Another very successful SEMA has come and gone. With it, a number of great feature vehicles, spectacular builds and even some ‘minor’ fender-bender action on the last day (Ouch, Liberty Walk Ferrari). We’ve collected so many great shots – here’s just a few with a focus around the use of Vibrant products, but in general, just an amazing collection of custom work. Have a look and don’t forget to check out Vibrant’s video coverage review, including interviews with a few special build teams!
We have seen his video all over the net, but what you didn’t see is the behind-the-scenes aftermath of Cody “LOVEFAB” Loveland’s fiery collision at Pikes Peak. Just put yourself in the drivers seat on this wild ride. It was a brief ride, but extremely dangerous with a vicious crash. This could have been deadly had it not been for top notch safety equipment. That, and proper chassis fabrication, is the only reason this was not a fatal ride that day in Cody’s used-to-be NSX, now coined Enviate.
The PRI Show (now owned by SEMA) has moved back to it’s classic location of Indianapolis.
the cold weather, attendance is looking to be strong over the next 3 days. We are at the Vibrant Performance booth, and will have free stickers available the entire show. Please stop by, take a few, and tell us if you follow us! We also plan to do updates periodically about the show on Facebook, and have a daily report about PRI posted on FabricationLife.com
We walked through the venue last night and snapped a few photos of the booths as they were setting up.
Seeing this car on track is mind-blowing at times.
Real Time Racing
Blower Cars always get big attention, this one will draw a crowd!
This build is extremely interesting. Ford GT with a blow-thru setup, using VanJen Clamps, big screw supercharger, electronic city, and a completely redesigned cooling system. More to come on this car on FabricationLife.com.
Here you can see the prep work going into the display.
We will update more on the PRI Show. Check back to see what craziness we find, and who we happen to see. If you have something you are wanting to see tell us!
A few months ago I posted an article related to building a roll cage; or support if you will; for the new Toca Series tC that will be showing this 2012 season. I promised I would post exclusive photos to Fabricationlife.com before the car made its debut. Let me just tell you this build was no easy task and a lot; I mean a lot; of man hours have been put into this. Getting a show car into show car shape is no simple task. Unlike other builds where dirt, corrosion, and appearance may not matter, building a show car means checking everything from ground up, and that is exactly what has been done here. This car used to be a daily driver, and then it sat for a bit, so the corrosion was terrible. I didn’t want this car to leave the shop without it looking like it was brand new; this is where I began my journey of cleaning and polishing everything. When I say everything, I mean ripping apart everything in the wheel wells from the bolts to control arms. Everything had to be scraped, polished, coated, and then finally painted. Below is a photo of the axel that had to be taken off the car to be cleaned and perfected.
After a 10 hour day, let me tell you it is not easy to look at that one piece and ask yourself where the time went, but believe me it will pay off in the long run. Now let me give you some insight into what actually went into this car, and how things were created and fitted. Although the body kit used on this car has been modified left and right, Scion owners can recognize areas like the front bumper which stands out because you can see it on Ken Gushi’s RS*R drift tC. Without giving you all of the details on how the kit came together, I can assure you a large amount of time went in making sure the fit and finish was flawless. You will notice a giant Vibrant Performance intercooler sitting behind the bumper, but I will save the engine bay details for a future article, as it deserves its own time in the spotlight.
Here is a photo that is debuting here on Fabricationlife.com, it is the side shot of the car taken by Kortnei Grace, owner of Kortnei Brandon Photography. From the side view you can see how the car has transformed and how it is truly a one of a kind build. This tC roadster is first of its kind, showing it highly crafted turtle shell back and smooth transition into the body. The windshield here is something I am particularly excited about. The smooth quality finish of the wind shield looks as though it rolled out the dealer floor with no top. The responses I have been getting from the hood have been out the roof so let me lay it out there for everyone. The hood on this car is actually the stock hood of the tC which was modified, shaved, cut open, and welded. The reason being is I wanted the best fit while also having the opening needed on top. The hood scoop is no coincidence, but let’s just say it was needed, and
that I will save the conversation for the engine bay article :).
Without giving too much away in once issue of this series, I will hold back on photos of the rear portion of the car which will be saved for its debut at Tuner Galleria in Rosemont, IL on March 3rd. If anyone has any questions I will gladly answer them to the best of my ability. Until the next issue thanks for reading!
John Toca
www.johntoca.com
Toca Series Tuning Innovation
Originally Posted on Fluid Motor Union
Enough of the teasers, let’s show you guys some shots of the initial progress of the FMU x Raging Bull Marketing CLK63 Black Series build.
Much like every other exhaust build, it’s important to make sure you plan out your clearances multiple times before agreeing on changing those tacks into full-blown welds. So we removed everything that we needed to, and now there’s all sorts of room! Just nowhere to put anything in the trunk; thankfully, the car won’t be getting groceries for a few weeks, so the trunkspace isn’t necessary.
So now the Black Series has assumed the role of “friend who crashes on your couch for a week,” as its stuff is starting to end up everywhere. But unlike the crashing comrade, we’re super excited for the BS to be here, so it can take up all the space it wants.
A few of the pieces are already tacked together for perfecting fitment. The clearances between the C63 and the BS are a bit off, so we’re taking extra precautions when making sure everything fits together nicely. You don’t want any sort of connection between exhaust pieces and the frame, after all.
We have our ultra-top-secret, super-trick plans already in motion, so as long as everybody keeps working together, this build should go off without a hitch. Raging Bull Marketing is getting pretty pumped on their end, and we’re eagerly anticipating their arrival this coming weekend. This is going to be one insane month, folks, stay tuned!
And don’t forget about the FMU BBQ! Marilynn spent all day Sunday prepping for it, so everything is starting to come together!
Originally Posted on Fluid Motor Union:
If you saw it on Facebook, then you already know. For those of you who don’t, we’re currently in possession of a SEMA-bound CLK63 AMG Black Series.
A while ago, we were approached by Joe Galante on behalf of Raging Bull Marketing, a company in the Pacific Northwest that specializes in the marketing of vehicles. Some of their previous builds have been nothing short of outstanding, and they were looking to us for one seriously trick, SEMA-worthy exhaust setup for a CLK Black Series. After some back-and-forth, snarky witticisms, Anchorman quotes and liquid courage, the wheels began to roll. What started as an exhaust ballooned into a fully custom exhaust setup, featuring both FMU’s long-tube header design and a custom piping scheme from the collectors back, along with one of our oil coolers. Before we even knew it, a two-story vehicle hauler showed up on our doorstep around midnight last night, and we were greeted with a beautiful sight:
With the BS secured in our garage for the evening, we sought some rest. Upon our arrival this morning, though, cameras began rolling and snapping. The most obvious things you’ll notice about the vehicle below is the aggressive wheel setup coupled with one very unique paint scheme. We at Fluid have come up with several different names for the paint, but only Joe (the man who mixed it himself) knows the true title for this tint. The wheels are none other than ADV.1’s ADV.10 design with quite the aggressive fitment, coming to just about flush with the massive BS-exclusive fender flares. It’s one of the most beautiful cars we’ve ever encountered, and it’s only been here for twelve hours. Ideas are floating around, as they have been for months, so the coming weeks are shaping up to be nothing less than utterly epic. We can’t wait to get together with Joe in Chicago and show him how we do things in the Midwest. Until then, let’s take a gander, shall we?
Currently, our first step with the Black Series is to get it on the dyno, which we did. It’s undergoing some runs to find its baseline power, so we can see just how much power the long-tube headers and exhaust will add to the mix. This is already a seriously powerful car, but since it will be competing in Global Time Attack’s Modified RWD class, it’s going to need that competitive edge.
Thanks again goes out to Joe and Mitchell of Raging Bull Marketing, as this is one opportunity we’re both humbled and overjoyed to undertake. Look out world, Fluid MotorUnion is about to turn your shit upside-down.
