Boo! I guess it comes down to: How much do I trust my Compustar alarm?

X - are you taking mass orders for the dash unit, yet?

Thanks.

 

That could be a nice setup done professionally like you said, $150 for the piece is a lot better then $350 or $400. I've been looking for a setup. I have an in dash screen right now but i was hoping i could move it up due to it being so low. Where you have it looks perfect.

 

VeilsideRX-8,

Do you have pics of system?

Also do you have pics of the FEED front bumper?

 

Since this piece is being made at my friend John's shop, I have an update. Finally we have found a way to make molds that do not self destruct after only one use! Hooray!!! We were copying a method that JL Audio recommends but they just kept breaking. I came up with a much easier method that is also faster. It worked!

I will be at Twisted Interiors tomorrow (Friday) once again working on the 8" boxes using the new technique. eXentric already has some other pics of the 8" box that still need to be posted. Hopefully we'll have some good progress on both units tomorrow. The hardest part has been the molds. You can't do much until that issue is resolved and it has been. Hopefully progress will be made. I believe that the first incarnation of eXentric's dash piece (using the new method) will be laid up in fiberglass tomorrow and let to harden over the weekend. Monday the top will get cut into and the din unit will be fabbed in. At this point the 2nd mold can be made. This is where the issue was all along. If we couldn't get a proper 1st mold, how do we get a proper 2nd mold? Now we know. There was a 1st fiberglass piece made but it was beyond help and had to be discarded. The mold self destructed when John pulled the fiberglass piece out of the mold anyways.

I can't speek for John but I will be making some progress on my own 8" box project. Hopefully enough that you guys can tell what the final piece will look like.

Anyways, that's the update. We'll try to get some more pictures tomorrow.

 

Thanks to Rotary for posting that update. John (Twisted) kept pushing me to let him cut into my existing dash piece and mold onto it. They were telling me that if I let them do that we would be done by now. But that meant that I'd loose my existing dash piece and wouldn't have it to put back into the car when I sold it. Plus, that's not what the other three guys that signed up with me agreed to either.

With Rotarys help, I think they have a new direction that seems to making them progress. I hope we see some good stuff in the next few days...

Here's are some shots of the beginning of the new process Rotary was referring to:

 

This is a layer of "special goo" over the top of my original piece. A layer of fiberglass was added to what you see here after everything dried. I wasn't around when they did that part.

 

I have taken over the dash project. John messed up on the first attempt and then gave up. Basically he is giving priority to other projects in the shop and not wanting to do it the way he said he could. He did quote too little money for the project though and this is one of his resons for not wanting to do them. Regardless, I will get the first 4 done for the same price. You guys will not lose your deposits. I will not be getting it though even though I will deserve it and am building these.

Since there is already money involved by members of the forum, I am giving this project priority and will get it done. The first mold pictured above came out perfectly. I hope the rest goes as smooth. My 8" box project has only been money out of my pocket at this point which is why it is slow. I want these done within 2 weeks and will try my hardest to meet that deadline.

John will still build these but he wants to cut up your original panels and mold into them. While I do see his point in that it is only $160 for a new piece and hardly worth crying over if you ever need to buy a new one to sell the car, I don't think anyone wants to drive around for weeks without a dash piece in their car. From personal experience I can also tell you that the fiberglass section will probably pull away a little from the plastic dash piece from the heat of the summer sun. If you live in Alaska disregard this. No one wants to pay for something that needs constant repair to look good. John claims it can be done but I haven't done it yet so I will go based off of what I know.

These pieces are going to be made only one way and that is with the provision for the BOSE center speaker. It is not worth the time and effort to make and entirely seperate mold for the person that doesn't want a grille in the dash.

To the person on the forum that called John directly about working on their piece, contact me first before you send it to him. I am still going to do the fiberglass piece. He will cut into yours. He doesn't have a car to test fit it into. It will be hit or miss proposition.

That's the update. Don't worry guys. It will come out fine. To those who already have money down, you will get yours at the original price. Since I feel that is far too cheap, any successive pieces will be priced higher. I'm already taking a hit. I won't take another.

 

RG, you are da man!

Not too sure how well I like that light green color though... :D

 

Well that's good news by me too. RG, looking forward to seeing more!

Regards,

OverLOAD

 

I worked on the piece today. I laid up the fiberglass for the copy of the original. I am busy tomorrow but will pull it from the mold on Wednesday. If everything goes right I will fit the din slot into it then and get it ready to make the final mold. I want the mold done by the end of the week. This will leave next week for the final pieces to be made, fitted, textured and painted. On track so far. Hopefully I can keep it up.

 

How much will this piece cost for those of us that didn't get in on that first group buy?

 

Ooh ooh ooh! Me too, me too!

I am interested in purchasing this as well.

 

I pulled the fiberglass copy out of the mold and it looks like a fiberglass copy!!! Woohoo!!! Now it's time to fit it into the dash and get the din hole lined up and molded in. After that is the final mold and then the finished pieces. Stay tuned...

 

I'd like to get in the FIRST group buy as well!!! Don't leave me out! (Seriously)

 

I second the Group Buy!

 

These things are actually very time consuming and difficult to do. eXentric an vouch for that. I am not a retail shop. A group buy is extremely unlikely.

 

I will definately still buy this piece but it would be nice if we could get an idea of when and how much it will cost? I know RG knows what he is doing and I trust he will do exeptional work and it will be worth whatever price he decides to charge for this piece.

 

RG - I guess "ooh ooh ooh" doesn't count as an official "can I buy one off of you" sort of request? lol.

Whatever the future holds, thanks for your work.

 

I'm definitely in after I see the final product..

 

Please let me know what is up with this project... I am very interested in this... I had the same idea but haven't had the time to look real hard at it yet...

ispencer@darkyard.org

 

Just to let you guys know whee the current one stands as of right now, I worked on it again yesterday. eXentric came over with the camera. The piece looked good and I was working on getting it smoothened out with bondo so I could get the next mold made. When I test fitted it in the car the damn thing was warped and wouldn't fit right. It is very frustrating to have to redo something you have already done and hope you don't make the same mistake twice. If I mess up a second time I may have no choice but to cut into the original piece and mold from there. I am still trying to avoid this. Round 2...

 

What do u think??

 

sketter,

What are you using to patch into the Nav screen and how are you switching between video inputs?

 

Surrey what are you using to drive your display (Laptop or HKS type system) with the MazdaSpeed logo? Also what are you using to tap into your display (avelectronics?)

 

I found this pic on a web site, i presume its part of the mazdaspeed rx8, though this is what id like to have!!