I had a Retrosound unit and slim mount Morel Speakers installed. I also had the cigar outlet swapper for USB ports (port 1 goes to stereo, port 2 is ignition switched charging).
I’m not sure how the stock speakers were installed width wise, but the Kenwoods mine came with stuck out a good inch. Moving to the flush mount Morels, I gain some valuable foot space and I’m not hitting the speaker all the time.
I do have a slight voltage issue on idle (radio breaks up) but no issues while driving. The installer will be finding a solution (probably some voltage regulation and a capacitor).
So here are pics of the car after the install and a full paint correction detail followed by a ceramic coating.
The color has really grown on me. When I bought the car I really wanted BRG or Regency Red but I found this car that was everything I wanted and decided I could live with the blue. Again, I have become fond of it and it does stand out a bit from the crowd.
I like that blue. its a great period color that fits the era. While I am partial to Regency red only because thats what I have, there seem to be a lot of red E’s at every meet or show. I love when a period color like your blue shows up. I think the colors like yours or the willow green are unique.
and yours has a great shine going on too!
The gloss on the paint is beautiful!! Did you do the ceramic coating yourself or did you have a shop do the prep and apply the ceramic coating? I’ve been considering the application of a ceramic coating and would appreciate your thoughts on the coating and it’s application.
I used a professional for the detail and coating. He has done all my cars (5) now. The coatings are amazing and I highly recommend them. Like everything the key is prep. The detailer did a full detail and then a claybar and buff. Then the ceramic application. He spends about 8hours a car.
It keeps the car cleaner and makes it much easier to wash. The coatings are good for about 2 years. There is no peeling or ill effect when they start to go, just dirt starts sticking to the car like it did pre-application. I think on our E-Types it may provide some protection from harsh road grime that may promote corrosion.
There are a ton of brands/formulas but my guy currently uses Gtechniq EXO V4 (Version 4 2018 release). He re-evaltues the stuff annually and this is his current selection.
I can’t really comment on how DIY it really is as I know I would screw it up :-). For local recommendations I bet your local cars and coffee club could give you a ton of leads (unless you are in DC area and I can share details).
I am very tempted to go with ceramic. I had my car painted last summer and then drove it in October on the Oil Leak trip in Arizona and Utah. Then back to Austin. I am still cleaning it up and I have splattered bugs everywhere.
I’m curious how much work it will be to do the whole thing myself. I do have access to a tech school that provides detailing and paint repair. The instructor is interested in wooing more in the area of long term paint protection. He’s also interested in ceramic coating so I told him I would buy the coating and we could work together to determine how difficult the application is and then monitor the car to see how well the coating holds up to Missouri weather. You’re correct when you say there are many brands. I’ve checked the one you refer to and it has very good ratings. There are many others with similar ratings as well. I’m probably going to rely on advice from the tech school instructor and go from there. Hopefully later this spring I can post pictures similar to the ones you’ve posted.
Best of luck, I’m sure you’ll do a great job. A few notes I’ll pass along that I’ve been told:
-There is a 24 hour cure time
-Different brands apply differently. Some are very thick and more difficult, others go on easier
-watch how thick you apply the coating. You want level coating all around.
-try not to apply in high humidity
-when in doubt, use a fresh towel
It’s cool you have access to that tech school, I’m sure with patience and elbow grease, you will knock it out of the park.
David that’s a very neat installation of the radio console especially with the A/C evaporator which looks like the one from Classic Auto Air (formerly Retro Air). Did you have much difficulty in getting everything to fit into such a small space.
Did you install the radio into the console and then squeeze the console under the evaporator.
How effective is the A/C; are there any spitting issues?
The AC is a retro/classic air. I’ve had it installed twice by two different professionals and still don’t have it sorted. I hope to get it finished this weekend by pro#2 but spitting and leaking has been an enormous problem. I have a thread on this that states at this point I can’t recommend the unit. I hope we get it all sorted but until I do, I stand by my non-recommendation.
Honestly, the AC has cost me 4x what I thought it would and it’s still not satisfactory. It snowing now in DC so even if tomorrow’s work fixes it I may not know for a while.
My car was a factory AC car. The center console is a tight fit but it will squeeze on there. You can see some leather nicks on the shift surround as a result of all the AC/Center console wringing. I plan on getting that patched after everything is running to my satisfaction.
Ok, after a few long drives, the Retrosound stereo was not really cutting it. The interior cabin noise especially with the AC was just too much to overcome. The unit goes to volume 46 and that was needed to hear anything (not loudly just to make out sounds).
We have added an amp under the passenger seat, but the head unit was distorting at around volume 36 and that’s where we wanted to be.
My stereo guy has some ideas he is cooking up so stay tuned. Also, may have a Retrosound unit available at a super steep discount.
I’m a car cleaning fanatic. I bought a spray bottle of Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax this weekend and did two cars. You wash the car, rinse it, spray the stuff on while the car is wet, then rinse again and dry the car. I used a microfiber cloth to evenly spread the spray before I did the final rinse. I’m impressed, it works. The cars look great.
