Zeussy
SSM11K
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Hey Guys and Girls,
Here is a DIY guide to install VZ Flutes into pretty much any commodore, I have recently done them on my VY, but the same principles still apply whatever model yours happens to be.
This may not be the 'Best' or 'Correct' method, but it is the method I have used to install them onto my car, I am yet to see if it will hold up to the test of time - I feel it should though. Feel free to stray from the steps, if you feel the need - or can see a better way to do something.
Well, pretty much remove the guard from your car, if more info is needed on this step, I can/will do a run down on how to remove and replace a front gaurd?
Once the Guards off, mark out where you want to fit your new flute, you can use the standard placement, or where ever you want them!
Photo curtosey of danja!! LEGEND!! lol,
Take your time, to get the positioning correct, by tape measure/ruler, and more importantly by eye!!
I originally was going to make it so the flute would actually clip in - like a standard guard, but didnt make the metal tabs long enough, they would probly need to be two inches long, or so.
After doing the first one, I think it would be a good idea to keep the tabs how I have them marked, or there abouts, just as a bit of reinforcement for the flute to sit into. But I will go into this more later on.
If you're happy with where its marked grab a grinder, with a thin cut off wheel, the ultra thin ones, and "carefully" cut out whats not ment to be there. The grinder will have a tendency to want to grab, and make a huge cut striaght through your gaurd, lol!
BEFORE cutting exactly where the line is marked, go around the line and mark it inwards about 5mm, all the way around. This will allow you to bend the edges back inwards; for two reasons - to give some strength back to the guard, and (once the flute fits in there nicely) allow you to 'gently' bend the 5mm edge back towards the flute - outwards, towards the outside of the gaurd.
^^^ After that, you should be left with something like this. After leaving the 5mm or so extra metal around the edge, grab a pair of bull-nose pliers/combination pliers, and bend back that extra metal, as neatly as possibly. Bend it back to abot a 90* angle/perpendicular.
^^^ Basically it should look a little like this, just with more 'big' tabs around it. I originally was trying a different way to install them, but after doing this one, found an easier/better way. So leave all the 'Tabs' marked in the first second picture.
^^^ Check that the Flute sits nicely in the guard, at this point you should check the alignment with the chrome strip/indicator.
The Flute needs to be recessed into the guard, towards the rear of the Flute, about 4-5mm, and at the front/wheel arch side of the Flute, around 3-4mm. But clip the chrome strip in, and figure out how deeply it needs to be recessed so that the chrome strip sits nicely on the gaurd.
^^^ Once you have found out how deep it needs to be recessed, tape over the whole flute - front side, you dont want fibre glass resin getting all over this bit! and mask the back up, a strip through the middle to stop the resin filling the holes that the chrome bit clips into.
AND make sure you rough up the surface of the flute and the gaurd, I used the grinder - because I cut off all the original mounting points. Just run the grinder over the whole inside of the flute, and use some really rough sand paper, i had 40 grit, so thats what I used, lol, on the inside of the gaurd - to help the fibre glass stick to it.
Once its all roughed up, and ready to go - installed with the correct offset into the guard, grab a small punch/bar and gently tap (the 5mm edge, and the big tabs, that you folded back) back onto the flute - gently if you do it too hard it will push the flute too far forward into the guard. This helps give the flute some support to hold it in place when fibre glassing.
^^^ Cut the fibre glass mattng to size, either the shredded glass type, or the woven matting, either is good. About 3 inches wide, and long enough to go down the sides of the flutes - long enough to hang over the edges by about 2-3inches.
Mix up about 100mLs of fibre glass resin, to which 1mL of hardener will need to be mixed in, that should be enough to do one layer, I was fairly generous with the resin, lol. I did 3 layers of fibre glass. I'm not too sure how much you need? but it was starting to fill over the flute altogether!
After the fibre glassing is complete, un mask the flute - if some resin got onto the masking tape on the back - just trim it back with a stanley knife, then remove the tape.
At this point it should be starting to take shape, I chose to fill the front with just resin - there might be a little lne where the guard meets the flute. But I got it all over the flute, and its a pain in the A** to sand off, so maybe leave that part out, or wipe it off with your finger while its wet. lol.
Once thats all dry, you should be getting close to smoothing it in with some bog/body filler.
Its kind of tricky to explain, but you need to fill the 'gap' that recessing the flute has left. start by filling the inside of the flute - the soft curves that meet into the gaurd, you will need to build these up a bit. It should only take 2-3 passes with the bog to get it close. Once its looking ok, the fill the flat part of the guard and block flat - you can either use a machine, or by hand with a small block of wood. I ended up doing it by hand, Just because of the curves in the flute. But now the guard is back on my car I will use the machine to make sure its all flat as.
After you have it looking like a guard again, mask it up and spray some primer over it - BUT DON'T spray all the way to the edge of your masking up (like I did!!) - leave like 2-3 inches to allow you to 'fade' the primer out, so you dont have a big line of primer. Because you will have to block sand it flat, and there is usually ripples/imperfections left over, and can only be seen by painting the gaurd. TIPS FROM SEAN!!! Cheers mate!
Check that its all sweet, and thats the job done, ready for a quick block back, then paint!!
I will get a few more photos, of a couple of the steps, where I havent got any and try to explain anything a little better. I will probly end up re-wording some of this, because its probly full of incorrect grammar/spelling etc... but its late!!
Here is a DIY guide to install VZ Flutes into pretty much any commodore, I have recently done them on my VY, but the same principles still apply whatever model yours happens to be.
This may not be the 'Best' or 'Correct' method, but it is the method I have used to install them onto my car, I am yet to see if it will hold up to the test of time - I feel it should though. Feel free to stray from the steps, if you feel the need - or can see a better way to do something.
Well, pretty much remove the guard from your car, if more info is needed on this step, I can/will do a run down on how to remove and replace a front gaurd?
Once the Guards off, mark out where you want to fit your new flute, you can use the standard placement, or where ever you want them!
Photo curtosey of danja!! LEGEND!! lol,
Take your time, to get the positioning correct, by tape measure/ruler, and more importantly by eye!!
I originally was going to make it so the flute would actually clip in - like a standard guard, but didnt make the metal tabs long enough, they would probly need to be two inches long, or so.
After doing the first one, I think it would be a good idea to keep the tabs how I have them marked, or there abouts, just as a bit of reinforcement for the flute to sit into. But I will go into this more later on.
If you're happy with where its marked grab a grinder, with a thin cut off wheel, the ultra thin ones, and "carefully" cut out whats not ment to be there. The grinder will have a tendency to want to grab, and make a huge cut striaght through your gaurd, lol!
BEFORE cutting exactly where the line is marked, go around the line and mark it inwards about 5mm, all the way around. This will allow you to bend the edges back inwards; for two reasons - to give some strength back to the guard, and (once the flute fits in there nicely) allow you to 'gently' bend the 5mm edge back towards the flute - outwards, towards the outside of the gaurd.
^^^ After that, you should be left with something like this. After leaving the 5mm or so extra metal around the edge, grab a pair of bull-nose pliers/combination pliers, and bend back that extra metal, as neatly as possibly. Bend it back to abot a 90* angle/perpendicular.
^^^ Basically it should look a little like this, just with more 'big' tabs around it. I originally was trying a different way to install them, but after doing this one, found an easier/better way. So leave all the 'Tabs' marked in the first second picture.
^^^ Check that the Flute sits nicely in the guard, at this point you should check the alignment with the chrome strip/indicator.
The Flute needs to be recessed into the guard, towards the rear of the Flute, about 4-5mm, and at the front/wheel arch side of the Flute, around 3-4mm. But clip the chrome strip in, and figure out how deeply it needs to be recessed so that the chrome strip sits nicely on the gaurd.
^^^ Once you have found out how deep it needs to be recessed, tape over the whole flute - front side, you dont want fibre glass resin getting all over this bit! and mask the back up, a strip through the middle to stop the resin filling the holes that the chrome bit clips into.
AND make sure you rough up the surface of the flute and the gaurd, I used the grinder - because I cut off all the original mounting points. Just run the grinder over the whole inside of the flute, and use some really rough sand paper, i had 40 grit, so thats what I used, lol, on the inside of the gaurd - to help the fibre glass stick to it.
Once its all roughed up, and ready to go - installed with the correct offset into the guard, grab a small punch/bar and gently tap (the 5mm edge, and the big tabs, that you folded back) back onto the flute - gently if you do it too hard it will push the flute too far forward into the guard. This helps give the flute some support to hold it in place when fibre glassing.
^^^ Cut the fibre glass mattng to size, either the shredded glass type, or the woven matting, either is good. About 3 inches wide, and long enough to go down the sides of the flutes - long enough to hang over the edges by about 2-3inches.
Mix up about 100mLs of fibre glass resin, to which 1mL of hardener will need to be mixed in, that should be enough to do one layer, I was fairly generous with the resin, lol. I did 3 layers of fibre glass. I'm not too sure how much you need? but it was starting to fill over the flute altogether!
After the fibre glassing is complete, un mask the flute - if some resin got onto the masking tape on the back - just trim it back with a stanley knife, then remove the tape.
At this point it should be starting to take shape, I chose to fill the front with just resin - there might be a little lne where the guard meets the flute. But I got it all over the flute, and its a pain in the A** to sand off, so maybe leave that part out, or wipe it off with your finger while its wet. lol.
Once thats all dry, you should be getting close to smoothing it in with some bog/body filler.
Its kind of tricky to explain, but you need to fill the 'gap' that recessing the flute has left. start by filling the inside of the flute - the soft curves that meet into the gaurd, you will need to build these up a bit. It should only take 2-3 passes with the bog to get it close. Once its looking ok, the fill the flat part of the guard and block flat - you can either use a machine, or by hand with a small block of wood. I ended up doing it by hand, Just because of the curves in the flute. But now the guard is back on my car I will use the machine to make sure its all flat as.
After you have it looking like a guard again, mask it up and spray some primer over it - BUT DON'T spray all the way to the edge of your masking up (like I did!!) - leave like 2-3 inches to allow you to 'fade' the primer out, so you dont have a big line of primer. Because you will have to block sand it flat, and there is usually ripples/imperfections left over, and can only be seen by painting the gaurd. TIPS FROM SEAN!!! Cheers mate!
Check that its all sweet, and thats the job done, ready for a quick block back, then paint!!
I will get a few more photos, of a couple of the steps, where I havent got any and try to explain anything a little better. I will probly end up re-wording some of this, because its probly full of incorrect grammar/spelling etc... but its late!!
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