It's been a few weeks since I posted my last update so I think it is time to update the thread....
As you can see by the photos the car is now a shell! - Not a bolt remains... The great news is apart from the bare metal behind the dash, there is absolutely no rust on this car !!! - NONE! ... not even in those places that you normally guarantee there will be on an AW11 - so under the rough skin were solid bones! - Even the Engine - Basically, as new condition - never been rebuilt as everything is (was) was standard size.
Everything has been sorted too regarding colour, interior, HP, etc ... so i will go through that now..
Engine.. I was in two minds here. One was to keep the near new hypereutectic pistons, and internals and just clean it up and put it back together. That would be the cheapest option by far .. But I have decieded to go the other root... It is being machined and the head fully rebuilt, ported and polished etc Ross Racing OS Forged Pistons and full race setup. ARP main studs, ARP head studs, ARP Rod bolts, ARB Flywheel bolts along with an Cometic 83mm 0.051" MLS head gasket and HKS 256 Deg Cams..
I have settled on a Haltech Platinum Sport 1000 running closed loop and individual LS1 coil Packs - With Racepack dash which I will be having a custom machined fascia made - I have a spare dash that I will be removing all the innards from and mounting this behind - so it looks as stock as possible..
I know a lot of you will be thinking this should be a turbo runing 20 psi - but I'm a supercharger fan - I know the pitfalls but there are many advantages when set up properly. I have just sourced and bought out of the US a BRAND NEW SC14 ..
To keep charge temps down, PWR are fabricating a custom heat exchanger to run in the same place as the original intercooler with a blower fan underneath - I will be running their standard 4x8 barrel water to air intercooler ..
HP - I'll let you all guess ... but lets just say - It's not going to be standard
Now for the inside .. after speaking with my upholsterer about what they can do, the whole interior will be leather (English Connolly Hide) Black with natural grain, the center of the seats will be perforated to give a texture change and for practicality reasons. The doors are being stitched in panels and where the velour is now this will be perforated leather.. All the stitching is 12 gauge blue!...
The Paint – is Black with very subtle Blue xeralic .. ghost stripes ending in flames too..
So the car it stripped, I am about to media blast it then the painting begins !! …. Engine will be back this weekend, all the internal bits are off to the upholsterer to begin work on (he is going to take the longest)..
Oh – and in the photo you can see the rust that the bare metal parts is covered with- it’s only surface rust which I have already sandblasted off and painted with a zinc based rust inhibitor paint…
Let the assembly begin!
PS: My red NA is now seriously for sale ! – $6500 or happy to give it away if someone picks up my upholstery billJ