Project: Chevrolet

[AceX]

The first thing that you should know when following this project, is that, I am a complete car nut. Also note that I am a devoted Chevy guy with a certain longing for Corvettes and hot-rods. I have well over 75 1/18th scale models of various cars, but about 25-30 of them, are Corvettes. So, now that we all know where my inspriation comes from, lets get started...

I recently decided to build myself a second system because I'm a greedy little bastard Actually, I have alot of friends who like to come over and play on my LAN and I just never seem to have enough computers for everyone...

Well, I went out and bought a few fun things, and now I'm ready to take this case:

and do a complete restoration/customization. It will include:

Abit NF8 Motherboard with AMD 3100+ Sempron Processor and 6-channel audio codec
Radeon x700 256mb AGP video card
Western Digital 120gb 7200rpm HDD
2gb DDR400 RAM
Many, many cooing fans/accessories...

I started by dissasembling the case and then using Krylon Semi-Flat black paint to give the whole thing a facelift.

I painted the grills on the face aluminum. They were a pain to take off and put back on because they were attached using bent, metal tabs which were in small spaces...

The next order of business, seeing as this is a Chevy car themed case, was something that I COMPLETELY ripped off of Tech-Daddy's "Boss FX-57" build. I added an aircleaner to the CPU fan If you ask me, it even looks like a carburator... a little bit...

Its a pretty simple process. You just attach a fan grill to the CPU fan and run some zip ties through the middle ring. The air cleaner won't really fit otherwise.

You then install the base of the air cleaner onto the grill and attach it using the zip ties.

Clean and simple, just how I like it...

I went to a sign shop a few days ago and had them make me a template of the Chevy logo, often referred to as the "bow-tie" and placed it on the side of the case. I covered the entire thing in blue painters tape to add some protection for the paint (which is actually being used as a primer), but also to provide alot of contrast to the black template.

When cutting into the metal, I found, that its a good idea to have LOTS of light, so I got out my artificial suns and had at it.

Also, a cool little thing I found while @ OSH was this Dremel cutting kit. has EVERYTHING that you could need to cut metal, plastic, human flesh... I mean, fiberglass...

So, here's the logo cut out.

Looks good, now for filing.

While working on the project last night, my dad sort of got into it and helped me out. We decided that just having a little logo here and there, and having chrome parts and sleeving wasn't enough... No, we needed an engine. Not just any engine, but an engine that started a revolution. I give you, my very-small-block Chevy engine:

I set it next to the case to see how it might fit, and wouldn't ya know, it does, but JUST barely...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...5/P1010120.jpg

It's held down using four, very small machine screws, which provide, surprisingly, alot of support to the thing. I do however want to find some very small washers for the screws as I have a tendency to over build things and want to make sure that when I tilt the case on its side, that that thing isn't going anywhere... Oh yeah, the engine actually turns over and spins, just like a real engine, and those fans infront of said engine, will, I'm hoping, make the engine turn via the fan.

The last thing I did was install ym shiny new PSU. A 600watt unit with a nice chrome finish and shiny, steel wiring all of which is now hidden in the top 5-1/2" drive bay.

I will have more pics, progress, and finally clean this little log up tommorrow, but I have to rush off to work in a little while, so I wanted to get pics up and ge the party started

[Kenyan]

that is a one sweet case, and the air filter, defiantely looks like the carb. Will be cool to see when it is finished.

Does the fan on the little engine spin? If not, you should try to make it spin

[Tech-Daddy]

Looking *very* nice bro...


I'm watching you!

[chris_kalan]

Awesome!! I love the engine...if only it was functional...how hot would that be!!

[chris_kalan]

Quick note...it would be cool if you could actually cut a small portion from one side to house a fan actually inside the engine...that way it is actually functional!

[AceX]

Teh fan on the engine will, in theory, spin, assuming of course that the fans can push enough air into the case to do it. I'm going to pick up a black faced optical drive tommorrow and then finally install the mobo and everything else.

[Xato]

This is definately going to turn out as a very hot rod... er, mod =P
Anyway, i agree with the masses, if you could mount that fan on the end of the engine, it would be o so cool.
Whether or not you'd be willing to cut into that model is up to you however.

[AceX]

Eh... model is kind of expensive to be screwing around with. I think that I'll leave it the way it is and just use it as a cool effect. It would be cool if it were functional, but then again, how much air will that thing really move...

Will post new pics and do that clean up of the log in a few hours. Right now, I've got to go get an optical drive and another LED fan. BTW, where can I pick up some of that new 2-way mirror acrylic from www.acryan.com ?

[chris_kalan]

As expensive as it may be....you're a modder man!! You gotta do what you gotta do!! LOL... hey, if you're uncomfortable with it, all the power for you to do what you can.

The mod looks great!! Keep it up!

[AceX]

Ok, got off of work about an hour ago and got to playing again.

So, I went to Fry's today to try and find the last of my LED fans, but to no avail... What I DID find however, truly takes the cake. Ladies and (mostly) gentlemen, I give you, my cup holder/cigarette lighter combo:

It was right next to where my fan was supposed to be... It was like I was ment to find this thing. Now all I need are two slightly longer screws than what I have, and she'll fit like a glove...

Also, I went ahead and finished *crosses fingers* all the sleeving and wiring for the case. Here's some more pics:

One last thing, I noticed that I didn't post this ealier, it's another window, this one is right where the model engine is at.

Yes, I am still filing it... I'm a perfectionist... mostly... (lazy perfectionist?) I promise more pics and an update tommorrow whent he mobo is goin' in and the last little tweaks and touch-ups will happen.