Above: From left to right: Supercharged Corvette, Grand Sport Corvette, and Supercharged Z06.

The Corvette is an iconic American muscle car that has been a very popular platform. Their current LS power plants are also very popular and have been swapped into many different platforms.

Above: Andrew Coomes’ PSI built Rocket Bunny S13 features a 6.6L LS2.

We are currently working on a project with the Corvette Grand Sport that promises to impress. The specifics are still under wraps but forced induction is in its future.

Above: The LS3 in its stock form. It will not be like this for long.

Another upcoming project will be an LS1 swap into a FC RX-7. One of your guys, Kyle, recently picked up an FC and will be swapping in an LS1.

Check back here as we will be covering both of these projects.

Here are a few more shots of the trio of Corvettes.

While on the topic of the Skyline, here is a video that features the Skyline in a few clips. It is not just a show car but one to have fun with on a private closed course.

Video courtesy of Loren Haleston.

They started designing the mounts by first putting the engine and trans in the car and using braces to hold it in place.  The transmission mount was fabricated first.  This mount would be easier because it only required one location to mount.  The transmission is bolted to the engine on one end.  The transmission was positioned in place and a piece of metal was welded between the parts of the frame that were added for channeling the car.  A rubber mount was used to prevent some vibrations transferring from the engine to the car. 

After this mount was fabricated and mounted, Alex began work on the engine mounts.  Alex fabricated a plate to bolt to the stock mounting locations on the engine.  Building off this plate, he fabricated a boxed in section that connect to the section mounted on the frame. 

Here are the pieces that make up one mount. 

Here is one mount assembled. 

Here is a photo of both the assembled mount and an unassembled one.

Here is a photo of one of the engine mounts.  This photo is taken from the level of the frame.  On the left is the tranmission bellhousing and on the right of the photo is the frame. 

Here is a photo of the engine mount from above.  We will have better photos of the engine mounts installed in the car without the engine when the engine is removed for painting. 

Continue to follow the blog for the progress of our custom Continental.

One such shop project that received this attention is Erick Sackhoff’s 1964 Lincoln Continental.  We have talked about this project in a previous blog, http://blog.tunedbypsi.com/64-lincoln-continental-project/.  This blog with focus briefly on the metalwork put into repairing the body of this ’64 Continental project. 

In its current state, the car is stripped down to bare metal.  It this state, Alex repaired body panels that had been damaged and rusted.  The areas that received attention from Alex are hard to distinguish from the original metal body panels.  Many of the vistors to PSI view this Continental and have a hard time finding the sections that have been replaced.  Alex blended the two pieces of sheetmetal together so well that it hides the area of contact.  Unless the visitor is in the industry, the weld points go unnoticed. 

This Continental usually draws visitors’ attention because of the body being in raw metal and the fact that the car practically sits on the ground, when the airbags are deflated.  Currently in the photograph above, the Lincoln is sitting off the ground because Alex is in the process of fabricating motor and tranny mounts.  Normally a V8 from a 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra with a Kenne Bell supercharger does not sit in the engine bay.  Therefore, exstensive fabrication is needed to swap this V8 in the car.  When this project reaches fruition, most of the components of this Continetal will be replaced and upgraded.  Check back as this Continental project proceeds.  The progression will be slow because our client’s projects come first.

Jason talking to some people about the R34 Skyline GT-R.

There were many different types of cars that showed up for Cars and Coffee.  Many of them were German, Italian, or American supercars.  There was a Porsche Carerra GT, Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, a Dodge Viper and a few more.  PSI’s R34 Skyline GT-R was the only car from a Japanese automaker and it stood out.  Its appearance and rarity attracted attention from others who attended.   Jason explained about Skyline and the work had been put into it.

More photos will be available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletomita/sets/72157622228898773/

courtesy of BoostFTW

http://www.flickr.com/photos/boostftw/

Jason Oefelein took PSI’s R34 Skyline GT-R up to Packwood, WA to support Mark and Ben, two PSI employees, at Smackdown ’09.  Smackdown is an event with three different types of motorsports, which were drag, drift, and autocross.

Mark drifting his Cressida at Smackdown

more Smackdown photos will be available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kyletomita/sets/72157622353465698/

The Skyline on the dyno.

Once the Skyline was strapped down, Jason Oefelein began tuning.  John Reed also helped out with tuning.

Jason Oefelein tuning PSI's R34 Skyline

661.39 whp and 461.91 ft/lbs at 32 psi on race gas.

Erick Sackhoff, Jason Oefelein, and the rest PSI imagine new concepts and ideas for future project vehicles.  No matter how great an idea may be, it can go no further if it is not shared.  You need to get your idea down on paper.  That is where Todd Johnston comes in.  He is the artist that creates the renderings for PSI’s upcoming projects.  PSI designs the projects and Todd renders them.   The way he draws the vehicles are the way that PSI will build them.

PSI's 1999 R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R

PSI’s Skyline can be viewed in person in the lobby of PSI, located off of Highway 26 at Exit 61.

PSI's 1964 Lincoln Continental Drawing

Currently in progress, we hope to complete this project soon.

this project is codenamed "Thirty-Twobaru"

This is a Thirty-Two powered by a Subaru motor.  This project is still in the early development stages.