I have had
these seat heater elements since the
beginning of the project, and never realized
how easy it was to install them. It took
about three hours for the first one, and I
bet about two hours for the second one. The
lengthiest part was the clips to re-affix
the leather and make the wiring secure. It
also took a bit to make the hook ups to the
car. The only thing I need to change now...
is find a 'switched' power source, to be
sure that the battery isn't inadvertently
drained due to leaving the seat heaters on.
I might add an indicator LED on the dash so
we can remember to turn it off. We'll see.
That sounds complicated. :)
The switch is right where you'd expect to find it...
right between your legs on the seat front.
It's got a built-in high/low switch. Works great. The
hole is 20 mm, and it was easy to do with a hole tool.
See that picture on the right? It has a small LED that
glows RED on high, GREEN on low.
It's be great if I had a center console, but I don't...
so I will have to think about another option.
Being connected to a switched power source is probably
the simplest thing to do,
since if the ignition is not on, you really shouldn't
need the heaters.
SECOND SEAT: 1/2 the time. Both seats now heated.
AND THE VERDICT: How does it 'feel' VIA 'Butt' Meter?
WARMER THAN FRESH TOAST!!!
Finally ... Door
Panels! December 5, 2009
Custom Door panels were hand crafted from Peg board, 1/2
inch foam, spray adhesive, and Black Vinyl. (looks like
leather).
The Lettering is custom sign vinyl cut from my own
machine.
More about the interior soon. Sound deadening material
is going in (dyna-matt) and back panel.
This should quiet the interior down just a bit, so you
can actually carry on a conversation with the motor
running.
Right now it's a bit tough to do that.
Salmon
Falls Road is not very noticeable from Hwy
49 - in fact I went by it several times on
49 without even realizing it was there. The
turn off is easy to find if you know what to
look for: There is a sign that says: CDF
Fire Station. This turn off takes you off
Hwy 49, about two blocks, and lands you
right on Salmon Falls Road. The road begins
a tad rough but not bad. It quickly becomes
delightfully twisty in parts, and before
long you see the sign posted that all car
enthusiasts appreciate so much.
Then it gets more fun. It's truly a
beautiful road. It opens up in spots, and
shows you hints of the landscape towards
Folsom Reservoir. Today was a great day to
be on that road, since there were about
three other vehicles.
The average speed limit on this road is
35 but there are a few spots where you need
to watch it. There are some pretty tight
turns, but they are marked well and suggest
a miserly 25 MPH. I didn't see any need to
proceed with that kind of timidity.
What a rewarding find. I highly recommend
if you are in the local area that you check
it out. It's just keeps going and going.
Lots of nice sweeping turns and good
stretches to keep the carbon from building
up too much.
Thanks for stopping by.
COMING
SOON...
More Photos, onboard, and fly-by
videos from
Salmon Falls Road drives. Check back to see
all the action!
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Latest VIDEO: TAKE 1 (no kidding)
With music like this in the trunk, I seriously doubt
I'll ever install a radio.
Strut Support bar: Installed.
It does make a notable difference in the feel of the
car.
Will GAS prices be reasonable by the time this project is done? See below
Had a little shifting
trouble...
Main Problem: The shifting became VERY sloppy, but I
knew I had just replaced the bushings...
But sure enough the rubber bushings had crumbled to
pieces. There is only particles left over...
Buying just four pieces of bronze bushings from ACE
Hardware. The sizes were standard, and fit almost
perfect.
The parts needed to fit together so that the cross pin
would seat properly and hold firmly, but with a little
bit of play.
What results is a smooth solid shifter. Pretty simple.
That bronze will not easily wear out, or crumble like
the stock bushings.
Engineering is my favorite thing, and this is a perfect
challenge.
Folks... I think I have got an
engine that is breaking in perfectly.
I had the car out today.... it's just running great. Had
a weird problem though... I busted the passenger outside
CV joint (bolts snapped) but got that fixed today. I
know they got loose because of the on and off the
throttle 1K - 5K and back again... over and over... just
loosened the bolts.
I'll check them pretty often to be sure they stay tight.
Other than that... the engine is not leaking a DROP of
oil. It's amazing. I am sure that the motor is on a good
track. The next thing is to get it aligned. I can now
trust it to drive about 50 miles round trip and once i
get it aligned... I will feel more confident with the
handling. Right now it seems a little squirrely...
especially when letting off the gas. It seems a tad
`
time - for the moment it seems a little spooky.
So I am driving it very carefully - nothing crazy.
01/17/09 - 01/19/09 - Added Mirrors, detailing interior. Painting all NON-Yellow surfaces rust-o-leum semigloss black. Starting to look pretty killer.
More Photos Soon.
01/14/09 New subject: Velocity Yellow, an inspirational color.
Plates for the car? Sound it out... V-loss-e - T. = VELOCITY. The color of the car is Velocity Yellow. Appropriate don't you agree?
DEFINE VELOCITY: Rapidity of motion or operation; swiftness; speed.
Salmon
Falls Road is not very noticeable from Hwy
49 - in fact I went by it several times on
49 without even realizing it was there. The
turn off is easy to find if you know what to
look for: There is a sign that says: CDF
Fire Station.
