924Board.org

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

My car came with a cloth cover that velcro's onto the dash. I'm considering a dash cap (or waiting until My924gtc comes up with a fiberglass replacement). I'd like to hear from those of you using dash caps...what do you like about 'em, what do you hate about 'em?

Also, I'm planning to add 3 vdo gauges, a water temp, a volt meter, and a vacuum meter. I can wait for My924gtc to come out with his dash (replacing the center speaker bezel with three 2 1/16 gauge holders), or I can go with a three-pod bezel from eGuages, or I can go with three generic a-pillar pods from APC (www.sfxperformance.com/parts/APC107062.htm). What are you using??? Thoughts, opinions, comments???
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

Peter_in_AU · Joined: 29 Jul 2001 Posts: 2745 Location: Sydney, Australia

have you priced a re-skin?

I have no idea what the charge would be in your part of the world but the process is relatively simple. You clean up the dash and fill any holes and cracks. Then you vacuum shrink a new skin over the dash. The process with fibreglass or carbonfibre is called vacuum-bagging although commercially it's probably more complicated than just sticking the mould (dash) in a plastic bag and sucking the air out.

I don't know but I'd be surprised if that wasn't how they skinned the dash originally.

Be interesting to know how much it would be.
_________________
1979 924 (Gone to a better place)
1974 Lotus 7 S4 "Big Valve" Twin-cam (waiting)
1982 924 (As featured on Wikipedia)

Learn to love your multimeter and may the search be with you

924RACR · Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2004 10:31 pm Post subject:

You're welcome to check out my dash cover (I have the $80 plastic one) when we meet up.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with those gauges, especially not on a street car. Don't you already have them anyway? Well, except for vacuum, but how useful is manifold pressure anyway, unless you're running forced induction? As for how to mount them, I'd stick with the stock VDO gauges in the stock center dash cluster - looks much better. Well, I suppose some cars had a clock on the right hand side of the center cluster, and AC in the center (my turbo does), you could replace the AC control or clock with a voltmeter as desired.

But I still think stock looks best. Check out my dash:
http://www.vaughanscott.com/construction.htm#INTERIOR
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

Depending on what I decide to do about the A/C, I may take out the A/C switch and the standard clock and replace them with a Vacuum gauge and Volt Meter gauge. Once I get the new sound system installed, the analog clock will be somewhat superfluous (although I still like the way it looks).

There is no stock voltmeter, just the battery idiot light, so I want a real volt meter. Vacuum gauge would just be plain cool, no two ways about it

I was considering a water temp gauge because the standard temp meter on the stock multi-gauge doesn't have temperature readouts, just cold and hot with a few lines.

I just wish there was a more effective use of the center speaker area...it would really cool to have the space serve some function (since I don't intend to install a speaker there). I thought that having a nice, professional gauge bezel for extra gauges in place of the speaker grill would be nice so I could keep everything else stock. Doesn't look like such a thing exists.

From what I've seen in the pix, the plastic dash caps seem to look pretty good...hard to tell it's not standard. I'll be interested to see it in person.
_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

My924gtc · Joined: 14 Aug 2004 Posts: 1362 Location: 248

Dan I have an ABS dash cover you could check out. I should have everything transfered to the shop by the end of the weekend if you want to stop by again.

Plan on moving cars all day Saturday and the rest of the parts Sunday after I return from another trip to IN.
_________________
MJ
'81 924 2.0L T
'82 924 2.3L SC/EFI <---online fall '06

Sponsor of the 944 Cup and Super Cup
Sponsor of the "2006 Battle in the Badlands"

924RACR · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 12:14 am Post subject:

Ah, OK, you have the later factory AC - I'd charge it up and keep it. Have mine converted to 134, fairly easy to do, and well worth it in the summer. Do need to tint the windows to keep the heat levels under control, though.
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype

jpab924

The Fife · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 241 Location: San Antonio, Texas

I'll probably do this someday:

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/showthread.php?t=150402&page=3&pp=15

Khal · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 1:18 pm Post subject:

How good is Dick Ruddell's avatar!

_________________
'80 924 Turbo

Joes924Racer · Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2004 3:53 pm Post subject:

Ive taken mine out so many times though I had a dash cap I took it off and also took off the speaker cover that some use as a guage holder and I filled that big hole there with fiberglass and I had cracks on the top also these I ground out with my dremel tool and filled the trough with fiberglass
then I just smooth the hole top with fine grit paper the plastic is thicker than you think and can be light sanded smooth.
_________________
1979 porsche 924 Na
1980 porsche Turbo 931GT Replica
Have u ever driven a turbo.

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

Sleykin · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:07 pm Post subject:

The main thing to change are the O rings on the compressor manifold. They are the most prone to blow out. Pull the compressor buy the orings put it back together pump it down to ~25"HG for 30 min to an hour and charge it back up with a charge of 134A compatible oil and the proper weight of 134A. QED.
Everything else is EBS and if it isn't working as you like you can fix the rest as you go. The reciver drier will plug and cause problems if it already has a problem etc. Why change everything and replace good parts till they break? The 134A is cheap a vacuum pump and guages costs less than a shop charges to change it over. And you get some cool new tools too

I switched to 134a in mine by just pumping it down and adding 134a. Next year I had to add more freon and it blew out in short order ... pulled the compressor and replaced the O rings and pumped it down and re-charged and it is going on a year now with no trouble. Total investment about $20 in freon and O rings. I already had the pump and guages.
_________________
Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S

ideola · Joined: 01 Oct 2004 Posts: 15550 Location: Spring Lake MI

Hmm....it would be nice if there were a how-to in the technical section. I've done a lot of light repairs, but never dug into A/C before. I don't have enough baseline knowledge of A/C in general to know where to begin troubleshooting if things don't work as expected. Haynes doesn't even bother listing how to do everything, he just tells you to take it to a pro.

In any event, I have all winter to think about it! Don't intend to spend money on A/C until it's required

_________________
erstwhile owner of just about every 924 variant ever made

Sleykin · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 2:42 pm Post subject:

A/C is just a compressor and some valves. It is not rocket science ... though you would think it is to hear the shops talk. Simple ranken heat cycle physics. Really not all it's pumped up to be (pun intended) <LOL>
If you can change a headgasket A/C is a POC.
_________________
Glenn Neff
Medford, OR
87' 924S

924RACR · Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2004 10:08 pm Post subject:

FYI, I'm likely to pick up the gauges and vacuum pump sometime by next spring, you'd be welcome to stop by to use them (the cheapest vacuum generator uses compressed air, which I have of course).

We still need to find a time and meet up - you have mail...
_________________
Vaughan Scott
Webmeister
'79 924 #77 SCCA H Prod racecar
'82 931 Plat. Silver
#25 Hidari Firefly P2 sports prototype