NikwoaC's "Commitment Issues" Engine Build
- Thread starter NIKwoaC
- Start date
So I think I've mentioned once or twice that I've always wanted a set of "vintage" Recaros for the '86. I've been talking to a guy locally with a set from an '89 GTI (photos below). I know the color doesn't match my interior (factory gray with the red piping in the OE halo headrest seats), but I've been toying with the idea of learning to recover seats anyway.
Thoughts? Suggestions?
@95steedamustang
Thoughts? Suggestions?
@95steedamustang
Those pictures are kind of crappy, so here is a shot of the same style of seats that I found on the internets-
Recovering them is one thing. Finding materials is another. I've toyed with the idea of recovering a trashed set of recaros and it's just expensive. A local shop quoted me $1500-2000ish if I supply seats with intake covers to use as stencils, and a few inquiries myself found covers for $700-900 or so for a pair from a local vendor, and around $500 or so on Ebay.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=352319888766
So quick estimate was around $1-1.5k or so to buy a trashed set and recover...or just buy them already done.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=162971927369
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=352319888766
So quick estimate was around $1-1.5k or so to buy a trashed set and recover...or just buy them already done.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335821607&icep_item=162971927369
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I think they would be really cool recovered to look like the factory fabric. If I ever change mine out, that will be what I do. The new seats look and function great, but to me there is just something cool about the old factory fabric patterns. I dont know that I woukd try it myself. That would be a costly screw up if you dont get it right, and from what I see its not super easy to get right when inexperienced.
Whatever direction I take, if I were to get a used set of Recaros I would restore/recover them 100% myself, including making the patterns and sewing up the fabric. I feel insane for saying that, but I'm the right mixture of crazy and stubborn to make it work. Everything I've done to the car I've done 100% myself, self taught, excluding the paint (which, someday I intend to add that to my skill set, but space and equipment have been a limiting factor), so I kind of see upholstery work as just another skill that I want to have.
In any event, I would very likely just start with getting these seats in my car and driving it for a season or two before I really take the plunge into custom upholstery.
In any event, I would very likely just start with getting these seats in my car and driving it for a season or two before I really take the plunge into custom upholstery.
, get to it!
Some little updates-
Wire "hiding" (maybe more accurately, "reorganizing") for the driver side fender is done.
I'm going to make a little custom plastic cover for the starter relay, and obviously clean/repaint the area below the battery box.
I think I mentioned before, part of this effort is to rewire the e-fan for ECU control. More on that later...
I also repainted the windshield wiper motor, brake booster, and replaced my old, rusty Town Car MC with a '93 Cobra unit. Sheds about 6 lbs and looks prettier, plus I can check fluid level now without taking the lid off.
Wire "hiding" (maybe more accurately, "reorganizing") for the driver side fender is done.
I'm going to make a little custom plastic cover for the starter relay, and obviously clean/repaint the area below the battery box.
I think I mentioned before, part of this effort is to rewire the e-fan for ECU control. More on that later...
I also repainted the windshield wiper motor, brake booster, and replaced my old, rusty Town Car MC with a '93 Cobra unit. Sheds about 6 lbs and looks prettier, plus I can check fluid level now without taking the lid off.
In case anyone is curious, here is a little comparison of a '99-'04 V6 and the '93 Cobra MC. It looks like the only functional difference is the size and angle of the reservoir. Bores are supposedly both 1.000".
Also, the weight of the Town Car MC vs Cobra-
Also, the weight of the Town Car MC vs Cobra-
Aaaaaand lastly... Look at what I brought home last night!
They're filthy and the driver's seat needs some foam repair/replaced, but they're complete and all the mechanicals work, so I'm pretty stoked. Those back bolsters are ridiculous. They're huge. Trump-style yyhuuuge.
They're filthy and the driver's seat needs some foam repair/replaced, but they're complete and all the mechanicals work, so I'm pretty stoked. Those back bolsters are ridiculous. They're huge. Trump-style yyhuuuge.
I'm pretty stoked about them. I've been lusting after the LS-style Recaros for a long time now, and since my stock seats are in desperate need of repair themselves, I figured now was the time to track a set down. I think the LS and LX Recaros look perfect in these cars, plus it's going to be nice to finally have a seat with some real bolsters and an honest-to-goodness headrest. The OE Ford halo headrests look cool, but ergonomically they're a joke.
The plan for these seats for the time being is to clean them up, make adapter brackets (if necessary...?) to mount them to the factory tracks, and then run them for a season as-is. If I find myself with free time (unlikely) I might repair/replace the driver bolster foam, but it won't be an immediate need, because I'll run the passenger seat in the driver position for now. Next winter I will reassess my situation and potentially tackle reupholstering them myself. I have access to industrial upholstery sewing machines at work, so it's just a matter of learning.
So I guess the order of events right now is-
1. Finish wiring the E-fan, bleed the brakes, and get the car back on the road.
2. Install the Mach 1 chin spoiler that's been sitting in my loft all winter.
3. Repair/paint/install the '82 hood bulge (with functional hot air vents and water baffles).
4. Clean up and install Recaros.
Also on the project wait list is (finally) putting fog lights back on the car and finishing the TKO that's been consuming my work bench for what, 2 years now? Maybe more...?
I can't tell you if adapter brackets are absolutely required, but I can tell you that the ones on the 93 aren't stock.
Haha IDK if you're going for an innuendo or not with that one, but you're right, I misspoke... It's from an '83.
Nik,
Again, I have no idea these are absolutely necessary, but maybe this'll help:
The taped sticker there indicates they're Corbeaus Part # D828T.
Thanks man! The Recaros have factory electric height adjust mechanisms on them, which I plan to remove and sell. Once I get those off, I'll take a look and see what it'll take to adapt to the Fox mounts.
Little update here, I finished all the wiring, got the car back together and drive it to work yesterday... Damn it feels good.
So, for anyone interested, here's how I have my gauges and my fan wired. I took a swag at making a wiring diagram @jrichker style. In general I am trying to do a better job of documenting my modifications than I ever did in the past, which, other than saving receipts and making forum posts, was basically nonexistent.
So you'll see that the fan is now wired to be controlled by the EEC-IV. For those of you not aware, Ford oddly had electric fan logic built into the Fox ECUs, but obviously never utilized it. You can enable it through tuning, which turns pin 41 into a switched ground based on temperature limits you define in the tune. Thanks goes out to Decipha at efidynotuning.com for his write-ups and guidance.
So, for anyone interested, here's how I have my gauges and my fan wired. I took a swag at making a wiring diagram @jrichker style. In general I am trying to do a better job of documenting my modifications than I ever did in the past, which, other than saving receipts and making forum posts, was basically nonexistent.
So you'll see that the fan is now wired to be controlled by the EEC-IV. For those of you not aware, Ford oddly had electric fan logic built into the Fox ECUs, but obviously never utilized it. You can enable it through tuning, which turns pin 41 into a switched ground based on temperature limits you define in the tune. Thanks goes out to Decipha at efidynotuning.com for his write-ups and guidance.
Here's a shaky video of the gauges powering up and the fan on/off switch. I wired it to illuminate the (previously unused) factory shift light when the fan is switched off. I have plans to change the "SHIFT" text to read "FAN OFF", and probably change the illuminated color to red (via the semi-transparent text lens; the light bulb is just a white LED).
Little update here. I've been working on the hood bulge. Repaired the cracks, got the surface nice and cleaned up/smoothed out with some wet sanding, and now I have the vents roughed in. The vents are designed to mimic the look of the 4-eye lower grille opening, and I'm pretty happy with how it looks so far.
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