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I am using the original BMW Blaupunkt stereo as its already wired into the car and has a six disc autochanger in the boot. It is of acceptable quality to run the Alpine amp, base tube (in boot) and speakers in the foot wells.
Next I decided to find a home for the boring looking Hazard switch and electric window switches. I have dummy window winders on the door panels but want to be able to use the standard electric windows with one touch open.
I bought a chrome Jaguar XJS ashtray off of ebay for a few pounds. This is where I want to hide my switches. The ashtray will be located on top the centre console tunnel when I get around to making it.
It is suitably period and is large enough for the three switches.
And here is the finished top view. The top closes to cover them completely. The switches operate perfectly and know one will ever know where they are hidden, apart from you lot of course!
Been a while since I had the time to post anything, 3 builds simultaneously is hard work. However I did manage to make a new door panel for my own Kalifornia. The pull handle is in a different place to the last kalifornia one I made previously. Also I fitted a period door pull opener. This is a dummy one as the real one will be hidden in the door pocket.
The front speakers that are located in the 'kick panels' were terrible. I decided while upgrading the interior it would be a good idea to change them.
The BMW ones were blown (split) and 40w. I have replaced them with a set of JBL 165w speakers of the same size. They came out of an old Discovery I scrapped so did not cost anything.
As you can see they bolted in with no modification. I made sure the connections were very tight and the mounting screws were very secure. Important if you like bass.
Finally got a spare hour from customer builds to do some more on my interior. I wanted to make the next part which goes under the switches console. I made a cardboard template in three pieces and then taped them together. It was too complex a shape to get right first time in one piece.
I wanted to mount the Z3 heater controls onto this panel so first had to photo the back of the heater switch panel so I knew which cable was located after taking them apart
I won in a raffle a heater panel from a Ferrari Daytona (at the Daytona Replica club annual dinner) so wanted to incorporate this on the front of the panel. So this meant moving the heater controls closer together. So I chopped the Z3 heater panel in half and made a bracket to support the fan control switch. It does not have to be pretty as it hidden behind the panel we just made
The Daytona panel will go on top of this. The heater toggle switches will then be pushed back on. The Z3 ones are a bit big so I will have to source some smaller diameter ones, but they will do for now
The spray glue arrived as I had run out. I bought it off ebay and its brilliant made by a company called eFoam, well sticky and you do not have to wait the usuall3-5 minutes to go tacky.
I wrapped the ali panel in foam and glued it on
