Long-Term, Ambitious Build — ‘97 RSP
#136
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I don’t know why but for whatever reason whenever I browse through all the SC sale listings through eBay, Autotrader, Craigslist, etc, I usually see higher mileage on the 400’s. I’m thinking the UZ may be less prone to oil leaks, etc hence going the extra distance. I love my 300 but your 4 definitely has that rarity factor over mine especially with that black interior that holds its age so much better than tan. Clean build!
Finding a piece of trim for the SC shouldn't be hard given that the trim on the doors stayed consistent over the years. You could probably buy a beat up door trim off ebay and experiment with it for fairly cheap. Junkyards are also an option. I've worked with wood before and removing the OEM coating is gonna be the hardest and most tedious part of that project. I'd almost say to buy a 1/2 inch plank of whatever wood you want and sand it down to shape, then attach it to some kind of flat material to match the overall thickness of the trim. For an open pore design, thats probably what I would have to do which is gonna be a long project to take on.
for the center console, moving the AC controls down is something I've always considered but never figured out how to do in a clean way, this gives me inspiration. I will have to brainstorm and experiment with this to see if I can come up with something. I've also thought about pitching the screen a bit down by customizing the bezel around the center console. Having a center screen that allows for dash cam, reverse cam, android auto, map and all that stuff would be very useful though I still dislike screens like that in cars so it would have to be a very high end screen that goes pitch black at night. None of that TFT crap lol. One thing I like though is the placement for the AC and Volume *****. I don't know if I would move them down but then again I've never thought about it. I'd keep them functional though and try to wire the volume **** to work with the headunit which i think is what you meant with raspberry pi which is something I never thought off and would definitely look into!
for the center console, moving the AC controls down is something I've always considered but never figured out how to do in a clean way, this gives me inspiration. I will have to brainstorm and experiment with this to see if I can come up with something. I've also thought about pitching the screen a bit down by customizing the bezel around the center console. Having a center screen that allows for dash cam, reverse cam, android auto, map and all that stuff would be very useful though I still dislike screens like that in cars so it would have to be a very high end screen that goes pitch black at night. None of that TFT crap lol. One thing I like though is the placement for the AC and Volume *****. I don't know if I would move them down but then again I've never thought about it. I'd keep them functional though and try to wire the volume **** to work with the headunit which i think is what you meant with raspberry pi which is something I never thought off and would definitely look into!
The raspberry pi would be exactly for that purpose, yes. Though, maybe it would be redundant cause you could probably use a steering wheel kit. It just sends different voltage signals depending on what command you’re sending to the radio. Each time you go volume up is one value and volume down a different value. It’s simple really.
Nick
#137
I don’t know the cause exactly. But, my suspicion is that ricer boys destroyed the 300’s cause they were cheaper and more “Supra-y”. The 400’s survive because old guys like us take care of them lol
Agreed on sourcing the trim. Double agree that it may not be worth messing with. Sanding to that shape won’t be easy though dude. I think I would need a router. I’ve got a table saw and miter but don’t have a router. I could get it close by hand but feel like ultimately there will be some waviness.
The raspberry pi would be exactly for that purpose, yes. Though, maybe it would be redundant cause you could probably use a steering wheel kit. It just sends different voltage signals depending on what command you’re sending to the radio. Each time you go volume up is one value and volume down a different value. It’s simple really.
Nick
Agreed on sourcing the trim. Double agree that it may not be worth messing with. Sanding to that shape won’t be easy though dude. I think I would need a router. I’ve got a table saw and miter but don’t have a router. I could get it close by hand but feel like ultimately there will be some waviness.
The raspberry pi would be exactly for that purpose, yes. Though, maybe it would be redundant cause you could probably use a steering wheel kit. It just sends different voltage signals depending on what command you’re sending to the radio. Each time you go volume up is one value and volume down a different value. It’s simple really.
Nick
Here are some pics:
Painted the consile trim to match
Candy over wood.
I still have the upholstery to do and i might go a different direction with the interior now.
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Bimmerbill (03-13-23),
RudysSC (02-02-24)
#138
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Hey, i love your trim ( a little bright for my age) it is absolutely beautiful. You must have hours in this project and it shows. I bet there will be a lot of members following your guide lines whether they go with the red or any of the other thousands of colors. I for one would love to see more pictures of your car. Thanks for the pictures and directions on the application that was very tastefully done. Good luck.
Bill
Bill
#139
Hey, i love your trim ( a little bright for my age) it is absolutely beautiful. You must have hours in this project and it shows. I bet there will be a lot of members following your guide lines whether they go with the red or any of the other thousands of colors. I for one would love to see more pictures of your car. Thanks for the pictures and directions on the application that was very tastefully done. Good luck.
Bill
Bill
Side note, There is aluminum underneath the wood, so if you want a updated look, you could sand off the wood down to the brushed aluminum or even get someone to anodize the aluminum then coat with a satin clear for a unique look. Anodized brushed satin grey would look pretty awesome. I would probably polish the metal and anodize it black for a black chrome look. My favorite finish.
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#140
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Glorious,
I wish I could honestly tell people that I have owned my SC for 21 Years, that would mean that much more enjoyment than I have had with my soon to be 5 years. I understand about the black interior. I have collected all the black interior trim and have a pair of front seats to install after dying them. It is a very slow process at my age. Keep us in the loop on your changes that you do on your car.
Bill
I wish I could honestly tell people that I have owned my SC for 21 Years, that would mean that much more enjoyment than I have had with my soon to be 5 years. I understand about the black interior. I have collected all the black interior trim and have a pair of front seats to install after dying them. It is a very slow process at my age. Keep us in the loop on your changes that you do on your car.
Bill
#141
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Let me stop you there. That wood is probably the thickness of cardstock. Router will eat through it. I used a dremel with a sanding wheel. The other problem is there is a protective coating over the wood that is super hard. So if you press hard to get through it as soon as you do, you burn through the card thin soft wood. Its tricky at best. I would buy a piece of trim to practice on first. I did. Get your method down before doing it on your car's wood. Also once you have bare wood, you can stain it with pretty much anything, I did a candy red. Through trial i found the best way to use candy is lacquer the bare wood first, then apply color candy after. But it sounds like you want a dark satin oak. I experienced bubbling on the clear coat so let it bake in the sun for weeks before doing the satin clear coat. GL on whatever you decide!
Here are some pics:
Painted the consile trim to match
Candy over wood.
I still have the upholstery to do and i might go a different direction with the interior now.
Here are some pics:
Painted the consile trim to match
Candy over wood.
I still have the upholstery to do and i might go a different direction with the interior now.
My comment about the router was pertaining to making new trim from a piece of wood. Someone else had mentioned that idea and I was saying that I may need more specialized tools than I possess. All the same, I appreciate the insight!
I think I’m in agreement with you and Bill on the color, but the work looks high quality. Great stuff!
I like what you said about the aluminum trim. I’ve considered that as well. I just worry slightly about overdoing it. That’s my fear with all these options. The Carbon can be overbearing, just like the aluminum. Wood is the only option that I don’t think can really ever be a bad choice. A ebony stained look in particular would really look killer, I think. But, all the same, it could be a bit more of a brown stain, a walnut kind of color which would really modernize it too. I’m open to a few different looks.
I think the darker it is, the more at home it will look with a more “sporty” interior. If using Supra seats for example, a wood look will be perfect. But, if I do a racing seat, the Carbon is probably the better choice, so it just really depends.
Nick
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Bimmerbill (03-14-23)
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GloriousSC (03-16-23)
#143
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If I go carbon, I think this is what I’ll settle on!
Nick
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#144
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Haven’t posted in my build thread for a long time. I made a couple quick videos to help out @Illyria
See these:
And
The focus of these videos is the LED conversions I’ve done. For posterity, I’ll include all the pictures I’ve taken of late to showcase these new lights. Overall I’m thrilled with it. I love VLEDS products, and have them throughout.
Last shot was just kind of cool 😎
Nick
See these:
And
The focus of these videos is the LED conversions I’ve done. For posterity, I’ll include all the pictures I’ve taken of late to showcase these new lights. Overall I’m thrilled with it. I love VLEDS products, and have them throughout.
Last shot was just kind of cool 😎
Nick
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The following users liked this post:
RudysSC (02-02-24)
#146
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Nick
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KahnBB6 (02-02-24)
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