i think its SICK(in a good way), i want to do it, but i am not a good cutter

http://schlagheck.com/cgi-bin/i/rx7/images/gaubig_3.jpg

http://schlagheck.com/cgi-bin/i/rx7/images/gaubig_1.jpg

 

Nice.

 

The old AC control movement routine. Some of us have seen em
I forgot who, but someone in yapan actually makes a kit for this. Too bad it only fits a RHD FD

 

you can do it yourself, i got the instructions, if you look at the first pic, you can see a pedal up in the left

 

Being a good cutter is not the key. Being good with Bondo is. If you do try, get ahold of extras of both pieces, trust me. It will take a long time and is a major pain in the :

 

It may be a major PIA but it sure does look good. However did that work made it like nice and professional. I like it.

 

where u get those pics??

 

I believe Wael El-dasher(who is not on the forum) was the first to bring attention to this from one of those Japanese magazines. He has pics of the magazine on his site.Wael

Firas Arabo was, I believe, the first to implement it in his car.

The write-up on how-to is here:AC relocation mod

I am told soldering the AC controls is one of the more painful steps.

 

By the way, those pics are from Ryan Schlegheck's site. However, he sold his FD a couple of years ago.

 

That does look very professional.

 

looks nice...I was thinking about it but I came to this problem...where are you going to put your elbow?

David

 

i thought about the same thing!!!...but i think i would like to but a 4" tv screen in the dash to replace the AC controls

 

personally.... no good

i don't like it....

but you did a good job fitting them

 

I love it,,,can't wait to start with all of the cutting and bondo fun.

 

here's the how to, i don't think the elboy issue will be that big of a problem


How-to: A/C Control Relocation and Auxilliary Gauge Installation
by Firas Arabo

I've tried my best to put this together, but I'm not the best writer. If I didn't include something, or you need clarifications, you can always email your questions at firas_arabo@hotmail.com. As for my disclaimer, I've never done any of this work before, and I'm not an expert in any of the areas I performed. I haven't had any problems with my work, including the wiring, since February '99, but I won't to a full autopsy until this winter (Jan 00), when I remove all the wiring and inspect it. A lot was trial and error, adding up to about 80 hours total into the project. And I can provide additional pictures that I have, but unfortunately the early ones were no good due to a fingerprint on the camera lens.

I've separated it into several sections : Cutting, filling, painting, wiring, instrument panel gauge, and power sources. Each section will list the parts and tools used for that step. Unfortunately, most of my early pictures fell victim to a fingerprint on the cameral lens, so I can only show you back to the point where the sanding was almost complete.

CUTTING:

I started by buying an extra climate control console. There was only one style at the dealer, the smooth finish. Texture-finished consoles were not available. A dremel tool comes in very handy when cutting out the area to transplant. Dremel's have cutting discs to use on plastic (red?). I went through about 15. When you use it, make sure your not using it at too high a speed, as the plastic will tend to melt/burn and fly off the disc in every direction.

Before you cut the climate console, take a good look at the back side and how the controls attach to them. Save the mounting points and include them in your transplant when you make the cut. The points also serve as good cutting lines when you connect them, so that's the line I used to cut along.

When it comes time to cut the shifter console, plan it out well before you do anything. My car turned out the way it did because of the way I thought it should fit, both from a design and practical perspective. Others may find a different arrangement more suitable. Once you have removed the climate controls, you can see that the fan speed button sits pretty deep, around two inches. It might not fit too well if you graft it in place of the ashtray, because clearance underneath that area is only around 1.5". But the shifter console slopes downward toward the driver, so there's about 3" available on the passenger side. I have had no clearance problems with the fan button and the transmission tunnel using the location I chose. But it complicated things a little. I was already losing the area that housed the rear defroster and dummy switch to the recirculator button, and I needed a minimum of three holders. So I kept the remaining space for the fog light switch, and replaced the ashtray with the alarm and exhaust overheat holder from the other side. When you cut it out, use the mounting points as your cutting line and you'll find that once you position it along the driver's side of the ashtray holder, it lines up very close with the fog light switch. Sand with some 320 grit to refine the alignment.

If you have made the cuts on both pieces correctly, each should have at least one or two points along it's edge making contact with the other piece or the shifter console, except for the recirculation switch. Epoxy these points to hold them in place, but make sure you set the planes in a position that allows you to blend in the transitions you'll need to create next.

FILLING:

I used 1 can of Marson Mar-Glass Fiberglass Reinforced Autobody filler, .86 quart container with green graphics, $12.99. I also used a 15 oz. container of Bondo I bought as a repair kit for $4.49. You might also want to get a small tube of Bondo Glazing and Spot Putty.

The fiberglass was generously applied as a foundation to connect and fill the two pieces to the shifter console. The whole bottom was covered with it, as much as 1/2" thick in some areas, but never higher than the mounting points to insure a good fit with the controls.

I then topcoated just about the entire rear half surface of the shifter console, with a nice but thinner coat of Bondo. This stuff is a lot easier to sand than fiberglass, and is a better filler to use for blending in the transitions. I spent about 15 hours sanding in this part. Starting with 220 grit (10 sheets), I worked my way to 320 (9 sheets), then 400 (10 sheets). At this point you may find some needle sized holes or pits on the surface of the Bondo, and this is where you use very small amounts of the spot putty, sanded smooth again with 400.

I did all the sanding by hand since it was impossible to use a flat sanders on any of the curves. Much the same reason it's hard to use a buffer on the paint. But there are some pretty cool 3M sandpaper-covered sponges that work very well (get 2 or 3 of the medium grit).

Some paint shops like to use 1 coat of gloss black on the surface to see how smooth they got the curves and transitions, then sand it all off to do the refinement. What I did was use a lot of primer, and it's explained below.

PAINTING:

You may not believe it, but I used a spray paint can, not a spray gun. I found a company called SEM that sells their paint in both forms, and they make products specific to plastic/vinyl applications that are flexible coatings. This is because they contain elastomeres, an ingredient that is crucial for resisting cracking from flexing and twisting, something that is inevitable anytime you remove/install the consoles.

I began using their Plastic Prep Solution, part #38353, 1 cans used, $6/ea. Helps remove fingerprints, Bondo dust, leaves no residue, etc. Good stuff.

I then coated the areas that had Bondo on its surface with their Flexible Primer Surfacer, part #39243, 2 cans used, $7/ea. Use very thin coats, but many of them. I used about 3 or 4 thin coats, saw the areas that didn't meet up at smooth transitions, and sanded the primer over the area with 400 grit to make the blend. I added another 3-4 coats, and if it still looked okay, I added yet three more coats, and I didn't sand the final coat. If you want the smooth look on the final finish, you can lightly use some 400 grit, but don't go any finer. You'll need something for the topcoat to bite into.

Now you add an intermediate coat. If you want a smooth finish, you need to apply what they call Flexible Bonding Clear Agent, part #39863, 2 cans does the entire interior, including door panels. It promotes adhesion to the topcoats. This goes over the plastic, but not over the primer, which already has similar adhesion characteristics. It's o.k to have some overlap between the two different coats. Be careful when using the Clear agent, it's real time sensitive on how long you wait before applying the first coat of paint. I didn't use this stuff, so make sure you read the instructions real well regarding the application process.

If you want texture, you won't need the Clear Agent. You'll need some Texture Coating, part #39853, 3 cans for the entire interior. It didn't make sense to only use this stuff on part of the interior and leave two different textures, so I used it over all the plastic. I don't know if it's really needed, but I sanded all the plastic panels smooth before adding the coating. I wanted to make sure there was no dirt left on the surface, and that was the only way I could be sure. I started with 220, then 320, and spent about 15 hours sanding. Maybe some can try just using the plastic prep. Before you start using the texture coating, you'll need to practice. Distance from the surface to be painted, and the speed with which you sweep across the surface, are what creates many different textures. Practice varieties of these two, and see what style created the desired outcome. But when it comes time to coat the parts, texture coat them all at the same time. It's not too hard to forget exactly how you did the week before, and if you did, it'll be difficult to match the appearance. And there's no real time issue here like there is with the Clear Agent. You can add your topcoat at your leisure.

Now you're ready to paint. I used Sem's Satin Black Vinyl and Plastic Color Spray, part #15243, 4 cans, $7/ea. Other types of black were available (and almost other color too), but this color was exactly what I hoped for. I don't have any problems with sunlight glare, but it's not a flat shade, so it does have some reflectivity. That was real important to me.

I've had no problems with the paint to date, but it's only been about 9 months. I'm very pleased. You can call SEM at 704-522-1006. It's important to use a generous amount during the intermediate or final paint coating. The Bondo and plastic console come together like tectonic plates, with the Bondo being the layer that slides over the plastic. If your primer/clear bonding/final paint coat is too thin, you may see the Bondo layer lift off of the plastic. If this happens, the sharp edge where the Bondo blends into the plastic might tear through the paint when excessive weight is applies, like when leaning on it.

WIRING:

All my supplied were purchased from Radio Shack, and I spent almost $80 total in supplies and basic electrical tools (crimper, and stripper).

There are two wiring harnesses involved. One is a 23 wire connection to the back of the heater amplifier, which then connects to the controls via 4 groups of wires (when you go to buy your wiring, the factory colors of the wires are red, green, brown, and yellow). I didn't mess with the stock connection here, which is attached to the amplifier board. Instead, I bridged in about 3 feet of 22 gauge wire for each group. I used insulated telephone butt connectors that fit 22-26 gauge wiring, and this stuff is perfect for the job. The rather firm insulator extends beyond the connector itself, helping to absorb the some of the load at the connections. The stock wiring is 26 gauge, real thin stuff. So to make sure I had a secure fit at the connector, I would expose twice as much sheathing as I needed, fold it over itself, and insert the thicker bundle of wire into the connector before crimping it tight. This wasn't necessary for the 22 gauge wire, it's thick enough for a good fit. You'll need 23 of these insulated telephone butt connectors to connect one side of the bridge, and you'll need 4 male/female Molex Connectors. The closest size I found to what I needed were 9-pin connectors, but 6-pin would be better. The same trick is used here on the 26 gauge wiring when crimping them to the Molex connectors. The molex connectors have pretty sharp edges, and I didn't want the wiring to tear from flex and handling. So I used about 1" of shrink wrap over the crimped portion of the connector/wire to help absorb some of the load. And the connectors were positioned on the loom so that they were underneath the shifter console. That way, when I lift the shifter console, if it needs to come out, all the connections are right there.

The other wiring loom is for the fan speed button. It only has 5 wires, but uses much thicker wires. Stock wires are 2 12-gauge wires, 2 16-gauge wires, and 1 18-gauge wire. I went one gauge thicker on all of them (10, 14, and 16 gauge respectively). I used insulated quick disconnects here since it's way too difficult to fit 10 gauge wiring into a molex connector. And like the Molex connectors, I placed the quick disconnects closest to the controls, under the shifter console. I wrapped both looms with about 2 feet of 1" wide shrink wrap (adding a heat sleeve wouldn't be a bad idea), routed it underneath the parking brake cable, and up the passenger side of the stereo. The heater amplifier is tye-wrapped to the crossmember under the dashboard, so the stock wiring can still reach it.

PANEL GAUGE INSTALL:

The cluster is made up of three layers. The outer most is the clear lense fitting that includes the chrome bezels. A black middle layer creates the recessed look. And a thick white backing contains the gauges, circuits, and stock connections.

When you look at the white layer containing the stock gauges, you'll notice that they don't use a casing around the internals. This helps save a lot of space, but doesn't make it any easier to replace. Using my dremel tool with some medium grit bits, I cut/ground out a hole on the white support on the back of the cluster. Be careful not to over stress the circuitry since it's pretty thin, and make sure it's not cold as it will tend to crack rather than flex. The area you need to ground out houses the stock connection for the one of the wiring looms. It's an 8 wire loom that sends power/signal/ground for the stock gauge, including wiring related to the oil pressure gauge and the warning buzzer circuitry. Keeping the warning buzzer was crucial, so the only wires I eliminated were the three used for the gauge. For the remaining 5 wires, I had a computer guy solder some 22 gauge pigtails directly onto the circuitry board, then I connected the other end to a 9-pin Molex connector. Of course, all this meant that you replace the stock male connector on the wiring loom with the corresponding male Molex connector.

To secure the gauge, I removed the white back portion of the cluster. I then made enough room in the black layer to allow the gauge to rest against the clear lense. This was a real easy way to make sure the gauge I was installing was pointing in the same direction as the other gauges.

POWER SOURCES:



2 gauges and turbo timer are spliced into a 10 gauge wire that makes one ground wire. It connects to a stock grounding point located behind the side panel by your left leg. The other 2 gauges on the climate console use one of the studs that secures the shifter base. For both ground wires, you'll need two ring terminals to make the connection. For 12+ I use the main ignition wire on the steering column for all the gauges. It's not an easy one to find, others have located sources off the ecu. I use an in-line radio fuse before the power reaches any of the gauges or the timer, but some may consider this overkill. For the light source, two gauges are powered using the ashtray light, the other two use the light for the cigarette lighter.

 

more pics. JaySpec7's car. (no longer on this forum. damn traitor! )