Zaphod

I don't think anyone that has seen this thread is having any trouble imagining that... I don't think you are the type of guy that accepts mediocre...

Jeffbucc

Too true, I wish I could though, I'd get a LOT more done.

Haven't had time to get the ms3 specs for yah yet, I'll have them done before tomorrow.

Jeffbucc

Onward with the dash project.

Revlimiter hazard switch with black anodized faceplate installed



Coolant tank installed



Started the blower restore, it was pretty damn dirty



Blower fan before



after, mounted on the blower motor. Used the air compressor to blow all the shisa out of the motor itself and then a microfiber towel on my flathead and cleaned all the metal contact points and leads.



Foam was all rotted and missing in a lot of spots. Was barely sealing at all. I couldn't find a good foam to replace it with so I bought a 6mm thick yoga mat at Wal-mart for $8. As for the double take you just did on using a yoga mat....it makes a lot of sense. It is weatherproof, highly resistant to germs, doesn't get hard/corrode for a very very long time, and it is easy to work with. It also has an airtight seal, much better than foam could ever do. I also put a thin film of sealant around all the edges to make sure no chance of water getting into the mat was possible.







HVAC rod assembly taken apart and regreased



Metal bracket that is sandwiched between both sides of the plastic housing was quite rusty, so I sanded it all off and painted it.





Housings all cleaned up and reconditioned





Friction tape added to the wires to help with rattling



New foam tape to seal the "intake" portion of the blower that sits against the body



All assembled and installed with the new AC delete replacement pipe



On to the heater core.

BTMiata

iTrader: (5)

Wow... After seeing how dirty that blower motor is, it makes me want to rip mine out and refurbish it. Would it be hard to remove with the dash still in? That one bolt looks like it would be buried behind the dash.

Efini~FC3S

iTrader: (4)

How many cans of black spray paint have you used up to this point...


Yoga mat use is ingenious, you never fail to impress.

Ugghghhhg

Jeffbucc

I don't think you can remove it without taking out the dash. Shouldn't take you more than an hour to remove the dash though.

I was honestly surprised how gnarly the inside was as well.

Jeffbucc

Way too many dude, that VHT Chassis & Roll Bar paint is money though!

18psi

iTrader: (76)

Oh man you're going to have one of the few old NA's that doesn't blow a dust storm when you turn on the air. My dads 92 makes me gag when he turns on the ac/heater

Scrappy Jack

iTrader: (2)

"Friction tape added to the wires to help with rattling"

I didn't even know that was a thing.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

It's like 3 screws...

Jeffbucc

I just wasn't sure if you could get to them with the dash in place or slip it out under the dash.

Jeffbucc

Been having a case of the lazies today so not much done other then tearing apart the heater core and cleaning all the old foam off of it, cleaning all the old grease and dirt, and getting it ready for new foam and reassembly.











Sprayed out all the old coolant and bent all the fins straight again.



ready for foam.

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

I feel privileged these days when i get to be the first one to hit the prop button on one of your posts in this thread.

Jeffbucc

First post!!! Haha. I wish I could be the one watching a thread like this sometimes rather than being the one doing all the work.

Every time I think I'm done with the dirty work something else pops up that I didn't do. Can't wait to have all the cleaning and restoration part of this build done. It has been the thing that has slowed me to a halt the past week.

I was going to start the subframe reassembly but I ran out of Amsoil Dominator grease so I can't do the bushings till my order ships. Can't believe I went through a whole tube of it already.

Jeffbucc

All cut to size and ready to install. Used a dremmel to angle to the edges so that it will close flushly. The yoga matt is just a little too stiff for the edges to compress and seal so you need to cut them down a couple millimeters so that it is a perfect seal.

99mx5

iTrader: (16)

Damn! Your OCD beats mine! Props! Loving this build, er restoration.

Jeffbucc

Haha thanks, I'm guessing you considered this and then you were smart enough to stop and back away?

I am not so smart.

Took a lot of trial and error getting the fitment right so that everything opened and closed correctly. Amazing how complicated an HVAC system is. I can't even imagine how much harder more modern cars are.

Tracks all cleaned up and fresh grease applied. Stuck a tiny bit of friction tape under the metal arm after shaking it a bit and seeing how bad it would rattle with just me shaking it.



Another rattle spot on the heater core cover



More friction tape under the brass pipe brackets. The upper pipe bracket won't tighten enough to secure it properly. 3 layers of tape holds it down nice and snug.



Clean







New foam on the pipe brackets



Boom-shaka-laka



Thank GOD that project is over, that may have been the most tedious thing I've done besides the undercoating.

Scrappy Jack

iTrader: (2)

This build is everything I wish mine was.

Jeffbucc

Well Scrappy you have just as much attention to detail, just not my frenetic pace, you'll get there. I'm starting to burn out after the HVAC project. That was incredibly time consuming.

turbofan

iTrader: (1)

We should count how many times Jeff has said "I'm starting to burn out" and then proceeded to accomplish more in a day than most of us could manage in a week/month/ever.