venting for it. The grille is the only thing I’ve printed in ASA so far, but I didn’t notice the odor to be much stronger than ABS or PETG. The printing temps are a little higher for ASA so that probably contributes to the higher off-gassing. My biggest complaint about ASA is that the speeds are sooo much slower. This grille in ASA took 19 hours to print and that was after I reduced the quality.

[tygaboy]

Is your printer in your shop or house? I'm planning on some ASA parts but I understand there are odor and VOC issues and it REALLY needs to be vented outside.
Do you have specific plans to address this? Thanks.

And your build is coming along nicely! Great work on that spoiler mod.

@tygaboy My 3d printer is in the basement of my house and I don’t have any venting for it. The grille is the only thing I’ve printed in ASA so far, but I didn’t notice the odor to be much stronger than ABS or PETG. The printing temps are a little higher for ASA so that probably contributes to the higher off-gassing. My biggest complaint about ASA is that the speeds are sooo much slower. This grille in ASA took 19 hours to print and that was after I reduced the quality.

OK, thanks for the update. My set up is in the house so I'm not doing anything but PLA and TPU until I have venting. My wife is pretty understanding but...