Performance Auto Fabrication Fabrication Pictures

[Mike 5,132]

If you guys are like me, you like to see pics of fabricated parts. Post up your fabricated parts.

Here was this weekends project. Nick (nukeworker on Tennesspeed) is building an older fairlane with an austrailian ford inline 6 with a turbo and megasquirt. He needed a way to get a crank trigger wheel adapted to the balancer.

The mustang I recently finished. I changed it from a single 88mm to twin 76's. It needed new headers, a custom radiator and fan shroud, a crankcase vent catch can and a few other odds and ends.

Some buick stage 2 turbo headers I built for a guy in Canada earlier this year.

A buick stage 2 tunnel ram intake I did some work on. It had already been converted to efi, but the throttlebody mount was way ugly. So I fixed that and made a new top for it.

Another buick stage 2 intake. I converted it to efi and made an elbow for it to use the stock style throttlebody and other accessories.

[Mike 5,132]

Most of you have seen these before. This is what enjoy doing the most, building sheetmetal parts. In fact I enjoy it enough, I'm going to try to turn it into a side business. I'm going to concentrate on building and selling more of the sheetmetal and aluminum fabrication and less of the turbo headers and on the car custom fabrication.

Some buick stage 2 valve covers.

An oil pan.

Some valve covers for buick stock style heads.

[SeanR81 19]

Nice work. The lightning HD guys are always looking for other fabricators for plenum intakes and such.

sent from my toilet phone

[JohnC 5,056]

Awesome work, Mike! Some purdy stuff there! Love th nice welds on the sheet metal parts!

[66sprint6 2,492]

The 66 would SERIOUSLY benefit from a turbo header vs the stock manifold/Jpipe setup. Ill holler at you when the time/$$$ comes!!!

Matt

[Mike 5,132]

I built another buick v6 oil pan this weekend. It may end up on my motor if the buyer doesn't pay the balance on it soon.

[mstrpth 1,749]

man you do top notch work!!!!!

[JohnC 5,056]

Nice hi-po custom parts!

Indeed, top notch work, Mike!

[ReefBlueCoupe 34]

Nice, nice work.

[Chad 643]

Very nice work.

[66sprint6 2,492]

I fabbed up some brackets and small parts here and there but they wont be posted here due to the lack of awesomeness compared to Mikes stuff, holy crap!!!  I will post this up tho its not a "part".  I was gonna have Mike make my wedding ring but thought long and hard about making it myself, just to make it that much more unique and special.  My Grandmother, Mother and Aunt all sent me some old gold jewelry and I got to work.  It took me many many many many attempts and failures to get it right but I finally got somethin worth wearing for the rest of my life (God willing).

 

Here you can see the extra scrap gold needed to fix some earlier mistakes, along with the last failure ring (polished and shaped to prove to myself I could actually finish the process) in the crucible ready to be melted.

 

 

Small brick "oven on the garage floor and a MAP gas torch did the trick.

 

 

Getting the gold melted to the correct consistancy was one thing, the pouring technique was another.  What a pain in the butt but this pour ended up being damned near perfect.  Technically I prolly needed a LITTLE more gold to make it perfect but I was lucky and it came out just fine!!!  I made the "case" for the mold and used Delft Clay to make the mold.  I bought two "blank" rings and made an impression using both to make the ring oversized in order to be able to file and sand the imperfections down and size it correctly.  Air holes to allow the air to escape while pouring the gold are crucial as I found out throughout my trials and failures.

 

 

Perfect!  I now had something to work with.

 

 

 

Cut off the pour sprew and air hole flashing and started sanding it into a "blank" shape.  Now its time to fit, shape and polish.

 

 

Hand files, Pates old bench vice, sand paper, emery boards, a dremel and a ring sizing dowel were used to get the final shape, size and polished look going.  I spent more time here than in the other steps (outside of the many many many failures and re-melts).  This is the most fun part to me.  Ide sit and watch TV or a movie and shape it.  

 

 

There were only a few small flaws that showed up along the way, one of which made me have to skinny the band up quite a bit.  This initially bothered me alot cause I wanted a wider ring but then I realized that the way my hand is shaped, the wider band would get in the way and was quite uncomfortable.  After removing the flaw (its actually not 100% gone, but the only part left is on the inside of the band and can only be seen if I take it off...I kinda like it, proved I did it LOL) the ring was 100% more comfortable and Im actually thinkin it saved the ring from being a pain down the road. I bought some jewelers rouge and was able to slowly but surely polish off all the tool and sand paper marks from the finish till it was like a flawless mirror finish.  

 

To finish it off, the Jeweler that made Kathleen's ring for me offered to put the wedding date on the inside for me, adding a touch of "professionalism" to it and topping off the uniqueness of it all.  

 

 

Im happy as can be with the finished product and actually quite honored and blessed to be wearing it as we speak.  I put it on shiny and flawless on the 21st while looking forward to what scuffs and scrapes life might bring along the way.  Its only been a week and its already getting its fair share of tiny scratches to show off all that weve done and everywhere weve been since the big day...and the oil change and transmission work I did Monday as well LOL.

 

All in all, I know its not a car part or anything overly awesome like Mike puts out but I thought it was kinda cool and am thankful I was able to pull it off!

 

 

Matt

[Mike 5,132]

That's really cool.  I've never cast anything before.  Much like my own ring, that will mean much more to you, than anything I could have made for you.  And 20 years from now when it's worn and razor sharp on the edges, you can melt it down and remake it.

[Ashley P 2,985]

That's a great post.  Good ring too!  Wait till you get a piece of welding spatter under it!

[66sprint6 2,492]

Thanks guys!  Mike, you making it for me was actually more awesome than anything I coulda bought anywhere and the fact that you agreed to work with me on it was probably one of the biggest pushes to try the gold deal myself.  I knew that if it went wrong I could just sell the gold nugget I made and still had a perfectly awesome ring idea available.  

 

Yeah, hopefully Ill keep from having too many issues in the garage with this thing.  I dont plan on takin it off very often so hopefully Ill be smart and keep gloves around for anything that might make things interesting for the left hand LOL

 

Matt

[Ashley P 2,985]

Hey, I haven't taken mine off for work (mechanic) in 10 years with no major problems, so don't worry too much.  I've tried to learn from other's mistakes; the farmer who's finger was missing from jumping out of a grain truck bed and hanging his ring, and I've heard of them causing a short circuit and melting into skin.  I'm double careful around starters/alternators/batteries.

 

Mike, got any more fab photos?   That stuff looks NICE.

Edited 1 Jul 2014 by Ashley P

[Mike 5,132]

Another buick intake I did a couple months ago.

Some fuel rails for a stock buick gn intake I did last weekend

A catch can I made for my car

A couple of my favorites.  Where can you buy a v6 crank trigger or a v6 belt drive distributor for a belt driven cam setup.

The rearend under my car

A sheetmetal intake I did for an australian ford straight 6 for Nick (nukeworker)

Motorplates and an alternator mount I did for Dan (nxcobra from tennesspeed)

My square to round fan shroud.

[JohnC 5,056]

I fabbed up some brackets and small parts here and there but they wont be posted here due to the lack of awesomeness compared to Mikes stuff, holy crap!!!  I will post this up tho its not a "part".  I was gonna have Mike make my wedding ring but thought long and hard about making it myself, just to make it that much more unique and special.  My Grandmother, Mother and Aunt all sent me some old gold jewelry and I got to work.  It took me many many many many attempts and failures to get it right but I finally got somethin worth wearing for the rest of my life (God willing).

 

Here you can see the extra scrap gold needed to fix some earlier mistakes, along with the last failure ring (polished and shaped to prove to myself I could actually finish the process) in the crucible ready to be melted.

 

 

Small brick "oven on the garage floor and a MAP gas torch did the trick.

 

 

Getting the gold melted to the correct consistancy was one thing, the pouring technique was another.  What a pain in the butt but this pour ended up being damned near perfect.  Technically I prolly needed a LITTLE more gold to make it perfect but I was lucky and it came out just fine!!!  I made the "case" for the mold and used Delft Clay to make the mold.  I bought two "blank" rings and made an impression using both to make the ring oversized in order to be able to file and sand the imperfections down and size it correctly.  Air holes to allow the air to escape while pouring the gold are crucial as I found out throughout my trials and failures.

 

 

Perfect!  I now had something to work with.

 

 

 

Cut off the pour sprew and air hole flashing and started sanding it into a "blank" shape.  Now its time to fit, shape and polish.

 

 

Hand files, Pates old bench vice, sand paper, emery boards, a dremel and a ring sizing dowel were used to get the final shape, size and polished look going.  I spent more time here than in the other steps (outside of the many many many failures and re-melts).  This is the most fun part to me.  Ide sit and watch TV or a movie and shape it.  

 

 

There were only a few small flaws that showed up along the way, one of which made me have to skinny the band up quite a bit.  This initially bothered me alot cause I wanted a wider ring but then I realized that the way my hand is shaped, the wider band would get in the way and was quite uncomfortable.  After removing the flaw (its actually not 100% gone, but the only part left is on the inside of the band and can only be seen if I take it off...I kinda like it, proved I did it LOL) the ring was 100% more comfortable and Im actually thinkin it saved the ring from being a pain down the road. I bought some jewelers rouge and was able to slowly but surely polish off all the tool and sand paper marks from the finish till it was like a flawless mirror finish.  

 

To finish it off, the Jeweler that made Kathleen's ring for me offered to put the wedding date on the inside for me, adding a touch of "professionalism" to it and topping off the uniqueness of it all.  

 

 

Im happy as can be with the finished product and actually quite honored and blessed to be wearing it as we speak.  I put it on shiny and flawless on the 21st while looking forward to what scuffs and scrapes life might bring along the way.  Its only been a week and its already getting its fair share of tiny scratches to show off all that weve done and everywhere weve been since the big day...and the oil change and transmission work I did Monday as well LOL.

 

All in all, I know its not a car part or anything overly awesome like Mike puts out but I thought it was kinda cool and am thankful I was able to pull it off!

 

 

Matt

That is absolutely awesome! Congrats to you both!

Marriage is the BEST thing that ever happened to me in my life. Nothing else compares.

[JohnC 5,056]

Another buick intake I did a couple months ago.

Some fuel rails for a stock buick gn intake I did last weekend

A catch can I made for my car

A couple of my favorites.  Where can you buy a v6 crank trigger or a v6 belt drive distributor for a belt driven cam setup.

The rearend under my car

A sheetmetal intake I did for an australian ford straight 6 for Nick (nukeworker)

Motorplates and an alternator mount I did for Dan (nxcobra from tennesspeed)

My square to round fan shroud.

Beautiful work, Mike!

I want to say more, but short on time. Will be back soon to drool and tell you how much I LOVE your fab work!

[66sprint6 2,492]

I want that Aussie 6 in my 66 and have toyed with the idea for some time now, especially with one being built local.  Im glad to see he's still working on it, havnt heard much on it lately!  That intake is awesome!

 

Matt

[66sprint6 2,492]

Hey, I haven't taken mine off for work (mechanic) in 10 years with no major problems, so don't worry too much.  I've tried to learn from other's mistakes; the farmer who's finger was missing from jumping out of a grain truck bed and hanging his ring, and I've heard of them causing a short circuit and melting into skin.  I'm double careful around starters/alternators/batteries.

 

Mike, got any more fab photos?   That stuff looks NICE.

 

 

Ive heard similar horror stories yet I know MORE folks that are like you, never take it off and are just a bit extra careful at work or in the garage.  

 

Matt

[mstrpth 1,749]

if you don't have an office job, you're not allowed to wear rings here.

I take mine off as soon as I get home. can't stand rings or watches......i'm also a clean hands freak.

[JohnC 5,056]

Thanks guys!  Mike, you making it for me was actually more awesome than anything I coulda bought anywhere and the fact that you agreed to work with me on it was probably one of the biggest pushes to try the gold deal myself.  I knew that if it went wrong I could just sell the gold nugget I made and still had a perfectly awesome ring idea available.  

 

Yeah, hopefully Ill keep from having too many issues in the garage with this thing.  I dont plan on takin it off very often so hopefully Ill be smart and keep gloves around for anything that might make things interesting for the left hand LOL

 

Matt

 

 

I forget to take my ring off all the time when working on stuff. You'll see, it won't take long and it'll be dull because all the scratches.  

[Kpate 481]

When I worked at Square D, no jewelry was allowed due to all of the fabrication equipment and electrical testing that was done to finished equipment. Has pretty much stuck with me to this day. Even going some place nice I won't wear jewelry at all.

[66sprint6 2,492]

Ring was scratched up and getting dull before i got back from the HoneyMoon...now its scratched all to hell and back.  Couple nights in the garage is all it takes lol.  I kinda dig it tho and really only figured it would hold its mirror finish until after it was slipped on my finger at the wedding.  Figured after that it would get beat up and scratched over time to show off how far its been.  Another reason I didnt wanna buy one that was worth much $$$ or else Ide be annoyed and overly cautious.  I dont wanna be that way with something that will hopefully be on my hand for a long time to come!

 

Matt

[JohnC 5,056]

if you don't have an office job, you're not allowed to wear rings here.

I take mine off as soon as I get home. can't stand rings or watches......i'm also a clean hands freak.

I have watches, but I hate wearing them and cell phones replaces them nowadays anyway. A new Kenneth Cole watch I got for Xmas years ago has sat in the box since and I looked the other day and the battery was dead. I just put it back in the box and moved on.

I don't care much for jewelry, but I wear the wedding ring to scare off the chicks so they don't try. You know, frequenting a college campus (didn't go last semester because I had to go to CA), I just don't want to have to deal with it.

Besides, I feel like an old man because I carry so much now in my pockets.

iPhone, keys, wallet, pocket knife, gun, and sometimes a spare mag for the gun.

 

Anyway... any new fab pics?