Diablo Dilemma

6 minute(s) of a 72 minute read

ok  I've been working double hours thrice a week because of the big storm we had up here. I just got power back Thursday AM. It really sucked taking cold showers for a week and charging my cell phone (which is my lifeline) in the Raptor's 110VAC outlet nightly (and another in the 12VDC socket). It's nice to have heat in 30 degree weather. Haven't had time for any personal things, other than the 5AM cold shower, shave and dump. OK TMI... anywho....

Lots of machining. NRE had to have tools custom made for the job... custom o ring cutter, etc. I've decided to abandon the idea of scribing some chick's name on the engine. Don't wanna be tacky. I want this car to be built as if someone at Lamborghini were doing a TT Diablo. If any name will be on the engine, it'll be Lamborghini. I want this to be done with the ultimate respect for the original designers.

This car is going to look like Lamborghini themselves did it at the factory.

This is a pic of the custom waterjet plenum spacer.  

Here you can see NRE machining it so that it fits in the plenum.

Lemme get some coffee and I'll throw up a couple more pics.

Here is the first pattern they made before cutting the 2 inch solid block. 

The part just sitting on the plenum so you can see how it will be placed the intercooler will be welded to this so it can be removed plus we will have some plenum volume after it comes out of the intercooler to get into the runners.



Top shot

Cutting the center out of the plenum space.




After being macined out.

Holding the plenum spacer... Custom cutter was made to machine an O-ring groove on the bolts, so that the bolts are sealed.

This is NRE machining the old plenum surface and maching an o-ring groove into that surface for the plenum spacer to seal seal to. 





Plenum spacer pacer all drilled to ready to be tapped and heilcoiled.

Machining the intake for the machined spacers so they have a register before we welding them into the plenum

Air horns will be put back on the intake when all done. They had to be removed for all the machine work. Will look super tits when back on.

All the pics look pretty minor, but this is the foundation for a really, really clean build.

Bungs welded and machined.

The intercoolers are going to be really something. Custom cores.

There are only 3 exterior mods so far that will distinguish this from a stock car.

1. The front (small, yellow) side markers are to be smoked or tinted out
2. The ehxhast (tips). They resemble stock, but are now 4 in number.
3. The wheels, but I was thinking about keeping the stock wheels but painting them gunmetal, or a really matte gunmetal/grey. Look at the mud in the car above. To me, a matte (altough somewhat played i guess) grey would look cool IMO.

There r always aftermarket wheels, which would be available in wider sizes. 

Anyway, not GTR kit. No scoopes required on the roof, as the air intake system is totally redesigned. I'd like to sttick with the stock wheels.  

Only thing else I'm going to add is the rear wing. It is as in the picture below (OEM style just like the factory). I talked about it in earlier pages long ago, and got some assistance from TCL in procuring one.

IMO, the best look for the car is still the original wheel.

I would consider a 3 piece mesh style wheel with polised lip and black center.



I think this would be a good look ^^^