Rob & Stu's 69 Sport Satellite

[uk-maxie]

Once we'd realised the old speaker, as removed from the dash, was fitted to a separate mounting plate that we could remove and fit to the new speaker, the installation immediately became easier as we wouldnt have to modify the speaker or the dash


Old speaker with mounting plate

with mounting plate removed

New speaker & old mtg plate

But when it came to fitting it, what should have been a 1/2hr job ended up taking about 3 hours cos there wasnt quite as much room as we though there would be up under the dash. Surprise surprise.


Under dash with old speaker removed

On the face of it, the new speaker looked to be a near-as-dammit straight-swap for the old one, but just where the new one is a bit fatter, it interfered with the little bracket that holds the heater/fan control cable. So after a bit of careful trimming of the nice, shiny, speaker body, we eventually managed to get it to fit.


With extra trimmage. Tho we actually removed quite a bit more, by the time it fitted ok.

Hey presto

Now that's done, we can get the radio back in and get front & rear speaker wiring finished so the carpet can go down.

 

[Ron 73]

Pretty good work! looks great.

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks Ron.

Next up, more interior.

With the speaker & console wiring in place, it was time to look into fitting the carpet. After some thought about whether to use Dynamat or similar we decided to go with a thinish 'underfelt' as a means of adding extra sound proofing.

This was decided after thinking about how the heat that comes up thru the floor on the Polara, causing condensation under its rubber mats, and what would happen to the floor if condensation formed under something like Dynamat.
I know it's supposed to be well stuck down to the floor but with all the contours on these floor pans we figured it would be safer to use something breatheable like an extra layer of underfelt, rather than going with the more fashionable (& heavier & more expensive) Dynamat in case there were any air pockets left under it.

Anyhoo, correct decision or not, we got on & cut the felt as best we could to fit the undulating floorpan. To add a bit of extra sound-proofing under the back seat, we used some of the old carpet that we took out. We've also applied a bit of that felt to the trunk divider while we were at it!

After trawling the Mopar forums to see what was best, we settled on a carpet from Motor Parts South, as they had a reputation for fitting best, having the most generous cut in the sill & firewall areas and if you wanted to pay extra for shipping you could have it shipped flat, so as not to disturb the pre-formed shape.
We didnt have it shipped flat but it was loosely rolled, and came with separate jute backing.

First impressions are yes there's plenty of material (unlike other makes I've read about like ACC) but it is a bit baggy in places, esp over the tunnel, so we may add a bit more felt under there.

As there's no pre-cut holes for anything, it's a bit of a fiddle trying to get the heel pad position correct in relation to the pedal and the dimmer switch but after checking as best we could to find its correct position and also making sure the humps & bumps in the floor fitted the shape of the carpet, we took the plunge and got at it with the utility knife.

Havent cut any seat or seatbelt holes yet, but as soon as we get the front seats in I'm sure the loose areas will be be held a bit flatter and tighter. Then we can cut the carpet for the sill plates.

Also fitted some bits to the console 'body' yesterday. Just need to find the carpet bits that we got a year or so ago from Legendary, that attach to the console...

Just to see what it looked like we laid it in position and it does look nice with the new carpet. Well, not bad for what it cost us (all but the 'body' are used parts we've refurbished), compared to buying new repop bits.

NB - the odd bits of metal bolted to the floor (1 round & 1 rectangular) were just used to hold the felt in position while we fiddled with the carpet.


Floor cleaned....

Trial-fit of jute backing...

Underfelt....

With jute backing in position.....

Our attempt to make the switch work without getting caught up with the carpet. Not supposed to use the grommet, apparently, as they werent fitted originally.

Checked out as best we could where the hole should be for the pedal and saw pics of original carpets with the hole completely within the heel pad, completely in front of, and half-on / half-off. This is where ours ended up, having tried to match the bumps in the carpet with those in the floor.

Not something we thought was going to be complicated or important before we started, but as you start to look into how something should be, you get a bit caught up in trying to do it the proper way.. or at least we seem to.

Reinforced the cut-out with some thin rubber stuck to the back...

Also stuck a bit on the back of the switch hole...

Console trial-fit....

Stu's also fitted the new shoulder bit of the seat belts. Looks a bit too 'baggy' tho so we'll do something about that before someone hangs themselves getting in or out of the car.

Oh and one more thing that needed sorting was where the speedo cable crosses above the exhaust. Used some silicon sleeving on the cable and some plumbers soldering mat on the exhaust, retained by ally tubing...
Not very concourse, but...

[/quote]

 

[Propwash]

Wow! Great work UK.....Looks fantastic!

 

[MarPar]

Love to see the history of a car

WOW!!! i didn't even know this thread existed till now!!! :edgy:

3 Jack and Cokes later, i have read thru the whole thread and i am thoroughly impressed with the work you and your brother have done!!! :icon_thumright:

Bang-up job for bringing this car back to her proper state!!!

Bravo, Mates!!! :hello2:

im def going to be following this thread!!!!

(love the meaty crisps cardboard btw...can i get those in the states??? i know it's not a pork pie, but what the hell, eh?? lol)

 

[detmatt1]

Excellent work, very maticulous, nice to see.

 

[wannadrag]

Nice work

 

[uk-maxie]

Wow - thanks for all the kind words guys! It's nice to know someone's looking in!

I suppose in hindsight, if we'd have known 4 1/2 years ago when we decided to start fixing a few things, that we'd have gone this far, we might have gone the whole hog and returned it back to its original colour (gold - see page 1 :icon_wink

But as I may have said earlier, we just started fixing a few bits that we thought needed doing the most. And the body work was prob the best part at the time - albeit the 'wrong' colour :eusa_eh:

Oh well, that'll have to wait another few years. The Polara's body needs doing next :icon_rolleyes:

Anyway, back to now. I'll get a few pics next time I'm there, as I didnt get time last weekend. Minor things I know, but we got the glovebox liner in, put the ashtray back, with the mp3/accessory lead coiled within. Redrilled a couple of holes in the rear console bracket, as the original holes we drilled weren't quite right :icon_rolleyes:, and bolted the front passenger seat in.

Oh and I got those shoulder belts shortened by a local upholsterer and he only charged £5 ($7.50ish?), so a bit of a result. Well it would have been even better if he'd measured how much I asked him to shorten them by properly :eusa_doh:
I asked him to make both of them 45mm shorter - one's not too bad but the other is now quite a stretch to attach the popper. Maybe the elastic will stretch with time....

MarPar - good spot on the Meaty Crisps! Not sure what they were but I guess a bag or two were used to keep us going while in the garage!

 

[70Fish]

UK, a cracking B Body there, and top shelf work you've done so far!!

 

[roadrunnerman]

everything is looking good,like the woodgrain on the console(sharp as heck)

 

[uk-maxie]

Thanks, yes we're pleased with the way that came out, especially for the cost of it! (or lack of, compared to repro items :icon_wink
Of course it wont be as original looking as a proper repro part, but with all the different woodgrain parts in the car, there's no guarantee that proper repro parts would be a good match for any of them.

That radio surround is a NOS (or slightly used old stock :icon_wink part, to replace the one that melted when the body man used a propane heater to loosen the windscreen sealer :icon_mad:, but that doesnt even match the original woodgrain on the rest of the dash, so what chance have you got

 

[uk-maxie]

Well it seemed like a good idea at the time...

Having struggled a week earlier to get the rear seat in, it must have been that extra carpet we tried to use as insulation under the seat base that was stopping it going in, cos once we'd removed the jammed-in seat base (one side was stuck, the other wouldnt go in at all), then took the extra carpet out, we got the seat base in relatively easy.

So with the arm rest fitted, that's the rear of the interior finished.

Seat fits nice & snug over the tunnel now

Although the front door panels could wait till after the car's up & running, where it's positioned in the garage (ie close to the wall), it would be tricky to fit the passenger side door panel once the front seat is in, so thought we may as well crack on & get the front panels fitted next.

Next obstacle is to transfer the emblem that's on our original panels to the new ones. Quite a common theme with these resto panels & seat covers; having to reuse some existing hardware, so no great surprise, but these badges are riveted!
Stu's emailed Legendary so we'll see what advice the have.... if any... before we start grinding the old rivets off

Driver's side cleaned up, lubed & ready for new panel.... but not until we've refitted the old emblem:

pre-punched holes just about visible, but way out of position (too low)

Once those panels are on, we can get the passenger seat back in, then the console, then the steering column, the drivers seat, bench-bleed the master cyl, refit then bleed the brakes, then see if the darn thing works!


And we're aming to be done before the end of May...

 

[northerndave]

Wow, I started on page 4 and it looks like I have to go to the beginning of this thread because it's full of awesome.

 

[northerndave]

Wow, I love this story, awesome history and fantastic work done here. Great job guys!