FINALLY! A use for the ashtray, pics...

[Mark Young]

Ok, so if you're like me you've been stairing at the ashtray wandering what good its doing you. George (mgw) has the nice coin-holder conversion, but here's my take:

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and

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...and with the cover up:

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I removed the ashtray and made the spot into a switch panel with some aluminum to match my other mgw stuff. The space can hold 4 toggles with the red flip-up covers. The one on there now is for my cooling fan (kit from Sean Roe).

After checking the ViperDays rules matrix, I can still add smokescreen, oil slick, and front firing missiles (out of the fog light ducts on my ACR) without incurring any additional points.

If anybody wants to know more on how I did it (not real tricky) let me know. I think its pretty cool, a lot cooler than the stock ashtray at least! And, the whole thing can go back to stock with no holes left anywhere (not that that will ever happen!).

PS. If the images don't show up, let me know. Its the first time I'm trying Yahoo's photo album stuff.

 

[phiebert]

Hey, I like that. I want to mount a speaker phone for my cell phone in that hole too! I'd love your instructions on it Mark. And by the way, if you use viper.epikos.com you won't have problems with the pictures loading for people to view.

 

[dmora]

Thats rad!!! you installed 2 red "X"s!!!

Try again man... dont link the URL to your private mailbox folder.

 

[Dion Fisher]

I have the same switch in my car only it engages the NITROUS!!

 

[viperdoctor]

I have a suggestion for another switch: a bypass for the wiper blades and washer.

That way you don't accidentally turn on the wipers or washer since other cars use that same stalk for head lights.

 

[Mark Young]

Thanks to Tony for re-hosting the images, they should work for everyone now.

Here's how I did it:
I bought a sheet of aluminum at my local hw store. I can check on the thickness when I go home tonight but I think its about 1/24 of an inch. When I say 'sheet', it was about 8"x12". Its not shiny either, not exactly 'brushed' like my other mgw stuff but its close. I removed the ashtray - just open the door and pull it up - it comes right out. I made a pattern which matches the top of the ashtray. I cut two pieces of the aluminum using a big pair of tin snips. If you use a tiny pair you're going to get a bad cut. On one of the pieces, I used a dremel to round off the four corners and also smooth the entire edge. On the other piece I carefully layed out the switches with enough spacing and marked where all four holes would go. Since I only have one switch at the moment, I taped the two pieces together back-to-back and drilled the one hole I needed.

The only brief flash of ingenuity here is how to secure the plate in the hole. I then removed the entire dash piece which surrounds the ashtray and radio. Its just held in with pressure tabs, a little force and it'll pop out. Unplug the window switches and lighter so you can remove it. I flipped it upside down and placed the 'bottom' plate on the bottom of the hole. I just used some masking tape on all four sides to hold it where I wanted it. If you flip it right-side up and place the 'top' plate (the one with the rounded corners) on top of the hole, you'll notice you have an air gap of about 1/8" between the two plates. All I did was cut strips of double-stick carpet tape (the thick cushy kind, about 1/16" thick, doubled up to bridge the 1/8" gap). I placed the tape along the inside edges of the hole on the top side of the bottom plate. Then, just line up the top plate and it "sticks" to the bottom plate by the carpet tape in the middle. I hope this is making sense. (I should have taken pictures along the way but I wasn't sure it would work out).

You're making a pancake with the dash piece. One aluminum plate on the bottom, carpet tape in the middle, one aluminium plate on top. You put the toggle switch up through the hole from the bottom, place the rocker cover over it on the top, and screw the whole thing together with the toggle switch bezzle. It works perfectly, and there's no modification to the trim piece.

Anyway, if thats not clear or if people want me to make up some of these I'd be happy to. The switch I used I got from Summit with the red rocker cover (they're actually two separate pieces, you can order the switches/covers individually). Oh, and its real easy to run a wire to it through the dash.

That's it!

 

[SteveBCloud9]

Go speed racer.... go speed racer..... go speed racer goooooooo!!!

 

[Afy]

I actually use mine for..... Ash.. Smoker

 

[Sean Roe]

Nice job Mark!