[az968]

I know, its still September, but in a couple of months some of us will find our cars sitting in the garage more of the time than we'd like.  But, that's a good time to do little projects to improve or repair stuff.  I'm starting to gather my thoughts on what to work on so I can acquire the parts and motivation.  Last year was some bigger stuff, new Koni sports, RSBarn exhaust. This year I'm hoping it is some simpler less $ stuff.

 

Right now on my list (and don't ask why some of this stuff has never been done) is keyless remote, one-touch window controls (clean/refresh the window motors while at it), get the extra brake light kit finally installed, dynamat the doors, maybe new speakers and some minor paint work (rear wing and front bumper cover).

 

Anyone have some favorite upgrades I should throw on the list (besides a SC )?

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[flash]

lol - it's not an SC.  it's an ultra high efficiency air cleaner

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[az968]

Too funny, If only my financial controller would fall for that.

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[Bulti]

Maybe SS brake lines?

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[flash]

lol - it's part of the "marriage preservation program" specifically designed to avoid the purchase of a much more expensive toy, which could lead to divorce.  my wife bought off on that for over 10 years, and she's a lawyer, well versed in making arguments.

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[94SilverCab]

Any expenditure can be justified, as long as it is offset by the jewelry tax

 

Jay

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[az968]

Jay, now you've really blown my budget!

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[robbgerard]

One of my plans for this winter is to polish my well-worn glass fog light lenses. This tutorial from the M5 board inspired me: 

 

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-...-pics.html

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[Waylander]

One of my plans for this winter is to polish my well-worn glass fog light lenses. This tutorial from the M5 board inspired me: 

 

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-...-pics.html

 

 

I have done this and it works a treat, but go real careful heat is your biggest enemy.

 

when finished buy some helicopter tape to cover them, protect them from chips

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[ds968]

Would that work on a " well-worn " windshield also ? The hundreds of tiny pits are annoying , and although I would have no problem spending $ 500 or whatever they cost nowadays for a new windshield , I'm hesitant to do that because out of half dozen times I've had windshields replaced over the years ( 968 windshields are rock magnets and that's a fact, look it up ! ) not a single shop has been able to put in a new one which did not result in more wind noise than before , or even small rain leaks getting thought etc. So if these glass polishing compounds work for fog lenses , I wonder if it's worth a try on the windshield ..?

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[Sculler]

I was planning to have front suspension re-done. Just got a quote from shop. $3,000! I asked to have all rubber parts replaced and new OEM shocks. I'm trying to keep my car original. Shop has great reputation and I completely trust owner. He tells me only a couple hours of labor and rest is all parts cost. What would it cost if I were not hung up on OEM? Is there aftermarket shock that would allow me to keep softer ride that I really like?

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[az968]

I would be reluctant to polish a windshield due to possible swirl marks that would screw up diffusion of oncoming headlights, not a problem on outbound light from fogs. Your insurance should cover most of the cost of replacement, just be sure to get OEM glass. Maybe someone knows a good glass shop in your area?


I did cover my fog lenses with film to protect them, they are expensive and I understand one side is about to become NLA.

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[az968]

I have redone much of my front suspension, with new caster blocks and Konis, and didn't spend that nearly that much. But I didn't touch all the rubber parts. I would look up the parts in the catalog and call someplace like Sunset and price it out. When you replace the struts be sure to get the bump stop and dust cover rubber. Been real happy with the koni sports. 

 

Spring rates affect the ride softness, not the shocks.  They only affect the rebound.



Are SS brake lines a good idea on a street car? I've been advised not to use them on a street car.

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[MCL968]

Never heard that SS lines are bad in any application.

 

How's your instrument cluster? Last winter I replaced the bulbs, refinished the light tunnels, replaced the odometer gears, and cleaned all the threaded grounds on the PC board. Made a world of difference! I put a light film of lube on the connectors so when I had to pull the cluster to replace the ignition switch, it was a lot easier to remove the cables than it was the first time.

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[type968]

I have redone much of my front suspension, with new caster blocks and Konis, and didn't spend that nearly that much. But I didn't touch all the rubber parts. I would look up the parts in the catalog and call someplace like Sunset and price it out. When you replace the struts be sure to get the bump stop and dust cover rubber. Been real happy with the koni sports.



Are SS brake lines a good idea on a street car? I've been advised not to use them on a street car.

 

I have read you should not use SS period

 

There are two thoughts, one I believe is the clamps failing for the fittings, other is you can not see the damage to the rubber, since it expands and contracts within the liner and makes visual inspection impossible.  As far as I know, there are three reasons to use SS lines: Prevent damage to the line, reduce expansion during hard braking, and it looks cooler.

 

I have seen and read about sudden failure with them, and turned off from them.  I do believe this is a case of best intentions, sounds good, but statistically, from my casual research, they don't live up to the hype. 

 

Now I am only talking for consumer grade brake lines.  Have not researched other applications.

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[az968]

Matt, I like your suggestion of dashboard removal and r&r of stuff back there. There has been some accumulation of dust behind the gauge cover that I could also clean out.  How hard is it to remove the dashboard and instrument cluster?  Did you install LED bulbs? My gauges all work, is it a good preventative to ship them over to Palo Alto Speedo for refurbishment?

 

Has anyone looked into white gauge faces? Since these are VDO gauges I would presume white faces are available? Would look nice with my white car.

 

What about an LED display for the almost invisible LCD outside temp display? Anyone ever found one?

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[MCL968]

Dash and instrument cluster is not hard at all to remove. Take the extra time and remove the steering wheel. I have done it both ways, and believe me, taking the wheel off is the way to go.

 

There is a step by step guide somewhere in here, it starts with disconnecting the battery the night before to let the electronics drain so the warning light won't come on when you disconnect the airbag.

 

I went with the suggested bulbs because I tend to dim the lights at night on longer drives to improve my night vision. You will see that debate in detail when you find the right thread on dash bulbs and LED lights in the dash.

 

As for white gauge faces, I have never seen any, but to be fair I have never looked. You don't need to send the cluster out either. The gear replacement is pretty easy and very straightforward. You just need to identify the proper gears before you order them, which requires removing the cluster anyway, so why bother with sending the cluster out?

 

If your ignition switch is getting loose, now is the time to R&R it too. The place to order it is Sunset in Oregon, cheaper than my local dealer, and they had the proper part, not the suggested replacement which will cost you more and require you to solder wires. Once you get the straight-slot screws out, run down to the hardware store and replace them with allen head screws. This makes reassembly easier, and using an allen wrench makes it possible to actually get the switch tight in the tight quarters where you will be working.

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[flash]

re: ss lines.  visual inspection of brake lines is essentially useless, stainless or not.  lines fail from the inside, not the outside, and due to contaminates in the fluid, so it does not really matter what they look like on the outside.  if you see damage on the outside, it is long past time to change them, as they have been degrading on the inside much more.  that being said, with teflon lined stainless lines, as we get for these cars, they don't degrade like rubber does, so there is no need to worry any more.  i have yet to hear of a failure of a line from either of the suppliers of stainless lines for our cars.  if you have an aversion to stainless lines, fine, you get to live with a less responsive pedal, shorter component life, and you have to be a lot more diligent about flushing out your entire system no less than every 3 years.  for a regular street car, that is just fine.  however, if you start driving the car faster, or increase power (which leads to the aforementioned) then things like this improve the braking capabilities, without major component change, thereby making the car safer.

 

re: white gauges.  they may look cool during the day, but they will make the dash too bright at night.  there is a reason that gauges are black.  it allows them to be seen with less light.  by making them white, you will need to do a lot more work to make the needles stand out against them at night.  this makes night driving more dangerous, as the human eye cannot adjust and adapt to light at night very well.  dash lights should be as dim as possible and still allow reading.  i posted a 400+ page study on this a few years ago.  if you can find it, check it out.

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[az968]

I have never had time to read that report but my older eyes need all the help they can get at night so black gauges with fresh non-LED dimmable bulbs it shall be.


Re SS lines, I see Paragon sells "DOT-approved" SS lines, is that the type of lines you are referring to for street use? Maybe that is something I should consider when I do the brake refresh next spring? I've not been a fan of SS lines on street cars but maybe I'm just behind the technology curve again?

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[flash]

lol - boy do i understand the part about older eyes.  i was just making the comment this morning to my wife that the older i get, the harder it is and longer it takes for my eyes to adjust at night from looking out the windshield to looking at my dash.

 

i used the paragon lines on the blue car, and saw no signs whatsoever of any issues.  i put them on over 10 years ago, and they were still there when i sold the car.  i have installed a half dozen sets on other cars too.  the only comment i could make is that the rear ones could have stood to be a bit longer, as i was installing them at the same time as doing the torsion bar removal, and they were too short to safely be attached and still let the torsion tube drop enough to get it out of there, but normally this would not be an issue, and it was really just me being too lazy to disconnect them, and not wanting to deal with brake fluid.

 

another nice upgrade to the braking system is to change the brake bias valve to the 5/33 unit.  it sends more braking to the rear, where we need it.  performance drivers can benefit from this, but drivers not equipped to handle any tail pitch should not do this, as it can lead to rear lock more easily.  i found it to be immensely helpful in balancing the braking.  i always thought it was too front biased, but i understand that manufacturers have to do that for safety reasons with less skilled drivers.

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