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Seat Belt Mod?; Hate my door-mounted belts
Topic Started: Jul 21 2013, 12:24 AM (5,179 Views)
perfesser
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Elite Member - Former Metro owner

I found out why my buckle quit working! :'( :x

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This red part is the release button. The left end in this pic is the part we always push to unhook the seat belt. The uneven white line shows where the plastic recently broke off. The little piece was jammed in the buckle mechanism. No way no how was it gonna play nice with me! Can't now, though! It suffered somewhat from the disassembly process!! :die :die
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

PTA2PTB
Nov 17 2013, 01:24 PM
perfesser
Nov 17 2013, 12:20 PM
I couldn't find a decent seat belt that wanted to part company with its car, so I switched to Plan B and took a couple of latches instead. Took 15 minutes to change out the latch and I still have a spare, just in case. Haven't given up on the idea, just moved it back in priority. Still want to get rid of the door mounted belts, but first I'm going to replace shocks, struts and springs, wire in a small amp and new speakers, install the tach and vacuum gauge, build a console, ...
Ahh. OK - path of least resistance. :thumb Guess I'll keep searching for one, then. I keep hoping to latch onto one that the owner isn't quite as attached to as what I've been encountering.

Replacing your old worn out struts, and switching to the lowered springs, will make a huge difference in the ride quality and handling of your car; I know it did for mine. Also, if you haven't done it already, be sure and put a set of sway bars on it. That did as much to improve the handling on mine, as did replacing the struts and chopping the springs.

Actually, I'm in the hunt for a replacement gauge cluster w/tach for my car, right now. I figure, as long as I've got the dash tore out of it, this would be a good time to do that upgrade, too. I found one for cheap, that has a boogered up lens, that I'm tempted to pop on, I just don't know if I can swap the lens from my, non-tach equipped, cluster, to put on the replacement one. Anyone know?

My policy is almost always "there has to be a way". The lens is a different material so it was attached somehow. If it wasn't glued then it should be replaceable. The factory saves money by making as many parts identical as possible, it's why the wiring for options not on the car are in the loom. If the lens can't be swapped then the lens is repairable. 1000, 2000 and 2500 grit wet sandpaper will smooth deep scratches and you can use 400 and 600 if absolutely necessary. I have polished the fog left over from sanding with a Dremel, but it is somewhat tricky and you have to use the correct pad. DO NOT use a felt pad, it will cut into the plastic. You need to use a rag type pad. a better option is at harbor freight. They have a kit with a 2 or 2 1/2 in pad holder and 1 or 2 yellow foam polish pads but also a wool polish pad. Chucked that into my angle die grinder and polished out the scratches from removing the bumps on the inside of the taillight. And because I am a nice guy, http://www.harborfreight.com/3-mini-buffing-accessory-kit-69335.html is what I used!! :D :thumb

MMM
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Mythstae
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PTA2PTB
Nov 17 2013, 01:24 PM
Actually, I'm in the hunt for a replacement gauge cluster w/tach for my car, right now. I figure, as long as I've got the dash tore out of it, this would be a good time to do that upgrade, too. I found one for cheap, that has a boogered up lens, that I'm tempted to pop on, I just don't know if I can swap the lens from my, non-tach equipped, cluster, to put on the replacement one. Anyone know?

I think the hole for the shaft to reset the trip-meter is in a different place from non-tach to tach clusters.
Unless your original cluster didn't have a trip-meter, in which case... drill a hole, very carefully?
Don't forget to move the little rubber grommet from one lens to the other. (It goes around the reset shaft.)
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JADEDSL2
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Resident WraithSlayer

Mythstae
Nov 17 2013, 05:06 PM
PTA2PTB
Nov 17 2013, 01:24 PM
Actually, I'm in the hunt for a replacement gauge cluster w/tach for my car, right now. I figure, as long as I've got the dash tore out of it, this would be a good time to do that upgrade, too. I found one for cheap, that has a boogered up lens, that I'm tempted to pop on, I just don't know if I can swap the lens from my, non-tach equipped, cluster, to put on the replacement one. Anyone know?

I think the hole for the shaft to reset the trip-meter is in a different place from non-tach to tach clusters.
Unless your original cluster didn't have a trip-meter, in which case... drill a hole, very carefully?
Don't forget to move the little rubber grommet from one lens to the other. (It goes around the reset shaft.)
If their car even has a grommet. Mine never did. :)
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

Thanks, MMM & Mysthae.

The seller describes the lens as,"fogged". I don't know if that just means that it has condensation built up behind it, or if it means that it's scratched up. I'm betting on the latter. Since people, apparently, take them apart all the time, to do things like white-decal overlay the gauges, I'm assuming it'll just pop apart? I just wasn't sure if I could use my old one, if my attempts to buff out the scratches in the replacement's lens proved less than satisfactory. I forgot about having to drill the trip-meter reset hole in mine, which I would have to, but that's no biggie. Actually, I'm in want of it as much for the tripmeter feature, as I am for the RPM readout.

I get $.55 per mile reimbursement from my employer whenever I use my car to go to a jobsite, which freak'n awesome, when your'e averaging 44mpg, but always having to remember to write down my starting and ending mileage, is a royal PITA.

Since the seller deals in used Metro parts, I'm hoping he'll have a "B pillar mount style" seatbelt to sell me, too, so I can save on the shipping charges by combining purchases.

I'm off work the whole week of Turkey Day, so, at least it is my plan, anyway, to try and tackle a whole bunch of my, Metro related, SPODA's, while I'm off. (I spoda do dis, and I spoda do dat) :deal
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

My pleasure :thumb :thumb :D :D
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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

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Nov 17 2013, 05:39 PM
I get $.55 per mile reimbursement from my employer whenever I use my car to go to a jobsite, which freak'n awesome, when your'e averaging 44mpg, but always having to remember to write down my starting and ending mileage, is a royal PITA.
Can you get permission before hand to use Google Maps if you forget? :dunno They trust you to write down the start/end numbers, why not use Google and just give the mileage?
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PTA2PTB
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I'm totally awesome! I swear.

Bad Bent
Nov 18 2013, 12:15 AM
PTA2PTB
Nov 17 2013, 05:39 PM
I get $.55 per mile reimbursement from my employer whenever I use my car to go to a jobsite, which freak'n awesome, when your'e averaging 44mpg, but always having to remember to write down my starting and ending mileage, is a royal PITA.
Can you get permission before hand to use Google Maps if you forget? :dunno They trust you to write down the start/end numbers, why not use Google and just give the mileage?
I don't really need permission, as they take my word for whatever I put on my monthly expense report. And as such, I try to be a stickler about honest reporting. Many times I have forgotten to write it down and had to resort to Google Maps to figure out the distance of my travels. It's not so bad when it's a simple Pt. A to Pt. B and back again, type trip, but when it involves multiple stops, as mine often do, then it gets a bit more confusing to try and tabulate.

Another compelling reason for wanting a trip-meter, is that I like to keep track of how many miles I've got on a tank of gas. Until I get around to one of my next SPODA's, dropping the gas tank and cleaning out the sludge and installing a new fuel pump, strainer, and fuel filter, I have to start looking for a petrol station, after I've burned 7 gal (gone 300 miles) from a tank.

Much as I'd like to try and tackle that chore, and get it over with, while I'm off work next week, the sloping gravel driveway of my mountain abode is not place for that. I'll probably wait and try to do it one night after work, in the warehouse/shop of where I work.
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Bad Bent
Nov 18 2013, 12:15 AM
PTA2PTB
Nov 17 2013, 05:39 PM
I get $.55 per mile reimbursement from my employer whenever I use my car to go to a jobsite, which freak'n awesome, when your'e averaging 44mpg, but always having to remember to write down my starting and ending mileage, is a royal PITA.
Can you get permission before hand to use Google Maps if you forget? :dunno They trust you to write down the start/end numbers, why not use Google and just give the mileage?
That's what I would always do when turning in expense reports. You can't argue with Google maps. Close enough for me, and the accounting department has a piece of paper to file with the rest of the stack.

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