You could go with a Mech Warrior thing 
CK5
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87 K5 Build...Hmmm, whats that Ryoken up to? stay tuned...
- Thread starter ryoken
- Start date
RYOOOOOOKEN ! 
it's far from a critical thing.. to be honest, as long as I have a clean, smooth panel to put in there that is barely noticeable when unlit, it's fine...
this was definitely more of a "pre-emptive, for down the road" kinda deal.. something that may make itself neat when doing final tweaks to the rig...
in a decade....
it's far from a critical thing.. to be honest, as long as I have a clean, smooth panel to put in there that is barely noticeable when unlit, it's fine...
this was definitely more of a "pre-emptive, for down the road" kinda deal.. something that may make itself neat when doing final tweaks to the rig...
in a decade....
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Chris Perry has some non dimming gauges in his Blazer I think they are Autometers also, he really wishes they would dim.
AM sells a dimming controller..
http://www.autometer.com/cat_accessoriesdetail.aspx?vid=185
it only does 6 gauges tho... I would think you could find an LED dimmer module that would handle the AM ones and a bunch of others too..
I've briefly looked at some fancier LED controllers, but that's a world unto it's own, that I haven't delved into yet.. but I don't remember much about the dimming capabilities of those units..
I'm sure if I can get a PC and custom ECM up and running in this rig, we'll figure out a way to get the lights dimmable...
http://www.autometer.com/cat_accessoriesdetail.aspx?vid=185
it only does 6 gauges tho... I would think you could find an LED dimmer module that would handle the AM ones and a bunch of others too..
I've briefly looked at some fancier LED controllers, but that's a world unto it's own, that I haven't delved into yet.. but I don't remember much about the dimming capabilities of those units..
I'm sure if I can get a PC and custom ECM up and running in this rig, we'll figure out a way to get the lights dimmable...
well, just got a couple extra weeks to play with this rig.. boss delayed us 2 weeks coming back to work due to the weather... it's all good.. gimme a week to finish the glovebox and play with the new bandsaw in prep for Mutt festivities..
One year at BB he was cruising down the road after getting off of Hells Revenge and he was in front of me. a bit and I could see he gauges they were so bright.
So I would definitely recommend it.
So I would definitely recommend it.
How many gauges you running?
Could you run two dimmers.
Could you run two dimmers.
well.. gauge number may be changing, not sure... I may be losing the upper left spot in the dash due to the A-pillar tube... so, probably 11 including out under the cowl.. possible 12, conceivably 13...
so yes, I could do the gauges with a pair of the AM dimmers if need be...
put in some more support structure at the top of the glove panel last night.. finally figured out how to do a hidden hinge for it...
off to depot, for stuff...
so yes, I could do the gauges with a pair of the AM dimmers if need be...
put in some more support structure at the top of the glove panel last night.. finally figured out how to do a hidden hinge for it...
off to depot, for stuff...
well.. here's how the glove door is coming along..
I also added a 3/4" wide x 1/4" thick bar to the upper lip too on the inside to match the bottom... give it a super solid latch point.. the dash metal was getting a bit flimsy up there from hogging it out all over the place..
this gave a flat surface to back up the hammered/dolleyed sheetmetal lip up top... needed to create a surface for upper weatherstripping to sit..
this weatherstrip is just temp.. it needs to come back off so I can prime/paint the bodywork... but it's a huge 25' roll, so f*ck it, put it in for mock up too..
after putting the 2" x 1/4" steel across the bottom, I now needed to add a "hinge pocket" for the hinge to sit in and bolt to...
hinge is just a cutdown black painted piano style... it sits in here...
here's how the lower will look... just some roundheads for the hinge showing out the bottom steel, and I'm gonna use countersunk flatheads in the plexi door, with acorns on the inside..
all hardware is gonna be black... just put the McMaster order in today...
the nice thing is, this setup will work with any thickness door really... for now I'll run the 1/4".. but if I felt a shaped 3/8, or even 1/2" would be cooler, I can just change the hardware slightly and do it..
I also added a 3/4" wide x 1/4" thick bar to the upper lip too on the inside to match the bottom... give it a super solid latch point.. the dash metal was getting a bit flimsy up there from hogging it out all over the place..
this gave a flat surface to back up the hammered/dolleyed sheetmetal lip up top... needed to create a surface for upper weatherstripping to sit..
this weatherstrip is just temp.. it needs to come back off so I can prime/paint the bodywork... but it's a huge 25' roll, so f*ck it, put it in for mock up too..
after putting the 2" x 1/4" steel across the bottom, I now needed to add a "hinge pocket" for the hinge to sit in and bolt to...
hinge is just a cutdown black painted piano style... it sits in here...
here's how the lower will look... just some roundheads for the hinge showing out the bottom steel, and I'm gonna use countersunk flatheads in the plexi door, with acorns on the inside..
all hardware is gonna be black... just put the McMaster order in today...
the nice thing is, this setup will work with any thickness door really... for now I'll run the 1/4".. but if I felt a shaped 3/8, or even 1/2" would be cooler, I can just change the hardware slightly and do it..
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
Dude, thats awesome! 
Hinge pocket.. Eh? lol
I need to look into one of those.
I need to look into one of those.
thanks....
putting it together right now with just regular ss hardware... the blacks will be in morrow...
I'm a little torn on which latch to use...
I could run the same, pushbutton, lockable one that I ran in the center console compartment...
or run, the 1/4 turn, round ones in the upper left here..
I REALLY, REALLY want to run the 1/4 turns.. I like the smooth, no hang-up aspect of the 1/4 turn..
plus they just look waaaaay cool..
the only thing is they don't lock... it would have made a nice built-in security... I have other ways to deter thieves in the system, but having that stuff shutdown and locked would have been a nice plus, but not necessary..
and honestly, I don't worry a ton about a rig like this and security.. not like it's gonna be far from me for long, parked in downtown Newark, etc.. you can only be so secure with a softtop....
putting it together right now with just regular ss hardware... the blacks will be in morrow...
I'm a little torn on which latch to use...
I could run the same, pushbutton, lockable one that I ran in the center console compartment...
or run, the 1/4 turn, round ones in the upper left here..
I REALLY, REALLY want to run the 1/4 turns.. I like the smooth, no hang-up aspect of the 1/4 turn..
plus they just look waaaaay cool..
the only thing is they don't lock... it would have made a nice built-in security... I have other ways to deter thieves in the system, but having that stuff shutdown and locked would have been a nice plus, but not necessary..
and honestly, I don't worry a ton about a rig like this and security.. not like it's gonna be far from me for long, parked in downtown Newark, etc.. you can only be so secure with a softtop....
Hinge pocket.. Eh? lol
I need to look into one of those.
trust me, I thought of you....
it just dictated itself... all cuz of those 2 flat areas on the sides that the weatherstrip sits on.. that dictated it all... controlling the angle, placement of the plexi...
put a couple small hunks of strip in to see the door height... and where that wanted to meet up at the lower 2" x 1/4".. well, it was an inch away... I could have thickened up the door by glueing up some of the plexi.. that would have allowed to drill/tap for the hinge.. nice look on the outside, but a nuiscance across the board to do.. and have last a long time..
plus, I would have had to have the hinge bolted to the 1/4 thick steel.. totally doable.. but it bolts up much nicer to the 1/8.... and it was the perfect width for the hinge flange (by dumb luck
) to sit in....it loses just a tad of "viewing" window, but no big... place to put a couple pens at the bottom...
running black acorn nuts on the inside...
alrighty, gotta go work on the latch.. if I can make up my mind...
TheBeast_88K5
Banned
Such a perfectionist.
stubbornly stoopid is more likely...
couple with just a couple ss screws holding it in place...
I need to ask my boss, mr. giant tuna fisherman, what kinda tackle/rigging cable deal would be good for the limit straps...
but I haven't even contemplated that.. actually now that I thought about it, not sure how I will...
1 - it needs a way to guide itself in while closing.. to me that means a slightly thicker, straight cable that goes thru the lip, with a washer stop on the back.. so as it closes, it just goes behind the dash..
ok, that may work..
but than I gotta figure out the attachment out at the door.. easiest obviously being just sort of screw thru the plexi kinda deal...
sweet.. brown santa just dropped off McMaster with the black hardware.. ordered 3:30 yesterday... noice....
pics later...
proper hardware....
any green will be copper.. including the heads of the exposed Phillips heads...
any green will be copper.. including the heads of the exposed Phillips heads...
every dog has his day... ran into one of those 1 in 29 projects that actually works out perfectly without issue..
the latch is perfect.. no shimming, no brackets, etc... bored the hole, mounted the latch, closes perfect.
who'd a thunk it?
dusty lens shot...
how far it opens without limits...
still need to final shape and edge polish the door...
and a little latching video...
http://s184.photobucket.com/user/ryoken-ovd/media/Mutt/100_0894_zps5a262cd4.mp4.html
the latch is perfect.. no shimming, no brackets, etc... bored the hole, mounted the latch, closes perfect.
who'd a thunk it?
dusty lens shot...
how far it opens without limits...
still need to final shape and edge polish the door...
and a little latching video...
http://s184.photobucket.com/user/ryoken-ovd/media/Mutt/100_0894_zps5a262cd4.mp4.html
I'm tempted to go buy a gallon of copper chromabase tomorrow...
paint the hood, drivers fender next week....
not gonna bother with doing the edges of this plexi door.. think I wanna see how the 3/8 looks.... no rush on that...
3/8 should be stout, fit the opening nicely, and give it a bit more area to shape on the sides too..
with that hinge setup and 3/8, you could have a $2 ho hangin out the door by the plexi draggin her pumps in the dirt...
oh.. and just a conceptual revelation to throw out there...
I had a few interior design spots that where integral to what I've been trying do with the interior... pics in my head, that I was seeing...
probably things most wouldn't think of...
one of the most important design areas was this node/intersection of tube, sheetmetal, fiberglass and plexi circled here...
the extra hr's of labor involved in, designing in, reinforcing and utilizing that little strip of copper sheetmetal is staggering....
I had a few interior design spots that where integral to what I've been trying do with the interior... pics in my head, that I was seeing...
probably things most wouldn't think of...
one of the most important design areas was this node/intersection of tube, sheetmetal, fiberglass and plexi circled here...
the extra hr's of labor involved in, designing in, reinforcing and utilizing that little strip of copper sheetmetal is staggering....
I've been watching... and its looks good! 
