I Have Gone Off Of The Deep End
12-17-2005, 10:11 AM
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I am sure everyone knows by now about my newest spider. Well, because it is in such good shape, I am more able concentrate on modifications rather than repairs. (the repairs are coming) and with the cold weather, cramped garage, and a lack of time to do much to her, I have been busy amassing parts.
Well, recently I picked up a compy of AutoItalia Magazine and they had a nice spread on the Ferrari 275. Beautiful car really.. but what I really liked was the front turnsignals. They have these nice little roung "beehive" signals that work well with the design of the car.
Like so:
Now, the fiat, when it has the slender early style bumpers (instead of the US mandated battering rams mine has) has a slender wrap around front turnsignal that in my mind has never worked well with the design of the car. It is a little too big, and just sort of sits there beneath the headlight.
As you can see here:
So originally I went about trying to get set of the Ferrari Turnsignals.. but they are ungodly expensive (over USD $300 a pair) so I got a set of Porsche units from the 356 series.. but after getting my hands on them.. I decided I hated them. The Porsche units sit proud from the bodywork, not flush or even indented like I wanted.
I then went out and bought a set of Triumph TR3 beehives.. while cheaper, they did not have the proper look and had a weird way of mounting the glass lenses to the body of the signal. (The rubber seal wraps around the base of the lens and the chrome ring.
Next came a set of turnsignals from the Fiat 600 Multipla (minivan) that had the proper look, were italian, but like the Porsche units.. sat on the bodywork and protruded like a guy with a throid problem... not what I wanted...
So now, finally, I got a set I can live with. Made for the Alfa 101 series cars (Alfa Romeo 750 zagato to be exact) They look almost exactly like the Ferrari units (but without the Prancing horse name) and will sit beautifully between the grill and headlight...
They look like this:
As you can see by this modified 1979 Fiat I am about to show you.. this is where they are going to go.. just that instead of mounted to the fender, I am going to slight "french" them in like on the Ferrari.
Of course once I get them rechromed, I am going to modify them for LEDs.. last thing I want is for somebody to trash my baby because they did not see me about to make a turn. However, to make a long story short.. almost USD $500 dollars later.. I finally have a set of $80 turnsignals for my car. At the least, I can sell off the other three sets on ebay... If this is any indication of how building up my fiat is going to be, I am in a LOT of trouble. It sometimes really sucks to be a perfectionist and a artist.
Well, recently I picked up a compy of AutoItalia Magazine and they had a nice spread on the Ferrari 275. Beautiful car really.. but what I really liked was the front turnsignals. They have these nice little roung "beehive" signals that work well with the design of the car.
Like so:
Now, the fiat, when it has the slender early style bumpers (instead of the US mandated battering rams mine has) has a slender wrap around front turnsignal that in my mind has never worked well with the design of the car. It is a little too big, and just sort of sits there beneath the headlight.
As you can see here:
So originally I went about trying to get set of the Ferrari Turnsignals.. but they are ungodly expensive (over USD $300 a pair) so I got a set of Porsche units from the 356 series.. but after getting my hands on them.. I decided I hated them. The Porsche units sit proud from the bodywork, not flush or even indented like I wanted.
I then went out and bought a set of Triumph TR3 beehives.. while cheaper, they did not have the proper look and had a weird way of mounting the glass lenses to the body of the signal. (The rubber seal wraps around the base of the lens and the chrome ring.
Next came a set of turnsignals from the Fiat 600 Multipla (minivan) that had the proper look, were italian, but like the Porsche units.. sat on the bodywork and protruded like a guy with a throid problem... not what I wanted...
So now, finally, I got a set I can live with. Made for the Alfa 101 series cars (Alfa Romeo 750 zagato to be exact) They look almost exactly like the Ferrari units (but without the Prancing horse name) and will sit beautifully between the grill and headlight...
They look like this:
As you can see by this modified 1979 Fiat I am about to show you.. this is where they are going to go.. just that instead of mounted to the fender, I am going to slight "french" them in like on the Ferrari.
Of course once I get them rechromed, I am going to modify them for LEDs.. last thing I want is for somebody to trash my baby because they did not see me about to make a turn. However, to make a long story short.. almost USD $500 dollars later.. I finally have a set of $80 turnsignals for my car. At the least, I can sell off the other three sets on ebay... If this is any indication of how building up my fiat is going to be, I am in a LOT of trouble. It sometimes really sucks to be a perfectionist and a artist.
12-19-2005, 12:33 AM
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Vehicle: 1997 Hyundai Fx Coupe
QUOTE (Mad-Machine @ Dec 19 2005, 01:02 PM)
"Frenching" is an old hotrodder term for indenting into the stock bodywork..
No way Jose!
"Frenching" is a cooking/food preparation term for removing the excess fat from a rib cutlet fing02.gif wink1.gif
12-21-2005, 10:05 AM
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Vehicle: Hyundai Tiburon FX
very cool writeup. that's a big deal for turn signals but i guess we all have it in ourselves. it reminds me of when i got my clear corners because the f2 hyundai rally car had them also:
Not only the clear corners, but I'm also going to try to replicate the [broken 02.gif] bottom lip there just like the rally car onto my F2 Bumper... And I'm damn right going to ask my mechanic to paint a small glued piece of plastic next time he's painting my car soon.
I totally agree that those flad misplaced turning signals don't belong on that car in that place and you definitely chose the right hive shaped turning signals to make it look a lot more classy. Fiat Miltipla?! Yikes I haven't heard that name in a long long time, mind yourself, I'm eating breakfast right now!!
The one thing I will tell you though, it's super that you're doing these little adjustments during the spare winter hours. But try and have the car ready in tip top shape for spring cruising.
Not only the clear corners, but I'm also going to try to replicate the [broken 02.gif] bottom lip there just like the rally car onto my F2 Bumper... And I'm damn right going to ask my mechanic to paint a small glued piece of plastic next time he's painting my car soon.
I totally agree that those flad misplaced turning signals don't belong on that car in that place and you definitely chose the right hive shaped turning signals to make it look a lot more classy. Fiat Miltipla?! Yikes I haven't heard that name in a long long time, mind yourself, I'm eating breakfast right now!!
The one thing I will tell you though, it's super that you're doing these little adjustments during the spare winter hours. But try and have the car ready in tip top shape for spring cruising.
12-22-2005, 07:41 PM
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Just thought I would add this... I had a new package come for me today.
This is the grill and lights from a Volkswagen Cabriolet. I have wanted to put a set of these lights into the grill of a spider for years now. After 15 years of waiting, I am finally going to do it.
After an hour or wrestling with the lights, I got them out of the grill and found that they fit into the opening on the fiat with about a quarter of an inch to spare. PERFECT! No, I will not be using the whole grill, just the mounting tabs. The grill on my fiat will be a custom unit that will incorporate the lights AND ducting to the intercooler that will eventually be behind it.
This is the grill and lights from a Volkswagen Cabriolet. I have wanted to put a set of these lights into the grill of a spider for years now. After 15 years of waiting, I am finally going to do it.
After an hour or wrestling with the lights, I got them out of the grill and found that they fit into the opening on the fiat with about a quarter of an inch to spare. PERFECT! No, I will not be using the whole grill, just the mounting tabs. The grill on my fiat will be a custom unit that will incorporate the lights AND ducting to the intercooler that will eventually be behind it.
02-03-2006, 08:35 PM
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I just keep adding more and more parts... somebody help me!
As you can tell from this original pic when it was on the trailer.. my spider has the big "federal" style bumpers that are supposed to protect the car in a 5mph crash. All they really do is add a hundred pounds a piece to the weight of the car. While the bumpers do not deform in any sort of wreck, their mounts break and the whole assembly does even more damage to the body.
Well, these came today:
The chrome "blades" that the older spider had. Pretty cool too. Not only do they lighten up the car's weight, they make it look sleeker. With these rear bumpers, I can also remove the license plate lights as the bumper is designed to have the lights built into the inner ends.
Not the best pic.. but it gives you an idea.
I also recently got a new dash for my spider. Friend of mine came through with a "new" old stock dashboard. As people who own old cars will tell you, they crack and warp over time. The Previous owner had glued a "cap" over my car's dash, but he did it wrong.. making the dash worse.
It's a little hard to see.. but it is severely cracked, warped, and covered in dried glue.
Do not think though that my Tib is suffering. I am currently getting ready to move to a smaller place, so all the little projects will have to get sorted out and finished to make room. This means my Mirror Project, sunvisor project, and taillights will have to get done soon.
As you can tell from this original pic when it was on the trailer.. my spider has the big "federal" style bumpers that are supposed to protect the car in a 5mph crash. All they really do is add a hundred pounds a piece to the weight of the car. While the bumpers do not deform in any sort of wreck, their mounts break and the whole assembly does even more damage to the body.
Well, these came today:
The chrome "blades" that the older spider had. Pretty cool too. Not only do they lighten up the car's weight, they make it look sleeker. With these rear bumpers, I can also remove the license plate lights as the bumper is designed to have the lights built into the inner ends.
Not the best pic.. but it gives you an idea.
I also recently got a new dash for my spider. Friend of mine came through with a "new" old stock dashboard. As people who own old cars will tell you, they crack and warp over time. The Previous owner had glued a "cap" over my car's dash, but he did it wrong.. making the dash worse.
It's a little hard to see.. but it is severely cracked, warped, and covered in dried glue.
Do not think though that my Tib is suffering. I am currently getting ready to move to a smaller place, so all the little projects will have to get sorted out and finished to make room. This means my Mirror Project, sunvisor project, and taillights will have to get done soon.