Carbon Fiber Skinning Bonanza!

[@goretro77hobbies]

I was starting to get withdrawals from not seeing a build video of Project Top Gun Dan! This is really cool to see how your fabricating your own CF parts utilizing a 3D printer. I have not tried this with my 3d printer but your giving my some ideas through your build videos. Thank you so much for sharing!! Go Project Top Gun!

[@juanmoorethyme3119]

Have been binging all of your videos lately. Liking this one before even watching!!!

[@SkylarkCamperAdventures]

Just another superb job Dan, love the progress, every step is well thought out and you are not adverse to go back and change things to make sure it’s right 👍

[@iankirwan8156]

Great work as always Dan. I was gritting my teeth watching you cut into the clam, brave man.

[@HemiDartGT]

Great idea using the PVA as a mold.

[@peterbonnez]

Wonderful.. I'm really enjoying your build.

[@dukie1616]

That is some impressive work there! almost like a lost wax process melting out that buck. Never seen that done before. I’ve watched every episode and really admire the way you’ve taken on and completed tasks you’ve never done before. Like literally just teaching yourself to make headers. Which turned out amazing! Keep up the good work Dan! Looking forward to your next episode. Thank you

[@ultimashaun2226]

No better way to spend drinking a beer than watching your videos, Dan. I was reading about the NACA ducts, and if you turn them around backwards, they create a low pressure zone and suck the air out. I wonder if you enlarge those holes and put reverse tear drops like recommended earlier, if you could suck some that hot air out of the engine compartment right where those headers are going to be. NASCAR drivers were doing this until NASCAR figured out why they were backwards, with no hoses attached. They made the car go faster. I also wonder if the reverse NACA ducts in the windows would help with the doors in the coupes from bowing from the pressure during high speed. Obviously you won't have this issue since you have the roadster. Cheers.

[@DanDulac]

Loving this idea…Sucking hot air out from above those headers would certainly be an awesome benefit aside of allowing the clam to close over this motor. You guys have my gears turning now. 💪

[@andreworth8493]

This build is so next level, nothing else like it on KZbin!

[@DanDulac]

Very kind words--I'm humbled! Glad you're enjoying it right along with me.

[@christoffer1973]

I would widen the scoop. Cut of the scoop and splitt it in halv and epoxy it back. Maybe fill the midle stripe that you need to wide the scoop. Maybe a stripe in acrylic/Plexi glass.

[@jamest5149]

Much better looking design. Good work as usual. This build will be epic when completed and something to be very proud of.

[@dwilliams321]

Brilliant design and execution of the airbox and carbon fiber air intake tubing!

[@amazinplays7813]

Intelligent engineering, love it.

[@murraydonkin8916]

Wow Dan, love the new airbox design 👌🏼 That's a excellent design and execution which takes time and lots of head scratching so very well done 🏆

[@DanDulac]

Thanks Murray! It was many weeks in the making. I just finished skinning them today so it won’t be long before the next video is ready. 😎

[@1kontrabida]

Looks dope Dan i like the new airbox! btw CF retains heat if it does increase your temp u can sleeve a plastic inside. i have cf tubes but their only about 6-7 inches long that it didnt affect my temps but on my other car it did a little bit so i added plastic tube to mitigate the heat issue.

[@raymundjusay4632]

Awesome Work Dan 🥶🌟✨🌟✨🌟✨

[@Carbonblade100]

Been a while between episodes but I can see why...love the fact that you took inspiration from the f40, and that cf came out fantastic. Really nice work on the clam cutouts. Shame it didn't work out as it is, given how close it is. I just cut a pretty good chunk out of my Shelby a few months ago. Know how nerve racking that first cut can be lol Looking forward to future progress

[@DanDulac]

Thanks man, I appreciate it! Yes, longer between episodes than I would have liked but I had a fair bit of engineering work to do. I probably spent a week designing the air boxes alone…with a few failed prints. If I recall, it took about 24 hours to print the pieces to make one air box. But over that hump now! On to the next hump. 💪

[@jamest5149]

When I was young I was a technician running cells manufacturing nylon 66 inlet manifolds etc for Siemens VDU for Ford, VW, Jaguar etc, we used similar thread inserts. Just be careful they don’t back out when you remove the soldering iron. 👍

[@DanDulac]

Yeah, I noticed they like to back out a little bit when you remove the iron. Plunging in a little extra helps compensate for that. 👍

[@donaldseymour7278]

Keep it coming!

[@nottherealjk]

Wow, the airbox is much cleaner looking. You nailed the more OEM style look. Thank God for 3d printers. The airbox should also make it easier to put heat shielding on the box to help reflect heat off due to that proximity to the exhaust if that's something you were thinking of doing.

[@DanDulac]

Heat shielding on the exhaust side of the boxes is definitely in the plans! 👍

[@nottherealjk]

@@DanDulac Putting that gold on like an F1? Or something else in mind?

[@DanDulac]

@@nottherealjk I’ll probably use the same stuff I used on the firewall: DEI Heat Shield II - it’s fiberglass backed dimpled aluminum shielding with adhesive backing.

[@darrenminter4190]

So glad that you change your airbox design because this will allow a lot more air around the filter give you far better airflow , got an idea for your plenum clearance , being that you’re getting so good at 3-D printing why don’t you design a couple of scoops to go each side of that big scoop so rather than doing a power bulge to clear The plenum you would have a air ducts either side , obviously they will be false , but still cooling air into the engine bay you can print them out of a material that you can coat with carbon like you did to your hair boxes this way they can be bolted onto the clamshell , as usual keep up the good build it’s always fun to watch a unusual build progress to what will be an outstanding car, PS love the tunes that you put on as well.

[@darrenminter4190]

A lot of people have been commenting about obviously how close your airbox tubes are to your exhaust, if you go with the duct idea that I’ve just said this will force air down onto the top of those air intake tubes, maybe you could make those two ducts slightly longer , not only to give you more clearance for those airbox pipes but to give better cooling for those airbox pipes , just a thought good luck

[@Wogrocket]

Just came across your videos last night and have almost watched the whole ultima build 👌👍👍 just wondering where you got the carbon sleeve from as im keen to have a go at a project I've been wanting to do on my lotus 340r 👍👍

[@DanDulac]

I picked up the carbon twill sleeve from Composite Envisions. They make different diameters to choose from. It’s cool stuff!

[@brianbohannon8044]

Great video Dan, my favorite one yet!

[@Gearedweird22]

Wow good job on the intakes 👍 looks great

[@craigjarvis9677]

👍👍

[@rudey24-74]

Great update dan love the carbon work inspiring me to have a go at my sierra rs 500 splitters/spoilers

[@DanDulac]

Go for it! It’s really not that hard…my best advice is just be gentle with the initial layup of the carbon fabric. It’s super delicate and easy to distort the weave. Once the first coat of epoxy is on, the rest is easy.

[@dave5833]

Did you think about “hydro-dipping” the air boxes? Great looking build and Video thanks. Played Golf today it was 83F. So a nice day all in all. Do you think you will be on the road by spring?

[@DanDulac]

You’re missing some cold weather up north. 🤮

[@dave5833]

@@DanDulac I know I was there January to get some work done on the BelAir It was plenty cold then.

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

Another very enjoyable video. I enjoy seeing you work at the problems. Going back to first principles, you have a very large "heater" under the rear clam. Perhaps rethink the "evacuation" using air from under the car. There is a You Tube fellow in England who has done this in his project car (look up "T50"). To give more space, perhaps investigate a "floating screen" integrated by spraying Lexan to body colour to conceal the shut lines. By very simply heat forming the Lexan, you may be able to simplify the body visually at the same time.

[@garrethnewell9688]

Regarding the T50, are you referring to Gordon Murray? If so, thats no KZbinr, he is one the greatest F1 designers and also the designer of probably the greatest supercar of all time, the McLaren F1. He designed the Brabham BT46 Fan Car and now the GMA T50 fan car for the road at £2.4 million

[@Andrew-vx2ls]

@@garrethnewell9688 You have no sense of humour ;-)

[@staffa007]

Hi Dan! Probably larger holes with teardrops over it: something like Hamilton's Mercedes F1.

[@DanDulac]

Ooh-I love how you’re thinking! That would look killer and be a nice nod to F1. 👍. Great idea!!

[@staffa007]

@@DanDulac Thanks Dan! Cheers!!!

[@tazanteflight8670]

The 3dprint inside your airbox will melt 100% Even if you use cf nylon. You should do the PVA print for the airbox too. Was that your plan? Great build.

[@DanDulac]

I’ll keep a close eye on it. I found someone did some heat testing on CF-infused Nylon and deformation started at 175C (347F). I’ll be wrapping the base with heat insulation and heat shield to deflect as much heat as possible. Plus cool air will be pulled into the boxes from the rear NACA ducts. I actually think the epoxy will deform before the CF Nylon. But we’ll all find out together!

[@Clint2jz]

Hi Dan, what kind of camera are you using for your VLOGs? It looks very clear.

[@DanDulac]

Hi Clint. For the time lapse footage I use my iPhone11 Pro and for all other footage I use a Sony ZV-1.

[@Clint2jz]

@@DanDulac thanks for the reply :)

[@Shadowband72]

Is it possible to lower the engine in the body a bit to get the room you need on top ?

[@DanDulac]

Hi Jerry-The engine is as low to the chassis rails as I can get it. When I initially fit the engine back in the early episodes, I considered lowering the chassis rails a couple inches but that would have required a TON of frame fabrication-and opened a can of worms that might have led to other unforeseen issues. I figured modifying the bodywork would be a lot easier.

[@Russ1367]

When you take out the material to clear the intake plenum, instead of having the cut outs so the plenum sticks out of the clamshell why don't you cut out enough to get clearance and then have a small bulge, one each side, that covers the plenum and throttle bodies. Similar to the bulge in the center of an E-Type bonnet but a lot lot smaller.

[@DanDulac]

this is exactly the #1 option of ideas I'm leaning towards...I think someone called it a "power bulge". :-). Very fitting. Lol. If you look at the read side engine cover of last years Mercedes F1 car, you'll see a small power bulge...looks very cool, imho--like the bodywork is sculpted around the engine.

[@Russ1367]

@@DanDulac 'Power bulge' is exactly right! I had a brain freeze for the correct term for it. 🤦‍♂️ At least that way the plenums and throttle bodies would be covered and not protruding through a cut out. Just looked at last year's Mercedes F1 car and that's exactly what I was thinking. Much better for airflow.

[@Russ1367]

@@DanDulac I've found a picture of what I was thinking of but YT won't let me post a link. I searched for 'small bonnet power bulge car locostbuildersuk' and there's a picture of a sleek carbon fibre teardrop shaped power bulge. You could easily make one with your 3D printer and CF sheet.

[@DanDulac]

@@Russ1367 Found it! Thanks for the tip and it would be easy for me to design one in CAD and 3D print a plug or mold to layup a couple. I think this would look so good. I’m on the trail now. 🤟

[@Russ1367]

@@DanDulac Excellent, good luck! 👍

[@devongordon1651]

Take out the scoop and re make it in carbon make it a functional would look sick