Yet another endless build for me. This time on the Caprice.
Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2017 3:21 pm
I'm notoriously-slow at build projects. They're more like 'go tinker in the shop since all your other chores are done' sort of thing. We do have the never-ending C Prepared Firebird (the gift that keeps on giving, as a friend once said) development project, and also have a restomod project going on with our 86 Mustang SVO that served us well when we first got serious autocrossing. We got even MORE serious, buying a dedicated race car, so the SVO got retired, and the restoration/modification started..... back somewhere around 2002. :-/ You can visit the SVOCA web site, in the projects section, if you want to see any of that.
So here I start another 'build' thread. It is probably a good spot to put info on what we've done to the car, and chronicle the work, so I can again, get depressed at the slowness of the progress.
To date, we've completed the following on the 2012 Caprice we got in 2015:
1. Replace all of the plugged radio antenna holes with old antennas. They seal better, and look a bit more 'official', but mainly seal better. Not sure if we'll ever get them properly-plugged, we haven't done so on the 92 B4C Camaro yet.
2. Replaced the plastic plug that was used for the light bar harness with a GPS antenna. It's not functional.... yet. But again, seals better than the plastic plug they had siliconed into place. Many thanks to Garner Ames for the old parts!
3. Replaced the rear seats with G8 units that included the pass-through.
4. Replaced the rear seat belts that were simply cut to make room for the 'perp seats'. Again, Thank You, Garner Ames for the working belts.
5. Reinstalled a working 'ticket light' that was removed by the department when they retired the car (removing that $20 light, yet leaving the $90 radio antenna on the deck lid). Anyway, I just wanted to seal the big fat hole in the headliner.
6. Installed the 'JC' handles in the rear passenger area.
7. Replaced the B-pillar panels with new ones to get rid of all the holes drilled in the OEM units to facilitate the partition. The driver's side, though, I drilled holes to fit my Texas Custom Holsters holster for my carry weapon.
8. Re-enabled the rear door latches and window switches.
9. Legal window tint.
10. BC Coilovers installed on all 4 corners. The car is dropped about 1.5"
11. BMR rear sway bar installed. Waiting to do the front one when I take the rest of the front end apart for other work.
12. Installed AEM intake tube, wrapped in DEI Insulation wrap.
13. Installed lightweight Odyssey battery in the passenger side battery tray, and moved the factory-sized AGM battery to the driver's side, replacing the flooded acid battery there. viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1768
14. Replaced the rear trunk area trim panel that was broken when we got the car.
15. Replace the headlights with Opt7 LEDs.
16. Replaced the factory steering wheel with a leather G8 unit.
That's about all I can think of, to date. It's been fun, and I still have a big pile of parts in the shop to install when I get time.
So here I start another 'build' thread. It is probably a good spot to put info on what we've done to the car, and chronicle the work, so I can again, get depressed at the slowness of the progress.
To date, we've completed the following on the 2012 Caprice we got in 2015:
1. Replace all of the plugged radio antenna holes with old antennas. They seal better, and look a bit more 'official', but mainly seal better. Not sure if we'll ever get them properly-plugged, we haven't done so on the 92 B4C Camaro yet.
2. Replaced the plastic plug that was used for the light bar harness with a GPS antenna. It's not functional.... yet. But again, seals better than the plastic plug they had siliconed into place. Many thanks to Garner Ames for the old parts!
3. Replaced the rear seats with G8 units that included the pass-through.
4. Replaced the rear seat belts that were simply cut to make room for the 'perp seats'. Again, Thank You, Garner Ames for the working belts.
5. Reinstalled a working 'ticket light' that was removed by the department when they retired the car (removing that $20 light, yet leaving the $90 radio antenna on the deck lid). Anyway, I just wanted to seal the big fat hole in the headliner.
6. Installed the 'JC' handles in the rear passenger area.
7. Replaced the B-pillar panels with new ones to get rid of all the holes drilled in the OEM units to facilitate the partition. The driver's side, though, I drilled holes to fit my Texas Custom Holsters holster for my carry weapon.
8. Re-enabled the rear door latches and window switches.
9. Legal window tint.
10. BC Coilovers installed on all 4 corners. The car is dropped about 1.5"
11. BMR rear sway bar installed. Waiting to do the front one when I take the rest of the front end apart for other work.
12. Installed AEM intake tube, wrapped in DEI Insulation wrap.
13. Installed lightweight Odyssey battery in the passenger side battery tray, and moved the factory-sized AGM battery to the driver's side, replacing the flooded acid battery there. viewtopic.php?f=21&t=1768
14. Replaced the rear trunk area trim panel that was broken when we got the car.
15. Replace the headlights with Opt7 LEDs.
16. Replaced the factory steering wheel with a leather G8 unit.
That's about all I can think of, to date. It's been fun, and I still have a big pile of parts in the shop to install when I get time.