Aquafied Iris

Ok, here's an update on my progress with my Firebird KITT project. Let's start with the work done. I first concentrated on my car's overall performance and maintenance. Here's the list:

1-Tune-up
2-Replace O-ring seal causing my oil leak
3-New air filter
4-New heater core
5-Clean breaks, checked alignment
6-Readjusted emergency brake

Here's a funny story about installing my new heater core. First off, let's just say it was a pain in the @$$ getting to the heater core! The dash, center console, and radio needed to come out. The steering column also had to be moved to get at it. No wonder why the previous owner didn't feel like replacing it (When I bought the car, they blocked off the flow off coolant to the heater core - smart, considering no one really wants a puddle of coolant inside the car). Anyway, it was also a pain getting the thing out as well. A lot of hard work (tugging, pulling, prying) went into removing the blasted thing. When it was finally out, it appeared to be extremely burnt up in certain blotchy areas. There was also what seemed like a lot of "debris" or "dirt" inside the housing. Upon taking a vacuum to the housing, I was amazed at what I saw. Dead mice. They fried in there at the certain spots to make the burnt blotches I saw. The built a whole nest in there. I didn't think they had enough space to do so, but I guess I was wrong. When the housing was cleaned out, and the new heater core was installed, it took another couple of hours putting the dash, center console, etc., back in place. But then came the big moment. Upon turning my defroster on, I was glad to see I finally had heat. But heat wasn't the only thing I noticed. Rat hair was blowing out of the vents like crazy all over the interior of my car!

So please people, if you're going to let a car sit for a while (especially an F-body, where it's just so damned hard to get to the heater core) please do something to prevent your car from housing mice! I heard a great idea from my uncle. He said that it's good to put fabric softener sheets in the interior as well as in small places where mice can attract themselves. This helps to keep mice at bay. This was very helpful to me because I plan to store the car in the winter for obvious reasons (ice, snow, SALT!).

Some areas that mice like to live in your F-body:
1-Under the hatchback (cargo compartments)
2-Spare tire compartment
3-Air filter housing
4-Heater core (ugh...)
5-Exhaust
6-Housing between motor and radiator
7-Any other small area that's both warm and dry

This wasn't my first run-in with mice, however, after buying the car, I took out the custom amp under my hatchback and found a nesting area with large amounts of fodder. Luckily, the person laid down a towel under the amp (probably for spacing) and I was able to clean it out rather easily.

Continuing on from the mice topic, here's some new stuff I've bought for the car (most of which I'm waiting to receive via UPS):

1 - Autometer Autogauge 3 3/4" 8000rpm Shift-Lite tachometer with shift light on dial - approx. $120
2 - Two Autometer A-Pillar Pods (one single and one double) - $10.50 on Ebay (I HAVE received this part)
3 - Autometer Z-Series voltmeter 2 1/16" gauge - $30 Ebay
4 - Autometer Z-Series oil temp 2 1/16" gauge - $41 Ebay
5 - Autometer Z-Series transmission temp 2 1/16" gauge - $41 Ebay
6 - Custom KITT voice emulator - $160 Ebay
7 - Free time! (I'm on vacation this week! Hellz yeah!) - priceless

All gauges, by the way, are electric.

I've found that the Z-series gauges seem to match my interior the best. My interior lights up red (some would say orange). On a different note, it seems weird that my stick shift Firebird didn't come with a factory tach...or coolant temp gauge...or oil temp gauge.

Here's a list of things I have yet to accomplish on my car (in the near future):
1-Seal under air scoop off my 1988 Formula Firebird (non-functional) cowl induction hood
2-Install hood
3-Hook up the existing after-market mechanical gauges (oil press, water temp)
4-Find a material to make a custom lens for my scanner (I'm thinking red plexi)
5-Figure out a way to convert halogen fog lights into amber turn signals
6-Buy an exterior speaker to install PA system

Hope your not sick of the lists quite yet...

Here's a list of things I have yet to accomplish on my car (in the far future):
1-Mount nose
2-Install fog lights
3-Install scanner
4-PAINT CAR!!! (By far the biggest job to get done!)

I'd also like to note out that I came across a page at Knightreplicas.com concerning a man named Robert Lamoureux. Has anyone heard of him? He owns (or previously owned) a 1983 Trans Am KITT conversion. On the page, it states that almost all of the parts on his car were custom made (dash, nose, upper and lower consoles, etc.) and the car looks damned good! But the thing that gets me is that this guy lives in Plainfield, CT! That's only like a ten minute drive from here! I'm probably going to give him a call to see if he still owns the car (and if I can see it...sit in it...smell it...) and if he's be willing to give me any advice in making my KITT replica (Hell, it's not long distance!). Maybe I could also see his methods of building his own custom parts. That would be more than interesting for me to see!

If anyone would like to see what page I'm talking about it's:
http://www.knightreplicas.com/databa...RRReplicaID=61

To update you on the insurance claim I've been talking about for the last month, nothing happened. Nothing. Nothing at all. She, I guess, never claimed at all. She called and left an answer on the machine saying that the incident happened. They ( the insurance company) just figured that she wanted to claim. But upon numerous returned calls, they finally got a hold of her and she said she didn't want to claim after all. All getting worked up over nothing. I've learned my lesson...

Ok, anyway, I've typed enough. I'll try to keep you guys posted the best I can. Take care and *** bless you for reading all that^.

THEGENERAL

my grandfathers lumina had the same problem with the heater core ...some mice decided that it was a good place to nest and when summer rolled around they did.....lol...but when winter hit they got trapped by the heat when he started driving it again and the smell was horible.....the problem with his car is he probably only puts about 5000 miles a year on his car and its an open nvitation to mice to nest in considering he lives in the country .....