Custom BPP Rear Brake Duct Mod: Final Chapter
#1
Melting Slicks
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Custom BPP Rear Brake Duct Mod: Final Chapter
In case you missed the first two threads of my little project here are the links so you can catch up:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1736069
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1737146
On Friday morning I picked up my Vette from the painters. If you live anywhere near SE Virginia I highly recommend you use Dream Works Customs [www.dreamworkscustoms.net]. Pewter is not one of the easier colors to match but they hit it dead on (they also where the least expensive of the three places I got estimates from)
Sunday morning I jacked up the back-end, took off the tires and removed the wheel well covers.
Next I cut out the wheel wheel covers for the air ducts. The covers are supposed to be scored to show where they need to be cut to accept the air ducts but I didn't see any score marks. Never the less I blundered through the procedure but I did have to take the covers off a couple of time to cut a little more here and there. Next I installed the air ducts and re-installed the covers.
As you can see I never could get the air ducts to mate up with the ducts in the rocker panels cleanly; I guess that is why most people put screens in the opening.
Now for the bad news. When I put the wheels back on the tires rubbed against both air ducts (BPP doesn't supply very detailed instructions to go by) . I double checked the installation and made sure all the screws where tight but they still rubbed . Mike (illmac77) recommended that I use a heat gun and try to flatten out the ducts a little. I tried that but the tires still rubbed so I ended up taking off the air ducts. I am hoping that when I get my new wheels, which have more of an offset than my thin spokes, the rubbing issue will go away. Until then I will just go ductless
Next I totally detailed the exterior and applied two coats of Rejex (one coat on Sunday night and the second coat last night). My plan was to get up early and take the Vette down to a local marina for a photo shoot; of course it rained
Well these aren't the glamour shots I was hoping to give you but here she is:
Front shot
Side Shot
Close up (notice the great paint match)
Thanks again to Gary (GBVette) and Mike (illmac77) for all the work and help they provide me in tackling this project; I couldn't have done it without you. I also want to thank all the Forum members for your encouragement and kinds words
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1736069
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1737146
On Friday morning I picked up my Vette from the painters. If you live anywhere near SE Virginia I highly recommend you use Dream Works Customs [www.dreamworkscustoms.net]. Pewter is not one of the easier colors to match but they hit it dead on (they also where the least expensive of the three places I got estimates from)
Sunday morning I jacked up the back-end, took off the tires and removed the wheel well covers.
Next I cut out the wheel wheel covers for the air ducts. The covers are supposed to be scored to show where they need to be cut to accept the air ducts but I didn't see any score marks. Never the less I blundered through the procedure but I did have to take the covers off a couple of time to cut a little more here and there. Next I installed the air ducts and re-installed the covers.
As you can see I never could get the air ducts to mate up with the ducts in the rocker panels cleanly; I guess that is why most people put screens in the opening.
Now for the bad news. When I put the wheels back on the tires rubbed against both air ducts (BPP doesn't supply very detailed instructions to go by) . I double checked the installation and made sure all the screws where tight but they still rubbed . Mike (illmac77) recommended that I use a heat gun and try to flatten out the ducts a little. I tried that but the tires still rubbed so I ended up taking off the air ducts. I am hoping that when I get my new wheels, which have more of an offset than my thin spokes, the rubbing issue will go away. Until then I will just go ductless
Next I totally detailed the exterior and applied two coats of Rejex (one coat on Sunday night and the second coat last night). My plan was to get up early and take the Vette down to a local marina for a photo shoot; of course it rained
Well these aren't the glamour shots I was hoping to give you but here she is:
Front shot
Side Shot
Close up (notice the great paint match)
Thanks again to Gary (GBVette) and Mike (illmac77) for all the work and help they provide me in tackling this project; I couldn't have done it without you. I also want to thank all the Forum members for your encouragement and kinds words
Last edited by stormrider; 06-26-2007 at 04:16 PM.
#3
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '06
great work bro. I would not have the guts to cut without others lending a hand. Always nice to have friends to help out. that's what this forum and the corvette community are all about.
#4
Instructor
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they look great! why not trim the ducts back a bit? imo the bsm and mud flaps spoil the overall sleekness of the car now that the fender and quarter match so well.
#6
Melting Slicks
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#9
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St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Awesome man! Good work! No shame in going ductless. Lot of us big tire guys do that with factory Z ducts. Just put some custom screens on there and you should be good to go.
Its a great paint match! Shop sounds like top notch. Maybe they can fix Cobra's million shades of yellow too
Its a great paint match! Shop sounds like top notch. Maybe they can fix Cobra's million shades of yellow too
#10
Le Mans Master
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09
1. Love the color, but hey I'm pewter biased.
2. The mod looks fantastic!
3. Gotta agree, the side moldings need to go.
4. You guys did awesome work blending the ductwork into the rockers.
5. Paint match is spot on.
6. Where is the tire rubbing? Is there anything behind the ductwork that you can screw to? If so, I don't see why you couldn't run a screw through the duct, and screw down enough to flatten it out, so that it doesn't rub the tire.
7. Another option I have used on a TA, is heating the plastic duct, almost hot enough to melt. Place a piece of plywood(cut to size) on front and back and use a C clamp to pull it all flatter. Spray it with cold water, remove clamp, and, voila, it's flatter and won't spring back into the factory shape.
Maybe one of these options will work for you.
2. The mod looks fantastic!
3. Gotta agree, the side moldings need to go.
4. You guys did awesome work blending the ductwork into the rockers.
5. Paint match is spot on.
6. Where is the tire rubbing? Is there anything behind the ductwork that you can screw to? If so, I don't see why you couldn't run a screw through the duct, and screw down enough to flatten it out, so that it doesn't rub the tire.
7. Another option I have used on a TA, is heating the plastic duct, almost hot enough to melt. Place a piece of plywood(cut to size) on front and back and use a C clamp to pull it all flatter. Spray it with cold water, remove clamp, and, voila, it's flatter and won't spring back into the factory shape.
Maybe one of these options will work for you.
#13
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What a sweet install you did. Looks great.
#14
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St. Jude Donor '07-'08
Very nice mod... They look great and the paint match is out of this world. Looks like they were always there.