Mako Shark freak from Switzerland

Sharkey1807 · Mar 7, 2011

Could pick up today the new spec plates.

First was happy how they came out. Specially the small details with the signature and the Mako-Logo.
Then later at home i've realised that they guy in the lasershop didn't execute the text correctly. He did a typo in the phrase "build by", instead of "built by". Anyway have also to change the phrase "year of build" in "built in year".
No big deal while anyway the plates was cheap.

Here the batch from today not yet corrected:

And here my spec plate, also still wrong:

Had today also a talk with a colleague who gave me some ideas how to execute the master-seat. I will build only one seat as a Master-seat, then doing a cheap and easy to do 2pcs. mould from this.
With that i can do 2 identicall seat-shells.
After having the seat-shells in fiberglass i will screw the frame into them and fill all with light expanding foam.
He gave me also a idea how to put the Mako-Logo in the Master-seat.
Simply i will sand the Mako-script to a thickness of 1mm and then glue the Mako-shark and -script on the Master-seat. Afterwards cover all in a thick layer of clear coat.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · Mar 30, 2011

Now really the 1st time i failed.
The seat carving didn't came out well.
But searched for a new solution which might work well.
Maybe it's interesting for others too, and not very expensive.

Here a picture how they will be executed.
if you want to know how i'll do them again, check the description on our website:

Sharkey1807 · Apr 3, 2011

As also near Yosemite Nationalpark the spring is comming the communication/internet is working better again.
Got a lot of photos this past weekend from Steve.
Way to much to describe or put all here.

So just a short selection. Mainly it's describe in de de-construction section what is necessary to disasemble till the body can be lifted from the frame.

Somebody did some really "good" job on solving fuel line leaks.
Here with a clamp

All fuel lines into the tank was sealed with silicone !

the car really had some "potential" to get blown up.

And a lot more of the frame exposed.
In Steves words: "ROCK SOLID FRAME"
and yeah, about that i say YEAHHHH

Like allways a lot more on the website. This time alone 50 more photos with according text.

Also a new section is added called "Steves Corner".
There special notes from Steve will be put.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · Apr 8, 2011

Got the panels last wednesday.
But only yesterday found the time to work with them.
Here the panels still with the pieces in it:

The 1st seat inlay glued together.
Tell yeah, it's damned comfortable to sit in this seat.
Next is the back inlays and then to smooth them out.
Maybe now the confusion about the drawing of all those grey panels is solved.
It was much much faster to construct the seats this way then carving them from a block of polistiren.
And the benefit are 2 absolute identicall seats and i don't need to make a mould. Well it wasn't very cheap to let the panels cut, but with the time and the money i don't have to spend for the mould it was worth to do it this way.

The construction of the dashboard and door panles will be done in the same technic.

Also in the section 7.body construction are news.
Steve started with giving some basics about fiberglass work.
What strands exist for which technic and how to work with them:

Sharkey1807 · Apr 8, 2011

As promissed here the 1st pictures of the complete seat.
Now as the "puzzle" is finished the real fun can start.
Preparing the seats till they're smooth enough to start covering them with fiberglass.
Can hardly wait to see how they will look into that black carbon-like fiberglass.
In the headrest area i will put a small Mako Shark logo in a oval shape.
This will be surrounded by a leather covered memoryfoam-pad.
Also the seat and back receive leather covered memoryfoam-pads.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · Apr 16, 2011

Played a bit around in my paintprogram with some aftermarket side vents.

My favorite was the ones for Range Rover.
But after some in the german corvette forum mentioned i couldn't use that standard stuff after i created already so many custom things for my Mako i took the challenge.

This is wat i came out.
Now just have to see how i can execute it in a easy way.

And here how it coulod look on a Mako:

Greetings
Robert

DC3 · Apr 16, 2011

The proposed side vents look great. And now I understand the method to the madness regarding the seats. Very good job. Keep it up.

DC

Sharkey1807 · Apr 19, 2011

DC3 said:
The proposed side vents look great. And now I understand the method to the madness regarding the seats. Very good job. Keep it up.

DC

I thought that some had problems to imagine what all the black dots in the grey blocks should mean.
Sure now it's more clear.
Tell you, it's fairly easy to creat seats this way.

For the vents will try to do a mould out of vacuum formed lexxan.
Would save a lot of time, but not yet sure if it will work.

Sharkey1807 · Apr 19, 2011

Again some updates.

This time about the engine and transmission.

Booth are lifted out of the frame now and Steve did some 1st analysies.
And of course again some surprizes occured.

This was the cooling lines for the transmission !?!
Not less then 16 connection points !
No wonder the transmission leaked by the previous owner.
He had to fill from time to time new transmission oil.
Steve will look pretty close in this and overhaul the whole transmission to make sure we wont get later on surprizes.

A positiv surprise was that in the TH400 was already a 2500 Stall Speed Converter, this was documented done less then 1000 miles ago.

Steve gave the transmission housing a 1st shot with 409 kitchen degreaser.

The heads have still the same numbers what is a indicator that no major cases/injury had happened to them.

Of course now it's getting time to order some more parts to rework the engine and transmission.
Steve and me are still comparing the partslists we booth did to make sure we thought about all.
In the same time also a complete rear suspension rebuild kit and F41-Gymgkana-springs for front and rear will be ordered.

Like allways a lot more pictures and text with explanations on the website.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · May 1, 2011

This update is not the newest. All the work was already done on the 22. of april, but no time to put all up on the website.

It was at the time to get the body off the frame.
Somehow unusual, but very efficient.

Steves friend from Yosemite Tree Service kindly offered to lift the Corvette Body off the frame to test his repair work on his Tree Service CRANE!

Total time from Lift Off to TOUCH DOWN was approximately TWO MINUTES!

The first complete inspection of the frame gave a confident feeling.
Next step is the frame gets sandblasted. Then covered in POR15, also inside it will get sprayed with POR15. Finally overall a black glossy paint.

After using 409 kitchen cleaner the engine looks allready much better.
But will get a new paint in POR15-chevy orange.

A masked men.

Steve did some test with primer.

As allways much more pictures, text and explanations on the website.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · May 9, 2011

This time is a major update.
Simply because i was lazy till easter, no, in fact didn't found the time to do updates.
But Steve was very busy in the meantime.

Sandblasted a lot of parts and the frame.
Allready many parts and the frame got coated in black POR15.
For sandblasting the frame and coating it alone are almost 60 new photos.

So again can show you only a small parts of all what happened since 26th of april.
Just look into the news page and follow the links to the specific folders.

The intake sandblasted:

Some parts sandblasted:

The frame sandblasted:

Unfortunately, also my frame has minor problems but can be repaired:

The frame gets coated in black POR15:

The stainless fuel lines get assembled onto the frame:

The rest of the exhaust pipes arrived:

Some sneek peeks about the fiberglass Mako-moulding (to be replaced soon with new moulds):

Some of the parts Steve did moulds for in the past (Corvette LT-1 Hood and Dodge RAM AIR Hood):

And yeahh, it looks pretty cool.......

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · May 19, 2011

Hi all together,

once again a big update.
Mostly about the motor inspection.
Just about the inspection and the problems which occured there are 114 photos with a lot of text.
Overall nothing really serious, but wen solved the motor will work much better with the performance parts which was in the motor.
And finally Steve painted the block chevy orange and mock it up with all the covers.
IT SIMPLY WILL LOOK AMAZING, when on the black frame and surounded by the cooling frame and wheel wells out of carbon-fiber.

Here a few of the frame. And yeahhhhh......to me allready this looks pretty cool.

The harmonic balancer really was damaged:

New U-joints coming in for drive- and axle-shafts:

The timing-chain cover after cleaning and polishing:

We even didn't know there was a chrome cover over all that dirt !
And why so much dirt ?
Because the stupid which put it forgot to remove the paper from the gasket and it leaked oil. Pretty good vaporized by the fan and spread over the whole engine.

When Steve took a closer look at the rockers he felt something was not right:

So he couldn't stay in peace and began to investigate deeper:

Heat marks on a lifter !

As Steve got more suspicios he took out the camshaft and found it's a higher performance cam. Unfortunatelly all not pretty well installed.

yeahhh yeahhh.... that motor will look cool.
Here the motor is just in the 1st layer of POR15 Chevy Orange.
But Steve couldn't wait to see how it will look at the end.
Here a short mock up with the manifold and covers:

Then with the new chrome headers, the chrome oval 12" air filter with the shark logo on it and chrome oil pan. And all the tubes in stainless hoses with chrome clamps.
I'm simply overwhelmed........was speekless when Steve sent me the photos.

Cylinder inspection didn't show something spectacular or problematic.
Usual wear from the pistons:

As sayd, much more photos and information on the website.

Any kind of comments very welcome.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · May 29, 2011

The motor problems and indicators to it didn't let Steve in peace.
So he took of the heads to take a closer look.

Then all came together why the car had heat problems:

look at the gasket !

Comparison of combustion chambers also show some problems:

That could have caused in future a main catastrophe.
Problem located and soon to be fixed. Ufffff.....

Now as the heads anyway are off Steve will check how much can be grinded down the heads to reach a higher compression ratio. The maximum will be 10,25:1.
A bit more cheap gained power isn't to bad.:yahoo:

Sharkey1807 · Jun 8, 2011

Again some progress. Haven't found the time to put up lately the informations.

Some parts came in from Corvette Paramedics. They really do a very good job and all ordered parts come in good quality and in time.
- rear polyurethane suspension kit
- a lot of gaskets
- stainless hose covers
- tunnel insulation and foam

Also for the motor some chrome parts, like chrome oilpan and chrome screws for timing chain cover and intake manifold:

The combustion chambers got also rid of all the unburned stuff:

Steve also fixed the crack in the frame. He cutted out the bad piece and welded in a backpiece and deep welded all together:

So one of the more major concerns is fixed. Ufff.......

The side-exhaust is so far finished and just awaits chrome headers to come in to get the final touch:

Some other stuff ordered:

The air-filter, as well as the fenders and radiator mount and firewall cover, will be covered in black fiberglass (carbon-like) and on top the Mako Shark Logo.

Well, and someday the car also needs to be steered:

As allways way more pictures and a lot of description on the website.

Comments are welcome.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · Jun 13, 2011

The motor is coming together and will be fired up someday next week.

The new timing chain and gears assembled:

The new harmonic balancer also is installed with proper tools:

Also a new chrome oildipstick came in:

The old belts got trashed and new ones will be used:

While some parts showed some use or at least was doubtfull how good still were they got replaced.

New waterpump, instead of more expensiv chrome one we choose a to paint a standard in silver.

Specially the rocker arms, push rods showed some unusual wear for the milleage they was in:

Here the new parts:

And here the redone valve train stands straight in line:

The motor soon is finished. What remains is painting all the brackets and replace the round air filter with the oval one which should show up some they next week, together with the headers and steering wheel:

We decided also to replace the valve covers with new ones. Not that the Edelbrock wouldn't work. But now as all looks pretty new the wear they show doesn't really fit to the rest.

Finally the oval airfilter and the valve covers gets a "coat" of black fiberglass (carbon-like) with special heat resistant resin.
On the airfilter cover will be the Mako Shark Logo and Script while on the valve covers will come only the script and a identificatiion plate with the serial number SMK002 and who built the Mako.

Can't wait to hear the motor roaring up the first time.
Steve will make a sound video and we put it up also on the website.

Greetings
Robert

Sharkey1807 · Jun 20, 2011

Hi Together,

this time no real update, just couldn't resist to show you the parts which came in last friday.
It took the supplier not complet 3 working days and the parts showed up.
That's great service and definitely will order there again.
I'm allready thinking about if i should also change all the pulleys with some out of aluminum.

In short, i'm really astonished what you can buy for even a lower price.
The headers had just cost 70 Dollars and have no major flaw.
Also the airfilter is machined out of aluminum and that for only 50 Dollars.

A picture of everything assembled for mock up:

Overall view with the new parts:

With the design of the steering wheel i simply fell in "love", had just to have it:

Was not really cheap but also not expensive. Just a must have.
But still wouldn't tell the price to my wife. Guess she would get a mild crisis.
But sure for some of you similar !?!

Greets

Sharkey1807 · Jun 29, 2011

Hi Together,

aside the updates took today some time to go over all what happened till now.
Counted that allready were taken 836 pictures !
On a paper will fit something about 2 to 3 pictures and corresponding text, so this will be a quite thick restoration dossier finally.
Could cost me a bit to plastify all the pages.....?!?

Now the motor is back on the frame.
Looks damned cool (in the eye of the beholder) on the restored frame with the assembled new stainless hoses and the new chrome headers and airfilter

Some clearance problems between headers and starter and steering mechanism has to be solved. But nothing impossible.

The new stainless fuel line lets not much chance for having "unplanned fuel burnings".

The fuelfilter in the carb looked quite "good" !
Seems previous owners had no clue about this internal fuelfilter.

The sidepipes are short before final bending/fitting to the headers.

And yeah, then the 1st Rrroooaaaarrrrr.......
Of course a sound video will be done and published. Soon soon....

As allways more pictures on the website.

Greetings
Robert

mrvette · Jun 29, 2011

FUN to watch a project come together, enjoy!!!

:nuts:

Sharkey1807 · Jul 3, 2011

mrvette said:
FUN to watch a project come together, enjoy!!!

:nuts:

Yeah Gene,

to bad i can't be nearby and beeing the little helper.

To hear it sound up the first time and winding it up to 5000rpm to hear it roaring.

Can hardly wait to get the sound video.

Greetings
Robert