Summer freshing up begins

Well today I finally started getting bits together for a freshen up of the Chim and boy it's getting expensive already, at this rate i'll have no cash left for fuel. Or i'll get too fed up with her to actually go out driving.
I thought i'd start a thread and take loads of pics while I'm doing it.

My idea last year was buy a mechcanically sound car and do up cosmetics a bit at a time, but I thought sod that and saved up to do it all at once.
so far
MX5 seats, the ones with speakers in the headrests (which i've swapped for Alpines)
New set of dials from EBT - 5 aux gauges, new speedo and rev counter. white LEDs for them.
New carpet set from Coverdale
Ordered battery (PC925) and cables.
New headunit
alloy stalks - not leven but these nice vaux ones from eBay

Still have to buy a dash panel and want an alloy one as i have black bezel'd clocks - has anyone used SC-Power? Theirs look nice and they can cut me an extra gauge hole. I think I will swap around the Tacho/Speedo so the Tach is on the left
http://www.sc-power.co.uk/pages/sc-power-dashboard...

Another question - has anyone used a wheel refurb place in the Midlands? I want the OZ rims doing but have no recommendations for places which I normally like.

I'm on the fence about warning lights. I was thinking about putting some in between the clocks. the T piece version as I wanted something a bit different but practical and not too brash like all the big aftermarket chrome bezel ones you can get.
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorsport/dash-warn...
or i could fit the horizontal version above the three switches on the radio panel. i'm not sure on this though?


Brett

So the work begins tomorrow.
Interior out - carpets, seats, door trim - everything basically.
move battery to boot and move fuse box
apply dynamate extreme everywhere and remove dash top hopefully all tomorrow.
I'm not looking forward to removing the dashtop after some horror stories on here but hopefully it won't be too bad.
i'll get loads of pics

Thanks Nosh
interesting read there, i'm now even more confused after reading all the posts by people that have already moved it?
I might see what the extra room is like once battery and carpet are changed, if it looks ok i won't bother moving it just in case. I might just have to make some sort of mount solution for it

Eastwood mate, just outside Notts

I'm going to be rewiring as much as possible to make sure everything works.
All new stereo wiring and amp in cubby hole behind drivers seat, the MX5 seats have speakers in the headrest so I can get rid of the 6x9s and I will be getting the TVR logo embroidered where the 6x9s are/where.

Yeah no trouble to pop round mate it'll be next weekend when i'm working on it again I think.
I need to make some mounts for the seats, I think i'll just weld some out of box section

This weekend I wanted to get a lot done but the weather had other ideas, it's really pi$$ed me off, constant heavy showers then sun so i've been in/out the garage.

I made a mount for the ECU on the bulkhead, using the same level of engineering the car was built with lol. I cut a square peice of wood about that fitted into the indentation on the bulkhead where the battery box originally went. I then fixed this to the dynamat with number plate tape (the double sided adhesive foam tape stuff) and sikaflex. Rather nice and snug fit actually. The ECU and relay will be mounted to this and carpet/footboard placed over the front with lots of needed leg room for passengers. I also put some right angled brackets on top of this wooden mount so the heater pipes could be pushed up out of the way and cable tied in place.

I decided to lag/insulate the water pipes while doing this, might be pointless but I thought I may as well.


Leather kit from furniture clinic. Their standard cream colour. Pics show the MX5 seats with first coat sponge applied, then another coat and what they look like with 3 sprayed coats. Just need to seal with satin tomorrow. I found this kit surprisingly easy to use, I would recommend to anyone, although if you have a compressor it would be much easier. When you first sponge on the colour it doesn't look like it's doing much so i just worked it into all the hard to reach places and stitching etc. there are some slight cracks on the bolsters still so tomorrow I will sand these down and respray a coat.

Though i'd update what I'm up to in case anyone is in the mood for some more photos.

Been on the car for last couple days when possible.
removed fuel tank to enlarge the sender hole so I can fit the VDO sender. It's out, done and back in now but I will change the fuel lines and filer before finishing up.
New speakers fitted in the MX5 headrests, they fitted spot on, 3.5" Ground Zero (50w rms), pair per headrest so should sound nice with a 6.5" I will be putting in the rear shelf/bulkhead. I wondered why the MX5 seats had 6 wires going into them, I thought maybe heated seats? But it turns out they have the optional 'thumper' which is inside the seat and vibrates to music. Kind of like a subwoofer effect but no audio comes out, just vibration, but I think it only works with the Maxda headunit so I will be ignorning it. I just thought it was an interesting idea from Mazda and haven't seen/heard of it before.

Most of the interior is now underlayed with dynamat extreme for the important areas (footwells, bulkhead, tunnel, doors and rear shelf will be). Then using cheaper version for the floor, and any other areas that I'm doing.

Fusebox moved behind passenger seat, original wiring loom stretched out fine then i've taped it to the tunnel nice and flat. I had to hacksaw the lip from the top of the cubby hole so the fusebox is now about a perfect fit. Battery box sorted for the boot, it will be going in the left hand corner to hopefully balance out the weight from the spare wheel. Earth is the chassis bolt behind fuel tank, crimped and soldered connections.

Removed the exhaust so I can fit cherry bombs and change all the mounts, it was doing my head in and kept vibrating/rattling. When I took it off all the rubbers where perished and the previous owner tried to sleeve or do something to the backbox as it's been welded back on a bit rough, I'll sort that next week.

Tomorrow I'm going to start carpeting and also play about with getting solendoids working for door releases. I've planned out a nify system using bike cables and remotely mounted solendoids, in theory it should work, but maybe not?

I'm using cable from www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu which is I think the 35mm one? thicker than original anyway.
I'm using PC925 battery and sits just right in the boot corner

Been playing about with things this weekend as both door locks are a bit 'dodgy', don't always unlock or the key gets stuck sometimes. New lock sets are quite expensive.
So I rang some breakers and for either the wing mirror switches or rear panel switches (mine has key hole) you're look at silly money.
So i've sorted it via solenoids now. This is quite a simple modification if any early Chim owners want door openers instead of the manual push unlocks.
Firstly I needed to fill in the 6x9 holes in the rear shelf anyway as I'm not having them. So I cut a peice of MDF to fit, eventually this will be carpeted to give a smooth blend into the boot so you can't notice the raised section. I will be mounting a 6.5" Kicker sub and small amp on there. But for now just the solenoids are mounted there. I tried this method with some cheap eBay solenoids but they were not strong enough so I bought some bigger ones for about £10each - I think they are 15lb strength. Cable routed through small hole in the boot bracket, through to the door mechanism. Couldn't be simpler to fit as there are spare holes already, next to the existing cable (from centre console).
I wanted something a bit different so for the drivers side I have fitted a reed switch to the inner wing and this is activated by a magnet in my keyring.
The passenger side has a switch which is activated by just pressing down the original door unlock, but no force is needed so it feels much better and works perfect.
Both sides only work when the car is not alarmed so security is not effected, both sides needed relaying to take the load.

I need to find a fitter in the Midlands but have no idea so I think I will google it and see who is nearby?