Side Scoop Louvers

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Major System Category: Body (Shell)
Task: Prep and install side scoop louvers
Parts:

• Side Scoop Louver
• 8115 3M Bonding Kit
• Fiber Glass supplies

Prerequisite Tasks: Mount the body
Additional Costs: $126
Time Requirement: 5 hours
Date Started: September 16, 2012
Date Completed: September 25, 2012
The side scoops are located forward of the rear tires. The build manual calls for a mesh screen to be installed  behind the cut out. There is nothing wrong with mesh screen, it just doesn't provide for enough air flow. I believe this was done as a cost control measure. The basic kit already costs $21k plus shipping and the donor and the transaxle. All told, the basic car costs around $55k. This is a no frills, basic GTM. Engineered parts like louvers cost more and further complicate the build. There is a trade off here.

These are the different parts and pieces for 1 side scoop louver. Basically, there are two side pieces and  eight blades.

I made the decision to spend dollars to enhance the car's integrity. Items such as the roof scoop (a F5 option in the catalog), bump/steer kit, Z06 Big Brakes, larger wheels, aluminum tanks and so forth are optional. The same goes for louvers. I purchase the side scoop louvers to replace the mesh screen.

One side louver assembled. This looks like the passenger side louver.

Consideration: I definitely would want to do this before installing the fuel tanks. This is a room to work consideration.

These are louvers side by side. They are not bonded at this point and can fall apart  in your  hands.

Each louver consists of 10 pieces. To figure how to put these together, I examined the photos on the Vraptor Speedworks site and measured the install area for the scoop. The photos showed eight louvers (same as in the kit). I discovered from my measurements that the cut out is not single width from top to bottom. This helped me understand that the widest louvers need to me i the middle, followed by the slightly shorter width louvers and a top and bottom piece. The top and bottom become obvious when examining the depth of cuts on the side pieces.

This is a test fit of the louver on the driver's side. It is just sitting in there.

I assembled a left and right version of the louvers (I got it wrong a couple of times). The skinny side piece goes against the interior of the other shell and the fatter side piece encloses the inside of the scoop. (This becomes obvious when you get under the car and look.

These are the louvers bonded and painted. I ended up having to  sand and repaint parts of the louvers after they were installed. There was a certain amount of fiber glass and glazing necessary to sculpt the opening.

Consideration: I used tape on the outside of the side pieces to hold everything together. This facilitates a test fit and measurement for the cut out. I intend to use 3M 8115 panel bond to permanently secure these pieces.

Final product. The louver is bonded to the body shell. The opening has been sculpted with  fiber glass, sanded and glazed. I am sure it will need some additional attention before it is ready for paint, but that's a long way off right now.

It helps to remove the tires in order to provide access inside the body shell (thank goodness for the inline jacks). The scoop cut is basic grunt work.

Rear Brake Vent

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Major System Category: Body (Shell)
Task: Cut out rear vent slots
Parts:
Prerequisite Tasks: Mount the body
Additional Costs: N/A
Time Requirement: 2.5 hours
Date Started: September 17, 2012
Date Completed: September 21, 2012
I seemed to have more trouble cutting out these little slots than all the other body cut outs I have performed. Anyway, when I finished they were jagged and rough. I used a file, the Dremel with a drum sander and 180 grit sand paper to get things evened out. This is the only area that I plan to use the Factory Five supplied mesh.

Rear vent screens after they are formed and painted.

I painted the mesh screen black. This is keeping with the gloss black accents I am incorporating into the car's image. Next I did a test fit of the screen against the opening. The screen needs to be formed to the contour of the inside of the rear vent. To bend the mesh, I used a vice to evenly bend the creases at something less than a 90 degree angle. This is keeping with the angle of the fiber glass form on the inside of the body shell. There's no need to be exact. You just need the creases to work with.

3M adhesive tape applied to the screen mesh. Ready for install.

I used 3M double sided adhesive tape to attach the mesh to the side of the fiber glass. I have used this successfully on my Corvette in attaching Race Mesh grills to the brake ducts. I applied the 3M tape in two strips. Be careful not to roll the tape when applying the mesh screens to the fiber glass.

Final install.

The final bit of work requires sanding and glazing putty to smooth out the cuts. I work these tasks in around other things I am doing on the car. They take time, but in small chunks, as I have to wait for things to dry.