Rise of the Phoenix, '96 Firebird Formula 6-speed Options

[Bitter]

Freeze it prior to nailing, works just fine then!

[Box]

True.

Seriously thinking about getting a Sunfire/Grand Am steering wheel, it's not a beautiful wheel by any means but I think it looks a lot better than what's in it and especially the base wheel without buttons. The way the airbag sticks out all around the wheel and how the wheel itself it shaped they look like bloated corpses, especially the base wheel. That and I thought about getting a plain vinyl wheel so I could wrap it how I like and probably thicken the thumb grips too. An aftermarket wheel would be a lot easier and could get something really good, but I want to retain the airbag.

[Box]

Operation LoPro complete:

Hopefully now there'll be absolutely no expectations of me to drive fast from the people behind me or people wanting to race me. Actually the only thing to distinguish it now from a base model on the exterior visually are the taillights, and I've toyed with the idea of changing those as well(they would be tinted). Which this is all more or less a side effect of things I wanted; I wanted a hardtop Formula and I don't like decals on paintwork, then the exhaust was more a culmination of best performance while working with the factory exhaust and not having to modify the car beyond removing the factory muffler. Most will probably hate it but I really don't care.

[Bitter]

What ever happened with the LED brake light bulbs? I think I missed it or did you drop that plan?

[Box]

It got shuffled back waiting on my brother since it'd be cheaper if we bought what we both need as one order, and it hasn't gotten cold enough to freeze him in order to nail him down to a tree. Now he's selling the truck and LTD he never used to buy a second gen Audi A6 2.7TT V6/6-speed to use as a comfy daily alternative and second as a winter car(yeah I know I've told him which state we're in) since he ruined the Genesis, so the LED venture is a lost cause. Will probably just say **** it and order what I need and call it a day, though lately I've been looking into more materials to take care of the stupid dash. I think I found an ideal solution, flock it; little to no glare/reflection, inexpensive, and hides imperfections. Of course means black/original charcoal two-tone dash but I'm just tired of it and spending a small fortune to replace it all isn't even an option.

Well that and the Hella lamps and changing out all the speakers didn't do any favours for exterior LEDs on the priority list either. That and I'm kind of unsure if I still want to, at least for the tail lights anyway. Found a few posts where it seems though even considerably brighter at night the LEDs don't really show up that well during the day, then again with my lights being the LT1 lights and not the honeycombs and with them being lightly smoked I can't see where I'd have a problem in that regard. I've thought about doing the third brake light first since it's just two 194/921 bulbs and take it from there. That or kind of leave it at that since the brake and turn function are the same filaments of the same bulbs in the tail lights so a quicker third brake would help differentiate if making some kind of amber turn just isn't feasible.

This post has been edited by Box: Dec 29, 2016 - 3:46 AM

[Bitter]

Depends on the bulbs, this is kind of Autopal all over again, people talking who don't really know.

A used 2.7 TT Audi? Is your brother a masochist? I hope he enjoys spending lots of money and having a perpetual oil leak.

[Box]

Well from what I had found for the Camaros with either tail light or the honeycombs on Firebirds it took buying Triton V3? LED towers at what they said was $100-120 a pair at the time to match or somewhat exceed halogens in sunlight. With how the LT1 Firebird lights are done I don't see how it could pose as big an issue since there's the reflector jewels and the outside lense is clear, where with the Camaros and honeycombs the lenses are thick coloured plastic like most other tail lights of the time. I've tried finding recent information but it seems no one really goes into that anymore.

One of the techs at Hyundai dealership is an ex Audi tech and he talked to him about them and got the green light on that particular model and engine/trans combo so I dunno, I really haven't looked into them. He's also considering a fourth generation Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT or a Mazdaspeed6, he's damned an determined to have AWD with 250+ horsepower. For what I don't know since even the Firebird on summer tires makes an acceptable winter car here. I understand wanting a comfy alternative or something not RWD should it literally snow in Hell in which case I suggested a late fourth gen Maxima like he had before; for one he liked them and he knows them inside and out, they're reliable, adequately powerful, comfortable, and manual models can be had for nothing so a low 100K model in nice shape could be had for under $3,000. Oh and it's FWD so it'll handle any "severe" winter weather we get with poise and grace, "BUT I WANT AWD!"

[Box]

Bought some black flocking on nylon backing (i.e. photography curtain fabric) to cover the foam and make a dash pad with, was only $7.50 shipped off Amazon for a 59"x36" section from a company that makes and sells premade photography curtains. I wish I had found actual flocking kits the first time around(actually I wish I never ****ed with the dash) and could've flocked the pad that's now in a landfill somewhere but it'd have fallen apart anyway I guess, but if the new pad turns out well I'll probably flock the top of the actual dash to repair the crack and as a benefit should have no more windshield glare/reflection.

Also went out for a spirited/aggressive drive since lately it's been a lot of cold idling and driving like an old person in the cold, especially after the other day installing the speakers then today I was in the car with it running to redo the stereo EQ settings etc... so I decided it'd be behooving to blow the carbon off the plugs since the sun was out and it wouldn't take too long to rewarm the tires. Driving it like an old man is fun but taking it up to 5,000 in first and second makes me giggle like a schoolgirl, as does just driving it more spiritedly holding out third and fourth before going into 5/6th. I love all kinds of cars and engines, I really do, but I've honestly never been happier with a car.

[Box]

I think he's looking at the A4/S4 now so who knows, he was a VW tech for a year or two so he's somewhat used to their nonsense but every day it was "I'll never own a damn VW." I guess he technically still wouldn't.

Anyhow started looking at LEDs again and I've noticed Philips and especially OSRAM/Sylvania have gotten into the market, which I knew they had to some extent but it seems at least OSRAM has everything you'd need whereas as an example it'd appear Philips doesn't make exterior 194 in red or amber but only white. I'm thinking I'll start with the third brake light and take it from there since it's only two 921 bulbs, the only thing that bothers me about the Philips or OSRAM bulbs is they really don't delve into specs.

[Box]

I wish more were into converting lighting as there's no info available on these cars that isn't terribly obsolete, would be nice to have a general idea as to what works well and what doesn't.

So many options to wade through on eBay and Amazon. I think for the third brake light some of these that have a projector lense on the end might be best since the third brake light is just a hollow piece of red plastic, no reflector bowl with just the light diffuser on the face. Like such: http://www.ebay.com/itm/JDM-ASTAR-50W-CREE...RAD&vxp=mtr

This post has been edited by Box: Dec 30, 2016 - 3:54 PM

[Bitter]

There's some pretty good compact 2 channel Class D motorcycle amps around these days that'll do a solid 75 or 100W RMS per channel for those Bazooka subs, should put plenty of punch into them!

[Box]

I've been meaning to look at the different mini amps out there, I found a Pioneer that'd be ideal if mounting the amp out of sight/preferably in o.e. location wasn't a priority.

I was going to get you headlamp pictures but everyone decided to park in front of me.

[Bitter]

You probably could have melted them out of the way with your high beams.

[Box]

Perhaps.

So after some quick perusing: http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_43424_...h-PBR300X2.html
http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_43536_...r-PRS-D800.html

The Rockford is pretty small at 6.75"L x 4.25"W x 1.53"H so it'll probably be ideal.

[Box]

Grabbed some pics, tried to match them as close as I could. It's not quite as dark outside as it was in the Autopal pictures but weather is supposed to be crap rest of the week and as I'm making this post people will be parking in front of me. I even got some foreground pics at the expense of my retinas:

[Bitter]

The top two are the Autopal right?

[Box]

They're all the Hella lamps and were just taken; low and high interiour POV(tried to match my line of sight), and then low and high standing to the side of the car.

Here're the matching AutoPal pictures, for some reason when I took the Hella ones I was thinking they were more focused to driver side even though I looked at the AutoPal pictures about 30 mins prior:





This post has been edited by Box: Jan 4, 2017 - 8:27 PM

[Bitter]

Got it. The Hella really do have more spread and intensity, I guess it's as hard to catch in pictures as I thought it would be. Things just blow out the camera sensor and it all looks bright.

[Box]

If you open the matching AutoPal and Hella pics side by side it makes it a good bit easier to see the differences. Which the pictures confirmed what I thought, but all things being the same the Hellas emit a whiter light.

This post has been edited by Box: Jan 4, 2017 - 11:12 PM

[Box]

Cut stock antenna down to 12" and rounded the tip then hit it with some paint, the one station I listen to didn't come in great with it at 30" and it's no worse so best five minutes spent in some time.