DIY: Another dodgy mod

Foe · Post by **Foe** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:40 am

Ok,
Well after being told that I'd have to buy the whole gear shift cover if I was to replace my missing minus button I went on a mission to find something cool to fit in the hole. Ended up with the top of a some old glass chess pieces and put a couple of leds to make them look cool at night. Hey and th latest thing my flatmate and I are doing is re-apaustering ouur own seats in microsuade Ill post pics as soon as there done.

TimmyD · Post by **TimmyD** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:19 pm

hahaha dodgey it may be bit it still looks pretty good!
good work buddy

Guni_GuGu · Post by **Guni_GuGu** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:21 pm

I gotta agree, looks very cool...

Can't wait to see the seats.

Foe · Post by **Foe** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:38 pm

Hey thanks guys. I take it the people who didnt comment are using the old if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all :)Thinking about stenciling on a + and - on them in the FTO font if thats possible. Any ideas on the best way for this?

DZYRME · Post by **DZYRME** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 7:25 pm

I think it looks cool, but if it was me, I would have done them both in blue. I dont know about the Pink in a FTO!! To put the + and - symbols on them, You can try those transfer stickers that you can buy at Newsagents. The ones that you scratch on. They usually have the alphabet, and sometimes symbols.

Does that make sense?

Teania · Post by **Teania** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:02 pm

I dont know if I'd bother with the + and - ..... I think it looks great as is.....

well done for coming up with a great alternative to buying the whole part

Cheers
Tanya

fto12345 · Post by **fto12345** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 9:52 pm

Hi,

I agree with every one here...

I don't think that's dodggy at all!

It looks great!

Btw, did you mean you guys are going to do the seats your selves? Or getting some one else to do it?

I have been wanting to do my seats too but just didn't want to pay so much for them.....

Thanks,

21mrk · Post by **21mrk** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 10:16 pm

How about haveing the + flash when you hit a rpm level

would make a cool shift light

Guni_GuGu · Post by **Guni_GuGu** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:26 pm

21mrk wrote:How about haveing the + flash when you hit a rpm level would make a cool shift light

Yes, and whilst we're at it... let it also say out aloud, turning directions, like a co-driver in a rally race....

Lol... It's meant to be DODGY!!! :p

I think, steneciling in the +/- is a good idea too.. that was, really my only beef with it.. because you don't know, which is what.. but that would be more then good enough..

I thionk blue and red goes well together too... not sure, how the "fto font" would look like for +/-, but still... sounds great.

Can't wait to see the seats.

TimmyD · Post by **TimmyD** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:08 am

how about stratching them in with some kinda small chizzle or something like the, make a small indent...
and then fill the indent with witeout

just make sure not to crack the glass =]

Tim

RallyMad · Post by **RallyMad** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 6:12 pm

I agree I think it looks great, a good cheap alternative. I reckon some black symbols over the top would jsut add to it.

jez001 · Post by **jez001** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 11:14 pm

Hey mate,the mod looks cool, nice work! Just need to tell you though that if your upholstering your seats in microsuede,it will de-laminate in a couple of years, as it has a cotton backing. I thought about doing it in macrosuede, but that point turned me right off. Gonna go for leather instead! Cheers.

fto12345 · Post by **fto12345** » Sun Aug 01, 2004 2:03 pm

So, does that mean any one is actually doing it them selves?
Or are you paying some one else to do it for you?

I'm just interested...

Thank you,

Foe · Post by **Foe** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 10:00 am

Yeah doing it our selves which is saying somthing because Ive never sewn in my life......Got the door inserts and vents done on the weekend. Started the passenger seat about a week ago and still going. Problem is were using sh*tty little sewing machine which is making us do a lot of it by hand..Flatmate finised his passenger seat yesterday looks great. As for the microsuede that sucks!! Haha but were half way not too late to turn back. At least it will look good for two years were we'll have to do it again I guess. I tell you what though this has only cost us $140 each and thats not bad considering were getting teh whole car done.

fto12345 · Post by **fto12345** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 11:22 am

That is amazing guys...
How did you even think of doing these your selves?

Where abouts are you guys?
In Sydney?
If you can, can I come and help? So I know how to do it my self as well later...

It's some thing I would love to do, but firstly, I don't really know how to sew either....secondly, don't really know where to start....

Maybe you guys could hold a quick session on how to do this?
And maybe hold a practical session where who ever isinterested come and see how it's done?? And maybe pay a entry fee or some thing???
hehehehe....

Can you see I'm quite desperate to do this???

If you think there is some thing we can do, then please let me know as I am very very very much interested in this....!

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you soon!

spastic · Post by **spastic** » Mon Aug 02, 2004 1:43 pm

Hey! It's Foe's flatmate here.

Foe's tiptronic lights look trick.. was funny watching him running around for months trying to find something to stick in there. who'd a thought it'd end up being bits of chess pieces

The re-upholstery is working out great.. i'm going to get hold of a digi camera tomorrow, so i'll take some pics of what we've done to date and how we're doing it.

oh, we're in brisbane btw.

-spastic rob

indyfto · Post by **indyfto** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 2:40 am

Re the microsuede:

I have my seats and door trims covered in Warwick Macrosuede and 12 months on they still look and feel brand new. So I am personally at a loss to figure out how Macrosuede can delaminate. Warwick's website says it is 100% microfibre but maybe that doesn't account for the thickish white backing? It is also designed and recommended for heavy industrial uses. Macrosuede is just a copy of the very expensive Alcantara that is used in many expensive euro cars and I don't recall seeing any of those delaminating as Alcantara has been used in cars for more than a few years now. I know for a fact that Alcantara is nearly identical to Macrosuede including the backing as I used some before I found out about Macrosuede! Another point is that Harvey Norman/Myer/Super A Mart all stock sofas/lounges etc made from Macrosuede itself and have warranties from 5 - 10 years so I can't see the stuff delaminating while under warranty or someone is gonna lose out bigtime!

Anyway enough of that as I am still reeling from the shock of the news that my interior will be a bunch of threads in another year or two. Made even worse by the fact I have only just confirmed on Friday to have nearly the entire interior covered in Macrosuede after I was so impressed with the seats

! Ah well it's only money I suppose...

So are you guys using Warwick Macrosuede or another brand of microsuede as there are heaps to choose from now compared to just Alcantara and Macrosuede a year ago. Have you found it difficult to work with as apparently it doesn't really stretch? The seats should be relatively easy though as the covers just zip off anyway and then you can trace the outline etc...

I am also hoping that either of you haven't chosen the same colours as mine

Foe · Post by **Foe** » Tue Aug 03, 2004 10:59 am

Hey thanks fto12345. Really a guide written by us is not really nessesary u just have to go to your local spotlight store choose a fabric and colour and buy a de-stitch thing and you have as much stuff as us. Its just a pain of a job, so time consuming and tediose but the end result that youve done it yourself should be its own reward (I hope)

. Heres what we bought just in case it does help.

Scissors, destitch tool (i guess thats what they call it) fabric glue and hot glue (where would I be without hot glue), borrow a sewing machine, cotton, needles and pins. Thats it.....

Indy - It was you who gave me the idea of microsuade, thanks for that. Who cares about its life span it looks the sh*t

our colours is

Foe - Deep red and baige (red looks awesome on the pearl paint job)
Spastic - Blue and baige (with his arctic silver paint looks good!)

Ill grab a quick pic of the door inserts at lunch to show u guys what it looks like.

indyfto · Post by **indyfto** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 2:11 am

Foe wrote:Indy - It was you who gave me the idea of microsuade, thanks for that. Who cares about its life span it looks the sh*t our colours is

Foe - Deep red and baige (red looks awesome on the pearl paint job)
Spastic - Blue and baige (with his arctic silver paint looks good!)

Really? Ah well as I say I'm glad you guys have different colour schemes. Any pics yet? Come on I wanna see like everyone else...

spastic · Post by **spastic** » Wed Aug 04, 2004 9:36 am

Having some troubles getting hold of a camera, but I should be able to get some snaps tonight.

I'll show you how the gear letters/numbers turned out with leds behind em too *thumbs up*

-spastic rob