OG's VX Build: HyperMile Driving with some JDM Styling

[WD40]

I tried something similar, you may wish to incorporate a cap to close it on the cold days.
Rainy days might prove to be fun
Other than that happy bug eating.

[spacemanspif]

Impressive build and great work. I have always wondered about making a ram-air scoop for the entire HVAC system. The system draws fresh air from outside, make a snorkel or scoop and use the speed of the vehicle to push air through the vents. Not that the PVC is a bad idea, just wondering if you thought of RAMing the whole system and if you chose against it for any reason...

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by WD40

I tried something similar, you may wish to incorporate a cap to close it on the cold days.
Rainy days might prove to be fun
Other than that happy bug eating.

Drove in rain last night. Some condensation in tube after a 50 mile trip. That's it. I'll monitor it for mold collection.

Originally Posted by spacemanspif

Impressive build and great work. I have always wondered about making a ram-air scoop for the entire HVAC system. The system draws fresh air from outside, make a snorkel or scoop and use the speed of the vehicle to push air through the vents. Not that the PVC is a bad idea, just wondering if you thought of RAMing the whole system and if you chose against it for any reason...

Thanks so much bro. No reason in particular for just going with the mirror only. I just wanted to do something with this one section of the car. I was planning on a total mirror delete, but figured I'd give this a try while I was at it. Supplementing the whole system is a bit more than I want to undertake, and I'm afraid the car would end up looking like an awkward science experiment, ha!

[vrmouseyd15b]

OG, do you use a hand throttle? I'm curious to see if and how you tackled that one, since all your stuff is pretty sick! I'm planning on doing one up this weekend - maybe with a bike shifter (think old skool 21" racing bike) with the long adjustable tension levers.

My big hang-up is making it where I can "lock" the throttle at any given position, so I can cruise a little easier on the highway and kill my old gas sucking "cruise control"!!

SO - I like your style and the way all your mods seem so well thought out (I've given up on the gauge pod again - for now!) and I'd like to see what you would come up with!!

thanks,
Victor

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by vrmouseyd15b

OG, do you use a hand throttle? I'm curious to see if and how you tackled that one, since all your stuff is pretty sick! I'm planning on doing one up this weekend - maybe with a bike shifter (think old skool 21" racing bike) with the long adjustable tension levers.

My big hang-up is making it where I can "lock" the throttle at any given position, so I can cruise a little easier on the highway and kill my old gas sucking "cruise control"!!

SO - I like your style and the way all your mods seem so well thought out (I've given up on the gauge pod again - for now!) and I'd like to see what you would come up with!!

thanks,
Victor

Thank you for your kind words Victor. I appreciate your support bro.

Currently, I don't have plans to add a hand throttle. However, if I could eventually add all of Donkey's mods, I don't see that is being a bad mentality! Your hand throttle plans sound awesome bro, especially with using the old school bike handle. Should come out sweet. Please post pics so I can copy your mod

I've set my scope on more interior work this weekend, which does include the gauge pod. I plan to get up early tomorrow and begin on the custom work for mounting the MPGuino on the top pod spot. It will be a multi-step process, which will include fiberglass and bondo work. I do hope it will come out clean and look as "OEM" as possible. I'll post pics and progress, as always.

Be right back with an update...

[OG VX]

Update: Door Card Refurbishing

Earlier, I posted that the door cards needed work. The (I believe) OEM optional tweeters had parts that had fallen off, and the bracket holding one had become loose behind the panel. The previous owner saved all the parts (speaker grille, etc...). Most people would have tossed the parts in the McDonald's drive thru trash can... Thankfully, this car had a really cool previous owner. I lucked out. However, time had gotten the best of the fabric coverings, as the glue holding them in place had loosened, and the fabric was just flapping/sagging in the wind...

So, the following was completed:

-remounted tweeters
- cleaned panel
- cleaned/de-greased fabric; let it dry completely.
- dremel'd out panel that holds fabric.
- essentially, removed and re-glued fabric

As always, pics tell the story.











Finally, another very important update.



Drum roll please....






Up Next:

Weekend plans:

Interior Work:
- Strip car of rear and passenger seats
- Clean carpets and all panels
- Armour All and shine up stuff
- Begin work on custom mount for MPGuino
- Order MPGuino pin jumper/connector wires
- Pix up SEM gray interior paint (for completed pod)

Exterior
- Have O'Riley's Salisbury mix up another can of R 81-4
- Drill out and install JDM sidemarkers (no wiring, yet)

Performance
- Hook up Vac Guage (mechanical only); no wiring (yet)

Until next time, thanks for eco-tuning in!

[pgfpro]

OG Nice write up and work!!!

The car is looking awesome and I love all the innovated mods your doing, keep up the great work!!!

[vrmouseyd15b]

Originally Posted by OG VX

Thank you for your kind words Victor. I appreciate your support bro.

Currently, I don't have plans to add a hand throttle. However, if I could eventually add all of Donkey's mods, I don't see that is being a bad mentality! Your hand throttle plans sound awesome bro, especially with using the old school bike handle. Should come out sweet. Please post pics so I can copy your mod

Thanks! I would be honored if you want to copy my hand throttle I really like how donkey's is setup and it looks bullet-proof, but the throttle "lock" option seems too hard to incorporate, and hillbilly's hand throttle goes the path of least resistance (my usual first choice), but is no good for the same reasons.

I'm still digging around online for something specific, but maybe even a center throttle for a lawn mower (should be stout enough to hold a throttle position against the mower's vibrations and serve as my "lock").

I will dig around tomorrow and try to lay hands on both the shifter and throttle lever thingie and surprise the world with pics "soonly"

thanks,
Victor

[OG VX]

Originally Posted by pgfpro

OG Nice write up and work!!!

The car is looking awesome and I love all the innovated mods your doing, keep up the great work!!!

Thank you my friend!

Originally Posted by vrmouseyd15b

Thanks! I would be honored if you want to copy my hand throttle I really like how donkey's is setup and it looks bullet-proof, but the throttle "lock" option seems too hard to incorporate, and hillbilly's hand throttle goes the path of least resistance (my usual first choice), but is no good for the same reasons.

I'm still digging around online for something specific, but maybe even a center throttle for a lawn mower (should be stout enough to hold a throttle position against the mower's vibrations and serve as my "lock").

I will dig around tomorrow and try to lay hands on both the shifter and throttle lever thingie and surprise the world with pics "soonly"

thanks,
Victor

Looking forward to your post! Lawn mower idea sounds great. Maybe you could use a dremel tool to add some more notches in the panel? I know they are far between on a lawn mower. W/o mods, probably step up 2-3 mph per notch, ya know?

[OG VX]

Update: MPGuino Custom Mounting - A Pillar Pod - Part One

So far, things are going well with this. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking. Got to rush to work. Looking forward to continuing on this over the weekend!

Wiring work (as received). Will be redone with Arduino jumper pins, heat shrink'd wires, etc..



Disassembled and ready to work.



Taping/Mocking/Marking everything up



Notch cutting (done with dremel and diamond cut disk)







How it sits in the car.



Front panel/facia will be made out of this stuff. Then glued in; then fabric layed down and stretched to shape; then fiberglass laid on top (similar process to building custom abstract shaped speaker boxes, idea being the all the edges to the new panel are "smoothed" out across the shape of the existing pod form); then bondo; then SEM paint to mach the OEM pillar color (light gray).



Here you can see how the front facia will sit flush (hopefully) with the existing pod mold/shape.



More to come. Thanks for eco-tuning in!