A miracle....Slowy's cobra update

[guye]

Looking good Steve.

You know, tweeters actually work best when NOT directly at your head but slightly oblique apparently.

Jaycar have a range of sockets for power and even USB sockets. They have a few with covers that'd look pretty good on that dash I reckon.

[stephen low]

Thanks Guy.

I'll play with the tweeter direction once the stereo is up and going and see if I can detect what you are suggesting.

Will also have a look in at Jaycar too, thanks for the tip.

[stephen low]

So after getting the stereo head unit fitted into the dash last Sunday I ran a trial fit with the dash mounted only to discover the old 3 steps reverse process in play.

In the photo below, the black item just to the right / rear of all the dash plugs was the immobiliser obstructing the unit fitting home.




To fix this I had to improve the fit of the immobiliser to gain space. The culprit and the available space better seen below. The texta line represents the inside rear edge of the dash. The space gain was achieved with a flat style plate mounted off the same holes visible on the cross member above the immobiliser.



So with extra space achieved the stereo was able to be properly housed.



I had wanted to try and keep the stereo lower on the dash but the space constraints and angle of the tunnel and depth of the unit, needed it fitted higher and off-set on the dash. Overall the look isn't too bad though.



The jumble of white wires in the passenger footwell left of the dash are associated with two electronic packs. These actuate the heater tap and heater air slider through the two black switches normally located in the vacant holes just above / right of the stereo.

These packs were also mounted behind the dash, located behind the blank area left of the stereo so the space behind the dash has become quite congested now. I am in the process of wrapping those wires and when finished these can be final located.

This leaves LED fit up, final stereo wiring run, connection and I guess testing. Will need some nice loud AKA DAKA for that perhaps.

Then hopefully full refit of dash and kick panels, leaving just some heat shielding to be finally placed to finish off the cabin jobs!!

Enjoy

[Auswallaby]

Do a search for car usb socket on ebay and you'll get a few design options like these. I'll probably put some behind the seats in an accessible area.

[stephen low]

So since last post, I'd managed to tidy up gear behind the dash to final fit the stereo system.

This meant some learning on the run on head units, amps and six speakers but in the end it wasn't that hard.

Got the amp in on the vertical face of the boot parcel shelf in the wasted space behind the fuel filler.

Will lower it further to enable me to make a cover plate over the spaghetti to improve the look, protect the wiring and put a shield between the fuel.

Fitted up as per below.



Got all the wiring laid out and by end of Sunday had the passenger side wired up and thought what the heck!

Couldn't find my favourite AC/DC sausage roll song so went another suitable alternate.

So off my small work camera and with just half the system going, enjoy!

Turn up the volume it's not too over the top... well perhaps.

First stereo start_zpsocy2u10r.mp4 Video by slowy59 | Photobucket

Cheers

Steve

[stephen low]

So despite being in Portland for most of last week and this weekend being a fair sporting right off, I'd managed some progress.

Got all the stereo bits wired up to the point that the dash went back into the car with panels fitted as shown below.



This allowed me to test the stereo with a fair bit of volume and I think we will hear the music whilst driving, but then so will everyone else - lol

The internal antenna worked well too, thanks Dougie.

I did want to lower the amp and this worked in well trying to also do a final tidy up of all the cables in the cabin. I'll make up some aluminium covers for these. Lowered amp below.



So need to reassemble the steering column gear and fit up some revised door handles and the car is ready to go to the trimmers.

Have had two conversations with Peter Blackwood and now I just await a quote from him.

Cheers

[stiffy]

Slowly,

You are on the home stretch, the trimming is the last step in the

long process.

Blackmans is famous in Melbourne, a mate just had his MX-5 seats

Re trimmed and they look great.

So we will see the car at the Xmas Party? Or The alpine Run.

Stiffy

[stephen low]

Thanks Stiffness

Think it will be touch and go getting the car sufficiently finished to get it registered pre-Christmas but I live in hope.

Annie and I have a hide colour chosen, we just need a quote to make sure we can live with the price. However we have chosen Napa hide - DoH

However Peter has already indicated he feels he can achieve a pricing similar to Duncan's but in leather. We only live once and can't take it with us so we await a documented value to make a call upon.

But the work doesn't cease.

Got the stereo system all sealed up in the cabin and the dash refitted.

Discovered my Hyundai column shrouds had been damaged whilst in storage all this time. Am sending out my youngest on a discovery quest later in the week for a replacement hopefully.

Cheers

[stephen low]

Meant to also say, I looked at Peter Blackman's personal Triumph TR6 with blue/grey leather seats and blue carpet.

A perfect example to review considering the colouring combination is generally what we have planned, though not quite as dark a colouring as he has used.

When I sent Annie the photos, and she knows nothing about Blackmans, part of her observation of the photos was literally "nice workmanship".

Ha now there's an understatement if I've ever heard one!

[stephen low]

Lost much of the weekend to an old boys golf catch up but got Sunday arvo time in the shed.

But late last week after refitting my dash I did a proper engine run up to temperature to check for leaks etc. Hadn't fully tightened the oil lines to the cooler in the nose and got a small oil mess once at temperature. That was the only issue and the thermo came on nicely at 90C so all good.



Finished off all the sound deadener/heat shield installation into the cabin.



So cleaned up, installed the steering shrouds and wheel and the driver's seat.





I must get the alternate door handles into the doors but aside from that job, the car can go to a trimmer for the cabin to be done at least.

Enjoy

[stephen low]

So with fitment of my alternate door handles, all the jobs I needed to get done in the cabin are finished and the car can be sent to the trimmer at his call.

Alternate door handles now installed.





I'll have about two weeks though before I expect call up so will continue to tackle jobs.

My action plan of jobs something like:

• Doing a string line alignment,
• Raising my low reversing lights,
• Making up various aluminium panels, such as boot floor cover, boot parcel shelf cover, amplifier covers, battery cover and perhaps a fuel pipe filler cover.
• Fit off spark plug lead holders,
• Arrange new leads to be made, and
• Fit up hose lines to my windscreen washer nozzles.

That's enough to keep me busy for now.

Cheers

[boxhead]

I have used these guys a few times for making my own leads.
Spark Plugs, NGK, Denso, Bosch, Champion - The Green Spark Plug Co

These are cloth covered leads with a clear plastic over the cloth.
Reproduction Champion ends.

[stephen low]

Thanks for the link Boxy.

I am actually planning to visit a very local manufacturer ICE Ignition.

The leads don't have to be terribly special but as a local provider I can better discuss and understand what I can get and what they need to make to suit appropriately.

Had visited their shop late last year but it is time to revisit and lock in what I need.

Cheers

[Hoity]

Looking great slowly, seats look like a really good fit. Keep the pics coming, pretty exciting with trim not far away.

[stephen low]

Thanks Jon, to say I'm excited now is probably an understatement.

This particularly as Peter Blackman rang me tonight with the price of materials to do the cabin. I'd said I'd pay for the material and he will be sending me an invoice to pay against.

Exciting...and expensive times - lol

[Jaydee]

Is the bottom of the seat going to be suspended or solid foam? What material are you going to use? Are they ADR approved?
JD

[stephen low]

Good question JD though I don't know the correct answer.

The ADR approved frames have a solid base so any foam seat base insert will be sitting atop a metal platform to start with.

Does this answer the question?

Hadn't queried the trimmer on foam grades but was reliant on their experience, which
is considerable.

Still worth the question however, though I suspect they will be able to answer this directly.

Steve

[Jaydee]

I think the advantage of a suspended seat bottom is, it wont settle over time, it let your bottom end breath better, and will soak up hard suspension, and will dry out better if it gets wet.
That's also why I love leather, is that it breaths better and doesn't get as hot in the sun. Get the best leather. My dad was an upholsterer and I remember the nice smell of all those hides hanging up in his workshop. After mine is registered I will be making smaller seats in leather. I bought mine from supercheap for $150 and just fit and they give you a adr certificate. They are at a slight angle though.
JD

[stephen low]

JD

Now know what you meant. Seats have a solid metal base that has a large hole pattern drilled into it.

Early thread pics may show this.

As to leather will Nappa hide suffice - lol

But I have to buy two hides to cover the amount of work needed and to ensure consistent colour, so not cheap.

Given I'll be running a tonneau I figured the extra expense was worth the effort.

[deano59]

just had too google nappa hide as i was not sure what it was but its made from lambs hides that kinda surprised me as i hadn't thought they used sheeps hides for that sort of thing