Croftoncustoms Build Thread
08-27-2011, 11:34 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Croftoncustoms Build Thread
I will be creating a build thread for my s2000, Vixen. She has gone through quite a bit of changes and has seen quite a bit through out her life. I recently almost lost here due to an accident in which a guy ran a stop sign and nailed my rear quarter panel. I was luck enough to avoid most of the accident. Please enjoy this thread all about my baby from the day I got her to present day where she will be like no other s2000 out there.
Doug
Vixen came into my life on 11/13/2007
Almost bought a 2007 Tiburon and right before signing the papers I found this "black convertible" in a add. I went and test drove a similar one a few days prior and loved it but it was way out of my price range. So I called the dealer about this one and went over right away. It was getting detailed for another customer but they never came back so I took it. To tell you the truth I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew she was pretty, fast, and a two seater. I told myself she would stay stock forever, not knowing what all can be done to these cars.
Here is the night i picked her up next to my first car (Sky) 1977 MG-B
one month later I was one of the 47 lucky people in my neighborhood to have a car window broken out. I got the brick thrown through the back window and it broke EVERY rear plastic trim piece and scratch my trunk. So i got a new top and installed it myself and used the rest of the money to buy my first mods. I got a Seibon MG style carbon fiber hood along with the Seibon OEM style carbon fiber trunk and Seibon MG style carbon fiber spoiler.
In the mean time i was doing more and more mods. Did a custom interior, got Swift Sport lowering springs, a First Racing dual exhaust carbon fiber fenders, doors, and front bumper, apr mirrors, and carbon fiber keyless door handles.
Not too long later I was sitting at a stop light on a small road and noticed a car hauling balls towards me. So i gunned it and turned into the on-coming lane to try and avoid getting hit. Well i still got clipped by the uninsured crack head on probation. This resulted in a smashed OEM bumper and me getting a new carbon fiber bumper.
Doug
Vixen came into my life on 11/13/2007
Almost bought a 2007 Tiburon and right before signing the papers I found this "black convertible" in a add. I went and test drove a similar one a few days prior and loved it but it was way out of my price range. So I called the dealer about this one and went over right away. It was getting detailed for another customer but they never came back so I took it. To tell you the truth I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I knew she was pretty, fast, and a two seater. I told myself she would stay stock forever, not knowing what all can be done to these cars.
Here is the night i picked her up next to my first car (Sky) 1977 MG-B
one month later I was one of the 47 lucky people in my neighborhood to have a car window broken out. I got the brick thrown through the back window and it broke EVERY rear plastic trim piece and scratch my trunk. So i got a new top and installed it myself and used the rest of the money to buy my first mods. I got a Seibon MG style carbon fiber hood along with the Seibon OEM style carbon fiber trunk and Seibon MG style carbon fiber spoiler.
In the mean time i was doing more and more mods. Did a custom interior, got Swift Sport lowering springs, a First Racing dual exhaust carbon fiber fenders, doors, and front bumper, apr mirrors, and carbon fiber keyless door handles.
Not too long later I was sitting at a stop light on a small road and noticed a car hauling balls towards me. So i gunned it and turned into the on-coming lane to try and avoid getting hit. Well i still got clipped by the uninsured crack head on probation. This resulted in a smashed OEM bumper and me getting a new carbon fiber bumper.
08-27-2011, 11:34 AM
#2
Thread Starter
After going on lots of trips, adventures with the NM s2ki club, and adding almost 80,000 miles in three years the good times came to a hault! One day I was going to my dads house before a trip for Las Vegas and a curb ran out in front of me All the wind and sand made it run real fast! 
This ended up in my loosing a corner of my front bumper, my radiator and ac condenser. This meant It was back to the building blocks and more parts and fabrication. So with the help of s2ki members i got all the parts i needed and was back on the road headed to Las Vegas!
I fixed the front bumper (for the time being), fixed up the engine bay, blacked out my headlights, installed the Weapon Rims I acquired from Jason (sharkbite) and installed the C-West carbon fiber canards i got from Ronnie (RonnieB)
and a few other things hear and there.
This ended up in my loosing a corner of my front bumper, my radiator and ac condenser. This meant It was back to the building blocks and more parts and fabrication. So with the help of s2ki members i got all the parts i needed and was back on the road headed to Las Vegas!
I fixed the front bumper (for the time being), fixed up the engine bay, blacked out my headlights, installed the Weapon Rims I acquired from Jason (sharkbite) and installed the C-West carbon fiber canards i got from Ronnie (RonnieB)
and a few other things hear and there.
08-27-2011, 11:34 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Well, we got to Vegas. This was a trip for Jessica and I to celebrate each others B-days's by going there to see theDwarves (my favorite band) and Leftover Crack ( Jessica's favorite band). I was also planning on meeting up with a good friend of mine, Andy. A few months back he picked up a Mugen style hardtop for me in Las Angeles that i found on craigslist for $350 bucks. Has had it at his house for a long time and then made a last minuet trip to Vegas where he meet me with it on his car (mind you it had no seals or window but he had his hardware to mount it. So we took it through Treasure Island to the hotel room. The next day i made a "hardware kit" with some abs plastic and mounted that bad boy on.! The rest of the week Jessica had to put up with crazy wind noise and my paranoid ass thinking somebody was going to climb in through the rear window and sleep in it at night. 
Two weeks after being home from our trip I was in Albuquerque on a small road minding my own business (not too far from thew first rear end accident) and while crossing an intersection a big F-150 truck came hauling balls down the street. In an instant i down-shifted, gunned it, and swerved. This big truck never attempted to stop and slammed into my passenger quarter panel. The guys said he was eating his burrito and didn't see the stop sign and while i was being loaded into an ambulance he was finishing the lunch i wish he chocked and died on. After having Vixen down for over 2 months I was finally able to get some Insurance help and started to fix her up. But knowing me, i couldn't put her back to the way she was so here the fun begins!
smashed quarter panel, taillight, bumper, and trunk.
Vixen stripped down rear for a body shop evaluation
Started to order parts after countless nights of designing and drawing.
First part to come in were these metal pipes
That when put together make this
they will either go back to Cusco blue or black with blue flake metallic clear.
Then I got an offer i couldn't pass up from Ronnie and got this
APR GTC-300 carbon fiber spoiler with high risers!
Then Ronnie whored another part to me. I was going to keep the First Racing exhaust but when he told me he wanted to sell his RSR exhaust i was all over it. Before the install he painted it flat high temp black!
I was even able to have him put it on!
Then I got this shipment from California the other day
last rim gives you the most sneek peek.
Specs:
front 17x9+25 with 255/40/17 tires
rear 17x9.5+30 with 275/40/17 tires
Jesus came over one night to buy one of my ap2 rims and ended up buying the Weapon rims too and was nice enough to stay and help my pound out the quarter panel. Using high tech tools and equipment (hammer, sockets, and a screw driver) we got it looking pretty good.
got my hardtop sitting on top for grins, and my "Back the Fu*k Up" trunk with ghetto plate mount mod!
Two weeks after being home from our trip I was in Albuquerque on a small road minding my own business (not too far from thew first rear end accident) and while crossing an intersection a big F-150 truck came hauling balls down the street. In an instant i down-shifted, gunned it, and swerved. This big truck never attempted to stop and slammed into my passenger quarter panel. The guys said he was eating his burrito and didn't see the stop sign and while i was being loaded into an ambulance he was finishing the lunch i wish he chocked and died on. After having Vixen down for over 2 months I was finally able to get some Insurance help and started to fix her up. But knowing me, i couldn't put her back to the way she was so here the fun begins!
smashed quarter panel, taillight, bumper, and trunk.
Vixen stripped down rear for a body shop evaluation
Started to order parts after countless nights of designing and drawing.
First part to come in were these metal pipes
That when put together make this
they will either go back to Cusco blue or black with blue flake metallic clear.
Then I got an offer i couldn't pass up from Ronnie and got this
APR GTC-300 carbon fiber spoiler with high risers!
Then Ronnie whored another part to me. I was going to keep the First Racing exhaust but when he told me he wanted to sell his RSR exhaust i was all over it. Before the install he painted it flat high temp black!
I was even able to have him put it on!
Then I got this shipment from California the other day
last rim gives you the most sneek peek.
Specs:
front 17x9+25 with 255/40/17 tires
rear 17x9.5+30 with 275/40/17 tires
Jesus came over one night to buy one of my ap2 rims and ended up buying the Weapon rims too and was nice enough to stay and help my pound out the quarter panel. Using high tech tools and equipment (hammer, sockets, and a screw driver) we got it looking pretty good.
got my hardtop sitting on top for grins, and my "Back the Fu*k Up" trunk with ghetto plate mount mod!
08-27-2011, 11:34 AM
#4
Thread Starter
I tore out the interior in 30 minuets for my new design.
Think Ferrari F-40 bangs a s2000 but only the interior genes get shared.
as she is now.
Today (9/1/11)
I FINALLY got my rims and tires back. Was suppose to get them at 10am but then they finally did them and were done at 12. Plus a few days of waiting for the tires. oh well. They look GREAT!
SO i got to cutting on the front fender today and had a great time!
I first taped off the line of where i was going to cut and made sure it would work out with the lines and what not.
Then i made the cut, which went very smooth.
Here is how much wider it is up front
I then cut off that piece and used it as a mold for my rear quarter panel flares.
Then i got my piece back after the cast dried and put it back on and started to fill it in with fiberglass so it would hold its shape.
There rear quarter flare mold gave me a rough start and next i used lando foam to get the shape of the quarter panel and laid 1 sheet of fiberglass on it and added the resin. This will give a a bit more of an idea for the quarter panel and how to get it properly in place.
update: 9/8/11
Today i had a late start and early end so didnt get much done. I was able to get both fenders molded into place and started to flare out both the rear quarters. Still trying to decide if I want to attempt a custom metal flare or get some over fenders and mold them into the body....
I also had a great idea for mounting my APR mirrors and had at it with a drill. Worked PERFECTLY!
Think Ferrari F-40 bangs a s2000 but only the interior genes get shared.
as she is now.
Today (9/1/11)
I FINALLY got my rims and tires back. Was suppose to get them at 10am but then they finally did them and were done at 12. Plus a few days of waiting for the tires. oh well. They look GREAT!
SO i got to cutting on the front fender today and had a great time!
I first taped off the line of where i was going to cut and made sure it would work out with the lines and what not.
Then i made the cut, which went very smooth.
Here is how much wider it is up front
I then cut off that piece and used it as a mold for my rear quarter panel flares.
Then i got my piece back after the cast dried and put it back on and started to fill it in with fiberglass so it would hold its shape.
There rear quarter flare mold gave me a rough start and next i used lando foam to get the shape of the quarter panel and laid 1 sheet of fiberglass on it and added the resin. This will give a a bit more of an idea for the quarter panel and how to get it properly in place.
update: 9/8/11
Today i had a late start and early end so didnt get much done. I was able to get both fenders molded into place and started to flare out both the rear quarters. Still trying to decide if I want to attempt a custom metal flare or get some over fenders and mold them into the body....
I also had a great idea for mounting my APR mirrors and had at it with a drill. Worked PERFECTLY!
08-27-2011, 11:35 AM
#5
Thread Starter
So i bought some more crap for this slut. Nothing too exciting but its worth a few pictures and a update i guess.
I went with NRG 4 point cam lock racing harnesses. These should keep me and Jessica strapped in for a thrill ride or two.
Jared was kind enough to help out my build with this Cusco "U" brace!!!!
tomorrow will be a short day of working on her if any.
I went with NRG 4 point cam lock racing harnesses. These should keep me and Jessica strapped in for a thrill ride or two.
Jared was kind enough to help out my build with this Cusco "U" brace!!!!
tomorrow will be a short day of working on her if any.
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08-27-2011, 04:08 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Inner door panels came from a comany as a protype set. I have seen a few other companies with them like Chaser aerodynamics. Sorry I don't have an exact answerfor you.
08-27-2011, 09:04 PM
#10
HOLY SHIT DOUG! bro! she is coming out just FINE! be patient and she is going to turn out great man! dude i miss NNM and the crest so much, be back in October for a visit :-)