Just Can't Stay Away

[Sumgai]

Hey all,

Well, as you know Project Sonata is canned. That doesn't mean I've let all my ideas go. I've been bitten by the mod bug and as we all know that sucker doesn't give up easily. Now, before you guys get all foamed at the mouth about a possible project I need to make it clear that this is NOT (yet) a project log. In order to create a log I would need a case anyway, wouldn't I? As it turns out, a local PC shop here in Fort Walton has the perfect blank canvas. It's an old no-name ATX mid-tower beige box - you know the type. The benefit is that it has the plastic front panel with the flat mating surface that I needed. The best part is that he has several of them, and the price is right: $20 bucks.

So needless to say, I'll have something in my hands here pretty soon. The purpose of my thread is to bounce some ideas off of you guys and get some feedback. I came up with a theme and I've drawn inspiration (pretty heavily) from the MNPCtech.com/Mod Nation guys. I just really love their style and workmanship.

My Inspiration:







I love the 'old skool' look and I think it'd be sweet to carry that feel into a case mod. Here's the *rough* game plan: Flat black paint, most likely it'll be suede (the suede look, as shown above on the F-100, is actually a flat clear coat). This will make the case much less susceptible to finger prints and make it easier to clean that just a flat paint would be. Pinstriping similar to the photos, inside and out (going to keep it very simple though, not more than maybe 3-4 areas). I've also borrowed the Mod Nation guys' idea for the top 120mm blow-hole using this and some mesh:



For the interior it'll be some combination of gloss white/red although I need to get the case before I can really decide. the motherboard tray will be backed by this:



It'll give it that turned stainless firewall look. That and some chrome wire loom (so hard to make wire loom look tasteful IMO) should lend itself nicely to the engine look on the interior. Maybe some type of air cleaner on the cpu cooler later down the road (something like the Boss FX-57 mod) but who knows, it's open to suggestion.

Finally, there will most definitely be a windowed side panel in the works. Probably with a nice sheet of 1/4" red acrylic to set off the flat black exterior.

Like I said; all ideas at this point in time, but I really wanted to get some feedback from you all before I jump into this one. I know things will change down the road, as they always do with any project, especially case mods...

Now if only there were a way for me to work in a Mexican blanket like they use for seat covers. Then it'd be true old skool hot rod...

So lemme know what you think, and remember...I'm on a baby budget lol.

[gvblake22]

Some very cool, unique, original ideas there, I like it already (doesn't take much though)!
If there is one mod project you need to check out for inspiration for a project like this, it is BaDassumption. As soon as I saw that pin striping design above the headlight on the F-100 pic you posted, My mind immediately resurrected the BaDassumption project.

As for your ideas, they seem great as always, but I'm worried about your colors. If I have it correctly, you want to do the whole outside the flat black and the whole inside in white, silver and red? There might almost be too much contrast there depending on how much window you are planning to go with. You might want to think about putting more silver/white on the exterior or more black on the interior to even it out a little bit. If you're going for a mod like that truck you posted, I would do the motherboard tray in red and the drive bays in white with chrome thumb screws all around. Then use black or chrome sleeving. On the exterior, I like the flat black "suede" look, but I think it would look cool to cut some fan holes and put some red painted mesh over them with a red fan. Not a red LED fan, just a fan that has red blades (like this). that would kindof simulate the red wheels. then add the pin striping details to make it eye-pleasing and unique. You could even go so far as to order real car or motorcycle parts and attach them to the front or top of the case for accents, like modsquad did in his Black Rain project. If that gets too expensive, getting a chrome fan controller (or a silver aluminum one and sanding/polishing it up) might work too if done right (something like the Zalman ZM-MFC1 Plus maybe).

Those are just some initial ideas that come to mind though, I still don't know exactly what you want the final thing to look like or do. And for the case, why not use the Sonata you already have? Seems like that would go very well...

Oh yeah, my brother works at a local engineering place and he said he can get TONS of that chrome wire loom sleeving (real steel). So if you want some, let me know what size and some minimum lengths and I'll see what I can do for ya.

[Sumgai]

Thanks for the input Blake! As always, you pointed to some awesome suggestions. I want to clarify the interior first off though. I'd like it to emulate the interior of the truck; I really like the black/red contrast of that look. So what will most likely happen is that the outside will be flat/suede black with the pinstriping, and the interior will be a glossy (maybe with metal flake if I can get lucky) red, with some more really subtle white pinstriping accents to tie it in with the outside. Again, nothing too crazy or over the top.I've been following the Black Rain project for awhile now and all I can do every time I look it is drool. He's put some serious coin into those parts for that case (have you been to indianlarry.com lately?) I pulled up a few of them just to see. That coffin air cleaner from WCC? $350 bones. He's going to win a ton of mod competitions with that thing, and he deserves them. I'd like to get ahold of a few old school chrome knobs to go with the derby cover for the top fan. I like the look of the non-LED red fans, I'll probably go with something close. Another little detail I thought would be cool and different is to get an old timing tag circa salt flats racers from the 50's and 60's and put the computer's data (CPU speed/type, 3DMark score maybe, etc...) on it instead. It's really a small thing, but those are the ones that matter (and get noticed) the most. I'm going to add a few LED's inside hidden of course, but not sure what color as of yet. With a red acrylic window I'll have to mess around with a few colors and see what looks best.The hard part will be keeping the budget down and to a minimum. It's so incredibly easy to get carried away with these things...

[gvblake22]

Umm, yeah, if you want to keep your budget down to a minimum and do a mod like you are talking here, you might as well either take out a loan now or just scrap the project. Mods are always overdue and over budget, especially a one of a kind themed mod like the one you are talking about here. If you want to do it right (which I can tell you do), you're going to have to make sacrifices. Either don't buy the new baby any clothes or put off the project...

[Sumgai]

OK Blake. You got me there. Case in point:









I am so done for. The ideas just keep flooding in and the only way to satiate them is to follow through.

[gvblake22]

Those are some nice lookin' parts. I know the feeling though man, it just gets too much to handle so you have to start a project (even if it does take years to finish it).