FWD ground pounder - Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Well, now have both the new front cover and the Kaminari front lower air dam. I’ll be starting the mock-up of the new design soon, as the end of the season is upon us on the North coast!

Edited October 12, 2019 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

I found some time to get a little work done on the front cover and add-on air damm  as well as the splitter. The splitter is a complete redo, as it has to be stripped of all paint, right down to bare aluminum for the welding that needs done. The add-on pieces are completed and clamped in place. Next is to weld them up, but first I need to get some aluminum welding rod, as I used up the last of it this summer. Likewise the front cover has been fitted with the lower add-on air damm and bonded in to place. With respect to that, I now need to pull the cover off so I can do some backside work to complete the new functionality of this cover for a new trans cooler and a second inlet for ram air. 
 

Here I’m increasing the size of the NACA duct inlet to change the effect of the low pressure dynamics and to put it more inline with the function of the NACA duct physics.

 

Here I’m laying out the front cover to add the add-on air damm

 

laying out the new design of the splitter 

 

starting to attach the add-on air damm, notice the screw heads on the far left & one is visible at the center below the license plate area.

Edited November 27, 2019 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Finished welding up the front splitter today, also pulled the ECM & air box. I have to do some work on the air box first before I do the mod for adding the NACA duct leg to the box. So thought I might use this as a teaching moment, for those who are interested, with respect to all the add-on air filter setups. 
 

 

 

The single biggest issue with so many of the new type air inlet systems is a restriction at of the front air box! While this is not new, basically the same principle as the old air horn snorkel on a carb air cleaner. Why the OEMs did this is beyond me, but when you do the math if the area of the inlet is the same size or smaller then the throat of the throttle body, it’s a restriction. Likewise if you make it to big, turbulence is created. The fact is this restriction can easily be removed! Once that’s done and with some very aggressive mods on the box, this system will out perform the aftermarket units! Partly because nearly all of these OEM systems sit in an optimal location for air flow. While the aftermarket units take their air from a dead zone inside the lower fender/front cover area. They may increase the diameter of the filter area, but that doesn’t help with volumetric efficiency. Forced induction changes everything. Whether turbo, supercharged or ram air, these change turbulent air into laminar flow! Take this six generation GP! The air box sits right behind the left headlight and that’s where the air inlet is as well, but it’s too small. Still this air is rammed. You may think not because the headlight sit in front of it, but when you remove the restriction and open the area of the opening of the box up, then look at the aerodynamics of the cover and headlight, as well as the area of the gap around the perimeter of the headlight, which is almost as large as the entire filter area and 5 times greater than the area of the throttle body bore diameter! The physics completely change! Now introducing an upstream inlet of low pressure air, which will be coming from the NACA duct of the new front cover this really changes things! A high flow higher pressure (comparably speaking) flowing past a hole/tube so to speak creates a siphon effect. Now when the other end of the tube, in this case a hose, is connected to a low pressure NACA duct, we get very high flow at low pressure.

 

For those who don’t know the polycarbonate plate divides the ECM area from the air area & protects the ECM from direct water contact.

Edited December 6, 2019 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Well, I know here I go again, but it seemed only fitting that a new arrowhead be created for the new front cover/splitter setup. Part of the reasoning is that this cover will have larger more aggressive NACA duct bezels, as I have increased their size over the stock configuration. I would then just leave the last arrowhead with the last cover. I will attempt to get a bit more bold, a bit more menacing, a bit more; well Indian, with this arrowhead! It may not appear that way in the pictures, but the larger inlay of copper, plus being inset as opposed to protruding and larger flutes, but less in number, makes the arrowhead appear larger. It should also look a bit larger once it is finished being polished.
 

This was the first arrowhead for the original OEM front cover.

 

This was the current arrowhead from the modified front cover/splitter.

 

These two pictures are the new arrowhead (unpolished) on the new front cover.

Edited January 7, 2020 by Last Indian

[JUSTA6]

Sucha fan...........    

[Last Indian]

20 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Sucha fan...........    

some day buddy some day!

[Stewy]

Hey @Last Indian - beautiful work! I had a '99 GT so your car really brings back the memories 🙂 (don't get me wrong, the work I did on my '99 pales, at best, in comparison to what you've done to your '00).

I have been interested for some time on doing a battery re-location to the spare tire well on my GP and I'm curious if you have any (more) pictures regarding this particular modification. I'm guessing you would have used 3/0 for the runs from the under hood fuse relay center to the battery in the trunk?

I have many more questions on how you did this but I don't want to dump them all on you at once. Thanks for any input you are willing to provide on how you did this - it's appreciated 🙂

[Last Indian]

21 hours ago, Stewy said:

Hey @Last Indian - beautiful work! I had a '99 GT so your car really brings back the memories 🙂 (don't get me wrong, the work I did on my '99 pales, at best, in comparison to what you've done to your '00).

I have been interested for some time on doing a battery re-location to the spare tire well on my GP and I'm curious if you have any (more) pictures regarding this particular modification. I'm guessing you would have used 3/0 for the runs from the under hood fuse relay center to the battery in the trunk?

I have many more questions on how you did this but I don't want to dump them all on you at once. Thanks for any input you are willing to provide on how you did this - it's appreciated 🙂

@Stewy  , actually I used 1/0 welding cable, most flexible, very fine strand copper! 
 

More than happy to help! I’ll put some stuff together and post it over on the how to forum!

[Stewy]

2 hours ago, Last Indian said:

@Stewy  , actually I used 1/0 welding cable, most flexible, very fine strand copper! 
 

More than happy to help! I’ll put some stuff together and post it over on the how to forum!

Thanks, @Last Indian! Very nice of you and much appreciated!

[Last Indian]

Got the splitter detailed out! Next I need to bolt it up under the cover to check the fit.

 

[Last Indian]

Moving forward with the layout of the tranny cooler, as well as the NACA duct leg of the ram air, I think this will work out quite well! 

For the tranny cooler mount, it’s a very solid mount, but doesn’t come in contact the ac condenser, which I really dislike! When they attach an add on cooler by tie wraps pulled through the radiator/condenser, you’re just asking for trouble! The braided lines will attach fairly easily and there will be very good air flow. These cars have a divided air flow setup. The lower air inlets, below the upper grilles, feed the whole surface area of the condenser/radiator, but in a graduated throat, that predominantly feeds the largest amount of air to the lower half of that area. While increasing the velocity of the air the high up the throat it goes. Conversely the upper grilles have a direct high flow, while moving of course, impact on the upper surface area. As you all know, this setup takes the bottom radiator tranny cooer line and breaks it. The out line is than diverted to the cooler in and the out cooler line is taken back to the tranny. I still have quite a lot to do here yet. I need to get an adaptor for the return line out of the radiator to the cooler and then an adaptor to mate up to the tranny. Plus clean an repaint the lower end of the radiator framework and the new cooler bracket as well.

 

 

 

 

The NACA duct ram air setup is nearly complete now and appears there will be no issues with hooking it up or disassembly when needing to do a front cover removal.
 

 

 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Cooler brackets, cooler, NACA duct air intake done.

 

 

cover on with inlet hose attached

Edited March 15, 2020 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Cover & splitter complete fit tested! Now ready for primer.

[JUSTA6]

Lookin sooo good!

[Last Indian]

On 3/15/2020 at 10:16 PM, JUSTA6 said:

Lookin sooo good!

Thanks buddy! You be good now! No playing with the COV 19 🤒 😷! You know they said it came from animals; wait for it, like goats!😳

Finished the new emblem for the front cover. Now if I can just get some good weather to paint!

 

[JUSTA6]

Could stare at that all day....beautiful.   They canceled my Winter  Senior  Olympics Volleyball match Sunday.  Been practicing with this team for 6 months.  This is a qualifier for summer games.  Gold metal at both and we represent Michigan in FLA this fall. You N yours stay safe N healthy buddy.

[Ringo64]

Looks amazing! Hope y’all are hunkering down safe and sound!

[Last Indian]

13 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Could stare at that all day....beautiful.   They canceled my Winter  Senior  Olympics Volleyball match Sunday.  Been practicing with this team for 6 months.  This is a qualifier for summer games.  Gold metal at both and we represent Michigan in FLA this fall. You N yours stay safe N healthy buddy.

That’s got to be disappointing, sorry! Hopefully this will abate in a month or so. The life can start to return to so semblance of normalcy! Till then air on the side of caution, but not like the lunatic fringe, in either direction does!

12 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

Looks amazing! Hope y’all are hunkering down safe and sound!

Thanks Ringo! You stay safe as well! Fact is I don’t think they know enough yet too say who will or won’t be affected badly! 

[Ringo64]

2 minutes ago, Last Indian said:

Thanks Ringo! You stay safe as well! Fact is I don’t think they know enough yet too say who will or won’t be affected badly! 

Thanks! Yeah, definitely up in the air about how long too. Definitely crazy times.

[Frosty]

I suspect a lot of things are going to be cancelled - well into the summer I'm afraid. A buddy of mine organizes the Fraternal Order of Police car show in Charleston WV every year for the first weekend in June. He's on the verge of cancelling it because now is the time he'd be doing all the last minute preparations. So if things don't change in the next few weeks, his show will also be cancelled - as a another victim / sacrifice we have to make for our mutual safety.

[Last Indian]

18 minutes ago, Ringo64 said:

Thanks! Yeah, definitely up in the air about how long too. Definitely crazy times.

I have a bit of a theory on some of the inconsistencies that have appeared between population, especially countries. Having been a researcher in another life, a few things struck me. This virus like stainless steel and plastic among other hard non porous surfaces, but to me it appears that the less oxidative the surface the longer it stays! So likewise folks who have a higher antioxidant level I their system may stand a better chance to minimize the virus. Plus the virus is a fat cell type virus! Certain acids breakdown fat cells better and faster than other. There are also some fatty acid chemistries, like Lauric acid that actually disintegrate other fat molecules.

just a thought and observation! 

[Last Indian]

Well since the temperatures aren’t cooperating yet & we’re in lock down, I thought I’d do some other mods. One I had started several years ago, a sport foot rest and the other was a recent idea. A new center for the steering wheel.

 

sport foot rest goes on the left side on the raised area of floor.
 

original center I designed.
 

 

new designed center. After all the Indian is a six, so why not the Chief of the Sixes Indian Head.

also a new backing plate of amber Ultem.
 

long way to go to cleanup all this detail & then polish.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

This past week I had a chance to get started on the insert plates for the NACA duct inlets. 
 

left side close to done, little more too do! Matching the right side should be fun! 🤥

Edited April 12, 2020 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Finally got the other side made! Always a pain trying to make & match a left and right side freehand!

 

still got to sand & polish!

Edited May 1, 2020 by Last Indian

[Last Indian]

Well I need to get started on wet sanding and rubbing out the parts I painted, but I started the new idea for the plenum cover instead, for now anyway!