This is my first log in this forum, and i hope you enjoy it and forgive me if i mistake too much with english. The full log (until today) has about 200pics and you can find it in my personal web (in my signature) but only in spanish, then i`m goin to try to summarize a little. The mod is based in an Antec Sonata Case and more or less inspired in the high tech of japan, especially in the work of Shirow Masamune (mangaka). With the preceding mod (KumoNoSuJou Chieftec Tower) i realized (maybe late...) that these tower was a little big and heavy to move it to a Lan party. For that reason i began this mod with a easier transportable case. The first thing is split off the hull and the chassis for a easy work... Marking the cuts. I cut off every piece off useless (but heavy) metal. The main cuts done and sanded for paint. You can see a little window in the back of the chassis. like i had to cut the front to allow space for the front fan, then i had to put that L shape reinforcements to support the secon HD tray. With two of the original four trays i have enought. That reinforcements are longs, so is needed cut them until the tray can go througt and rest in place properly. Paint for the chassis in black and the rear grill in silver. The enlarged holes for the radiator can be seen. The inner faces of the hull was covered with carbon fibre tunning vinyl. And i used some spare cuts to cover some surfaces on the chassis and protect they for scratches and other damages, and fit well with the theme. The outter shell prepared for work. The main inconvenient in this case is ANTEC word in both sides of the case. I`m covered them with aluminium. With care, the ALU (1mm) can be bended easily by hand. Left side and top marks for cuts... Cuts. The top openning is for a pasive exhaust grill to evacuate the heat from the case. Fitting test for the (unpainted) grill. After i modded it, painted the grill in bright black. Fitting test for the piece of ALU. Also i added a pair of black handles for transport. The piece of alu in the bottom of the right side. Covering the inner faces with "Carbon Fibre" tunning vinyl... The new location for the Power Reset Leds, with chrome Led holders.
Looking good. It looks as if you had a car tuning/street racing theme in mind Keep the pictures coming
Continue... An Ikea 4euro inox mirror and and antec 120mm fan frame to create... This! A Tunnel for the incoming air. To fix the fan and tunnel i needed a long screw (i don`t know the name in english) and cut it to the desired size. Some cupper tube, silver paint and dome nuts to hold all together. More test fitting... There is enough space for the upper two HD trays. Only rest a little detail... A cap to make... This. It`s modded, painted and glued in the center of the fan motor.
Back to the shell... left window... The windows in this mod (right, left and rear) are made with white translucent plexy to hide the inner parts and play with the lights. The left side with the Alu panel shaped (shapped??) The round cathode for the left panel. The inverter was vinyl covered too. I need to hide and protect the cathode in some way. And add more power to the outter lighting.... This was my solution. An ugly Alien fan grill (but chromed yes)... Cutted. Mirror plexy in one side, vinyl in the other.... All together back and front. The result is this: Without light. Note the reinforcements in the sides of the plexy (once the case is re-riveted, repair this panel could be hardly, is better to prevent any damage). The outter is finished with mesh and a japanese desing chrome grill. The mesh it`s in place with M4 allen head black screws, steel washers and rubber washers made with half cut grommets. Lights on. The mirror increases the glow on the grill center and edges.
Well, after a power failure while posting... Damn! I continue... Yeah! I work fast hehehehe... This updates are made with the already done work, untill today. Thanks! The right panel matters... The panel is also folded in ALU. And of course, has a window. Test fitting for the cutted ALU panel. The desing for the alu frame. The red lines marks the cuts. Cutted frame, plexy and paper templates for other cuts. The finished window with my personal logo on it (Kumo=Spider). The plexy with the scrached spider is holded in place with 6 M4 allen head screws (chrome, in opposite to Plexy-mesh black screws). The most of the screws in the mod was to be cutted to custom sizes. In the back, the hiden wiring for the two 7 colours leds (bought in Japan) covered to avoid light leakages. To supply power to leds, lights and others i mounted this power spliter (also bought in japan) in the panel (this allow a easy to hide wiring thorugh the case). The wire was braided (??) with mesh and the moler plug painted in black. To avoid conflicts with the airtunel and save space y modded the other plug until i got a 90 degrees low profile connector. With the radiator in his final place, the door can`t locked well. The sliding part was to thick. I needed to replace it with something. The option was a piece of steel of one of the cuts in the case. Too thick... dismanteling... replacing... on place. Now the door can lock perfectly.
Continue... The pump and the rear panel... This is the pump, an Eheim Compact 600 with a Aquatube Compacttube rez. Has vinyl applied. The original feet, doesn`t works with the compacttube. This is the position of the pump in the rear panel. Without feet it doesn`t fit, we need new feet. A piece of a screw, two nuts and one grommet for each adjustable foot... The marks in the rear panel. The circle is the space for the plexy part in the rez. The pump in place. A slot cover with a hole for the pump wire. Later i needed more holes for other wires. The Zalman WB connectors enlarged to fully 8,5mm ID The pump exit connector enlarged to full 6,5mm ID
looks really good!! about time someone modded a sonata again, was thinking of modding mine! Like your ideas!! Also anyone know where i can get that vinyl stuff in the UK, dont worry wont do the same mod as you
looking good, but the carbon-fibre has one issue to it... that silverish is waay to bright, it throws the appearence of the stuff off. Otherwise, it's ace!
Don`t worry about that. I get mine, in the auto parts of a mall (a carrefour center, i don`t know if there is some in UK). It`s a little expensive between 10 and 15 euro a piece of 55x55cm, if i remember it well. Silver was the less painfull option. There are gold, red yellow, blue... Silver looks more natural to carbon fibre and fit with Alu, steel, black theme. But i understand you. Maybe a little less bright would be better or a depper grey. Tomorrow more pics!!
Resuming the log... The watercooling system. The radiator (A Noise Isolator Glacial) needs some modding/ The L shape holders out. The main support sanded... And painted in silver. While the other part (scratched by use) was repainted in mate black. Connectors changed and instaled in place. To fill the system i made a home-made fillport (guide here, in spanish). Making the big holes. One of them is for a real fillport while the second one is for a fake (but usable if needed) fillport with have a decorative blue led. Caps Instaled. You can see the white sleeved wire for the pilot led and the (now) black painted grill. Testing... Test for the instaled watercooling system. I used a Zalman WB2 Gold for the CPU. My modded version of a home-made Chipset Waterblock made by Postman in Spain (you can see his work here and here) is used for the NB.
Last update for today (time to celebrate xmas eve)... Mounting together the hull and chassis. Over 20 rivets was needed. The PSU also was covered with vinyl in the exposed face. And as you`ll see later the wires was braided and sleeved with mesh. Ordering the wires through the case with zip ties and others. The blue wire is for a webcam in the front. Almost hiden white neon. Back slots face plates, also painted in mate black. The first full test. More work needed, but with this i can use the PC while finishin other parts. That`s all for today. Thanks for your comments and Merry Xmas for all bit-tech forum family. (Time to turn off the computer and spend time with family... It`s a joke hehehe)
