My 04 Grande Build-up!

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

I have been sussing out my next project and after a couple of checks i can go ahead with it knowing it will all work..

It is going to be on-board air. Involved modifying the air intake a little and relocating some wiring in the engine bay to fit the air compressor, then under the car at the rear mounting an air tank which will JUST fit and then plumbing it all up so that it can be turned on with a switch in the cab and have an air outlet front and back.. Started buying the parts so once i have them all the install will begin.

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

I have just purcahsed the remaining parts for my on-board air system so hopefully that will turn up by the end of the week and next weekend i can get stuck into it..

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

Yesterday I mounted the compressor and ran the airline to the rear. Today I have to grab a couple of extra fittings and mount the tank and plumb it all up. I still have to order the switch for it though so won't be running today but won't have much left to do.

I also gave it a wash and clean inside so today after mounting the tank I'm going to jack it up, pull the wheels off and repaint the inner guards as replace the rubber inners aswell then I'm going to clay lock and polish it... Hopefully will get some photos up later

[Hoofy Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Hoofy]

Nice build jhiace...CF looks great. Did it cost you a lot and where did you get it done?

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

Hoofy - thanks mate. The CF wasn't very expensive and I did it all myself but most songwriters could do it for you.

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

Heres a little update,

The aircompressor is mounted and so is the tank, i havent wired in a switch yet OR the cut off switch but that will be done shortly. To fit the aircompressor i had to cut off one of the mounts on my air inlet pipe which means replacing it with something smaller so the compressor would butt up nearly on the pipe. I used a downpipe bracket coated in heat shrink, looks tidy.

Because there isn't much room around the compressor all the wiring that is very close to is has been covered with dynamat heat/sound deadener which should protect them from anything going wrong. The airtank mounting was a breeze, bolts were already there in place so just bolted straight in. Its a 6L tank which is helpful when inflating the tyres etc.

I also gave the car a good wash, clayblock and polish and it come up a treat. I pulled the wheels off and with a couple of cans of gloss black resprayed the wheel wells, fuel tank and front bash plate so it's all shiny and new-looking. You'll also notice in the front the rubber that sits in the guard to protect the engine in gone, thats because its perished and i am going to on my next day off remake it with some better rubber.

Heres a few pics of how its looking today (tyres are nearly stuffed so some nice 32" muddies will be on it soonish as well as a roof top LED lightbar)

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

I've now started making the rubber inner guards with some rubber I picked up at Clarke rubber... Not a hard job but looks good and will definately protect the engine from bebris.

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

The switch for the compressor turned up today (thanks again to Ian at customrockers) and it looks great!

Hopefully next weekend I'll get a chance to fit it and the relay and wire up the pressure switch in the air tank.

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

Yesterday i wired in the switch in the dash for the Air compressor, relay and pressure switch. All works well and is a great help when pumping the tyres up.. The tank obviously doesn't hold enough to pump the tyre completely from flat but the compressor keeps pumping air in fast enough and when you stop to move to the next one by the time you start again the tank is full.

Will get some photos later but the switch isn't very exciting.

[speed_racer Member Find all posts View Profile Close speed_racer]

I also did the silver panels in the doors that house the electric window switches, they were worn in places and looked tatty

Hey JHiace, when you did these panels did you actually remove the whole door trim? I was trying to do the same to mine , but they seem very firmly stuck to the door trim and i didn't know if it was a piece that 'snapped out'

[jhiace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jhiace]

Racer, I can't honestly remember.. I know the dash ones pop off but I have my doubts about the door ones. If you have tried and they don't pop off easily then they must have been screwed in from behind.

I'd check but my car isn't home at the moment..