Honolulu 818S Hana (work/build) Thread

[TahoeTim]

1956 pushbutton driving.jpg
1956 push button

way before 1963

[Aloha818]

Lot of "Firsts" today.

1st drive for me.

1st 818 driven, not on continental USA.

1st 818 driven with an Auto (4EAT)

1st 818 with a Push Button Shifter

1st 818 w/turbo EJ22

I have a video, really shaky sorry, but it's not true without pics right?

http://youtu.be/IAXNYeT03MY

Lots of info to digest, lots of research to do, lots of work yet to be done. But now more exciting since I know it will actually drive!

[Ellimist]

Very cool! Been following your posts for some time now and thanks for all the updates! I notice you avoid all (or most?) of the speed bumps in the video - how's the clearance with those? I live near a high school and there's some pretty serious speed bumps....not big enough to stop me from ordering an 818 (delivery date in December 2014), it'll definitely be a hurdle in the future

Best,
Ben

[Aloha818]

Thanks for asking. This was my first drive and I didn't have a spotter. So I was cautious. After that video I made another quick trip on the back street, ran up to 45 mph and after getting out of the car at a speed bump and checking clearance was able to drive over the ones in the video with no problem.

[Aloha818]

yours is cooler, but the '63 dodge had it goin' on too.Attachment 27621 the auto trans is turning out pretty cool. have you any plans for paddle shifters later?

Thanks for commenting. After the test drive today I'm really happy. The paddle shifters are an easy add on. The PCS wire harness already has the plug ready to go. I plan on installing after I mostly finish the rest of the 818.

[Aloha818]

Yeah, Nice upgrade. I really like the electronic shift.

Once an OEM item or technology goes well an aftermarket option will shortly follow, if it can be integrated and produced for a reasonable cost.

Waiting to see the 818 (first auto trans, right?) karting the streets of Honolulu .

Thanks for your interest in my build! I posted a very rough first drive video. A better one to come soon. You can still make out the blue skies and palm trees though!

I guess I skipped the "karting" stage. My first drive today was with all the body panels, doors, water to air intercooler complete and 99% of the electrical operating.

[AZPete]

Congrats! And, thanks for your cool updates - I'm copying several mods.
Geez, couldn't you at least have given Hula Girl a ride? She has been there for you ever since you unpacked the 818 so I think she deserved a ride in the initial test drive!

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Congrats! And, thanks for your cool updates - I'm copying several mods.
Geez, couldn't you at least have given Hula Girl a ride? She has been there for you ever since you unpacked the 818 so I think she deserved a ride in the initial test drive!

She was holding the camera.

[Canadian818]

Congrats!

[Aloha818]

Congrats! And, thanks for your cool updates - I'm copying several mods.
Geez, couldn't you at least have given Hula Girl a ride? She has been there for you ever since you unpacked the 818 so I think she deserved a ride in the initial test drive!

Thanks for following my progress and positive comments. Hula Girl was right there! But the camera was on the dash and she was in her seatbelt!

She was holding the camera.

I think she could have done a better job that the $10 mount I had around.

Congrats!

Thanks!

[Aloha818]

Now that the thrill of the first drive is subsiding I have a few first comments.

I have my seat sliders right on the floor, this seemed a good height and let the slider adjustment bar have enough room to move up and down under the frame brace. I have NRG seats BTW. But after the drive it now feels low. Since there is little to no space for front to back adjustment I will probably take off the bar and raise the seat an inch or so.

When I first bought my 95 Jeep it did not have power steering, was an effort to turn 33" tires. Part of that build was installing a 4.8 Chevy vortec w/4l60 and power steering. So I was unsure of going backwards and removing perfectly good power steering. But the 818 turns easy, I have pretty sticky 215 front tires and only plugged the fluid ports on the rack, for reference. Very responsive input and feel.

To early to judge the brakes. They worked fine with no noticeable extra effort or issue, but I have driven about a mile, and only up to 45mph. That being said, I have driven many cars that I didn't like the brake feel the first time I pushed the pedal! I am using all stock rotors, pads, calipers, etc from the Outback. The pads and rotors are new replacements.

No mirrors either inside or outside, so no judgement on visibility. I have the stock outside mirrors on hand but I like the ones Wallace used, might look into buying those. I also purchased a cool 1950's dash mounted rearview mirror that if I can replace the old mirror in I plan to use. I have always liked the look of open air roadsters with the mirror on the dash.

As those have said before me, this thing is quick! I still have a few more engine adjustments to make before I would feel good about pushing it, and then of course I probably need to get registered first as I'm right in the heart of Honolulu. But every little movement of the pedal is instantly felt!

I have all the body panels mounted, hood pins are just there, not adjusted, and no inner fender wells. So unfair to completely judge, but a lot of creaking and panel flex, especially the hood. I see why others have added a center hood support. But I will also be adding some more layers of fiberglass in some areas and some metal bracing in others. Looks like I will have to be removing more of the bedliner I previously put on than I thought! And of course this all takes time and adds weight.

The overall sense of presence driving the car is that it feels like it is larger than it looks like from the outside, if that makes sense?

On a side note. Performing a pre flight check is really important!

I have really learned a lot from the beginning of the build, I learned during my pre flight. I tried to read everyone build threads, follow the build manual, use common sense, finish each item before going to the next etc. I thought I was thorough. I found a couple of bolts not tightened, and while setting a rough alignment/ride height, realized I had installed one of the front coilovers sleeve and collar upside down. I also spent the time to burp the coolant system and let the engine idle until the radiator fan came on to verify operation. Took almost an hour to heat up. I have a laser pointer thermometer that I used to continually check the engine, coolant lines, radiator for hot spots to verify the system didn't have any trapped air that might create a big problem. Then let everything set/cool for a few minutes and rechecked all the fluids again. And rechecked the lug nuts. For some reason I'm always worried about a wheel falling off!

I guess the pre flight check worked, nothing broke, fell off, no wrenches scattering down the pavement, overheated, or stopped working!

Going to be a lot of fun to starting to work on finishes now.

[metalmaker12]

Good for you man, my coolant fans work in test mod, but it has not been hot enough outside for them to turn on even in an hour run, looking like it's coming together nicely!!!

[wallace18]

Congrats on the first of many. You should be proud of your accomplishment so far. I have enjoyed the thread.

[Xusia]

Yeah. Awesome thread/build. I also admire your attitude an approach.

[longislandwrx]

I have a video, really shaky sorry, but it's not true without pics right?

http://youtu.be/IAXNYeT03MY

Man how good must that have felt when you pulled out into the sunshine.

well done.

[Wayne Presley]

Now that the thrill of the first drive is subsiding I have a few first comments.

When I first bought my 95 Jeep it did not have power steering, was an effort to turn 33" tires. Part of that build was installing a 4.8 Chevy vortec w/4l60 and power steering. So I was unsure of going backwards and removing perfectly good power steering. But the 818 turns easy, I have pretty sticky 215 front tires and only plugged the fluid ports on the rack, for reference. Very responsive input and feel.

The extra work to disassemble, weld, remove pistons/seals is not needed for 95% of the 818 drivers. I never noticed any slop at the track or street driving.

Too early to judge the brakes. They worked fine with no noticeable extra effort or issue, but I have driven about a mile, and only up to 45mph. That being said, I have driven many cars that I didn't like the brake feel the first time I pushed the pedal! I am using all stock rotors, pads, calipers, etc from the Outback. The pads and rotors are new replacements.

Going to be a lot of fun to starting to work on finishes now.

.
You would be surprised how much better they will feel with Hawk HP+ pads over what you have.

[Aloha818]

Man how good must that have felt when you pulled out into the sunshine.

well done.

Yeah. Awesome thread/build. I also admire your attitude an approach.

Good for you man, my coolant fans work in test mod, but it has not been hot enough outside for them to turn on even in an hour run, looking like it's coming together nicely!!!

Congrats on the first of many. You should be proud of your accomplishment so far. I have enjoyed the thread.

Thanks so much guys! I appreciate that you take time to read my posts and comment!

I have enjoyed reading and following along on your builds as well. Other than having a couple work buddies set the frame on jacks stands and my friend welding the SS exhaust, I've done all the work myself in solitude. Which for me is relaxing. Reading and posting on this forum kind of makes building my 818 a "group" effort, without the "group" disruptions.

Yesterday I took the day off from building, enjoying the fact that I made it this far and now refocus on finishing. So my real Hula Girl (though she doesn't Hula) and I spent part of the day at Sandys Beach. Kind of fun scenic area. The waves come in short, high and explosive. Good for body surfing and broken backs! They hauled one out via ambulance while we were there yesterday. If your not local they won't even let you in the water right now, above just wading.

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[Aloha818]

The extra work to disassemble, weld, remove pistons/seals is not needed for 95% of the 818 drivers. I never noticed any slop at the track or street driving.

.
You would be surprised how much better they will feel with Hawk HP+ pads over what you have.

Wayne, thanks for the info!

Since I was an earlier delivery I had already installed my rack before some of the others started posting about the internal modifications. I couldn't feel anything that made me think I should have.

After your comment I read some info on the Hawk pads. Sounds like they grab a little better but wear a little faster. I'm on an island, not worried about wear, thanks.

[ruckus racing]

I know im kinda late to the party, but you want/need an extra set of hands? Im very familiar with subaru, and good with anything with wheels. Im military and I plan on building one of these when I get back to mainland.

[Aloha818]

I know im kinda late to the party, but you want/need an extra set of hands? Im very familiar with subaru, and good with anything with wheels. Im military and I plan on building one of these when I get back to mainland.

Hello Rukus! Yes, where were you all these nights and weekends? I could already be done. Ha, ha

Thanks for the offer, after managing people all day and fulfilling others designs, working on the 818 is my outlet for personal creativity and away time.

You are more than welcome to drop by and see the car for yourself and see what you think. Pm me and we can exchange phone numbers.

[Aloha818]

I stayed in the sun a little too long Sunday and haven't felt much like working on the car the last couple days.

Today I drove around the block again and took some exterior pics of where I am.

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(FYI, tag is from donor, need wiper done before inspection)

I liked the rear spoiler that Wallace installed, so I ordered one and it came in today

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In person it really looks like it was made for it. I'm 20 again and adding a spoiler to my car!

[svanlare]

Congrats on the drive. You are getting close and it looks really good.

[ruckus racing]

So sexy. I understand if you want to build solo, thats probably how im gunna do mine (in 2016, after army). Ild love do come check her out one of these days, and pick your brain about it. sending a pm

Are those the Prodrive 18's?

[Xusia]

I'm fastly becoming a fan of the open back look!

[Santiago]

That spoiler is really a great choice for the S-cars. Even in pics it looks like it was meant to be there. Looking good!

Best,
-j

[WIS89]

Everything is looking great! You have written a great story, and it's been great to follow your build.

The spoiler looks terrific as well. I also liked your initial drive videos. I have to ask what system you used that tracked altitude and G's -- cool.

Thanks for letting us follow along!

Regards,

Steve

[VD2021]

I stayed in the sun a little too long Sunday and haven't felt much like working on the car the last couple days.

Today I drove around the block again and took some exterior pics of where I am.

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That is a really nice pic angle.

I have to say your opting to replace the single bar is huge for the appearance. It really removes the "kit" look.

[Canadian818]

Those wheels....when I first seen them on the green sema car I loved them...but then the 530's caught my eye and I changed my mind. Now these pics have me second guessing these again. I love how sunken the rears are, and the 5 spokes look more high end OEM than aftermarket. I wonder how they look in gold...hmm

Oh and good work, I'll be browsing back through this thread more than a few times during my build. Speaking of which, I should be in the garage now

[Goldwing]

Wallace really had a find with that spoiler. I like it more every time I see it. I was looking for a way to add a third brake light. It is a perfect solution. Congrats on the many firsts!

[Aloha818]

Congrats on the drive. You are getting close and it looks really good.

Thanks for following my build and the congrats. Well it looks like I'm close, but when I look at it I see all the work left to go! But it is a relief that it actually does drive. Takes some uneasiness away and now I can focus on paint.

[Aloha818]

So sexy. I understand if you want to build solo, thats probably how im gunna do mine (in 2016, after army). Ild love do come check her out one of these days, and pick your brain about it. sending a pm

Are those the Prodrive 18's?

I replied to your PM, the wheels are XXR's. Thanks for commenting and offering to assist.

[Aloha818]

I'm fastly becoming a fan of the open back look!

So far I'm happy with each decision. I really think it will look even better with the black powder coated mesh after painting.

Thanks for commenting!

[Aloha818]

That spoiler is really a great choice for the S-cars. Even in pics it looks like it was meant to be there. Looking good!

Best,
-j

Thanks for commenting!

Everything is looking great! You have written a great story, and it's been great to follow your build.

The spoiler looks terrific as well. I also liked your initial drive videos. I have to ask what system you used that tracked altitude and G's -- cool.


Thanks for letting us follow along!

Regards,

Steve

Thanks for posting and following along! The program is videometer. It is free on iTunes. It is meant to work in conjunction with Hit Case.

Wallace really had a find with that spoiler. I like it more every time I see it. I was looking for a way to add a third brake light. It is a perfect solution. Congrats on the many firsts!

Thanks for your comments!

So for those that liked the spoiler as much as I did, here are some more pics. Wallace really did us a favor by finding this spoiler. I ordered mine from eBay $85 plus $15 shipping, pretty cost effective.

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[Aloha818]

Those wheels....when I first seen them on the green sema car I loved them...but then the 530's caught my eye and I changed my mind. Now these pics have me second guessing these again. I love how sunken the rears are, and the 5 spokes look more high end OEM than aftermarket. I wonder how they look in gold...hmm

Oh and good work, I'll be browsing back through this thread more than a few times during my build. Speaking of which, I should be in the garage now

It a real challenge making all the little decisions and hoping when you get done you made the right ones! But think, at least we have the opportunity that we get to make these decisions!

Good luck on your build, and get BACK to work, your 818 isn't going to build itself! Trust me.

[Aloha818]

Today I stated going where I've never been before. That is, fiberglass work.

I'm using a water to air intercooler, so the vent location on the rear trunk lid is of no use for me. I'm planning on a trunk so I don't want water to run in if I cut the opening as typical. If I don't cut the opening it will pool water there. I don't want to cut out the whole area and glass over because I like the design work. So I need to make the area less shallow so water can drain. Here is my cut out line

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I am also adding the rear spoiler like Wallace did. I feel like I need some additional support for the spoiler, so while I'm modifying the trunk lid I'm adding some steel for the spoiler. I used a wire wheel on my angle grinder to remove the bedliner I put on earlier, took a couple strips of 1/8" steel and fit/bent/shaped to match the contour of the fiberglass, roughed it up and set in some 5 min epoxy.

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I used a piece of sheet aluminum to make a "form" for the patch at the vent in the trunk lid

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When I was at the Fiberglass Hawaii they sold me a couple yards of plastic that the resin won't stick to. I used this to line the back of the aluminum form. I cleaned the fiberglass and steel parts completely with acetone, as recommended. Tomorrow I plan on putting 4 layers of cloth to make the vent patch and 2 layers over the steel supports for the spoiler.

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I have not done this before, so any comments are very welcome. It looks like the trunk lid is made from 4 layers, so the patch should be as strong as the original.

I will post back tomorrow the steps and products used.

[Aloha818]

Today I completed the fiberglass work on the trunk lid and started prepping for paint.

Note: I am far from an expert, so ask your local paint supplier for advice and product spec sheets. There are many ways and many products to achieve a quality paint job. I am documenting mine as a reference, if it all goes bad I'll at least be able to figure out where I went wrong!

As mentioned earlier, I'm using vinyl ester and fiberglass mat for extra strength and for filling the as designed intercooler vent opening.

I put two layers of mat over each of the steel spoiler supports, and ended up placing 5 layer of mat over the vent opening.

Basically I just followed the product directions for mixing the MEKP, made small batches with only 1-2 layers at a time, waiting about 45 mins between the next batch. I used a small 1 1/2" wide paint brush and coated the area to be covered, laid down the mat, then just like painting, covered the mat with enough resin to just cover, while working any trapped air bubbles out.

I did have a little snag, the mat will not bend around a sharp radius. Ended up having to cut out a couple places after it dried and pulling the mat apart and just using loose fibers for the sharp bends.

I forgot to take a pic of the bottom, will add tomorrow.

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Made a trip to the local automotive paint store. Through work I have access to buy at a discount for DuPont products. I picked up wax and grease remover, sandpaper and sanding blocks, body filler, and Chroma series 2k primer.

One very important thing I've learned on past projects is the surface can't be too clean. To get ready to start sanding I wipe the panel with acetone, one rag wet, one to wipe off before it dries. Then use the same two rag process with the wax remover. If you don't clean the panels before you start sanding, grease or wax will just get pushed into the sanding grooves and will be very hard, if impossible to get out.

Next I am using 320 grit on various size sanding blocks, in a cross hatch pattern. I only spent about an hour sanding so far, but got a good feel for the panels. The edges roll off a little and there are some dips, humps, and pin holes. I will block sand as much as I can before I get through the gel coat, then hand sand what the block doesn't reach, and primer will have to build these areas. I'll try and get a pic tomorrow of what I'm talking about.

Note: I'm not knocking the FFR panels. Similar effort can be found on new steel sheet metal panels.

I put my first coat of body filler on the fiberglass vent fill.

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Side view of what the infill looks like

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Primer spec

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[Scargo]

A light weight woven fiberglass cloth will make tight corners. Be careful not to get Hula girl dirty and keep her away from the solvent fumes. Carry on.

[Aloha818]

A light weight woven fiberglass cloth will make tight corners. Be careful not to get Hula girl dirty and keep her away from the solvent fumes. Carry on.

Thanks for the info on the cloth. Since I only only have a few small areas I'm just pulling apart the mat I bought to make it more pliable.

I share your concern with Hula Girl. I only bring her out for pics after the resin is dry, I couldn't find a respirator small enough for her to help on this part of the project!

[Aloha818]

I forgot to take a pic of the finished fiberglass on the underside yesterday, so here it is

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Here is a pic of the top side. I know everyone has their own way of doing things, but when I work with body filler I like to use a little at a time and build slowly. I hate to sand so I try and build slow so I don't have sand a lot off. In this pic I had a couple small low areas that I filled, but haven't sanded. This was the 5th pass. I would guess the thickness goes from just about 0" to maybe 3/16", FYI.

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[Aloha818]

So bearing in mind that it seems like everyone's body is fitting/installed a little different here are a couple of tweeks I'm doing.

On my install and I've seen on others, the gap between the froward and rear trunk lid gap wants to be on the large side. This being based on a proper gap between the rear trunk lid and the rear bumper with the leading edge of the forward trunk lid being lined up with the side sail/door gap.

Also there is seems to be a unanimous issue with the opening by the humps with the support for the roll bar. This area is also very weak and prone for the fiberglass to crack here. I also think the way the opening is cut (larger with more squared corners) facilitates a place to crack.

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So here is what I'm doing

I am sliding the forward hatch a little more rearward to close the gap to the rear trunk lid a little. This also allows a little more room for the hoop brace as you can see in the pic above. The problem with sliding the panel rearward is this

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Filling this gap with fiberglass is easier than filling the whole width of the space between the two trunk lids. My forward trunk lid also had voids between the fiberglass and the gelcoat, a small chip earlier showed the void but when I ground off the gel coat to prep for the fiberglass I realized that almost the whole length was void. A little hard to see in the pic so I put arrows. I will be rolling a piece of steel over all the body panel edges as I move forward to discover any other potential voids. Would really be bad for one to show after a quality paint job.

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I ground off the bedliner about 1 1/2" around the area I'm patching, ground the opening edges back by about 60 degrees, chased the crack with my cut off blade, and cleaned the area with acetone. I put 4 layers of cloth on the backside of the top part and 3 layers on the opening for the brace. I will add one more layer on each side of the tube opening next. Then cut out an area about 1/4" larger all around the tube to keep a smooth radius. I also added 3 layers of cloth to the front edges.

I'm letting it sit through Sunday to let it fully cure before I start moving it around. Then check fitment to see if I need to add additional layers to the forward edge to close the gap to the door.

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I kind of jigged up the panel to maintain the body width while patching

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As always, I welcome your comments.