Creating UBERCLAM! Was "Repairing the clam"

[knucklehead]

My opinion of course, but I left a little area that had some repair work without film protection and I really regret it. The area is peppered with little white spots where the paint has chipped away. This area is in a much more remote area (corner of the rocker panel just in front of the rear wheel) than the front of the car. I've also seen a friends car that doesn't have protection just at the top of the square plate thing on the front clam and he has the same issue. After all the work you've done why not get the film protection?

Jacob

[soulmn]

I would have to agree with Knucklehead. After all that work I'd want to put the film back on just to protect it. Especially with all the AX you do. Of course, on the flip side, you probably do enough AX to chew through the film in no time anyway.

Still, this has been one hell of a project Randy, nice job.

soulman

[steuspeed]

Randy,

This is a great thread, and it will be interesting to see how this turns out. I keep checking back for updates.

Since you are this far in, had you considered taking off the much debated side marker lights? Since the clam will get a new paint job, now would be the ideal time even though it would not match the rear.

Stewart

[Randy Chase]

I would love to fill the seam but I just can't spend that much time on this. I have spent WAY too much time now. Or should I say I have committed too many employee hours to this project. As far as the reflectors, I really don't notice them, so I don't mind. I think.

Anyway.. update. Once the clam was back on the car and nothing was wiggling loose or falling off, my priorities changed. I had some real business to attend to so I put the Uberproject on hold. But... next week is the WCLM. How sad to put the car in its present mottled condition in the concourse. It is a bit embarassing even for me, who never really worries too much about what the car looks like (as long as it is fast).

But I don't have any spare time to take it to a shop. So... expert painter Rick is coming over today. I am giving him the plinth that was taken off so he can get the color matched. We found out last time that the color paint code for Saffron Yellow was not a good match.

The final gel coats and paint and then clear coat should all go on this weekend or early next week, in time for WCLM. I will update with progress and pics as I can.

I will not have time to put film on before the WCLM, so that is that. Maybe later.

[knucklehead]

One of our LA Sunday drivers had the seam on the back clam taken out. It looks fantastic, but we also had a employee of Lotus Cars come along for a ride. He said that Lotus looked into this mod and found that the flex in the clam can sometimes crack the filler. So be warned if you're thinking of this mod.

It did look really sweet though.

Jacob

[Randy Chase]

A point was raised by my body/paint guy. Taking out the seam will make it more difficult for future fixes, since the seam is a natural place to stop the paint instead of blending it in or shooting the whole clam.

Update today... the paint guy Rick picked up some materials this morning and started to work on the car.

Step 1 was more sanding with a medium sandpaper and then filling with a polyester body filler putty. Then sanding that smooth. More filling. More sanding.

Sorry for the cell phone pics, my camera is on a trip right now.

[Randy Chase]

As you can see, he taped off the area behind the seam. We filled the three cavities with paper and some strategic placement of tape.

Next he applied a few coats of sealer, which is the gray primer looking stuff. This seals everything up and also flows to fill small imperfections. After it dries, he is going to sand it again, then seal it again one last time. After that, he will spray the saffron yellow.

P.S. This time I did not trust the paint code, which last time gave me an mismatch, we had the paint supplier do an eyeball paint match instead.

Images below show the body filler and then the sealer applied.

[Randy Chase]

You might note that I left the running lights in and taped around them. They were such a pain to install, I figured it was easier this way.

Right now we are waiting for the sealer to dry and then we will continue.

Even after the painting is done (and clear coating), I will still have some things to do, but they will have to wait. I can install the Lotus front grill, but I have to drill out a hole since I filled in the area that used to be where the grill mounts into. I can't replace the side oil cooler grills without removing the front clam, so that will happen later.

Film on the front? Still thinking about this. Maybe.. but not until the paint cures and since I will be driving at the WCLM, etc... it might get enough rock chips that I say screw it. On the other hand, I can't leave the car without driving it for a few weeks and I can't film right over the fresh paint. I don't know.

I still need to make the UberSplitter. When I get some time. I have nine embedded nuts in the clam now and the entire bottom is Carbon-Kevlar so it will be very strong. My plan is to scribe the clam outline looking straight down from above onto a template and then make the splitter match that. Partly because of the SCCA rules in my class that state a splitter can not extend out past the body work. This means that the splitter will almost be flush with the very middle front, but will extend out 3-4 inches where the "cheeks" used to be. Maybe in July.

I still need to also make my custom rub strips for the bottom. My plan is to use black Delrin because it is a very hard, yet slippery plastic. These strips will run along the front edges of the entire front bottom of the clam with a beveled edge. You should not be able to see them. On the other hand, I have found that once I removed the cheeks and plinth, I don't have a scraping problem anyway. I can even go up and down driveways and entrances a lot faster now without touching.

[zOOmz]

Don't rush any of the drying parts. For a good outcome/finish, it is well worth the wait. Of course I am sure your paint guy knows this.

[Randy Chase]

The body/apint expert noticed an area he thinks should be modified. As in add more glass. So he is coming back tomorrow with the grinder and extra fiberglass and resin. Oh well, better now than later....
Painting should be done Monday.

Spent the rest of today under the car working on a leak on the new Moroso oil pan (I think it is sorted now)... and installing my custom SPA cables so that the Oil Pressure and Oil Temp are now fully working. Woot.

[Randy Chase]

Updates-

After some last minute glassing, we had the clam finally sanded, filled and ready for paint. A few coats of Saffron Yellow (mixed by the paint shop by eye) and then a few coats of clear coat were applied.

[ttowsontt]

looks good without the winglets

[Randy Chase]

Thanks, I think it will look even better once I get the custom splitter on it.

[mikester]

looks really good without the plinth

[babak]

Looks really good, it definitely has an S1 vibe to it.

[Goose]

That's what I was thinking also, Babak. Definitely got some S1... very nice.

[darkSol]

THAT'S the way it should have come from the factory.

If anyone ever came out with a new front clam in this design then it would be the way to go... hmmm I wonder what the 2007's will look like? (with the integrated 2.5mph crunch protection)...

[Callabrator]

Wow! That looks like some super high quality work right there! Here's a "Nice Job" for all those involved.

[Zero]

very nice

I love it without the plate plinth

[steuspeed]

WOW! that looks nice.