Hey guys! Been a while since I popped in and said hey, though I keep track of things pretty well.

For Fathers Day, I got a wonderful present, a used 2007 Saturn Sky, which I must say has some of the most beautiful lines in a car since 1973 (IMO).

I am thinking a car like this needs a true James Bond makeover, so I am looking into heads up displays, carputers and some advanced controls. If anyone has some great ideas, let me know!

I spend more of my own attention on what's under the hood myself.

Well, there's no shortage of information here about small LCD displays, so that part is easy for displays. a HUD is basically a partial mirror in front of the windshield, so the trick is getting the LCD into the dash pad.

Most of the ECU sensors can be tapped into, and their values recorded by computer. http://pc104.winsystems.com/products/PCM-518.cfm -- A relatively simple 8 channel analogue input. This could then be connected to the temperature sender, oil pressure, tachometer, fuel level sender, or any other analogue senders in the car. you can tap into the facotry ones, or add in aftermarket ones if you like.

Get a USB GPS receiver. You can then integrate GPS navigation into the system. Oh, and speaking of USB, make sure that you extend at least one USB port to where it's convenient at the front of the car, so that you can plug in a flash drive or the like for your music. You'll also want an SATA cable for your CD/DVD drive. Those can be longer than the old IDE cables, so SATA is a better choice for the optical drive.

Naturally, you'll want MP3/CD/DVD playback from the car computer as well. All of this can be done from one computer system. I'd PROBABLY want multiple displays, say 2. One for HUD and one for Audio/Video playback, but this is relatively standard on many graphics cards.

Now get a decent alarm/starter combination set. (Or maybe get this first...) One with multiple functions. Remote trunk release, door lock, Power top, power windows...

The technical side of all this is relatively easy, it's the cosmetic that will be the majority of the work.

At 170 hp and 162 pounds of torque, I would spend your time & money on the engine, not on silly electronic gadgets. But that's just my (not so) humble opinion.

You will have a hard time with the carputer. There isn't much space in that car. Check if the AC is integrated with the radio, if so you would not be able to replace any of the elec without major surgery. However, if money is no object find a shop that has done carputers for that car and use their resources. It is $300-800 for the lcd, $500-whatever for the computer, and you need to fab nice installation parts like motorized lcd retraction and bezels and knobs, etc. You may want to do it, but if you know already how then you would not be asking, so I assume you don't know and therefore would benefit from a shop doing the R&D.

And I do have a carputer, and I can put an object on Pluto or make anything fly or float, and even so I may not be able to make it look good. So, this is the advice, with a car it is about fit and finish, which is where a good shop that has experience with the car is very useful.

Personally I'd go with tire rippers, a passenger ejector seat, revolving license plates and machine guns. I think the trailing oil slick is environmentally unfriendly though, so you might like to skip that one.

one word............. lsx

of course a pushrod motor is in no way a cool gadget but at least it will pump out the power. I am all about clean lines and power... so cool gadgets is really not my thing... which begs the question... why am I posting in this thread? Answer is simply I am happy for you that you got a car that you love. Awesome

@Inlinetwin: Well, given that people here seem to know a thing or two about small LCDs... Besides, I don't think that it was price that is necessarily the problem.

I know that many newer GMs had the radio integrated with things like the headlight and door chimes and such. For those cars an extension harness was available to put the stock unit int he trunk or elsewhere. This should be no different. A quick check of crutchfield.com shows a GM factory data bus interface as needed. It sells for $129 USD. (50% off if you buy a deck at the same time, apparently.) This is to keep the OnStar and door chime functionality, so I'll assume that this vehicle is the same.

So basically, there's no problem with getting aftermarket electronics into the car.

The Carputer is still not going to fit EASILY. As mentioned there isn't exactly a ton of trunk space in that vehicle, however, using a mini ATX motherboard, you can make the computer pretty small, and have more than enough processing power for DVD/MP3 playback. Probably even Blu-ray playback without a lot of difficulty. There are more than enough options out there for very compact systems.

See, now I always know this gang is good for some wise (+acre) advice.

Seriously, though, thanks Supra et al, those are some good starting points. The car is pretty new to me, obviously, so I am getting to know her slowly.

As much as I would LOVE a stage II turbo (Hahn, ups it to ~280hp) or even to drop in an LS2 engine (which some have done for 400hp), those cost a good bit of change. Course, carputer ideas cost some bucks too, but it is more like $4000/$5500 vs $1200 for an electronics upgrade.

In the true spirit of crawl, walk, run ... I have upgraded my Blackberry 8300 to v 4.5, so as a start, I can get 16gb of music integrated in phone, gps, browser, email and sms ... all by just finding a spot for the phone. The head unit has a front mounted aux in. Another possibility would be a dash mounted Archos 9" tablet that is coming out soon. But, since my company pays for all the BB gadgetry, and it IS a small vehicle, maybe that will suffice.

It does open up some thoughtlines ... like maybe a Frogpad for texting on the go. Maybe the mount for the BB could be on the left side windshield pillar? Hmmm

Hahn Turbo Kit
LS2 Engine

I am also thinking of some kind of design nod to Firefly. "Burn the land, boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me"
Maybe get the vanity plate [SRENITY]

No love for tire rippers?

I thought you wanted James Bond.

LOL! Actually, I got confused about the conversation. You see, I was JUST having that conversation today with some guys I work with (IM'ing that is), so I thought I had replied to that part. Different venue.

YES! Tire spikes, changing license plate, champagne chiller ... all the good stuff!

We were actually contemplating what it would take to have a pneumatically launched micro-RC copter pop out of the car and hover overhead with a webcam during traffic stops. Pull to stop, phoooosh! Buzz buzz buzz .... go ahead officer, taze me for the folks on Youtube.

Dude....no ejection seat?

Tactile transducers and a really nice stereo are your starting points. The problem you develop with a car with a lot of fancy do-dads is that it attracts vultures and strippers more easily.
IF YOU CAN, I would suggest stealth rather than flash. Your car will already attract a lot of attention, especially from authority figures and opportunists. IE Cops and Thieves.

You want to tone down the flash and add some serious stealth articles. If I remember right, the dash on that thing is nearly solid with panels so you might have to get creative. Losing the ashtray is the best start you can make..trust me on this.

Now the carputer....honestly...why do you need a carputer? Are you really going to work on spreadsheets on the road?
Most people think they need one (only to find out that the car stereo they got for 300 dollars will do the same thing), spend 1000 bucks then never use it because it can be a hassle to load music.

Nearly all the carputers I have seen are nothing more than glorified jukeboxes and most people just load an mp3 list and hit shuffle. So why not invest in a car stereo that has a a built in LCD that can play DVD? Then all you do it load up a DVD with music and pop it in. The USB interfaces are very handy as well. My rig does mp3, wma and a few other formats from disc. Looking back on it, I should have opted for the USB key.
Can you say blackberry dock in the ashtray slot with a nice stereo to back it up? I thought so.

There are two reasons I usually opt for stereo first. 1. I like good sound. 2. It can be turned off and it can be concealed. You cant hide body modifications and other things that attract attention, but you can turn off the stereo and pocket your head unit. Want attantion? put the roof down and blare some tunes on the road. Want to ride low? turn it off and cruise slow.

Now I have to say this and it WILL Piss some people off, but displays for video really have NO PLACE inside the drivers field of vision.
Its too much of a friggin safety hazard. Im fairly certain that displays have led to more than their fair share of accidents.
There I said it.

I love ( and Im jealous...a little ) the idea that you have a new car and you are happy with it. I just felt the need to play devil's advocate for a few.

Sounds like a pride and joy car, which should be carefully thought out. As a former customizer, I have seen a lot of "buyer's regret" at mods done to cars that simply made it look cheesy.
Sure..a patchwork leather dash and matching seats SOUNDS cool...

But in the end it looked like a wildcat had attacked the inside of the car...

Figure out what you love about the car, what it needs and what you are willing to do. Then commit to it and have a good time. Just remember that if you ever have to sell the car, it may become tricky to find a good buyer.

I want more pictures. Can we get a close up of the center console?

Gratz on your new ride!

LOL ... no really SJ, don't hold back.

I agree with many of your points, though. My goal is subtle, elegant, yet personalized and unique. And above all, functional.

My entire family teases me a bit about having anything speedy, usually with comments regarding "why have that kind of power when you never go faster than the speed limit?" And to a large extent, they are right. So the power available from riding the higher rpm regions of the 2.4L usually gives me all I need.

Below is the cockpit picture (not mine, but identical).

Okay, depending on your level of comfort with custom body/dash work...

For engine work: If you've already got the turbocharged engine, then the first step is a boost controller. This will get you some quick and easy power boost, can probably get you past the 300HP mark, before more supporting modifications are required.

For my car, I upgraded the intercooler and fuel system before upgrading the turbocharger, and even then I made sure that everythine else was ready for hte additional power before cranking things up. But that's me, I'm very reliability concious...

I'd definitely upgrade the sound system. (Oh wait, I did that in my car, too!) I don't know about the tactile transducers... Those aren't as effective in a car, good old subwoofers are more effective, but of course take up space which is precious little in a small convertible. Still, a single 8" sub should be manageable, and will take up only a moderate amount of space.

For a carputer, if it were me, the stereo system that I have is more than adequate for my music tastes, and is, in fact likely to be superior to most carputers in terms of sound quality. I've built a computer that I was going to make into a carputer, but I've never installed. It was to have a few features that the stereo does not.

1. DVD playback. Okay, I could get a DVD playing stereo, and it would probably do the job perfectly well, but if it's just that, then it's not worth the expense to me, since I don't really feel that I need to watch DVDs in the car. It's just that if I were to install a carputer, it's easy enough to add this functionality, so I would.

2. Instrumentation. This is really the biggest thing that I'd want the computer for. I'd want to be able to log data from the sensors and correlate them to the tach, throttle position, airflow and manifold pressure. Being able to display various other instruments.

3. Connection to stand-alone engine management. I'm not using anything that will connect to a computer at the moment, however, many such systems are tuned using a computer, and having one built-in to the car would be convenient.

Sorry about that...I have been known to be slightly opinionated in my life...ahem.

There is just nothing worse than the horror on a man's face when he realizes that he just F#^%ed up his most favorite possession in the world.
I would spare you that pain.

Rocket launchers built into the fender line might be pretty nice. Just for a joke I put a few remote tubes under my friends Camaro with a nichrome wire band on the inside that he could short out from the cabin. It was perfect for launching bottle rockets from under the nose. Something to think about....

Well, I had a vent mount for a PDA, so I plunked that inside, then connected a car charger and a headphone jack male-male to the Aux in.

With the upgrade I did to the Blackberry, this gives me 16gb of storage, media playback (music/video), handsfree phone, and GPS turn-by-turn navigation (VZ Navigator) and internet access all in a tidy take-with-me package. Best thing about it? Company paid cell phone, YES!

If I like the functionality long-term, then I might play hide the wire. Pretty much everything I would ever listen to on a regular basis will fit in 8gb, leaving half the storage for other travel needs (planes and delays).

I agree with the instrumentation part, Supra. I would have a ball with writing a visual interface for showing the current engine parameters, etc.

Hmm I just had a wandering, pondering thought ...

The two round gauges on the Sky are speedometer (left) and tachometer (right). Now honestly, I never hardly look at the tach ... who does really? I, like most I think, shift by sound and feel. And I never get anywhere close to redline.

Which implies that this nice, dark, deep tube is a clear target for modification and use. And, it is right smack dab in the middle of driver vision central. Makes you go hmmmmmmm.

I would never do without a tach. It's not so important for daily driving, but if you're going to to any kind of performance driving, it becomes important. And, what's the point of doing performance modifications at all if you're never going to drive the car that way?

I don't need my tach to tell me when I'm getting to redline anymore, but it still is a good indicator of what the engine is doing, and it's useful for that, too. As you may have guessed, I LIKE instrumentation. I like knowing what the engine is doing, and what the engine control system is doing.

Oh, I am just thinking what I could do with that space. With a small, high rez screen there, you could display a LOT of instrumentation.

Rather than an enormous tach, maybe just a lighted edge to a circular display, with multiple pages of screens to display for all sorts of stuff. One of those could be an enlarged view of my Blackberry using an Impatica Showmate connection. I could then hack bluetooth keyboard buttons/trackball into the steering wheel. Then I could have pages for weather radar centered on my gps location, traffic data, traffic camera alerts, etc.

With some wise use of optics, I could also magnify the smaller square image in the "tunnel".

Or, even use a partially reflective mirror for the HUD effect with a small LCD screen laying flat within the tunnel.

And yes, tilting at windmills is one of my favorite hobbies.

We tried to save you...but obviously it's too late.

Why dont you just replace the instrument console with a larger LCD?
Most , if not all, of the interfaces for the instrumentation are electronic. You could handcraft a dash display that replaces the original and still retain the old one for proper restoration of the car for resale.
Dock interface for the BB in the dash and when the car is off, no one will be able to see anything but a large back hole.

The sexiness would be irresistable...
The mystery undeniable...

The bragging rights unbeatable.

You KNOW you want to.

SJ


( Yeah, Yeah, I know... But there wasnt really anything that was going to stop him anyway.. )

Were I to replace an instrument with an LCD, I'd probably replace them all.

I'd move the factory speedometer/odometer, since that's a legal requirement, but I'd keep it out of sight.

A pair of 8.9" LCDs would provide full instrumentation. (A single one would probably be enough for the display, but I'd do two.)

A glass panel would be very cool.

You know what would be even more cool? One of those Table PC interfaces!
How awesome would that be?
Drag your dash components around to suit your needs, maybe even have a custom profile for each driver? Then fold it down and show them the mechanical speedometer for verification and inspection.

Sweet!

You could be able to open windows too on the dash interface. (interface windows, not the glass ones)

And what about small pinhole-cameras around the vehicle. Smell something wrong? Check the underhood EngineCam. Run over something and worried about damage? Check the UnderCarriageCam. Wonder if your date is really a guy? Check the passengerside GloveBoxCam!


err ummm

Oh, now here are some good project ideas ...

This looks promising, though I am not sure it is reachable for a hobbyist/enthusiast.

Qnx Car

Blackberry update: By upgrading to v4.5 of the Blackberry software (latest release from Verizon, though 4.6 is out in Germany), I was able to make use of an 8gb micro SDHC card. I now have pretty much my entire album collection on the phone. I think I will be getting the Blackberry Bluetooth Audio Gateway soon, and see if I can just put that in the glovebox somehow to solve the wiring issues.

I am considering the DDMWorks supercharger options. They are over in South Carolina, and I have read a lot of their posts between members on the Sky Roadster forums.

Now to investigate more on pico projectors. I am very tempted to begin some experimentation with a curved mirror to pre-adjust for a significant keystone associated with a HUD projection coming from the driver side pillar. It sure seems like as bright a group of folks as we are on this board, we could come up with a decent HUD approach.

QNX rocks. Awesome platform for real-time instrumentation and control systems. It's one of the platforms that I'd consider running if I wanted to do my own engine management and integrented instrumentation interfaces.

So I'm assuming then that you don't have the turbocharged engine in your Sky, or else ther'd be no need for a supercharger.

I'd personally want to include a front mount intercooler with any forced aspiration solution, Basically take that tube that goes from the supercharger to the intake manifold and put an air-air intercooler on the front of the car. There should be a stock provision for an intercooler from the turbocharged engine. You could probably even get a stock intercooler from eBay or the like, from someone who has upgraded their intercooler for an aftermarket unit. (Though I'd be sure to price out aftermarket ones as well, as they might be cheaper.)

Thanks, Supra. From what I read, you are correct about the intercooler, though there appears to be some pretty good bundled pricing going on.

No, I do not have the "Redline", which is the turbo version. But that is fine with me. I am a start slow kind of guy anyway ... in the mod sense. This car gives me a GREAT looking and handling platform from which to build up ... and it was a steal in my opinion. I will have it paid off in no time, with plenty of cash to mod this great looking car with. And you feel a little freer with a used car out of warranty too.

My wife said today that "I never knew I could like riding in that car so much". Wife's happy, I am happy. I don't have to leave her at home! lol

Got the XM radio switched over today too.

What he actually heard:
"Go ahead and modify your car any way you want darling."

In most manly pursuits, thats what we call 'Tacit Approval'...

What does the blackberry output for audio?

@SupraGuy: Sorry, but I've seen the projects and the lcd usually goes in an diyer's box where it can't be seen, and in the car it becomes the focus of attention. It takes a lot of work to make it look good is my point. And no Crutchfield replacement will look as good as the factory dash because those plastics are even cheaper than the original GM parts. Also if the car is like my Mazda in addition to the $275 dash kit also there is a $75 amp kit that lets me keep the BOSE amp. With modern cars it is never as simple as it sounds.

Also, a mATX?? that thing is as big as the trunk. Anyway all the carputer guys are using ITX boards which are much smaller. Check out mp3car.com for the latest carputer gadgetry.


My question is why not just buy a netbook and toss it in the glove box?

and exactly how does that fit into the "James Bond Makeover" category?
Any schmuck can stick a notebook in their glovebox. Im thinking he wants to really personalize and create a masterpiece.

LOL too funny. I think what I am looking for is a way to prove what a car's capabilities SHOULD be. I guess its a list of values:

• The car becomes a projection of the driver in awareness and control
• Comprehensive musical envelopment as a part of the context of the driving experience
• No jolting menu navigations or distractions that rip one away from the joy of driving
• A rich set of sensors, feedback and control to the performance properties of the car
• A surrogate for the starship I don't have, period

Now my sights may be a bit high, but at least this is a car/platform I can see myself driving for the rest of my life ... it is that good on an interior and a sheetmetal basis.

"What does the blackberry output for audio? " -- it has stereo output through both a headphone jack and a bluetooth service.

Sounds like a "Magnum Opus" has begun incubation...we will be watching with interest..

True..true. but that schmuck will have better resale value and will enjoy the netbook more than a carputer and enjoy the car more in its oem form, which allows the driver to experience all the things listed in the post above and look way cooler to the ladies (ladies don't like ghetto mods, the good ones anyway). A car is not for life and you will sell it. It is an asset that depreciates in value even more quickly if you make obvious DIY changes.

Again: Go To A Professional. Money is no object, go to a professional, get help, seriously, don't destroy your interior. At least get advice from the local shop that has modded your car before. You will make mistakes, and they will be costly; now or later when you sell the car.

Every zip tie is worth -$100 and a panel change on the dash is -$1000 at resale time.

I don't know what you know so I can't say you don't know. However, if you are asking you probably don't know. Find encouragement here, but go to a shop.

I own a Mazdaspeed 6, which I love and is a car fanatics car. So don't mistake my advice, I love cars, and I love design challenges, but I also know this path and it takes an experienced hand to make it work well.



Anyway, I need more vodka.

Inline,
I totally agree with you on that. What I was trying to say in the upper posts was that mods can (and should) be made to cars, but it is very important to be able to restore the unit to factory condition with little or no fuss. When I sold car stereo, we always made special pains to tell the customer to keep their factory radio so we could swap it back in before trade in. Those Cheapy factory radios ( 85 dollar flat fee to repair) can be an 800 dollar deduction because it isnt OEM.
Plus we made a tiny profit off swapping out the radio.



Thats the quote from the man, so Im thinking he is probably going to do a "full investment" in the car. We have seen his work before so Im thinking this might be a real treat to watch.

I also second your suggestion to visit a few shops and get some opinions. The level of mods he is currently considering can only pay themselves off through extremely careful and well planned craftsmanship.

Maybe we will see this little "Silver Bullet" in a car show someday..
(Personally I would love to see a little skirting and a FAD on it, but the lines are fairly nice right now.)

SJ

@Inline: I agree with you on your points. I install car audio as a hobby, and have done many systems ranging from the extremely custom, to the "lease returnable" where the car can be restored back to factory. I didn't bother with a computer in MY car, because I'm not interested in in car video, and connecting a 160G iPod classic to the interface on my deck does everything that I could possibly need for MP3 capabilities. I also have more than enough money already invested in instrumentation that I don't want (or need) a 'glass cockpit' -- though I may consider it to replace all of the factory instrumentation.

However, in this case:

Resale value: Unimportant. Weldonjb has indicated that he plans on driving this car for the rest of his life -- or at least the rest of the car's life.

The idea also didn't seem to be about just making things work. The idea was "James Bond Gadgetry" in which case, heavily custom is the goal. Were I to design the systems for this, I would not be looking for a simple solution, I'd be looking for stuff that makes people say "That's COOL!" A 'glass cockpit' with integrated instrumentation, audio system, etc fills the bill. I'd design that as a complete (Or nearly complete) dashboard replacement. I'd leave the airbags alone, but that's about it. Dual LCD displays, one for the entertainment/GPS/Rear view camera/climate display in the center, and one for instrumentation, engine monitoring and driver alerts in front of the driver's position, possibly as a HUD.

I could suggest any number of things which could simply be bought and installed, but I didn't think that it fit the bill of what was being asked for.

Edit:

As for "paying off" I can tell you now that it never will "pay off" -- the money that I've spent on modifications to my own car I consider to be a straight expense. It's not an investment, it's the price that I'm paying to have more fun with the car. About the only car that you can "invest" in would be if you got yourself a classic in need of restoration, and then you MIGHT get money spent to RESTORE the car back out of it. Customisation and modifications to the factory car never increase the car's worth by more than a tiny fraction of the modification's cost, and even then, only to a buyer who wants that same modification done.

Oh, I am not too worried about the resale value here, that is for sure. You don't buy a used car with 50k miles on it and dwell on the next big step. I just made sure I got an incredible bargain on some incredible lines.

As for modifications, I am certainly not the greatest fabricator there ever was (fiberlass, paint, etc.), but I am really good at making money. So I can find people to do the work that I cannot. I am not sure exactly how much I want to mod the exterior anyway. I am thinking a subtle two port hoodscoop mod, a dual exhaust (the one is a little worn right now and the rear cries for a dual), sequential tail lighting, a center brake light mod of some kind, a lit wind reflector just behind the seats and maybe just a hint of lighting.

SJ, it was funny you said that about the tacit approval... my wife and I were driving around in the evening, and we spotted a chopper with a green light set. VERY nicely done, with only a slight wash of pavement glow. She looked at that, and said, "That actually looks pretty nice, you could do something kind of like that to this car."

So I am thinking a gentle blue glow from the quarter panel vents, and through the new hood when I get that in, with a VERY subtle undercarriage glow, and interior accent lights ... all where you might have to look twice to confirm they are there. That, plus a change out of the dash lights to blue from amber, and a dash gauge graphics replacement with a bit more intense lighting. A little hard to see sometimes.

So all in all, probably more personalized than modded in terms of re-fabrications. However, I still think a HUD of some kind with mediated reality would be kick. For instance, what if you had license plate recognition from small telescopic cameras around the exterior. You could put a slight glow on the windshield around friends ... or if you had access to a database of traffic violators, you could highlight cars to be careful around (futuristic, I know). With edge detection and an increased gain, you could also outline cars at night. I think Cadillac tried this some. Anyway, a HUD would be a great programming exercise, which IS in my particular "gifts"

you poor, poor man....

"Youre life, as it has been, is over. From now on you will service...us."

Locutus of Borg

Based on Supra's encouragement toward more under the hood expertise and attention, I have been educating myself on 21st century car engines and tuning. Just FYI, Summit Racing has a store right here at my exit off of I-75 south of Atlanta. I have driven by that place for 3 years, and now I finally went in. As I told my son today, I have never been in a store like that (except maybe a once randomly selected adult toy store) where I had no clue about what 90% of the merchandise was for!

Now, after some research, reading and discussions, a lot of it makes more sense. Why is a racing manifold different than stock? Better airflow, less resistance, less turbulence, etc. (yea yea, I know, LOTS more to it, but that is good for me!)

What is interesting is that it resonated with all the discussions about Stirling engine power cycles, etc. Traipsing off to read up on NACA air inlets was pretty cool too.

For performance upgrades, I am definitely thinking a stage II DDM supercharger kit with intercooler, possibly upgraded fuel injectors and a dual exhaust.

For bling factor, I am thinking a full Saturn badge replacement (hey, they drop the Sky, the Sky drops them), soft lighting from the faux vents, soft undercarriage lighting, a center brake light mod, a gauge dial and LED replacement, and a lighted and etched wind restricter.

I am still pondering the whole stereo setup. I am finding that on days when the top is not down, a backup camera might be real sweet and safer. The ragtop has some big blindspots in it. This leads me again to think about a center console dbl DIN screen option. With Bluetooth audio gateway capability in that, I would have a lot less wires to think about. I do have a concern about using a video-based radio setup in a convertible, however.

... ponder ponder

Oh, quick edit ... I also read up on the airbrush painting techniques used on the large model for the Enterprise used in the first Star Trek movie. Who knows, could come in handy.

Superchargers are a very good upgrade, but before you get carried away, you should really look for any wrecked turbocharged cars. You might be able to find a car that someone did something stupid in and wrecked the body, but the engine is in good condition.

You then take that turbocharged engine out of the donor car, put it on an engine stand, and build it up so that it meets any power goals that you may want. It may even cost you less than building up the engine in your car now, without the downtime.

This does, of course depend on you having the space to do the work, but lets you drive the car while working ont he upgrades to the motor. When you're done, it's a weekend or two of work to pull the current drivetrain, and drop in the upgraded and modified one. Minimum downtime is good!

I found with my own car that there were practical limits to what I could do with the non-turbocharged engine. Even had I spent the big bucks on aftermarket performance upgrades, I'd be a lot more money into the car, and have less power than I have now, from swapping in the engine and electronics from the turbocharged Supra instead. Even though the block and displacement are the same, the turbocharged engine has a lot more potential from the electronic management, and a lot further that it can go for ultimate power, and it cost less to swap in AND upgrade the turbo, fuel injection system and intercooler than an aftermarket turbo/supercharger system for the non turbo engine

So I am sitting here in a rocking chair overlooking the Smokie Mtns from a cabin at the very top of a mountain, and I have to say this has been an excellent trip ... particularly with the roadster. A smile has completely saturated my face all weekend as I jetted around twisty valley roads and plummeting switchbacks. We are up here for a week with my son and a few grandkids, and we are all having an absolute ball.

But the real kicker is the cheshire grin I see on my wife's face as she drives the convertible. I think it is a hoot that even though she picked up an Audi Q5 earlier this year, she has already brought out the "isn't it my turn?" comments and the pouty lips. And on the way home from Gatlinberg today, she got home so steamed at the "yokel that ruined her turn with the Sky" by driving too slow.

Best part of the day was watching the stream of cars coming down the strip in Gatlinberg, and seeing another Sky, and she said "I like that red ... are you going to repaint ours like that?" I think we now have something to share here. hehe I told her that maybe I would, when I put the supercharger in. She said, "Oh okay, that works".

You MIGHT want to consider the color change as being a negative. Red is a great color, but you pay for it in terms of increased insurance and easier notice by certain legal authorities. I have always preferred the "steathier colors"...I am particularly fond of anthracite grey...

Oh, I have had red cars pretty much all my life, and while I like accelerating, worrying about cops all the time takes the fun out of the drive for me, so I usually keep it well under the "why bother" limit for the average ticket writer.

She saw this picture of someone's candy apple red aspirations, and it reminded me of how much I dreamed of a candy apple red 72 Vette when I was a younger man. I actually like the lines of the Sky better, but that color .... mmmmm.

Here's a shot I took from the road by our cabins. The girls are off horseback riding. I am not a big fan of horseback riding myself. No key, no on button, no WiFi, and you can only "suggest" where to go.

Hmmmmm...wonder what that would look like with a very light gold pearl mist?

Gold + Red =

Over the grey/silver though, that would look totally hot.

It occurs to me that my insurance company doesn't actually know what colour my car is. They see "Toyota Supra" and that's about it. They don't even have a separate category for if the car is turbocharged or not.

The REGISTRATION says that the car is red (It is supposed to be, but it's currently a "work in progress" mix of red burgundy and black -- at least until I can get it painted.

I've been driving a red sports car for a very long time now, and I don't think that it gets the authorities attention any more than anything else now. The local police just tag everyone with their laser guns and if you're speeding, you get a ticket. If you're stunting, it doesn't matter what colour your car is either.

It does seem though that your exhaust system can grab their attention. After getting my exhaust done the first time, (Cheap cheap cheap) the engine note was louder and more aggressive. I remember seeing the cops stepping out from behind the laser, watching me, then looking back at the gun, and stepping back behind it. (Oh. He wasn't speeding after all.) That happened a couple of times, then I went and bought a new, quieter muffler.

So the girls all went horseback riding, and my son and I did the very American bonding experience. We went to Floyd Garrett's Muscle Car Museum!

Well worth the fee and the time. With all the reading I have been doing on engines, it was fascinating to see just about every configuration I had ever heard of ... plus some. And definitely no finer collection of sheet metal. Great afternoon.

What a gorgeous ride home it was. Top of the Smokies, 62F with the top down, with 1000ft gorges and rippling streams beside the road. Truly remarkable.

I found a fender lighting kit I am going to order. Nacelles!!

United States of Nannies

It appears that blue lighting ist verboten in Georgia due to laws related to police impersonation. blah blah whatever I could use red or amber I think, but I am not a big fan of amber. Red might look good though.

I also ran into a Bluetooth OBDII dongle. Now that kind of gadget might just be the ticket to provide updates for my HUD.

Yep. We have laws that we cant even upgrade the tint on our windows, yet every shop in the area sells window tinting as a service.
Now if you could have the car do a red shift to blue effect ....

Idleing... Deep red nacelles
(Something wrong officer?)

Speeding through wherever in full blue
(Warp 8!)

Idling...Deep red
( No Officer, these are red...see?)


Oh the fun you could have....

I can't see being able to get away with that.

Blue lights are illegal in most places in North America. I know that they are here, but that doesn't stop the local Ruce Boys from decking 'em out on their cars... Come to think of it, it doesn't stop the rednecks from putting 'em on their pickup trucks either...

There are also restrictions on red lights. They can only be on the rear of the vehicle. The sole exception to that is the rear side marker light. They can't be forward of the quarter panels.

Therefore, HERE, the only legal option for those lights would be amber. Bleah.

Window tinting is okay here... So long as the window is behind the driver. You can paint 'em black if you like then, so long as you have your side mirrors. Nothing on the front door windows or of course the windshield -- unless the car left the factory that way. My car has a subtle tint from the factory, but it's really mild. The rear windows are all tinted quite dark.