Project fox: The progress continues

[ryubiggie]

you know my hole set up as a package looks good with the filter and all.

[eurorabbit84]

We have to contact PBS about you - start the oRANGEJULIUS show! - What a riot - down to Joann fabrics we go - love it! We like the tartan touch - very retro looking - like some of the new Rabbit tartan cloth.
You did a fine job on your door panels!

What a bargain on those tractor lights - keep up the good work!

Later

[jackfrost1031]

Quote, originally posted by ryubiggie »

i did some work with e36's on my friends maxima. i 'm not sure they are the right size. plus the lights are set to angle in with the lens is flat. give it a shot. i'd love to see them but man is it WAY ezer to buy these. good luck can't wait to see what you come up with.

You should paint your headlights and/or grill body color. Also, do something about that awful looking support in the middle. Looks like a nose or something

I dig the yellow lights. Makes me think of a guy's Dasher I've seen around.

[ryubiggie]

not bad ideas... and yes i have to do something about that not sure what yet. thinking about doing little eye lids maybe? try it with tape first lol. anyway sorry to thread jack.

[wilsfox]

Quote, originally posted by ryubiggie »

i did some work with e36's on my friends maxima. i 'm not sure they are the right size. plus the lights are set to angle in with the lens is flat. give it a shot. i'd love to see them but man is it WAY ezer to buy these. good luck can't wait to see what you come up with.

hey can i seea picture of under the hood of how that intake is setup?
thanks

[oRANGEJULIUS]

figured out the exhaust situation. I was flipping though the wholesale parts catalog at work and a found some very nice 12" long stainless 2.75" dia resonated slant cut exhaust tips. Picked up 2 for $24. Being the DTM muffler was still in nice shape (and stainless) I just hacked off the dtm tips close to the muffler, and welded on the new tips, nice classy side by side. Going to install tomorrow, pics soon...

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Finally had the time to snap a couple pics. New exhaust tips installed, repainted the wheels, and also did more suspension work. I lowered the car about 1/4" more. I had to elongate the ball joint mounting holes on the control arm a little more, but the camber is correct. I still want to go lower, but I think with the current setup this is the absolute lowest I can go. I think next I will cut the struts down by at 5" then ill run coil overs to tune in the height. As far as the back goes, no issues there I still have allot of room to go. Did a little traveling over the holladay in the fox (around 125 miles) and she still rides good, still nice and predictable.

[Ian!]

That's a cheap trick.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

that one goes with the first pic...

on the other angled pics there is only about a 2.5" to 3" change in elevation on that parking lot entrance

[Ian!]

Quote, originally posted by oRANGEJULIUS »

that one goes with the first pic...

I know, it's painfully obvious.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

the fleet:

Quick spray job on the golf, didn't turn out 1/2 bad... Good enough for a dally beater

[Salrocco]

what do you use to paint??

[oRANGEJULIUS]

an old binks gravity gun w/ 5hp 30gal compressor

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Allot has been going on with the car.... Replaced the wheel bearings, then 2 days later I was involved in a accident. According to the police report it is no fault. I am waiting on the insurance adjuster to look at my fox, then I can begin fixing it. The other vehicle, and 05 Taurus came out with around $1,300 in damage. The grill is cracked, the bumper cover is junk,the rebar is tweaked, minor damage to fender.

So this brings me to this question... Who has a neat idea for a grill and bumper combo? I was just going to grab another Buick grill, and locate a fox bumper, but im open to suggestions you may have. I was thinking about a rabbit bumper, dodge omni, or a mkII small bumper. As far as grills go, a cut down s-10 billet grill hiding the lights, (or cut to accommodate them) or a cut rabbit, or cabby piece, any other ideas? On another note, checkered the golf...

Wheel bearings:

Damage:

Golf:

[jackfrost1031]

I've never been a real fan of hidden headlights/phantom grills as you can still see them and the car looks like it has no eyes

You could fit a Sentra bumper on it, I bet. Go to a u-pull-it and see what strikes your fancy.

[Rien]

Rabbit bumper

I think MKII small bumps could be cool too. I've thought about it in the past...and present.

[DreadPirateRobert]

I know this is going to sound retarded, but...

If you know a carpenter, you could add some of that Mk1 wood grain style.

I'm sure there are much better ideas out there.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

thanks for the input!

to be honest, that is not a retarded idea at all... kind of a cool one... As a matter of fact one of our regular customers at the garage is a cabinet maker. He recently had cataract surgery, but when he recovers he is making wood slats for my roof rack. I forget the type of wood he is making it from, but its a wood that is naturally water proof. It would take allot of time to get a bumper that didn't look 1/2 assed but I like the wood idea, maybe a metal bumper with a inlaid wood bump strip... hmmm...

[oRANGEJULIUS]

While out for a drive I found a MK I GTI complete, but in haggard shape in a guys yard. I stopped and talked to him, and ended up purchasing the front bumper, and all 4 flairs for $40. Striped the bumper down, re conditioned the trim, painted the bumper, bent out my German plate as best as I could, and installed that. Installed the front flairs, they are a near perfect fit for the fox. Not sure what im going to do about the back ones, I currently have Rabbit 1/4 flairs on now. I want to run the GTI flair, but I have to decide if I want to A. Hack up the flair to fit the bumper B. Hack up the bumper to fit the flair C. Install full flair, modify rear GTI bumper to fit... Once I get back down to the shop ill fab up some custom brackets for the Rabbit bumpers. Im also going to weld up the bumper clip holes in the fender. Radiator was also damaged during accident, I have one on the way (Thanks beauff)

Rien: Any tips on making Rabbit bumper to fox brackets?

Sick of it looking like this.....

Flairs:

New bumper:

[efritsch]

How does the car drive? I got hit by an Acura MDX in one of my Foxes and it damaged the rad too, which meant the frame bent into the rad. On my Fox, it's quite easy to see that the frame bent. I would have a frame shop check it out.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Thank you for the concern/ tip. It was a little different in my situation. I had replaced the cardboard cover in front of the radiator with a somewhat thick gage sheet metal ( I traced the cardboard onto steel and made a duplicate). When I was involved in the accident, the front of my hood hit the car before my bumper, causing it to bend in around 1/4", because of the solid connection between the hood and the core support (hoodpins),this was enough to move that metal plate (bolted to the core support) enough to puncture my radiator.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

put the bumper on... I did not like the looks of the bottom 1/2 of the fox core support showing, it just didn't look right so I put the air dam on to hide it. Now the air dam sits up higher, and makes the car look high, so imp not real pleased with that. Un sure if imp going to keep the plate on or not, or if im going to re install the bumper overiders. Overall meh... it needs work but it looks better than a crashed front end. and just disregard that ugly disaster of a POS grill, its just there to keep stuff out of the engine bay until I can find a new one... ( I think that could be part of why im not really feeling the car at the moment)

[Kinavo]

it looks anorexic from the front IMO. like it wit the stock bumper better

[jackfrost1031]

if you mounted the bumper up higher so that it doesn't look like a gum smile it would be alright.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Thanks for the comments, good points and suggestions. Took the bumper back off and re did the brackets. Brought the bumper in closer to the car, as well as brought it up some, made a nice improvement (PITA....). As far as it looking to skinny for the car, I think bringing it up some helped with that, it flows better, and the addition of the over riders fattened it up a little. Time to retire the plate (had it on my last 3 Volkswagens) looking a little haggard .

No bumper:

Doesn't look to bad with out a bumper, but im sure the cops will not see it that way.. Take a close look, you can see the extent of the damage to the front, both ends are pulled down, nothing aside from replacing the sheet metal with fix it....

As of now:

Once I get that horrible grill out of there i think I will be in good shape. I think a nice grill and a set of rounds, or MKI Jetta quad squares would set it off nicely...

[Rien]

You should find a MKI Westmorland GTI lower spoiler. I have one and never put it on, but it'll fit and look good.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Installed a rabbit grill, Glad to **** can the grill that was in there... It needs an emblem though,, anyone what to send me one cheap?

Well I have been kicking around the idea of doing a boser for a long time, so I figured heck, why not. Far from being finished, just have the middle section welded in (lots of body work to go). Im undecided if I want to do a 3 piece and make separate eyebrows, or do it all as 1 piece.

starting to look better...

[efritsch]

No offense, it is your car and your own style, but I liked where it was before the accident. I do applaude you for following your own style though.

[snowfox]

Dude, your car has had more facelifts than Joan Rivers!

Keep goin..... You try more new stuff, more often than any Foxer EVAR!! Either you're very driven or you have ADD. (Just kidding on that second one. )

[jackfrost1031]

i don't like it when the headlights get covered up. I do, however, like the center section dipping down.

[oRANGEJULIUS]

I usually just work with what I have, and what is around me... (the goal of the car is to have an original stylish reliable driver for the least amount of $ possible) After the accident I did not have access to fox parts to replace the damaged ones, so I took the opportunity to go in a different direction. Design changes on the car happen when I come across parts for free, and have some spare time.

[Kinavo]

how bout some warm weather?? its 9 degrees today in NYC!!! and i think one of my tires on the van is leaking air. NOT THE RIGHT TIME FOR THAT!

[oRANGEJULIUS]

[oRANGEJULIUS]

Finished. Painted the hood black, re finished the German plate, painted the grill, and trimmed it with silver. Finally happy with how it looks, should stay this why for a while, or until something else pops in my head

[eurorabbit84]

Sorry to hear about your motorcar accident! You had your little Fox all fixed up then this - glad to see she wasn't down for long! With an owner like you she's back on track in no time - the last picture here we like with the black top and yellow plate GR8 job!