FabricationLife
 
 

FROM SILENCE TO VIOLENCE: THE BS GETS SOME HEAD(ERS) (FMU)

Posted on

Originally Posted on Fluid Motor Union

Risque titles are the name of the game today, as fabrication pushes forward on the header work on the RBM x FMU CLK63 AMG Black Series SEMA build.

obligatory1

When it comes to headers on any 6.2L M156 motor, custom-fabricating a set requires patience, precision and a whole lot of caffeine. It’s a small space to work with on almost every version of the 63 setup (C, CLK, etc.), so it’s very much a “measure twenty times, cut once” mentality. As always, Fluid MotorUnion is up to that task.

obligatory2

Let’s start with the bullet merge collector we’ve finished assembling:

obligatory3

And now let’s get to the meat-and-potatoes of the blog post, the headers themselves! Since it’s SEMA, our design needs to be highly functional but still different than your standard set of long-tube headers. After lots of research, sitting down and theorizing, we have the idea we’re running with, but we’re not going to give it away just yet. For now, though, we’ve got one set of fully-welded headers (passenger), and the driver’s side should be finished incredibly soon. Let’s take a look at the progress so far, shall we?

obligatory4
obligatory5
obligatory6
obligatory7
obligatory8
obligatory9
obligatory10

We’re moving at the speed of light, but it’s still a long process. Needless to say, we remain dedicated to our high standards of craftsmanship and won’t sacrifice an ounce of quality during the build. We’ll see you all at the barbecue tonight! It starts at 4 and goes until whenever we feel like it. Remember: No Haters.

Posted in FEATURED | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Four Star Motorsports – Georgetown, ON, CA

Posted on

We took a trip up to Canada and one of the many shops we visited was Four Star Motorsports.  Another off-road shop with brilliant ideas.  We entered Four Star and Frank Sprongl had already been working on an Evo X

http://vimeo.com/28154680

Frank builds…tunes…and drives in many rally races

This Evo X was stripped down completely and caged perfectly.  It’s so clean!

Cosmetically equipped with a carbon fiber lip kit, hood, fenders, wing, and Volk TE37 Seibon editions …it’s one light, clean, but serious vehicle!

Another eye candy in the shop being built was the other white beast – a Subaru

The engine bay had plenty of work to look at

Upgraded turbo along with fitting piping

Along with a custom intercooler…

and custom built header.  Fabrication isn’t a problem at this shop!

Frank and the rest of the crew at Four Star Motorsports we’re such a pleasant group to visit.  Hope to see much more success pulled from this shop and more records beaten!

http://www.fourstarmotorsports.com

Posted in FEATURED

Twins Turbo Motorsports – Signal Hill, CA

Posted on

Being an avid car guy and coming from the east coast.  I knew I would be in for a treat visiting a few shops out in California.  One of the many shops was Twins Turbo Motorsports – a highly known team amongst many enthusiasts of the automotive world.

http://vimeo.com/27209521

Twins Turbo is known for their fully built Toyota Supra, but they’ve recently been working on a boosted Dodge Viper.

The engine bay is flawless and set aside from the twin turbo setup the intake manifold alone speaks pure power.  I simply asked what kind of power it held.  Their answer?  About 2000 hp at the crank!

It’s an unbelievable car and to see such fabrication and engineering brought together leaves you speechless. This is just one of the many dream builds I wish I could obtain.

Moving onto their circuit pony – Their Toyota Supra. Cams, Pistons, Cage, Brakes, you name it. This car is built to spec and it is glorious.

If they can figure out a way to craft a part they need – they will.  They don’t only physically make it, but they make it visually appealing as well.

Another car well built is their Honda Civic.  It’s not always about Rear Wheel Drive platforms, you can sure bet this car moves!

You ask what else have they built?  Two well known platforms would be Chris Rado’s Scion and Vaughn Gitten Jr’s RTR-X Mustang.

And here we have Marc and Eric, the admirable men, of Twins Turbo with their awesome dog Monster!

You honestly couldn’t ask for a better duo of guys to get to work with.  A Family that comes from the east coast making their dreams happen on the west coast.  They’re hilarious but full of pride. You can see the dedication in their work and fabrication is their game.  I can only fathom what other monstrous builds will be unleashed by Twins Turbo Motorsports!

 

http://www.twinsturbo.com

Posted in FEATURED

FROM SILENCE TO VIOLENCE: ALL THE BS YOU CAN HANDLE (FMU)

Posted on

Originally Posted on Fluid Motor Union

Are you guys as excited for the RBM x FMU Black Series SEMA build as we are? Good, because we’ve got it on the blog again today.

The pace hasn’t slowed one bit since we got crackin’ on the Black Series’ headers and exhaust, among other trick little things we haven’t mentioned yet. Today is no different, as the designing, fitment work and welding haven’t broken pace once.

bs_handle1

Today, we’re going to focus on the work taking place at the middle resonator set, heading backwards towards the rear section. We’ve already put together the X-pipe and the initial piping that extends to just behind the differential, so enjoy some pictures from that region while we keep crackin’ on the headers up front. We’re moving quickly, but not a single inch of our perfectionist style is being compromised; after all, we’re pretty amped to have the honor to build a SEMA car, and that energy should be riding with us until the minute the BS leaves our facility. Enjoy the pics!

bs_handle2
bs_handle3
bs_handle4
bs_handle5
bs_handle6
bs_handle7
bs_handle8
bs_handle9

Aside from more Black Series content (obviously), we’ll have a good post or two up about Scott’s twin-turbo Explorer build, which is moving along just as quickly. Until tomorrow!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

FROM SILENCE TO VIOLENCE: IT BEGINS (FMU)

Posted on

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.

it_begins1

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.

it_begins2

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.

it_begins3
it_begins4

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.

it_begins5
it_begins6

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!

it_begins7
it_begins8

And don’t forget about the FMU BBQ! Marilynn spent all day Sunday prepping for it, so everything is starting to come together!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

FROM SILENCE TO VIOLENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE OEM BLACK SERIES EXHAUST

Posted on

Originally Posted on Fluid Motor Union

Today, we’ll do a thorough, statistical analysis of the OEM exhaust system on the Black Series, looking for points of improvement and critiquing the OEM setup.

bs_analysis1

The Black Series exhaust is pretty straightforward directly from the factory. After the headers, the entire exhaust is easily accessed for both removal and documentation purposes. So let’s dig in, shall we?

bs_analysis2
bs_analysis3

First, we’ll start at the back by the diffuser, the main piece of the exhaust that everybody sees. And trust us, given how fast this car is out of the factory, everybody should only ever be seeing these tailpipes. But there’s one problem — they’re stock. And they’re ovals. And everybody knows that ovals are not only a terrible shape for exhaust flow (there is no scientific basis behind that assertion), but they’re also too commonplace on AMG motors to be seen as hints that something wicked is happening under the body of the Black Series. So, they’ll have to go. Goodbye.

bs_analysis4

Next, we get to these weird round things before the oxygen sensors. These things have been puzzling us ever since we started building exhaust systems. What are they? What do they do? Why make such a bulbous malignancy appear in the middle of such a nice, straight exhaust system? They must be messing with how the oxygen sensors should be working. So, since we have no idea what they are or how they function, let’s just get rid of ‘em in the new design. That sounds good to us. Screw those things.

bs_analysis5
bs_analysis6

And now we have — wait — even more of these oddly shaped thingamajigs?! What is happening here?! They obviously don’t do anything, if Mercedes needs to put four of them in the system. We’re so glad to have found this engineering oversight that Affalterbach obviously missed. Millions of dollars in R&D and they’re still slipping up from time to time. Oh well, everybody’s human. Let’s just do like we are going to do with the front bulb-ball-thingies and cut them the eff out of our new design.

bs_analysis7

H-pipes? H-pipes?! That’s just goofy. If only there were a more appropriate x-shaped solution. We don’t know what you’d call something like that though, so we’ll gladly take some suggestions as to how to go about naming the x-shaped h-pipe. One of them isn’t even welded all the way around! Silly German engineers.

bs_analysis8
bs_analysis9

And that about sums up our expert analysis of the CLK Black Series’ OEM exhaust system. Obviously we’ll be running an onion-shaped-bulb-free, x-shaped h-pipe setup that should produce approximately 1 to 3 extra horsepower for this seriously sick vehicle.*

*Disclaimer: Yes, we know they’re catalytic converters. Yes, we know it’s called an x-pipe. Yes, we’ll be putting down a lot more than 1-3 horsepower with our FMU bespoke catless exhaust. Yes, we are fully aware of the laws surrounding the removal of catalytic converters, as this car will be for off-road purposes only, competing in both SEMA’s contests and a time attack racing series thereafter. Follow your local laws, folks. And have a great weekend!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

A LOAD OF BS: FROM SILENCE TO VIOLENCE (FMU)

Posted on

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:

bs_arrival1

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?

bs_arrival2
bs_arrival3
bs_arrival4
bs_arrival5
bs_arrival6
bs_arrival7
bs_arrival8
bs_arrival9
bs_arrival10
bs_arrival11

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.

bs_arrival12
bs_arrival13
bs_arrival14

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.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Ultra Violence Motorcycles- North Hollywood, CA

Posted on

 

Jake over at Ultra Violence isn’t your typical run amuck kind of guy.  He’s a humble, skilled, and creative individual with a huge passion for fabrication and bikes.

For the builds that are produced by Jake, you wouldn’t expect it to be from such a small shop

This is the first bike seen as you step through the door…

Jake proves to be innovative and crafty…

Another piece to his collection of builds.

And here’s his bread and butter that put him on the map..

Ultra Violence is recognized in various magazines and it’s well deserved.  You may have also seen Jake in the Discovery Channel’s ‘Biker Build Off’ and ‘Build or Bust’

It’s always the smaller things that stick out to me the most.  This adds the perfect touch.

You know that feeling you get when you find money in an old jacket or pants you haven’t worn in awhile?  Thats the feeling I got when I arrived at Ultra Violence.  The quality of fabrication produced in here is pure gold.

I can’t say I’m the biggest bike fan out there, but I certainly did enjoy visiting this shop!

 

http://www.jakeultraviolence.com

Posted in Uncategorized

McKinney Motorsports – Murrieta, CA

Posted on

McKinney Motorsports – The shop that gave Tanner Foust his debut into drifting with the Nissan 240sx at Formula D 2006.  As soon as you enter the shop, you are presented with the gem they stow.

http://vimeo.com/27843310

Into the actual shop area is a plethora of iconic tuner vehicles anyone would love to get their hands on! Which one would you choose?  I’ve got a sweet spot for the Datsun 240Z’s!

The shop is and has been through many project builds.  McKinney Motorsports was actually one of the first to bring the RB motors to the states and doing so has evolved the industry.

What I mean by evolve is this….This is the madness of an RB motor fitted into a Nissan Maxima.  Not only is it being done proper with an RB but the first Maxima to swap the drive train to All Wheel Drive!

As you can see, it’s taking quite some time into fabricating the right parts…

The boys here are involved in many more projects, but they also focus on Exhaust headers..

Engine mounts….

Even helping to develop a new set of coilovers.

It’s brilliant work around here….

This Father & Son team is so ideal and so fitted.  One thing I specifically remembered about them is that they like to build clean cars.  Cars built as if it came factory, what the company had actually intended, and execute everything with purpose.  Doing so, they’ve defined their stand in this industry and I wish them much success!

 

http://mckinneymotorsports.com

Posted in FEATURED

Camburg Racing – Huntington Beach, CA

Posted on

I’ve always admired the capabilities of off road sports, but after visiting Camburg Racing, I’ve found a whole new respect. They’re a championship team for more reasons than one.

This is one of their many vehicles built from the ground up

And this is what lies underneath that metal.  It’s like a puzzle…

Just look at this.  All points into the center.  The engineering and precision they put into these vehicles is like none other that I’ve seen.

Along with their technique of welding lines in ONE pass and not by machine.  Their own staff gets the job done!

Today, Camburg leads the Off-road suspension market with their technology

I am very fond of Tundra’s and this build officially put it on my list of things to do.

This alone says the guys are extremelty taleneted.  Camburg Racing has what you need for all Off-Road necessities. I look forward to more championship builds and success!

 

http:// www.Camburg.com

Posted in FEATURED