After installing the clear corner markers and the solid front moldings on my MR2 Turbo, the next body modification was the installation of Aeroware side intake panels. I got these from Jeff at Rebel Motorsports.
I thought that the first step would be to mark and drill the top holes in the panel. But when I tried the panels on the car, I found that they would not fit, so it was necessary to do a bit of trimming and grinding before I could mark the holes for drilling.
The panels came with no lower mounting provisions at all, so I fabricated some steel mounting brackets that use the stock mounting hardware and locations along the bottom of the panel. I used this technique to get the brackets installed in the correct positions: first, I installed the brackets in their normal positions on the car. Then, I placed a thin layer of epoxy cement on both the fiberglass panels and the mating surface of the brackets. Next, I installed the side intake panels in position, allowing the panels to contact the brackets. I used some blocks to hold the panels against the brackets and allowed them to dry overnight.
Next, I removed the panels and brackets in one piece as shown in the above picture.
I then added about six layers of thin fiberglass mat on each of these brackets for additional strength.
It took a lot of test fittings to get the panels to fit properly. The following modifications were required:
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