Well, it's done. What started as a simple upgrade to more modern window motors, then degenerated into a new, modern loom, interior refresh, and repair of various things that either didn't work, or were repaired poorly by previous owners, has finally reached the finishing stage. Eight long months after putting the car on the lift, it set tires on the ground and went for a short drive Thursday, before the rain set in that night. No issues. Nothing fell off, no Lucas smoke was released into the atmosphere, no concerning odors or sounds led me to pull over, and everything except the headlight pods appears to work. As part of the project, I rebuilt the headlight pod vacuum switch, but there was a real chance there was a leak elsewhere in the system. However, the engine would need to run to verify. Well, now that it's run, I can verify there is a leak, but that's a repair for next week.
Provided I didn't screw up any crimps or solder joints destined for future failure, I'm pleased with the outcome. The 3D printed fuse/relay box turned out great as did the 3D printed glovebox behind which it sits. Even the interior flocking looks OEM. The carpet looks good, and upgrading the sound deadening to modern materials appears to have made a noticeable difference. Granted I am relying on memory given the time span between pre-project and post project drives, but road noise seems to have been subdued, providing a slightly more refined experience and creating a more prominent exhaust note. Despite adding the sound deadening (DEI Under Carpet Lite and strategically placed Dynamat Superlight) to places where the old sound deadening was missing, the weight increase was only one pound. The replacement heater valances are crack free, and the new center console is much higher quality that the outgoing piece. Rather than use the old — but period correct — vinyl center console pad with welded cross seams, I opted to use some leather left over from the Caterham build and sewed my own. Personally, I think the stitched accent lines look much better than the factory welded seams. The horn no longer has a mind of its own, and it's loud!
Scroll through the annotated gallery for before and after photos as well as some of the custom work.
Provided I didn't screw up any crimps or solder joints destined for future failure, I'm pleased with the outcome. The 3D printed fuse/relay box turned out great as did the 3D printed glovebox behind which it sits. Even the interior flocking looks OEM. The carpet looks good, and upgrading the sound deadening to modern materials appears to have made a noticeable difference. Granted I am relying on memory given the time span between pre-project and post project drives, but road noise seems to have been subdued, providing a slightly more refined experience and creating a more prominent exhaust note. Despite adding the sound deadening (DEI Under Carpet Lite and strategically placed Dynamat Superlight) to places where the old sound deadening was missing, the weight increase was only one pound. The replacement heater valances are crack free, and the new center console is much higher quality that the outgoing piece. Rather than use the old — but period correct — vinyl center console pad with welded cross seams, I opted to use some leather left over from the Caterham build and sewed my own. Personally, I think the stitched accent lines look much better than the factory welded seams. The horn no longer has a mind of its own, and it's loud!
Scroll through the annotated gallery for before and after photos as well as some of the custom work.
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