Was great to finally meet the infamous "Ray" the owner of this Nostalgic car!!
Get those new seat belt towers swapped out so I can cover up my bare ones LOL
Was great to finally meet the infamous "Ray" the owner of this Nostalgic car!!
Get those new seat belt towers swapped out so I can cover up my bare ones LOL
TNRooster3 (04-14-2017)
Thank you for putting this together, and was very glad to finally meet you and a lot of the other MR guys face to face. I have gotten really bad allergies upon my return to all the blooming plants in my home state. But intend to do the tower swap tomorrow at a Miata Club Garage/ Tech day. And get them in the mail to you 1st of next week.
This has nothing to do with Rooster's build story but I am really excited about this. My Dad is 94 and a WW2 veteran and was in the Battle of the Bulge- very Proud of him. Brad Paisley just did a new video " Love and War" and my dad is the first veteran in the video and pops up again a minute later. I have posted this and a link in the 'WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING 2017' thread.
Greasemonkey2000 (04-23-2017),HarryB (04-21-2017),NCGreasemonkey (04-23-2017),Paul B (04-21-2017),Roadster7 (04-21-2017),RustRat (04-21-2017),theothersawyer (04-23-2017),tsingson (04-21-2017)
Finally got these done yesterday, took longer than I thought and I got lucky on finding a box to pack them in and send these to you.
Seatbelt Tower job-25a.jpg
Why were they cut in two pieces? Could not figure that out. Also you need to PM me an shipping address, if you get back to me quick I can mail them tomorrow. Thanks for swapping with me, you were right, it does look better,
Seatbelt Tower job-23.jpgSeatbelt Tower job-24.jpg
I didn't know this but am missing one of the push-type retainers for holding the trim piece located close to one of the boot fasteners, you wouldn't have an extra laying around? I took a lot of pix while installing these, is it worth doing a post about installing these or has that been done? Thx again- The " Infamous"? Ray
Greasemonkey2000 (04-23-2017),JamieH (04-23-2017),NCGreasemonkey (04-23-2017)
Same here friend. My allergies are on def-con 5 mode since the trip.
I'll give you a spoiler for AgentOrange's (Alex) identity. And where he and I hid for a butt from time to time. You remember that U-Haul behind the 'Palooza tent? LOL
And here is a two-fer. Alex and myself with Hammerhead attempting a photo-bomb still carrying his Stogy!
Peace good fellow!
Agent☣Orange (04-28-2017),TNRooster3 (04-24-2017)
Seatbelt Tower Swap-out (part 1)
Where to begin? Well to start with Rooster does not have a roll bar and I am not going to add one to the car. When Steve bought the car from Randy the roll bar had been sold off or Randy kept it so Rooster did not have a roll bar and Steve never got around to putting one on the car. So the Seat belt Towers that are in the car Randy installed and to add a roll bar you need to cut the towers ( don‘t really understand why). Before we went to Miatapalooza Randy asked if I was interested in swapping some un-cut towers for the ones that were in Rooster, I was up for that, it would make Rooster look better and as Randy said “ More OEM”. We had never got round to swapping, then came Palooza but we were too busy to get them swapped before we had to leave to go back home, so Randy gave them to me and said to swap them when I had time and just mail the cut ones to him. Ok that gets me to this point, I have never done this kind of install before but didn’t think it would be that big a job, boy did I have a surprise coming. First here is a list of things you will need:
#2 Phillips screwdriver or bit; a T-40 Torx/ star bit; 10mm socket; a Ύ inch spade bit and a 1 inch spade bit; a black sharpie marker; a clamp with a block of wood ( short piece of 1x6 plank) ; a new hacksaw blade in a single-blade handle would help; and a Dremel tool with a Ύ inch sanding bit.
Now you need to start taking things apart, Rooster has a Cockpit Brace running across behind the seats and it has a hardtop so the brace and the hardtop sticker plates need to come out
Seatbelt Tower job-02.jpg
and to get these plates out you need a T-40Torx/ star bit
Seatbelt Tower job-06.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-07.jpg
Next there is a cap, B-post top cap, held in place by the boot clip/ fastener which will need a 10 mm socket to remove and a #2 phillips head screw:
Seatbelt Tower job-04.jpg
Now you need to loosen the door sill plate and you may have to take it off depending on how tight a fit the trim and carpet are,
Seatbelt Tower job-03.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-21.jpg
also pull off the B-side door seal.
Seatbelt Tower job-09.jpg
Now the seat belt tower can be pulled loose from the car. Before installing the new un-cut towers, they will need some prep work for the hard top striker plates, this is where a black sharpie marker comes in handy. The back side of the trim piece has a light out line of where you need to cut it out but it is hard to see (at least it was for my old eyes), so I laid it down and tried to mark it so I could see better where to cut.
Seatbelt Tower job-16a.jpg
To make this easier to deal with you need a 1 inch spade bit and a new hacksaw blade. Also I added a short piece of 1x 6 board, (I had a piece on cedar fence planking),
Seatbelt Tower job-16b.jpg
to use as a backboard to drill into, it helps to have something to drill into and to keep the cut you make in the plastic have an even edge. Also a handy clamp helps hold it in place.
Seatbelt Tower job-16c.jpg
( Limited to 10 pix. Part 2 continued in next post.)
Last edited by TNRooster3; 04-28-2017 at 05:41 PM.
Agent☣Orange (04-28-2017),NCGreasemonkey (04-28-2017)
Seatbelt Tower Swap-out (part 2)
I lined up the spade bit and tapped it with a hammer to make a pilot hole, you do this at both ends of the oval, this will keep your bit from walking and messing up your cut.
Seatbelt Tower job-16e.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-16d.jpg
Next you drill into the tower.
Seatbelt Tower job-16g.jpg
Now you take the hacksaw blade and make a cut between the two holes that you have drilled.
Seatbelt Tower job-16f.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-16h.jpg
Then make a cut on the other side, but be sure not to get too close to the edge, this is just a rough cut and you will slowly remove material as you need to later to make the striker plate fit.
Seatbelt Tower job-16j.jpg
Next take the striker plate that matches the side ( left or right) that you are cutting and see how much more material needs to be removed and from which side of the hole it needs to come from.
Seatbelt Tower job-16k.jpg
Now this is where a Dremel tool comes in handy.
Seatbelt Tower job-17.jpg
You smooth out whatever side needs it and go back and forth checking the fit of the plate until it looks like it clears all sides.
Seatbelt Tower job-18.jpg
Now you are ready to install that side into the car. Then repeat everything for the other Seat Belt Tower Trimpiece.
( Part 3 continued in next post- Re-Installing the Seat Belt Tower Brace )
JamieH (04-28-2017),NCGreasemonkey (04-28-2017),tsingson (04-28-2017)
Seatbelt Tower Swap-out (Part 3) - Re-Installing the Seat Belt Tower Brace
Next is re-installing the Tower Brace. The tops of the Seat Belt Tower trim-piece will need a hole cut so the end of the brace and the bolt can attach to the side of the car’s body located just behind the seat belt. To do this I installed one trim-piece at a time and left the opposite end of the Brace still attached. And I started on right side trim that I had just installed first.
Seatbelt Tower job-19.jpg
I kept the left end of the Brace still anchored and the right side loose so I could take the end and sit it on top of the trim-piece to use as a pattern and mark where I needed to cut. ( Pix I took of the marking of hole did not come out.)
Seatbelt Tower job-13.jpg
Then take a Ύ inch spade bit and find center of hole you have marked.
Seatbelt Tower job-11.jpg
After drilling out a rough hole take the Dremel tool with the sanding attachment and start taking out material, be sure to do this slowly and stop and use the brace end to see how much needs to be removed.
Seatbelt Tower job-10.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-10a.jpg
Now install the right side end of the brace, then repeat everything you just did for the left side Seat Belt Tower trim-piece.
Seatbelt Tower job-22.jpg Seatbelt Tower job-24.jpg
Job all done and finished, but I am missing the Brace endcaps so the bolts show.
Seatbelt Tower job-23.jpg
Agent☣Orange (04-28-2017),NCGreasemonkey (04-28-2017)
Also today I swapped out a set of Garage Star Delrin Door Bushings but could not get the drivers side door to open after install and adjusting 7-8 times, so I put the old one back. The left side was fine and the new bushing made it actually close better.
NCGreasemonkey (04-28-2017)
Is your door drooping a little? Might need adjustment at the hinges.
No todo que es oro brilla.
TNRooster3 (04-28-2017)
NCGreasemonkey (04-28-2017)
Not heard from him but need to send him some info for a deal made in Fla..
Saw your post in the 'What did you do' thread. And replied. I ran into the same thing with the door bushing on the driver's side. But you know my little nutty girl is caged, railed, armed and Fealed. So how stiff is too stiff?
Hope you the Mrs. and all of the household are well my friend!
Peace!
TNRooster3 (04-29-2017)