Hey all! Well my 95 D12 engine is in bits and I'm not near it to work on it. BUT I was able to fit the airbox in my luggage and thought I would post where I'm at.
My goal was to make a male mold which has the stock inner volume. I can then form fiberglass or carbon fiber around it.
I had a couple of false starts with blocks of foam and Plaster of Paris (POP) and ended up using preimpregnated POP cloth (Rigid Wrap). The intake side of the airbox is solid with POP and I'll hav to get it out and start again.
The engine side turned out much better and I'll have to finish it up and will most likley fill it with POP once the outer shell is complete. Once at that point I'll use self hardening clay to form the "sealing lip".
I had planned on vaccumn (sic) forming the CF but I don't think I'll have enough time so I plan to make a rubber female mold before I fly. Once at home I can remake the male mold with poured acrylic (hopefully so I can make more!) I'll probably try a hand formed layer just to see how it turns out.
I believe I'll be able to cut both three and four cylinder holes because of the indexing marks on the original box. Also, I plan to make the intake side in two pieces for ease of removal. This should be a stock replacement using all other stock bits (however I might make it to fit the KN airfilter).
A question to the masses: How tight are the connecting rubbers at the intake side? I ask because the thickness of the stock plastic is 3/8" or so and I believe the CF will be much thinner. If the rubbers are not tight I'll have to build up the new box on that end.
