custom dash work-relocated climate control unit

[shaeff]

so, to coincide with my plans of making a custom shifter bezel/radio surround to house 60mm gauges that face TOWARD the driver, the climate control unit was going to be in the way to make it how i wanted. i haven't started work on it yet, however, i'm beginning to plan out how it'll be, so i need to be prepared when i start the actual work on the bezel.

this means that the climate control unit needed to be relocated elsewhere. i thought about the center console, under the lid, but that doesn't appeal to me. i thought about moving it to above the stereo, but that doesn't entice me either. this is what i decided on. if you end up doing this, proceed very carefully. you have to remove a LOT of material. (suprised the hell out of me)

so, i decided to relocate it into the passenger side dashboard. it's still well within my reach, and it's not like i constantly adjust the temperature anyway. i set it and leave it be. plus, this opens quite a bit of extra room for my custom shifter bezel and lots of gauges.

please take note that this is NOT a finished product. it'll look much MUCH better than this when i'm complete. also, has anyone ever done this/seen this done before? or am i the first? i haven't ever seen it done...

on to the pics:

-shaeff

 

[SupraDerk]

Looks awesome so far. Round the edges of the climate control on the left side if you're looking straight at it and it should fit the lines of that area more. I don't think I've ever seen it before. Good luck! Two question though...

1) Are the passenger vents gray? If so I think you should either spray the climate control gray or the vent black unless they're already the same... (second pic they look totally different)

2) What year climate control is that?? Man I was noticing how crappy mine looked earlier today...

-Derek

 

[Big Wang Bandit]

Thoes are '89 + controls Derek. I picked some up from ChrisO and it changes the look of the interior WAY for the better!

VERY nice Shaeff! I was thinking that it would fit great there the other day. Cant wait to se this all worked out!

 

[SupraDerk]

Thoes are '89 + controls Derek. I picked some up from ChrisO and it changes the look of the interior WAY for the better!

I can imagine! I'll have to find one now :naughty:

-Derek

 

[shaeff]

the clip-in panel + vent are a single piece, and will most likely be painted black to match. i'm going to try to get the bulge out of the dash where the climate control is so that it's nice and straight like stock. the end result *should* look relatively stock, as if it were meant to be there.

hells got it- it's the '89+ CC.

thanks for the compliments!

 

[kwnate]

Thats definetly creative. Should look good once you get that bulge out. You probably won't have to extend the harness too much if any. If you do, its a total bitch... 27 wires IIRC. Mines in the center console. Update soon!

 

[92turbo4life]

thats awesome !

 

[astigracing]

very creative.

main purpose for it to be in the console is for easy reach. you could've relocated it above on the roof, seen it done and very easy to reach.

just my .02

 

[xt32]

awesome, i've been planning on doing that for some time now. glad to see it is possible. i have a custom dash from roy, and have been planning to put a 8" lcd touch screen in there for my carputer, leaving me with not where to put my climate control, since i did'nt like the other options i figured that would be the best place. what about the passanger air vent? it blocks it right? you just gonna block it off or??? keep us updated. looks good keep up the good work.

 

[astigracing]

check this out... his a/c control unit relocated above head

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...&item=4651604155&sspagename=FavMerch_SO:SI:IT

 

[MassSupra89]

I love it. I was sitting in my car wondering where I could move the CC because I want to put my Wideband and pyrometer there or somwhere similar.

How much was there to move behind that? I'm really suprised there's alot there too.

BTW nice burnout in the driveway:naughty:

 

[PROJECT N00b]

yeah, but where the hell is the mirror?

 

[NashMan]

i tried mine there it bluged so i droped the idea and just ditched the heat crap all togotter

but you can shink donw the sides so it fits better with die grinder or other

 

[shaeff]

kwnate: the harness *should* reach perfectly. (if it doesn't i'm getting a junkyard harness and making a fields harness out of it to extend it. )

i'm going to modify the air vent so it still works. it would bother the hell out of me having a non-working vent over there. the plastic tubing is pretty soft, so i should be able to heat it with a small torch and simply mold it around the CC unit. (at least, i hope)

astigracing: over the head seems like a cool idea, but probably a bit more custom work than i have time for.

Masssupra: there's quite a bit of plastic that needs to be first hack-sawed out, then dremeled just to get it to fit as you see it above. there's still quite a bit of material that has to come out to get rid of that bulge, though.
and that burnout in the driveway is from my dad's '70 chevelle malibu, 350ci, holley 750cfm carb, mild rise cam, mid rise manifold, etc... there was lots of smoke. haha.

mkiiiNOOB: what mirror are you talking about? you mean that little sensor guy that was mounted behind the flat panel? it'll be relocated, eventually.

Nash: yeah, i've got a bit more dremel work to do. the issue now is that the dash pad (gray covering) is glued to the hard black plastic supports under it, and it's getting to the point where i'm almost having to dremel away dash pad. there's probably enough left to make it work, though.

-shaeff

 

[PROJECT N00b]

no no no...that link there for that supra on eBay...where the mirror, if the CC took its place...

 

[supra90turbo]

Looking very good Shaeff!
I think that you should ditch that vent tube and vent altogether, and modify a CF dash plate from Duane to fit.
yeah. now that's an idea.

 

[shaeff]

yeah, i thought about the CF vent delete unit, and it's damn nice, but i don't think i could bring myself to cut it in half! haha. though, that does sound pretty damn fine! perhaps i'll consider it.

-shaeff

 

[SupraDreamPDR]

yeah, i thought about the CF vent delete unit, and it's damn nice, but i don't think i could bring myself to cut it in half! haha. though, that does sound pretty damn fine! perhaps i'll consider it.

-shaeff

just buy a sheet of real carbon fiber off ebay or something and then cut your own.

 

[shaeff]

i put the dash back in a few days ago. i like the location a lot. i *MIGHT* have to relocate the ECU. it looks like i can fit it up above the CC unit, but i'm not sure yet, as i don't have much time.

-shaeff

 

[dbsupra90]

no no no...that link there for that supra on eBay...where the mirror, if the CC took its place...

since he has the monitor mounted in the center, i would venture a guess he uses a rear facing camera.