Arctic Project (Take 2)

[TubaMagna8]

Always liked to have a 12V socket in the boot of the car, Days out take the camping fridge or simple things like charging devices in the boot when driving. I've used the Kemo Battery Guard modules on a few cars and projects in the past. Set the switch off voltage and means it can be left on and will cut the power before it flattens the battery.

buy quite a lot of my 12V stuff off of 12vplanet.co.uk and they had these smart holders which have standard size holes and they do a range of options from 12v sockets to power & amp meters as well as Qi capable USB Chargers. The didn't have any single pods in so had to get the double and ill get something for it in the future.

Nicely made stuff and looks quite OEM+


So next question was where do I secure it in the boot, having to make sure that it didn't foul anything behind either. Took the passenger side rear quarter inside panel off and found a nice hole which this could go over.



Hole in question....



Just needed two holes in the plastic for the screws and a bigger hole to feed the wire through.

Test Fit below:



The weather had turned a bit so tidied up and got on with making sure the module shut off at the correct voltage.



Set it to switch off around 11.2 volts, This can be adjusted with a bit of time.

I fed a positive wire from the battery and fused it close to the battery, the fuse is 10Amps as the module is fixed to the plastic trim under plastic trim near the rear shelf speakers. If it was fixed to something metal it can support unto 20amps. the fuse holder also has an LED that shows when the fuse has blown/no fuse present.



The wire I used is rated to 25Amps and is 2.0mm² grade.

All finished and back together, The module is mounted above the boot light, there is a small LED on it to say that its working.

 

[TubaMagna8]

Quite a productive few days, bank holiday weekend and was on call so couldn't do too much. Started to strip the boot area down and get some sound deadening in the spare wheel drum.


Gave it a clean up, and took the bungs out of the holes to make sure it was clean under them, and clean any crap off of them. the Main rear Drain hole looked to have a bit of surface rust, with it being near to the edge. Cleaned them up with a metal brush and applied some white spirit to get the grease and grime off them, and put a few coats of Hammerite on them, Not the most tidiest but should help keep it at bay and nobody really sees under here anyway.







Whilst I waited for that to dry I got on with the rear Passenger door which was the last to have sound deadening put in it:


The Spare wheel well with dry pain and Sound Deadening in:

 

[TubaMagna8]

Timelapse of sound deadening....

 

[DavebGsi]

Nicely done, That socket is ideal for a cool box in the boot for vboa

 

[TubaMagna8]

So I have been dabbling with various projects in my free time, I got a Brand New interior Mirror cover off of eBay a few months back. I wanted to mount the JBL tweeters I've fitted and drilled the old covers with, but they looked a bit tacky and they're not that directional and did think that the speakers would have be designed in some way to work in the original design.


Anyway I found the Original tweeters I had in the garage in a box, unsure why I kept them but glad I did!



Removed the original tweeter Front above Back below:


Decided to drill the inside out so I could Hot glue the tweeters in, Recent purchase has been a Hot glue gun, handy for a few projects within the car, and fairly reversible in the future.





I did think I could have utilised the original connectors on the plug as they where still in tact, but I did later re-solder some new cables on instead of having the small and silly spade connectors.

Nice Snug fit!





Electric mirror fitted but not wired... that will be the next update!

 

[TubaMagna8]

I tried to de-pin the looms for the passenger side, but seemed to be making more of a mess with the plastics so decided against that.

Anyway next best thing was to chop the original connectors off the original loom and I've soldered them together this time, shrink wrapped and then loom taped.

Camping table comes in handy for little projects like these.




Got this handy Ryobi inverter, runs off the Ryobi batteries and great for soldering irons and glue guns. soldering iron was running for a good few hours and still had plenty of charge in the battery.



shrink tube stuff all on and cut to the right sizes.


Ready to be taped up. this is for the window winder



Comparing the wiring for the lock motors.



Decent enough solder joints heat shrinked for extra security.


One Completed loom!

 

[Kev_mk3]

I've a pair of them mirror covers for electric mirrors sat in the garage lol

 

[Gareth]

I've a pair of them mirror covers for electric mirrors sat in the garage lol

Send them north bud I could do with a pair

 

[Kev_mk3]

Send them north bud I could do with a pair

I shall dig them out

 

[TubaMagna8]

A few updates to come, Took my front seats out before VBOA, Had some time off of work. been meaning to get the carpet clean under the seats and sort out the mechanism on the front drivers seat, when covering and braking the chair used to twitch.



On the image above, that is the side that used to lock in but the bit as shown below didn't and needed some lubrication and I've tightened the bar up a bit so not as loose. clicks in nicely now.




Wet Vacuumed the cloth as well



Time for a clean whilst the seat was out, and get some more sound deadening in places where it needs it.





before it all went back together cleaned the little brackets up that hold the plastic covers on from the front. used the touch up kit I got made up.

 

[TubaMagna8]

Time for VBOA Prep.... Done VBOA prep on cars before, but was excited for my first VBOA prep on a mk3....

The start


Snow Foam...


No other pictures, But I used a medium & heavy Cut to the paintwork as previous attempts to polish the water would just sit on the paintwork and wouldn't bead.... So iron out then clay bar and then machine cut, polish and finish with a layer of UHD Wax.


Lights out, Proper job


rear Passenger door has a dent in it, but not too bad for now.


Finished for the day

 

[TubaMagna8]

Knew on the previous MOT it said about the brake pipes so cleaned them on drivers side and coated them with hammerite, did it to some of the scabby bits as well.



Took the arch liner out and gave it a good wash and coated it with trim and plastic gel.


Speaker upgrade for the rear, a bit more clarity.


UHD Wax Working!



Gave the door shuts a good polish as well.



Bit of a touch up on the front bumper as well.


Oh and got a set of flat wipers, which was well timed as the weather on the way back from VBOA wasn't great.

 

[TubaMagna8]

Efforts paid off, really impressed with how far it has come.




Back from VBOA, MOT time, someone here forgot to switch the angel eyes over when I fitted them.... Dope:


They let me fix it on my lunch break and they passed it.

Next.... My electric drivers side mirror has always wobbled at motorway speeds, Picked up a used one at VBOA for £2 fully electric and original part....So fitted that and fits a lot more secure.
VBOA £2 at the back, and third party one at the front



Got off of Facebook a set of rear discs and callipers for the 4 stud, will get the callipers blasted and powder coated probably black before I fit them, Be a learning curve doing the brake lines. think I paid about £80 posted




Also got some mateNLock connectors to do the wiring for the mirror switch adjustment instead of the mass of spade connectors....





Loads better...




Got a two pin one for the tweeter so it can be detached.

 

[astranaut]

That's come up awesome, one of those colours where the shine is really deep and satisfying once you've cut and waxed it

Do you have a link for the rear speakers? Mine have been dying for ages, time I changed them now.

 

[TubaMagna8]

That's come up awesome, one of those colours where the shine is really deep and satisfying once you've cut and waxed it

Do you have a link for the rear speakers? Mine have been dying for ages, time I changed them now.

Sorry for the delay, I think these where them

Pioneer TS-G520 Coaxial Speakers | Halfords UK

Shop the latest Pioneer TS-G520 Coaxial Speakers at Halfords UK

www.halfords.com

 

[TubaMagna8]

New exhaust fitted by Gareth who's an absolute model/legend

Bit of project in progress, I have angel eyes on mine, and they're good, but the electric adjusters don't work, and it really gets to me...

So been chatting with DavebGsi and he has given me some guidance on his project so im on with it, Except I have a set of broken angel eyes so my plan is to remove the glass from the broken set of angel eyes and put that on the front of the original headlights with the New bi-xenon projector. So far so good....

Before, and the plastic bit inside for the adjuster has broken so, was more a test on how to get the glass off, popped the clips off and it was really easy. The Angel eyes where more difficult as the sealant/glue was very gloopy and cooled down a lot quicker than the OE headlights.


Timelapse at the end to show the process....

Test fit, light secured in and glass placed on the front, needs a good clean, but looks the part, just unsure if im going to paint the reflector black or leave it be.


Quick test with the LED Daytimes as well. Will wire these to an ignition live fuse and have them as Daytimes.


Timelapse of the work today...

 

[Kev_mk3]

No exhaust fitted pics Only issue i see with rear discs is the beam has a tab for the handbrake to fit in you wont have so you'll have to make something for it if you didnt know. Nice work!

 

[DavebGsi]

Yea the tab/bracket thing holds the outer handbrake cable, could deffo make something I reckon though with a bit of fab and gareth

 

[TubaMagna8]

No exhaust fitted pics Only issue i see with rear discs is the beam has a tab for the handbrake to fit in you wont have so you'll have to make something for it if you didnt know. Nice work!

Haven't got a photo as it needs a good clean, and I've been busy here there and everywhere lol.

Gareth gave me some tabs for the handbrake, and I have a brand new right hand one from the Opel parts place.

She is actually off to a place tomorrow to have the rear bottom arches replaced and painted as well as few other bits, ill get it wax oiled then.

Yea the tab/bracket thing holds the outer handbrake cable, could deffo make something I reckon though with a bit of fab and gareth

He's a man of many talents like.

Nothing much else has happened.

Octavia had its timing belt done and a full service before my Scotland trip so everything has taken to the back burner, but I still ponder plans....

did well over 1300 miles in the week, Went upto Isle of Harris/Lewis. Was spot on, and no worries on parking it off road with it being 4x4. Roads over there are in better condition than most in County Durham



Also Drone got a good outing as well....

 

[TubaMagna8]

Some Photos from the guy who's doing the rear Arches, this is a before photo from a few months back:



Was about the only rust on the body work, Dropped it off this morning, And progress already....









Will be getting paint in the next few days, as well as getting a few dents out and re-spraying the front bumper as its scratched to ****.