107 replies to this topic

[rik]

If the top section and the bottom section were separate, then it may make the possibility of a hingable clam easier. For example, the bottom part being mostly fixed in place, and only the top part (including boot?) were on a hinge, actually probably just "unclippable" would be good enough. The biggest PITA with removing the rear clam at the moment (IMO), is having to remove the seats/speaker panel. If you can overcome this then it would make it much nicer already. Other areas, removing wheel arch liners (rear half attached to clam, front hald attached to sill (not sure what can be done with this.. have a bracket fixed to the subframe for the liner to screw int? also, removing roll bar cover/roof seals, and the relays in the boot are possible areas.

[slindborg]

just having the tubyb and N/A clams "common" would knock loads off the price. And have the "ears" an add on if wanted.

[siztenboots]

A design that would allow a proper MSA approved roll bar, allow the rear clam to easily come off perhaps with a seperate section for around the petrol filler , also keep options open for a coupe / roof scoop also I would change the rear lights, and have a S2 style diffuser treatment, ie. higher clam lower edge.

[Winstar]

Rear hinged clam like the noble so that you can work on the engine etc easier

[markiii]

wider access boot lid?

[Muncher]

How much space for a WeaponR would there be if you had a turbo rear clam and turbo bootlid?

[Steve Crisp]

If the top section and the bottom section were separate, then it may make the possibility of a hingable clam easier. For example, the bottom part being mostly fixed in place, and only the top part (including boot?) were on a hinge, actually probably just "unclippable" would be good enough. The biggest PITA with removing the rear clam at the moment (IMO), is having to remove the seats/speaker panel. If you can overcome this then it would make it much nicer already. Other areas, removing wheel arch liners (rear half attached to clam, front hald attached to sill (not sure what can be done with this.. have a bracket fixed to the subframe for the liner to screw int? also, removing roll bar cover/roof seals, and the relays in the boot are possible areas.

I've got my rear clam off at the moment. I'm definately putting the "boot" relays inside the wheel-arch, sealed in a metal Maplin box.


Steve

[rabidh]

How much space for a WeaponR would there be if you had a turbo rear clam and turbo bootlid?

I haven't had a decent look at the tubby, but the weaponR would just about fit if the boot stopped flush with where the NA boot catch ends (if that makes sense?). Ideally you'd have an extra cm or more so there was some air gap and room for heat shielding.

I think I said before, but if you made all the clam mount brackets out of metal (rather than the bonded fibreglass the OEMs are), you could bolt them to the car and then put button-head bolts through the outside of the clam to hold it on. It would be easier to manufacture and you could remove the whole clam from the outside. You'd probably have difficulty making it look nice on a painted clam, but with a carbon fibre clam some allen key button head stainless bolts would really look the part

[Pugley]

I think a common rear clam for Turbo and N/A would keep costs down. Removeable front and rear bumper section - or even have a part that is actually capable of touching another car without losing it's paint? Black ABS??? If made with a carbon fibre "look" finish huge amounts could be saved on paint if required. Another vote/sales winner may be to produce clams that take off-the-shelf light units thus getting rid of those ridiculous plastic steam generators currently fitted. The cost of the lights alone would pay for a new clam - just think of the luxury of real glass lenses! I dont think we need hinges, just plenty of easy to remove stainless socket screws.

Edited by Pugley, 14 April 2008 - 12:55 PM.

[slindborg]

http://www.s-v-c.co....ights_rear.html

hella rear lights would make an S2 styleeeeee, although with the VX's angularness it might not work.

[rabidh]

http://www.s-v-c.co....ights_rear.html

hella rear lights would make an S2 styleeeeee, although with the VX's angularness it might not work.

Personally I'm not convinced I'd want anything on that page on my car - and once you have all the lights you need it works out more expensive than the 2 new rear light clusters I bought for the VX220 (although maybe i got them cheap). Surely it would be better to make replacement light units that fitted the existing clams and then people who wanted new lights wouldn't have to replace the whole clam?

If someone could make a light body that fitted the VX but allowed you to dismantle some mass market car's lights and fit them in I think it would be pretty popular - although i'm thinking of front lights as I don't think rears are that expensive new?

[slindborg]

twas merely a suggestion of what "is" available lol Pattern part lights would be good. esp the fronts which are just a crap design and crap at their job unless you fit HID's

[Muncher]

That was the van after I'd taken 3 clamshells out of it already! I had an epic journey around the country this week, covering 645 miles in one day and another 300 on the second day!

They look reasonably simple to do, though made up of quite a few sections overall. There will need to be a few brackets and fixings fabricated but nothing too bad. One question I have is about the boot lining section, it's made out of a material which is a lot lighter than the rest of the clam, the same effect can be achieved by using heat retardant materials but I'm wondering if anyone knows what the standard item is made out of?

Would also appreciate comments from people who have had a weapon R fitted and have glassed the hole they cut in the clam very close to the manifold. It looks as if the botton of the boot heatshielding can possibly be lost too or lightened.

The front clams can certainly be bolted together, so the lower portion can be replaced easily and cheaply with the rest of the clam still in situ. The rears may be slightly more complicated but there's no reason why the major joins in the clam can't be bolted together. The rear clam will probably made so that it can be removed without removing the speaker panels and seats also.

It appears the standard turbo clam is made by chopping and bodging an NA clam so that can be made neater.

[techieboy]

Well done Muncher. Top work that will hopefully benefit us all, in time.

[luna_s]

nice work

maybe the boot section could be made seperate somehow, so no need for different clams
eg 1 for turbo, 1 for Na and 1 for manifold mods, or could be just left out iirc the boot is just bonded in anyway

its probably made of crackerbread like the heatshield under the boot - it cut like plastic so could be an ABS hybrid ?

i left out my heatshield from underneath as it was too far gone, i replaced it with thermal glass sheet

weapon R mod





btw i also bonded in stainless fittings for the wheel arch liners

[Muncher]

They'll all be made in sections and only 2 of the moulds are different on the VXT anyway. Does anyone have any ideas for the boot mesh section which integrates a heatshield? The standard one is about £47 from autovaux, plus a tenner for Sikaflex not to mention a right pain in the backside to remove and refit. I'm thinking of some kind of all in one mesh and heatshield which can be bolted in?

[severnless]

top work muncher

yet again you're taking on the job that vxl can't be arsed with (like supplying spares)

if there were to be any change to the original i think that all of the suggestions so far have covered them (CF )

but silent1 got me thinking re the fog light/ colling ducts and remembered one of jawz photos on his site




the only clam mod that compliments the original imho

as for the rear grill/ heat shield the only thing that springs to mind is some kind of louvered section instead of a grill??

[jules_s]

Looks nice that, but maybe too £££

Muncher,

I've a few ideas about the rear grille, but having p'chopped them they all look shite....maybe lose it altogether an make some vents either side of the zorst like mr Blower?

I guess that may be more expensive again though?

[Muncher]

severnless - I really, really like those but I'm not quite sure what they'd achieve? You've got the radiator cowling behind there, if you remove that you have the arch liner, removing that you have the tyre face... luna - not THAT expensive but you'd have to assume only one person was going to want a set of them like that and price accordingly which would probably stick a couple of hundred quid on the price for that one. The front arch vents could be moulded straight in but I'm not sure what you'd achieve that couldn't be done by a bodyshop with a bare clam for the same price?

[Strugs]

top work muncher

yet again you're taking on the job that vxl can't be arsed with (like supplying spares)

if there were to be any change to the original i think that all of the suggestions so far have covered them (CF )

but silent1 got me thinking re the fog light/ colling ducts and remembered one of jawz photos on his site




the only clam mod that compliments the original imho

as for the rear grill/ heat shield the only thing that springs to mind is some kind of louvered section instead of a grill??

I can't be alone in thinking that looks the nuts??