quote Originally posted by Archie: Curley, I think you'll like this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mPekTvOEOo

I have that same setup on my decklid of my Fiero 355 kit. It works great.

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Yep!!!

Glad you like it. I knew it would be a big surprise for you.

The video was just the initial test to actuators could lift the clip in the only position we could find to install them.

At the time the video was shot the bottom end of the actuators were heald in place by "C" clamps & as you can see the upper mounting plates have not been fiberglassed into place yet.

At the time the video was shot, we were just proving the concept. We will finalize & finish it up tomorrow.

Here's a few still pics.

Archie

looking good!
those things are loud. I guess it will help draw people to it to see what all the noise is!
HA HA!
just kidding, nice tweek! keep up the great work!

that's awesome.. i can pictre a rumble and some transformer noises coming from it as the hood lifts wicked.

Thanks Archie.




I'm picking-up the Corvette side marker electrical ends on Monday.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 10-05-2008).]

When I posted the video, that was the initial test run of the actuators.

At that time we were trying to find the correct location for the bottom end of the actuators.

If you look closely at the pictures I posted right after the video was posted, you'll see part of the "C" clamp that was holding the bottom end of the actuator in place.

I suspect that some of the noise in the video was the crossbars of the "C" clamps vibrating.

You can see the "C" clamp better in this picture.



This kind of stuff isn't easy to locate & install, you have to find just the right spot where you can mount both actuators symetrically so that the geometry is the same on both units. Once we found the best place to put the bottom of the actuator, we made custom brackets to mount them solidly to the frame.







Once we had everything figured out, we removed the front clip from the car & fiberglassed the top mounting plates into the underside of the front clip.





We also found that the hinges that were used when the flipper front clip was installed were allowing the front clip move side to side quite a bit. So we welded in a pc. of 1.5x1 box tubing to eliminate that movement.







Archie

Madcurl, suggestion:

While you send the center section to Dakota digital, why don't you make a Double DIN enclosure and "future proof" the install?

If you decide to use a single DIN stereo for now, you can use that extra space as a pocket. Even a pocket with a door. (Mazda Protege, 626, etc. as well as other brands had a single DIN pocket with door, or just pocket)

quote Originally posted by Austrian Import: Madcurl, suggestion: While you send the center section to Dakota digital, why don't you make a Double DIN enclosure and "future proof" the install? If you decide to use a single DIN stereo for now, you can use that extra space as a pocket. Even a pocket with a door. (Mazda Protege, 626, etc. as well as other brands had a single DIN pocket with door, or just pocket)

I'm already on it. I emailed the guys in Canada regarding a extra bezel (not a bin) for the temp control. As for a extra bin above these two, I'm not sure yet. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll look into the extra bin after I recieve the temp bezel.

are those dakota digital 24 inch 150 lb Actuators ?

quote Originally posted by PaulJK: are those dakota digital 24 inch 150 lb Actuators ?

No. 12" @ 110Ib
http://www.dakotadigital.co.../mode=prod/prd58.htm



edit:correction
Watson's Street Works has the 10" @ 250Ib
http://www.watsons-streetwo...com/power_stuff.html

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 10-06-2008).]

Many thanks

Soooo.. how much for the car when it's finished

I know it's too late, but for some reason I really like the lower taillight reflector detail idea on this car, along with the whole exhaust treatment look.
http://www.autoblog.com/pho...cus-rs-live/1074695/

Along with painting it Corvette Jetstream Blue.
http://forums.corvetteforum...hoto.php/photo/58427

[This message has been edited by ChopTop (edited 10-06-2008).]

quote Originally posted by ChopTop: I know it's too late, but for some reason I really like the lower taillight reflector detail idea on this car, along with the whole exhaust treatment look. http://www.autoblog.com/pho...cus-rs-live/1074695/

I like that one too and it looks similar to the Lexus. It might look better on Whodeannie's choptop? As for mine, it took me nearly 6-months to a year trying to decide on which one to use. Maybe on #015 I'll change things around.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 10-07-2008).]

In all the excitement around mounting up the actuators, I never got a chance to post up the other finishing work we were doing at the same time & we've been doing since.

Here we are modifying the rear center console to make the mounting easier on the interior shop.

Also notice that earlier on we built a speaker box to box in the back of the 2 speakers that go in this part.
you can see the back side of the box in these pics.





Here we're working to get the fit between the ctr. radio surround, ctr. console & the rear speaker console to fit together nicely & make it easier for the interior shop to work with.







The cup holders won't work here. Because of the hardware below the console they can only be recessed in less than an inch & they would interfere with the access to the heater controls. So Curley decided to leave them out for now. We're also deciding where to mount the shifter boot.



This is where the shifter boot will mount....



Kris made a plate to mount on the underside of the console to bolt the shifter boot to. You could screw it into the fiberglass but that would come loose after a while & that wouldn't do. This plate will be fiberglassed in later.



........

looking great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote Originally posted by Archie: Kris also made a Fiberglass filler panel to cover the area between the front edge of the Fiero dash panel & the base of the new Eclipse windshield. This required taking the dash in & out a few times to make the fit as good as we could. Archie

Looking good Archie and the Crew. Kris is doing a excellent job and it looks OEM... just the way I like it.


------------------



"Friends don't let friends drive stock"

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 10-08-2008).]

quote Originally posted by Archie: K

OOOhh....Blue car!

Archie

Sweet! The Fiero DNA feel, but tweaked.

The shiny trim looks terrific and the billet power window switches are awesome ! Are you gonna use some kinda dark-colored, glossy material on the console surface, curly (?) Black or dark gray might really set off the shiny stuff.

quote Originally posted by Archie: Archie

The one thing that always gets me with redoing the interior is the HVAC controls. Is there any way to make some kind of door or cover to go over top of it to hide it 90% of the time?

[This message has been edited by Scurvy (edited 10-09-2008).]

quote Originally posted by PaulJK: The shiny trim looks terrific and the billet power window switches are awesome ! Are you gonna use some kinda dark-colored, glossy material on the console surface, curly (?) Black or dark gray might really set off the shiny stuff.

Thanks. I've done gray and black. It's time for a change, but nothing is written in stone.

Curley, I think you'll like this TOO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_mst-PPPM

quote Originally posted by Archie: Curley, I think you'll like this TOO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_mst-PPPM

Ok the only thing left is the doors!

quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: Ok the only thing left is the doors!

Hold your tongue, I don't even want to figure out how to make the door work automatically on this car.

Archie

quote Originally posted by Archie: Curley, I think you'll like this TOO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_mst-PPPM

Yes. I came to the right shop, "to get the job done right."

quote Originally posted by Archie: Curley, I think you'll like this TOO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM_mst-PPPM

Alright, now lets see both the hood and "decklid" at the same time from a distance.

Great work Arch.

quote Originally posted by Archie: Hold your tongue, I don't even want to figure out how to make the door work automatically on this car. Archie

now you need to put in connectors that you can get to from the outside of the car for the battery charger! otherwise you will be screwed if the battery goes dead.
just a thought!
it looks great!

quote Originally posted by whodeanie: now you need to put in connectors that you can get to from the outside of the car for the battery charger! otherwise you will be screwed if the battery goes dead. just a thought! it looks great!

Megatron doesn't need a battery charger!

[This message has been edited by InTheLead (edited 10-10-2008).]

quote Originally posted by fiero go fast: Alright, now lets see both the hood and "decklid" at the same time from a distance. Great work Arch.

Sorry, can't do that right now.

We only have one controller right now. Curley has the 2nd one ordered but they are on back-order.

He's picking the car up in about 10 days, so he'll be installing the 2nd controller.

So the plan right now is to disconnect the rear actuators from their mounts & use the Fiero latch to keep it closed & to have the front actuators operational when he drives it home. We need the actuators on the front clip to keep it tightly closed.

He's going to do the rest of the interior, hooking up the new gages, window & mirror switches & Caddie gages & the like when he gets it home.

Archie

with regards to the actuators... I know the front clip is hefty and the rear hatch is also probably pretty hefty? But wouldn't simple gas struts essentially do the same thing.... and eliminate the actuators which are probably heavier and obviously more complex, and eliminate the potential problems with a dead battery, (and also just eliminate the long wait for your hoods to open) ... or is this just for the "pimp my ride" wow factor...

[This message has been edited by doublec4 (edited 10-10-2008).]

quote Originally posted by doublec4: with regards to the actuators... I know the front clip is hefty and the rear hatch is also probably pretty hefty? But wouldn't simple gas struts essentially do the same thing.... and eliminate the actuators which are probably heavier and obviously more complex, and eliminate the potential problems with a dead battery, (and also just eliminate the long wait for your hoods to open) ... or is this just for the "pimp my ride" wow factor...

Well Curley wanted power actuators & not gas struts.

I usually try to avoid using gas struts because when they are closed they are always putting pressure against the item they are mounted to.

On the Lambo door kits, the struts are always pushing when the door is closed so they're always putting pressure against the door. Usually the door hinges are made strong enough to take that pressure.

However, I know many people who have the single gas strut on their stock Fiero decklids & the struts have started to distort the decklid after a while. Next time you go to a Fiero show, do what I do & go around & look at Fieros with the decklids closed & many times you can tell which ones have a strut on them by the fact that one side of the decklid is higher than the other side.

I've seen a lot of kit cars that have gas struts on them that have this same problem. That's expecially true of kit cars from warmer climates.

Archie

Wouldnt the original torsion rods also create constant force against the rear decklid? or is it more uniformly distributed?

quote Originally posted by doublec4: with regards to the actuators... I know the front clip is hefty and the rear hatch is also probably pretty hefty? But wouldn't simple gas struts essentially do the same thing.... and eliminate the actuators which are probably heavier and obviously more complex, and eliminate the potential problems with a dead battery, (and also just eliminate the long wait for your hoods to open) ... or is this just for the "pimp my ride" wow factor...

I agree that the gas struts would have been cheaper, quicker, and easier access, but like always due to usage they are prone to loose strength or internal pressure, so I opt for the dual actuators based upon the owner of the Pantera car to whom I spoke to at the 25th.

He too used gas struts and had issues with them not able to keep his deck lid up. #020 is no doubt heavier with added glass and metal construction. Therefore, I'm not 100% sure if four gas struts would even help. As for the weight of each actuator I'm guessing they don't weigh much heavier than the gas struts especially if four struts are needed.

The actuators on #020 rear deck lid and mounting points for another project in the wings #015. However, I will use Watson's Street Works 250Ib actuators.

Edit: Archie already answered the question, hehe.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 10-10-2008).]