Mod of the Month - October 2007

Cosmos SLR

by Coolmiester
Worklog

You can always count on Paul, aka Coolmiester, for three things - CoolerMaster cases, fantastic painting and watercooling, and (at least lately) high-end vehicles. What a shock, then, that he's at it again - this time with what is probably my favourite project of his so far: the Mercedes SLR. Well, at least a mod inspired by it...

The SLR mod is being built on the incredibly versatile CoolerMaster Cosmos, which our own resident case reviewer Joe found to be quite a striking case. In fact, one look at the sleek shape of the cosmos makes it a natural fit for one of the world's top roadsters. For those who are curious, the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren roadster (only $479,999 at a dealer near you!) features a supercharged V8 that generates 617 horsies and can go from 0-100kph (60mph) in about 3.5s. Excuse me while I get something to mop up my drool.

Anyway, back to the mod. Coolmiester is already well underway with this next project, so perhaps we should catch up...


As usual, Paul has planned to have the most striking visual elements right smack in the front-centre of the case, which will make a perfect spot for the distinct bonnet present in the Mercedes SL series of roadsters.


What SLR mod would be complete without proper lettering? Some 5mm aluminum and a jigsaw make for a great replica when in Coolmiester's steady hands. After a load of sanding and polishing, the nameplate looks the part for the awesome mod.


To form the base of that bonnet, Coolmiester has opted for good old MDF board. Several steps have been condensed into these couple shots, from the original cutout through sanding, priming and painting, and setting the acrylic and lettering. The Mercedes-Benz emblem that is recessed into the bonnet makes a perfect fan grille.


Rather than a traditional window, Coolmiester opted to mimic the car's side air vents. He started with a thin sheet of acrylic and some rods that he got milled from a local CNC shop. After proper attachment and some mirroring appliqué, the design was finished. A couple of cuts on some aluminum tube (plus some serious polishing and interior painting) left him with some nice exhaust pipes.


The top of the Cosmos has been given the usual "royal treatment," with a hand-made panel holding the rheobus and a fill port for the inevitable Danger Den watercooling loop. When it's positioned correctly it completely hides the top-mounted 240mm radiator and chrome fans, while still allowing plenty of ventilation.

It's not hard to see that this mod is starting to look as good as the car that inspired it. We'll be looking forward to seeing it finished, and I'll be keeping an eye on the worklog in the meantime. After all, it may be as close as I get to the real SLR McLaren until my evil world-domination plans come to fruition!

If you think Coolmiester's mod has what it takes to win this race, then make sure you vote for Cosmos SLR to be October's Mod of the Month!