Here's an idea I had, borrowing from some other forums. Anyone can post tips here. For example...

Three things I learned about doing bondo work...

1. Don't wait for the filler to completely harden. There's a stage right before that, where it sands like cheese. You'll save TONS of time.

2. Since #1 is a farily small window, work the filler in small areas.

You'll get the feel for both #1 and #2.

3. Get different colored fillers, or get some gel coat tints to mix in the filler. Do each layer with a different color, so you can always tell how far you've sanded.

If this gets going, maybe we can sticky it. Other topics could be particularly difficult cars to install on, etc.

Toby

 

i've noticed that bondo trick due to my impatience...works great

 

-Use a flathead screwdriver on amp/crossover terminals rather than a phillips when applicable. It won't strip the head nearly as easily.


-Use an open torch or heat gun *very carefully* to remove light scuffs and scrapes on dash/plastic pieces.


-A little WD-40 to remove tar/gunk/stains from seats and carpets.




I'll post more as it comes to me.

 

Taping stereo harnesses impresses customers who think it looks stock.

Never install stuff people bought off ebay without testing it first in front of them.

And, Always hook the illumination wire up - Its a super cool feature some people never get to enjoy.

 

illumination wire?

 

Dimmer.

And for Toby's number 1. True, when you can scratch it with a tumbnail, and it looks hard..sand. Sand your damndest right then.

For my tips.

Red MEKP and dispenser is the best thing since sliced bread, if you are going to do a lot of glassing.

You dont have to wait for one layer to dry to add another. If i'm building up a small secion, I will do 4 layers or so on one spot withone mix.

Do build up seams inside a box, rip apart chop matt and mix it in with bondo. Add hardener for the bondo, and then mash it in to the corners. That shit is concrete when it dries.

You can mix bondo and fiberglass resin, with resin hardener and get a pourable bondo that will self level. It will get pinholes, but it starts out a lot smoother.

 

Capacitors, alternators, and batteries...

Without going in to the whole 'cap or no cap' argument, there are a couple of things worth pointing out:

1. If you decide to go with a cap or an extra battery, it should be placed as close to the load (biggest amp) as possible.

2. Always use substantial power and ground wires...4 ga minimum

3. Adding a cap or extra battery is no replacement for using quality power and ground cable of the correct size, and quality connections

4. Caps and / or extra batteries only do so much...at some point, the alternator will have to be upgraded.

5. Unless you have a totally seperate electrical system for your stereo (seperate alternator, battery, etc.), your headlights may still dim on big bass notes, regardless of how many caps or batteries you have, or how big your aftermarket alternator is. There is still only one source for power. Kind of like when someone flushes the toilet while you are in the shower...the cold water pressure drops due to it being used elsewhere. Same in your car. When the bass hits, the 'water pressure' (voltage) drops, which causes your lights to dim. The extent and duration of the drop will depend on how much current your amp needs at that point, the rate at which it needs it, how fast your alternator can recover, etc., but they will still dim.

Toby

 

Here's a ghetto one....

Glue and sawdust as a replacement for caulk/sealant. Now ofcourse, if you have access to the real stuff, go for it, but in a time of great need it works pretty well.



Make your own noise reducing speaker wire (looks cool too). Take two equal strands of 16 guage (or whatever you want) insulated wire, tie them together at an anchor point and tighten the other end in the chuck head of your drill. Spin them until the two strands are twisted securely.

 

^^^ and order 100ft of cat5 cable off ebay - its twisted pair and theres three layers of aluminum shielding. Since its made to carry a 500mv signal several hundred feet with no signal loss, you can be assured it will perform similarly in yoru car.

Solder some RCA ends from radio shack on and you have $100+ set of RCAS built to whatever length you want.

 

hmm 100ft of UTP CAT5..... 9 bucks (plus 4 for shipping) roughly 13 bucks

vs

100ft untwisted pair of 18ga speaker wire - 20 bucks not including shipping.



then again cat5 cables are thin as crap, like 24-26ga or something vs a modest 18.