Long Overdue Progress! Doors Finished 3/17/26

[BBShark]

I actually did put the carpets in front of a space heater. But I don't know that it helped. No excuse for making the carpet behind the storage doors too short.

I'm doing the front carpets next. ACC glues a thick jute pad on the carpet. I found that removing that makes the fit better but still not great. I cut some pie slices in it to help it conform on the sides. Good thing half of the front carpet will be covered with seats!

Is ACC the only choice for carpets?

 

[bobs77vet]

Next is figuring out how to install 3 point seat belts in a convertible.

it seems like it would have to be just behind the seats so it didnt interfere with the covertible top

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I've been considering your carpet problem - make the car faster is my suggested solution.... the only person who would see it is cops - and cops don't care about carpet length (well, at least none that I know care)....

 

[BBShark]

Next is figuring out how to install 3 point seat belts in a convertible.

it seems like it would have to be just behind the seats so it didnt interfere with the covertible top

It will work, I think. Clearance with the top down is limited. The attachment of the belt loop might be a little contorted. I'll find that when I can put the seats in. That what started this. I was ready to put seats in and realized I needed to put carped and seat belts first. :crap:

I was lucky to find modern/aftermarket belt that would work with a horizontal (inertia locking) retractor.

 

[BBShark]

Installed most of the carpet (except driver side). That's next. Installed the part of the shoulder belt that attaches under the seat and installed my first seat! I can now sit in the car and imagine I'm in a fully functional car.

 

[bobs77vet]

I wish my c5 seats looked that good!

did you reupholster them your self? i hear its quite doable

 

[BBShark]

I bought those seats about 10 years ago and they were in great condition as is. I was thinking of re-doing them but really couldn't justify the cost.

It's starting to look like a real car :beer:

 

[mfain]

Looking really good!!!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

those fit your car so well.... awesome!

 

[BBShark]

Completed the carpet install and both seats. The car is now looking like a semi-functional car rather that a project. Amazing what seats will do.

 

[BBShark]

So going back to my (poorly done) carpet installation in the rear cargo area, I decided to conceal the 4" gap and the wrinkly wheel well carpets with a giant speaker box! Had to cover the back where the 4" gap was and the lift/hinge area. Here is the roughed out box.



Seat belt shoulder retractors done. Still need to figure out the shoulder strap loop design.

 

[rtj]

Looks nice, you’ll have a really stunning convertible soon.

 

[vette427sbc]

Looking great! What’s your plan with the speaker box? Looks like 2 10’s and some 5.25’s?

 

[BBShark]

I had not planned on anything special for the sound system. I have tried to keep myself on the path of getting this car on the road first. But this diversion was caused by the carpet installation. A functional car needs seats but carpet comes before seats and seat belts come before carpet.

I wanted modern seat belts with a shoulder strap and that took a few false starts before I got something that would work. Then the carpet installation went south because the ACC carpet was too short in the back and the pieces that go over the wheel wells were a mess. So that's were the speaker boxes came in. They will cover the badness of the carpet! The trick was making the box clear the stowed convertible top.

There are 2 10" subs and 6 1/2" speakers next to them. The fronts are 6 1/2" either mounted in the kick panels or the doors. Doors are the next thing to work out.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

love the fix... apparently I give up 2 points not having a stereo in my C3... which I don't care about, except at least one track I plan on going to announces via FM radio....

 

[bobs77vet]

looks great and thats going to sound great, it must take some big amp to drive all that, do you have that sourced yet?

 

[BBShark]

I have all the stuff bought already. It's been a long time since I put a stereo in a car, at least 30 years ago. I was really surprised at how reasonable the cost was for speakers etc.

The head unit is a JVC with 4x50w output and a 600w sub amp. I'm not really looking for a thumping output that rattles the car. I'm just trying to move some air to get a decent sound in a convertible (with is difficult). And, cover up my lousy carpeting.

 

[bobs77vet]

I was surprised at how much sound insulation they put in the doors of the C5.


i had to replace the mirror that got broken before i bought the car and they had insulation every where and every opening closed up on the door.

 

[BBShark]

I've been working on the doors for a while now trying to figure out how to make them less aggravating. I have one year only 68 doors. 68 doors are one year only for good reason. The door handle is nothing more than a recessed finger perch to pull the door open (after you push in the top cover). 69 and up actually unlatches the door when you push the cover in. To unlatch the door you push the lock cylinder with your thumb.

Most if not all modern cars have electric actuators on the latches plus a bunch of other electric stuff. So that got me thinking why not put a switch on the handle that operates a solenoid and lock the door with a keyed switch?

Here is a picture of a mock up switch on the handle and the keyed "lock" switch.



Interesting about the C5 doors. I would like to do that with my doors so they don't sound tick a bucket of scrap metal when you close the door. I am gutting the doors to install new regulators and I expect it will be pretty easy to put some Dynamat in them.

 

[bobs77vet]

nice switch

 

[BBShark]

I tried every kind of switch in there but needed something less than 1/4' tall. The switch your looking at is made from the contacts of a pickup selector switch from an electric guitar.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

that's really cool... I wish I had electrical skillz.

 

[BBShark]

My electrical skills are pretty poor really. It takes me forever to figure this stuff out.

If I had the skills you have, I would have been driving this car a long time ago!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

My electrical skills are pretty poor really. It takes me forever to figure this stuff out.

If I had the skills you have, I would have been driving this car a long time ago!

none of my problems are electrical.... there is good reason for that :3rd:

 

[BBShark]

Got the speaker box done finally. This was a lot more involved than I had thought it was going to be. Its been maybe 40 years since I ever did anything with a car stereo. This officially is my last car stereo project!

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

love it

 

[bobs77vet]

looks awesome, nice job

 

[phantomjock]

Something that nice looking - ought to sound nice too. Here's hoping it doesn't attract too much "investigation" - else the carpet shows- again!

I missed what you used for the finish. Looks wrapped - paint? Very well done. Ought to really put the tunes out with the T-Tops off!

Cheers - Jim

 

[BBShark]

The finish is actually Rustoleum Truck Bed Coating. It was way easier than wrapping it with carpet.

This is going into a convertible. An open area is really difficult to get decent sound. You have to move a lot of air and that means power and multiple speakers. I guess I was lucky in that the (bad carpet) area I wanted to cover was large enough to properly "size" the volume required by these speakers.

 

[bobs77vet]

The finish is actually Rustoleum Truck Bed Coating. It was way easier than wrapping it with carpet.

you know I thought that when I saw it......i used it on the helicopter sheet metal floor and seat and then i sprayed it White. i was impressed with how uniform the spray was.

I could see using that for inside of wheel wells that get beat up by rocks and sand