Well, I spent the last week working on the back storage area.
It first started with the all important battery box.
As I had to move the battery to the back, I had to get/make a battery box.
And as I plan on taking small trips in it, Photo get-a-ways trips for 3 or 4 days, (love that the seats fold into a bed),
I wanted to be sure that the battery does not go flat. So I will be adding a battery isolator and a second large battery.
So I decided to make the battery box to fit 2 large batteries. This ended up taking a week to do.
The problem was that it ends up being a very large box in the back, so large, that it meant
my Sub-woofer box would not fit properly (and I would not be F@#ked to make another one)
The spare wheel (which is under the seat) hit and most importantly, the seats would not fold flat enough to make the bed
So I had to stuff around a lot with it
NOW, those of you that know me, know I like to build strange things,
especially in the steampunk style, So this means that I have plenty of wood,
black vinyl and brass-ish things lying around.
So I decided to give it that more vintage look.
Its not finished, but its close enough for the rego.
And If I say so myself, pretty neat.
I still have to make amp racks and a place for the computer, but all that can come later.
So here is the before photo
And here are some photos of it now
New back deck
As you can just see, the Battery box looks like an old trunk
I'm still in love with those twin exhaust, YUM
Just enough room for me to just squeeze my camera bag in...
An even closer look
A look inside the battery box And yes, there is a cover that goes over the fuse box, and yes it is vented to outside the prairie In this shot you can see the second compartment for the Axillary battery The box is made from wood that then was covered with fibre glass. So, Why is there so many hinges, Well you can see that there is 2 large moving panels
As is, you cant fold the seats down to make the bed,
when you flip the panel back, there is just enough room
And attached to the panel is the Sub-woofer box, which also flips out of the way Yes, I ran out of carpet in the last little bit, finish it when I get to the amp rack. And too make it a really comfortable sleep, I'll be using a 10cm mattress
and where will that live, well, it fits nicely on the deck in two peace.
I still have to cover them (with black covers) but this give you an idea
***Update*** So I did it to myself again...
Cant leave well enough alone
The prairie would of been finished a year ago,
but I decided that I wanted to put a electric glass sunroof in.
And stuffing around, it added another year
(as I don't have a garage to use, I call a year the clear hot summer time. In winter I can do nothing!)
And Now it is near enough finished, I could not help myself,
I had the brakes sitting in a box, so instead of leaving those nice drums, that worked fine alone
I had to waste weeks in putting the discs on.
and of course, I've run out of money Plus
A truck hit my new Audi A3 (300km on it) the week I was going to deliver it to its new owner,
and just to make it better,
As the new owner is in Melbourne, I was to drive it there.
On the way to Melbourne (a trip I've done 30 time without incident)
A kangaroo jumps out and hits the side of it..
Yeap, its with the panel better now... back to the Prairie
So the drums come off.
Nice
Disc go on.
Nice.
Change the steal lines with the rubber ones.
Nice
Hand brake cable...
Fucker...
Not only is it different, which was expected.
But as the cable system on the Prairie is different,
Again a shit load of mods needed to be done, not just the cable length.
So leaving that, Just be happy the discs went on so easy.
OK call the neighbour to help bleed the brakes,
What the fuck!!! nothing is coming out. (Passenger side)
OK, after 10min of screwing around, I find that the rubber line is blocked...
Pull it off, and 15min to unblock it,
Ok working nice now, bleeded OK.
Drivers side now.
Fuck this one too, this to me means that they somehow where blocked in the donor shitter I had....
Anyway. This time the rubber line wont come off, shit nut started to slip....
I could scream now. It wont come off...
Anyway with a bit of playing around, I was able to unblock that side too.
Then it bleeded well after that, but over 1.5 hours to bleed 2 brakes....
So back to the hand brake cables.
First modify the bracket that holds the cable on the calliper, It hits the arm...
OK that done,
On the other side of the cable a new bracket has to be fabricated to hold the end.
Cut grind weld.... cut grind weld....
Now that's done,
but I could only tack it on, burn the fuck out of myself trying to weld under the car...LOL
Need to take it to put on a hoist to weld it properly later...
Anyway... all done,
Only have to get one cable shortened, and the other side a new longer one made up.
All in all about $100
and its done... I hope.
Then I have to turn to the smoking issue.
but that's the last thing before I look at getting Rego.....
I hope, wish and pray ...
**** UPDATE **** I finally got the thing together and even kicked it over.
Set tappets and started first go.
Stay tuned as I remembered to take some video of the moment.
I'll post it soon.... when I can work out how to.
but for now, here are some photos of the head.
While I was waiting for her to warm up to set the tappets I took some video.
Now, I am not a video guy and this was my first time putting a few shots together with Premiere
(and it was not easy getting used to a new program)
So dont laugh at me, I was born an Italian, lived in Australia all my life,
So why I was listening to Korean dance music has no reason, other than I wanted a change.....
(From the pistols, kennedys and rancid, it's a big leap)
anyway, as the video caught the music so I went with it and used it. Song performed by 2NE1.
Click of picture to see video
youtube link
Last edited by Valentich on Sun Dec 30, 2012 2:12 am, edited 2 times in total.
