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BackBlue Thunder: Phase Two

Phase Two

Now with the summer in full swing the gal returns for her final fitting of her removable canvass top; certainly the top will serve a purpose during less than ideal weather conditions however at this very moment we suspect that it will be used and enjoyed for the shade it affords as well as the ability to use the gal's air conditioning system. In addition to integrating the removable canvass top we will fabricating and integrating a second set of baffles within her exhaust as the means to further reduce her bark. It will be during this process that we will install a new style H pipe aka the rear tip section that has a flex joint in-between the two pipes that allows the exhaust to remain a bit more relaxed during the thermal expansion process and then at the same time we will be reducing the tip length by an inch to create more aggressive/cleaner look.

Once these items have been tended to we will give her a thorough inspection as she will be traveling to Texas for the Ford GT rally during which time she will be excised on a few of the local tracks and we want her be healthy. It is because of the scheduled activities that we are also going to integrate a 6 point harness system as well as an automatic fire suppression system so as to protect both the gal and her occupants.

Here the preliminary stages of integrating the removable canvass top are underway Because we previous used this gal for much of the removable canvass top development the process is understood and yet it is still a slow and methodical process.

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Here we are integrating the second set of baffles within her exhaust and also installing the new H pipe aka rear tip section.

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Here we are carefully integrating the automatic fire suppression system so as to insure that no secondary damage is caused while at the same creating an OEM feel to the system; both in looks and for future serviceability . The process of doing so on this gal was not so much more challenging but rather, simply different because during the process of her becoming a GTX-1 they also integrated their own style transaxle cooler; a cooler that does not lend itself to being associated with the fire suppression system as with most that we integrate along with the Ford Racing transaxle cooler as such we combined our efforts on this system rather than reinventing the proverbial wheel. We contacted Kendall aka Cool Tech knowing that he created and sells a stand along fire suppression system, meaning one that does not have any association with a transaxle cooler and he was most gracious as such we used Kendall aka Cool Tech's bracket to which we secured the fire suppression system's bottle and then we were able to continue integrating the stainless steel hard line fire suppression system as created by Shadowman. These pictures reflect the primary portions of the system in place however now that everything is in place we need to fabricate and install the proper length braided stainless steel hose that goes between the bottle to the discharge nozzle on the passenger side after which we will bring the system on line and confirm that we have no leaks or concerns.

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Now we are going to tend to the final items associated with this project; these will include the "final" integration of the removal canvass top as created Steve aka White Knight, installing the final component of the automatic fire suppression system and testing it, and the 6 point harness.
Here are pictures of the removable canvass top installed on the gal; when removed it can easily be stored within the gal making it possible for her to be enjoyed in a variety of weather conditions.

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Here are pictures of the interior bows with the GTX-1 lens integrated along with a nice mood lighting touch.

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Here we are bringing the automatic fire suppression system on line and testing it to make certain that there are no leaks.

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Here we have the driver seat removed as we integrated the custom Ford GT specific hardware for the 6 point harness system as created by Safe Craft.

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Now we are going to complete the process of integrating the 6 point safety harness and then give her a final looking over as we make her ready to travel home.
Here we are tending to the final pieces of the 6 point harness system; prior to the upper harness bar being put in place a nice plastic protector is installed on the painted bulkhead so as to insure that no secondary damage is caused while it is in place; a nice finishing touch. The lap belts are clip in as such they can be removed and stored however the upper shoulder belts remain in place secured to the upper harness bar behind the seat. When not in use they can be hung behind the seat and then when needed they are albeit somewhat tediously fed through the harness holes in the seat,.

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Here she is anxiously awaiting to be exercised on her way home.

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