Baldies XC Falcon

[Bearded Baldy]

Dumbarse......

[Bearded Baldy]

Was mucking around trying to decide on what height to mount the back seats, when i remembered the parcel shelf tray was buggered.

So if i made the seats fit the old shelf height then i would still be relegated to 3mm mdf for the rear tray, and needing boxes for the speakers.

Emergency trip to town for a 1800x400x18 piece of mdf and design fluid (beersies), and a plan was hatched.

Was raining by the time i got home so i found use number 3 for the treadmill, handy height timber support!

 

I stapled down the remains of the old tray and traced the template, then grabbed a spare offcut from the collection and started marking out risers for the speakers. 

Weather permitting the plan for tomorrow is to cut out the tray and add the window bevel, vent and seatbelt holes. And if by some fluke i get that done ok, i will attempt to cut and shape the speaker pods.

[Bearded Baldy]

Not a bad morning, only have one router bit and it is straight so countersunk the speakers a touch, but have chickened out of freehanding a 45 around the back edge and the speaker pods. I know my limits.

Good news is the toolshed sale on a 35pc bit set is on until tomorrow, bad news is they are closed until tomorrow too lol. Will do a click and collect so i don't miss out.

Once the bevels are done i will fit the back window and check the clearance before trimming the front edge. Upholstery can wait, just need the form done for now.

[Bearded Baldy]

Cheated with the back window and just taped in the rubber off the one of my spares, and managed to get a bit of time today to shape the tray a bit better. Plenty of measure 3 times, chicken out, remeasure then trim half of that off.

Sunk a couple of nuts into the top surface so i can bolt it up nice and snug from underneath, the with some freehand use of the router i offset the sections for the seatbelts to pass though. Not perfect lines but the vinyl and padding will hopefully hide that down the track.

Once happy with the fit i started working out speaker locations for the 6x9 risers. Even with shallow mount speakers there will not be enough space underneath the tray to mount them like i had planned.

So current options are to make new risers for some 5x7s which will do the job as originally planned. Or come up with a different style of riser to mount the 6x9s over the original 5x7 holes.

No pics as it looks almost identical to the last one lol.

[Bearded Baldy]

A wild clearance sale appeared!!

$90 for 2 pair, very good deal.

I suspect the kick panel speaker holes are also 5x7, as the 4s i had in there for years were definately not right, so these may be perfect. Need to get back home to check everything out and get back into avoiding the rust by any means available.

 

[Bearded Baldy]

Also scored these rear interior lights recently.

Really only wanted the mounts but the price was right.

And here we see another example of aus/kiwi supplier price raping.

[Bearded Baldy]

Bit of work done today in between the rain. Have to decide on how i am going to make some speaker grills but other than that it just needs a bit sanding and bog to finish it off before covering it in vinyl.

 

The 5x7 speakers do NOT fit the front, almost looks like it needs 4x6 speakers up there. Future Baldies problem.

At least now i can continue with getting the seats mounted up.

[Bearded Baldy]

Weather has been fine enough to open the shed door this morning so i have sorted out the seat height and roughly marked the wheel tubs.

Need to put a small dent in the tubs to fit the brackets nicely and allow the pivot to actually pivot.

 

Gave them a test sit and the angle is ok. Need to condition the leather though as some parts have shrunk and are pulling things out of shape. Pivot heights are the same which is the bit that counts.

Since i left the lower brackets in my toolbox at work, I pulled out the vinyl samples I had sent out a few weeks ago. Have chosen a colour and not the one i thought I was going to like.

 

Then I dusted off the old sewing machine, has survived storage quite well to be honest. Didn't fire it up today just wanted to double check everything was how i remembered it.

Not bad for 1974 vintage. Thanks Nan.

[Bearded Baldy]

Brackets were in the shed toolbox not my work one.

Gave them a bit of a reshape and it all looks good so far.

 

[Bearded Baldy]

3rd update in a single day. Really didn't think i would have time for this between lawns and kids but here we are.

Dummy grill and template in place and marked up ready to be attacked with the router.

[Bearded Baldy]

Decided today instead of finishing the tray i should test out the welder i scored from osgc @dmulally, so i dont blow holes clean through the seat brackets etc.

Welder...check.

Old steel shelves... check.

Gloves....check.

Safety squints... nah wife is watching.

Helmet... check.

Drilled some holes to copy the plug welds i need to do. And started playing. Got it near enough after 3 plugs so then flipped it upright try my luck on the last one. Good for this cowboy so did a couple of up and down stitchs through the paint and packed everything away for another day.

[Bearded Baldy]

Channeling some Vanilla Ice with my front speaker choice.

'And the vega' are pumpin!'

Only 4x6 but still

[Bearded Baldy]

Center seatbelt has arrived from aussie, even has the missing buckle for the side belt!

So that is now the seatbelt drama over. Full matching set.

Should have welded seat brackets over the weekend but manflu.

 

[Bearded Baldy]

Plenty of procrastinating going on around here to avoid welding in the seat tabs, but finally got around to it this afternoon.

I had wanted to push the back end of the car out of the shed so i had more room/less flammables, but the steering box is in the blue shitter as it had no steering or hubs when i picked it up.

Did not have enough enthusiasm to swap it back so settled for pouring water on the floor and having mrs baldy in charged of the compressed airgun and a bucket of rags and water.

Couple of plug welds and a half blind buttweld later and bracket #1 was on. Set some 70s undersealer in the wheelarch smouldering and realised i couldn't get out of car fast enough to keep an eye on things, so that is when i called the mrs to help.

Cooled it down, brushed off the loose paint, and took photos for the cert folder before hitting with blank zinc. Heavily so it could run down between. Future will all be stripped and repainted anyway.

 

Then took a bunch of measurements and copied the placement on the other side.

Once paint had dried i just had to testfit the seats and check everything. Except they don't fit!

When i made sure the seats fitted between the arches, i didn't have the brackets attached. So while the seat does fit, the pivot clips are 5mm too wide for the brackets that are now welded in.

These buggers here.

Now the stud piece has a hex on it so you would think it was designed to come off. Wrong again, it is welded to the seat frame. Boooo!

However with some precision use of a cutting disc and a power file i think i can move each groove and step down the shaft 2.5mm on each side.

Will give it a damned good shot anyway.

Sometime in march i reckon.

[Bearded Baldy]

\

 

Self supporting!! need to make a new bracket to support the center, the fit the catches up the top. but progress is progress.

[Bearded Baldy]

So the blue outline is where i had planned on putting the center mount for the rear seat.

Buuuuttttt behind that is not an open space, only access is through the shock mounting hole which is gonna make fitting any sort of doubling/underfloor plate a real bastard.

In here.

So a change in plans is in order. Current best option (for me anyway), is to make a plate that is shaped to the floor in this position, utilising the existing seatbelt mounting.

Previously made, now defunct plate shown in position here.

 

[Bearded Baldy]

Or here, damn size restriction caught me out.

Which would then have this plate trimmed to shape and zapped on.

Following the shape of the floor. Not all ugly as it sits now.

Here is the original xr6 bracket. Definately not going to work.

Seat is hanging in that photo. Needs to be up another 80mm.

 

[Bearded Baldy]

To tell me how dumb i am being and just go back to original seats, click here !!

 

[Bearded Baldy]

Afternoon progress.

Leaving it until tomorrow to weld it.

My old dog has been hanging in the shed with me all all afternoon. She only ever comes to watch when i am doing sketchy shit or when i end up with a wound and losing blood. Managed to survive grinding and drilling so calling it quits before turning on the welder.

[Bearded Baldy]

Just went and measure the headrest height from the upper window edge because the left side looked down a bit.

10mm out, dumbarse me measured up from the floor when i welded on the brackets. And expected a 70s falcon to be built square.

Dumbarse. So before the center gets welded in, i have to cut and drill out the lh lower mount and redo it.

Yay.