2015 SE HB Build

[scotman]

You can fit a V8 in one, too. A car that light would be fun (in a straight line) with 400+ horsepower.

Old AMCs are still reasonably cheap, unlike a lot of other cars from that era. The bodies rusted easily, but that was true of anything at the time. The engines were reliable.

Unfortunately the interior and exterior trims are not reproduced. It's probably easier to restore a mid fifties Studebaker.

 

[scotman]

You can fit a V8 in one, too. A car that light would be fun (in a straight line) with 400+ horsepower.

Old AMCs are still reasonably cheap, unlike a lot of other cars from that era. The bodies rusted easily, but that was true of anything at the time. The engines were reliable.

I didn't realize that they were offered with a v8 until very late in the 1970's when the older brother of one of the guys i went to school with bought a new 1979 Spirit amx. It had a 304 in it. I had never seen a v8 Gremlin! These are truly rare.

 

[Handy Andy]

Oh so true...

The bodies rusted easily, but that was true of anything at the time.

The 76' I had (owned it in '84 thru '86) the floorboards rusted so badly the car started to become like the Family car in the Flintstones...

Had the 258 Slant 6 in it, Carter 2Bl carb
and that Gosh Darn Prestolite Ignition​

 

[LionsTooth]

Wash, wax, & interior detail, two days ago.....Cars & Coffee Folsom, today.

 

[LionsTooth]

I friend gifted me a back-up camera, so I installed it today...4 hours. Now I see why folks buy the Bluetooth models...the wired ones take forever. Works fine.

 

[Wunmanband]

That's a pretty big monitor

 

[LionsTooth]

That's a pretty big monitor

Yeah the wide-angle makes it look huge! It's just 3-inches diagonal. That Speedee sticker is barely 2-inches wide. Made my friend say the same thing when I texted it to him.

 

[Handy Andy]

Well, considering perspective, that being right "in your face"

You could have a simple little "Ghost spider" crawling up your nose - you'd think it's a giant tarantula climbing a banana wanting a piece of you...

​

Kewl little addon - but I thought they made Rear view standard back in 2012?


Suprized you didn't have one - yeah when you have to weave thru the loom like that it's not fun...

 

[LionsTooth]

Well, considering perspective, that being right "in your face"

You could have a simple little "Ghost spider" crawling up your nose - you'd think it's a giant tarantula climbing a banana wanting a piece of you...

​

Kewl little addon - but I thought they made Rear view standard back in 2012? Suprized you didn't have one - yeah when you have to weave thru the loom like that it's not fun...

It sits a lot closer to the windscreen than it appears, too. I can still lower the visor down and past center toward the window quite a ways. Pretty happy with it so far. Roughly how I see from the pilot's seat...

 

[scotman]

That looks pretty good LT!

 

[FiEscort]

I friend gifted me a back-up camera, so I installed it today...4 hours. Now I see why folks buy the Bluetooth models...the wired ones take forever. Works fine.
View attachment 5931

View attachment 5932

View attachment 5933

View attachment 5935

View attachment 5936

Nice addition! I definitely need to do this.

 

[LionsTooth]

Nice addition! I definitely need to do this.

Yeah get a Bluetooth one...if the wired one wasn't free, I would have returned it...too much work (even if I did enjoy it!).

 

[scotman]

What was the issue with the hardwired install other than the time required for cabling? That screen quality looks very good (because wires!) My wireless image is grainy.
I have a screen built into the rearview mirror setup for my 2011 fiesta that I wont get installed until the spring. I hope that the signal from the camera on my basket will work with this one as well. It also has a forward facing camera with a SD card. My expectations are not high for this $33 discount store closeout bin special.

 

[LionsTooth]

I

What was the issue with the hardwired install other than the time required for cabling? That screen quality looks very good (because wires!) My wireless image is grainy.
I have a screen built into the rearview mirror setup for my 2011 fiesta that I wont get installed until the spring. I hope that the signal from the camera on my basket will work with this one as well. It also has a forward facing camera with a SD card. My expectations are not high for this $33 discount store closeout bin special. View attachment 5945 View attachment 5946

It was quite tedious getting the power cable from the plate to the right reverse lamp hot wire. It wasn't hard, just a lot of fiddling and creativity to get it through the hatch and down to the wire. The RCA cable was a real pain because the connection is so big. I gave up and ended up cutting it off to guide it through the hatch, and then once it was all the way to the dash I reattached the end. Once I was in the cabin it was easy. I pulled it through the left rear rubber wire tube between the hatch and cabin, and tucked it into the left side of the headliner all the way forward, down the A pillar, and was done; like 5 minutes to do that. I connected the ground to the master ground just behind the OBD2 connector and found an always hot red wire to splice into near the ground. I strongly advise doing a "bench test on everything before you do all the work. I hooked up everything to be sure it all worked, as I knew it was going to be a lot of work and didn't want to invest a bunch of time to have the screen suck or not work or have the camera not work. I did have to flip the camera 180degrees because it covered the hatch latch. I was surprised when I hooked it all up and everything was upside down on screen! I just flipped the cameras in the plate and was done.

 

[scotman]

That all makes sense! It's not difficult to do a circuit check using the chosen circuit with the engine off and key on.
I am more concerned about having a new component that is "junk" than anything else.

 

[LionsTooth]

That all makes sense! It's not difficult to do a circuit check using the chosen circuit with the engine off and key on.
I am more concerned about having a new component that is "junk" than anything else.

Yeah the bench test was a must for me...I just laid everything on a shipping blanket over the motor and used jumper wires to make sure it all looked good. Not really a bench!

 

[LionsTooth]

Sent back a set of TechMax H1 bulbs...did not fit in the socket. Ordered some regular Philips H1 halogens that I know will fit...and they should be ass-hat bright. I am driving to Denver over the holidays and a lot will be at night...I hate no being able to see.

 

[LionsTooth]

Sent back a set of TechMax H1 bulbs...did not fit in the socket. Ordered some regular Philips H1 halogens that I know will fit...and they should be ass-hat bright. I am driving to Denver over the holidays and a lot will be at night...I hate no being able to see.

View attachment 6004

Can't really tell the difference by looking at them, camera can't show it accurately. I have a long trip coming up so I can report back later. New tires this week, too. Rears are on the wearbars; not good for traveling in rain and/or snow.

Old high beam, then new....

 

[LionsTooth]

Can't really tell the difference by looking at them, camera can't show it accurately. I have a long trip coming up so I can report back later. New tires this week, too. Rears are on the wearbars; not good for traveling in rain and/or snow.

Old high beam, then new....
View attachment 6009 View attachment 6010

So far not crazy about the new high beams....it's been raining hard so, again, hard to judge. Should see some really dark freeway miles in Utah Satuday night. Test to continue....

Getting new shoes in the morning....195/60/15 BF Goodrich Advantage Controls on the stock wheels.

 

[LionsTooth]

New shoes...feels sturdier. I think the shoes that were on it were factory (6 years old & 75k miles). I like how they fill the wheel wells a bit more. They pooch out a bit more from the added width, too...yeah that is my style. Road trip test in 2 days.
New ones on top: