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Permanent Stealth FMIC trim kit - Need test vehicle and review


KCwagon

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Good idea and appreciate the initiative. Given the scope, have set you up as a homebrew vendor for the time being.

 

I'll likely be installing my BNIB Black WBR FMIC which has a huge cross-section, so will this require custom fitting? 30" core and 3" end tanks by 9" high.

 

GL with the project.

 

I can fabricate the pieces any dimension you need/want. The 4"x6" pieces can be cut from a 4'x8' sheet of Anodized Aluminum without any waste, which saves everyone $. Most of the larger intercoolers such as the AVO and Perrin and (sounds like the WBR) require 30" pieces to cover the entire core. My next challenge is to figure out a safe/economical packaging and shipping method for 30" strips of metal :redface:

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* High resolution pics added.

* Test kits are going out Monday.

* I am meeting with shop that does the laser cutting on Monday to create the CAD drawing (required to make the "bumper delete" piece)

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Thanks. Is there trim for the upper part of the bumper after deleting the divider?

 

Yes. there will be. I am in the process of making the pieces for a local test fit. I will keep the post updated on the progress.

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Review time!

 

The kit could not have come at a worse time as far as weather is concerned, just got dumped on with snow Thurs-Sat and now it is rediculously cold. However, since I am such a nice guy, I decided to brave the cold (high of 14* yesterday) and go ahead with the test fit. I took a few pics along the way, so here is my official review.

 

We'll start with the kit itself. KC includes just about everything in the kit to get the job done (all you will need is the adhesives and paint) and the measurements are spot-on. The anodized finish looks great and I was all-around happy with what was provided.

 

Now for the installation. I'm not going to lie, and I'm sure KC will agree with me, the install is not for the faint of heart. It's a very involved process that includes full removal of the FMIC core (for me with my RacerX that meant removing the bumper, headlight brackets, and bumper beam to gain access). If you were installing the FMIC for the first time this kit is a no-brainer, just apply it prior to installing the FMIC and you're off. If the FMIC is already installed though this is something to consider as it is fairly time consuming (I could also be biased, pop-its + cold/wet weather = infuriating hate-filled rage). If your bumper is trimmed like mine, you will also likely need to do a little more trimming after installing the side covers, as a matter of fact I still need to do a bit more trimming but after wrestling with pop-its for literally 90 minutes I left it as-is for now and will revisit that in a few days when it warms up to the 20's :rolleyes:.

 

On to some pics to give you an idea of the process! Here is a before pic of my FMIC (excuse the dirty car, like I said terrible timing):

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/ACB75721-05E9-42D1-9993-BABAF440BE01-2879-000001152240C666.jpg

 

If you have a FMIC then you know how it got there, so I'll skip the whole removing the bumper, beam, etc... Core and aluminum strips after being cleaned/lightly sanded:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/80ED2912-46BA-4CFF-AD01-3780CDA714A2-2879-000001152484D061.jpg

 

Per the instructions I used 3M Yellow Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Adhesive. This was my first time using this and if you haven't used it before my only advice would be to wear gloves when applying the strips. It was a PITA to get off my hands :lol:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/1E205EBD-16A9-4F41-BF98-9ACC59563F2B-2879-0000011526FF64EC.jpg

 

After the strips were applied and weighed down for about 45 mins this was what I ended up with.

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/41980191-43F1-4998-B9D6-CF87E483A622-2879-000001152A9C3B9F.jpg

 

Removing the excess isn't terribly difficult, I used one of the trimmed strip pieces to do that and it worked pretty well. Now would probably be a good time to mention that I did not end up painting my core. There were two reasons for this, number one it was way too cold to allow the paint to cure properly, and number two I know Mattg's core was painted previously, so I thought some people might like to know how it looks on an unpainted core. I will say that if I had painted it hiding the yellow adhesive residue would have been much easier, but after some sharpie touch-up I was left with this:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/465C85D7-A306-4F3B-9A11-48998A043639-2879-000001152D1239B4.jpg

 

Now for the end caps, it's up to you to decide how you'd prefer to mount them. KC suggests mounting them to the bumper, I ended up mounting them to my endtanks. I started by adding some thickness to the backside of the caps so they would reach the core using the leftover pieces I cut from the strips:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/1FAD11E9-CA76-4F69-A3A0-09C6D878650F-2879-000001153AC9707F.jpg

 

Then I put some strips of 3M moulding tape on each side that these thicker points would attach to:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/942B657E-0364-44DD-9858-270017131284-2879-000001153CE00880.jpg

 

After reinstalling everything but the bumper, I put these pieces on and used some black silicone along the top to help it stick to the beam, all said and done I ended up with this:

 

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt344/docholladay23/0CFE610A-F326-40F0-A5D5-1255F4C40C50-2879-000001153EF674FF.jpg

 

As I said I sill need to do some bumper trimming, if you look at the left side you can see the end cap actually got pushed to the right a little by the bumper, exposing a little bit of the piping. This will be fixed when I revisit the bumper.

 

At the end of the day I really like how it looks, I'm excited to see how it holds up and will be even more excited when I've got everything trimmed and back together 100%. As I said earlier it is a fairly involved project, I would say start to finish (including some beer breaks and drying time for the adhesive) it took about 5 hours total. Difficulty would be a 2/5 IMO, there's nothing all that hard about it, it just takes time to do all the dissassembly/reassembly. I will try to get some daytime pics as well if anyone would like.

 

tl;dr - Kit fits great, install takes time, end result looks great.

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Thank you DOC for the detailed review. The pictures/process you provided are great.

 

I agree, the 3M adhesive is messy. The excess adhesive, however, seems to come off fairly easily when it is dry. The SHARPIE is your friend as well :)

 

I will be working on the "divider delete" this weekend. I will post pics when it is finished (it is a bit more involved than the intercooler kit)

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I ended up attaching the strips with thin 3M 2 sided tape cut with a razor blade to fit the width of the strips. This made it so I didn't have to remove the IC for the install.

 

Before

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8680.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8682.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8684.jpg

 

Bent fins

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8685.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8686.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8689.jpg

 

Fin straightening with tweezers

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8690.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8691.jpg

 

Started stripping paint with a narrow chisel & flat head screwdriver. The rattle can scraped off easily.

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8693.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8694.jpg

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http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8695.jpg

 

Strips with 3M tape

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8696.jpg

 

Strips installed

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8697.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8698.jpg

 

Masked for paint

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8699.jpg

 

Painted - plastic film still on strips

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8700.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8702.jpg

 

http://photos.imageevent.com/mattg/legacygt/large/IMG_8703.jpg

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The strips weren't completely straight/flat. I spent a little time straightening them by hand as best as I could. They look perfect once installed on the IC.

 

I will work on the end caps tomorrow.

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Thank you MattG for the install pics - It looks signficantly better already. I hope the strips were not too hard to deal with - these "test fit" kits were cut on a conventional metal shear and require a little straightening before install. Let me know how the 3m tape holds up - as this may be a better option for some folks.

 

Shawn

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Hey Matt is that a slammed B2200 I spy in your garage?

It is. Project from the past that has been sitting for a long time. It has a 2 pump hydraulic system that is fully chrome/gold plated. Full custom interior (color change),fully detailed and painted frame, underside. All the suspension and undercarriage is chrome, gold, painted or powdercoated. The body is also completely shaved and molded. Needs to be Resurrected.

 

Oh, it also has real 88 spoke Dayton wire wheels. :cool:

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Thank you MattG for the install pics - It looks signficantly better already. I hope the strips were not too hard to deal with - these "test fit" kits were cut on a conventional metal shear and require a little straightening before install. Let me know how the 3m tape holds up - as this may be a better option for some folks.

 

Shawn

 

The 3M tape won't be going anywhere. The stuff is super strong when applied properly. The shear cut explains the slight twist the strips have.

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It is. Project from the past that has been sitting for a long time. It has a 2 pump hydraulic system that is fully chrome/gold plated. Full custom interior (color change),fully detailed and painted frame, underside. All the suspension and undercarriage is chrome, gold, painted or powdercoated. The body is also completely shaved and molded. Needs to be Resurrected.

 

Oh, it also has real 88 spoke Dayton wire wheels. :cool:

 

Nice! I used to have a 91 the same color as yours back in the day but it wasn't half of what yours is.

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So you were a mini trucker too? Nice. Mine is a '90. It was red to begin with, now it is Porsche Guards red with a heavy coat of gold pearl. I painted it myself. That's what I used to do way back in the day.
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So you were a mini trucker too? Nice. Mine is a '90. It was red to begin with, now it is Porsche Guards red with a heavy coat of gold pearl. I painted it myself. That's what I used to do way back in the day.

 

Yep I was a mini trucker lol and used to buy the magazine every month. I kinda miss it a little it was a fun truck but I went through 3 engines with it and decided to get rid of it instead of doing some sort of engine swap.

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