2002: Diary of modifications
January 2002
1st:
Well, still waiting for the fenders.
I'm debating about the euro lights that are being released for the 1st gen
Coupe, I've always liked the style of the stock ones, but those euro's are very
tempting!
I did get the opportunity to install one of the neons in the boot yesterday (in
the freezing cold!). It's a 20" tube which I have placed underneath the parcel
shelf so that it illuminates the entire boot.
2nd:
I have been considering a boot install, but have been reluctant to lose out on
boot space, or to spend a lot of money. I recently stumbled across a system
which could be an ideal solution, it features a 10" subwoofer, 10" radiator and
amplifier, all in a single enclosure. So far I can only find it in the US, so
I'll either have to wait until they are available in the UK or import it from
the US (most likely).
The unit is available in black and clear (at extra cost), the latter of which I
quite like the look of.
7th:
I have made arrangements to have the Infinity Basslink X subwoofer shipped over as I have been unable to locate one in the UK. Still I suppose I could be the first person in the UK to have one!
15th:
Well, once again I have given in to temptation and ordered something - the Zefiro Evo bonnet.
17th:
I have been waiting for the fenders since September. Part of the delay was due
to there being no fenders in stock. A new style of fender will be produced soon
and I needed to decide which style I would prefer. The newer fender would
feature some additional gills, similar to those found on the Tuscani.
So, I studied a few pictures and tried to visualise the current z-fender with
the new gills and decided that the original style was better. These will be
sent with the new bonnet and the whole lot should arrive in a couple of weeks.
The bonnet and fenders are booked in to be sprayed around mid March.
Also on order are a set of 'Coupe' stainless steel door sills.
28th:
The subwoofer arrived on Friday. Because of the design, the unit is neat and
easy to install as you only have one component, rather than 2 or 3 parts with
other subwoofer systems.
The subwoofer comes with two installation option, either vertical or
horizontal. I have opted for the vertical install and to start with I was
worried that the unit would be too tall, fortunately it just clears the parcel
shelf. The install was easy as I had all the wires in the boot, left from a
previous amp install, and the unit just needed to be screwed to the floor of
the boot.
The next step is to install a blue neon either behind, or under the subwoofer -
this was the idea behind having the clear unit, rather than the black one.
March 2002
8th:
Since having the supercharger installed the front strut bar no longer fits
correctly. Although it still spans the strut tops it is not fastened down in
the correct manner and so is providing little stability.
To try and compensate for this I have ordered a front swaybar and an adjustable
rear swaybar. Swaybars elimate body roll, so there will be less movement for
the strut bars to correct.
April 2002
10th:
The swaybars arrived on the 2nd. The car has gone to the local dealer to have them fitted.
19th:
The sway bars have made a noticeable difference, the car remains much flatter
during cornering.
The Zefiro bonnet has been discontinued, unfortunately. Plus the z-fenders are
being delayed even further, as are the Euro Tail lights.
August 2002
Not much has been happening lately - mainly due to me being 'between jobs'. The
door sills were fitted a couple of months ago and look great, I just have to be
careful not to scratch them when getting in and out of the car.
I re-shuffled the boot contents and sunk the sub and the cd changer into the
floor, plus I recovered the spare wheel cover and but a blue neon under the sub
to illuminate it a little.
Oh, and I'm still waiting for the Z3 fenders that I ordered last
September!