The Octane Project
- Thread starter 97 Octane
- Start date
kaha
Dedicated LVC Member
I read this thread every time I need to get all psyched up and inspired to go out and do some work on my own Mark. :lol:
danny_holtermann
Dedicated LVC Member
i would be careful and watch those struts you drilled into, im pretty sure when those holes are drilled they are flow drilled and not drilled with bits
In this segment, I will show you Part-1 of what was done to the interior.
After I took out the seats, center console, seatbelts, speakers, lift jacks, spare tire and interior panels,
I covered all the electronic modules with plastic sheathing to keep them from getting wet.
Pressure washed the whole interior of the car including the trunk with my Karcher 1750 psi pressure washer. Got all the muck and debris cleaned out as I pressure washed the floorpan, the rear deck, the door cavities and quarterpanel cavities.
I also towel cleaned the inside part of the rear and side glass with Formula 409. I then followed that by
pressure washing the glass. I want the glass to be free of any lint and contaminants when
I take it to my tint guy. This will ensure a perfect, lint free tint.
The seatbelts were soaked in a bucket of Formula 409 overnight to loosen the 13 years
of accumulated grime and was pressure washed the next day.
The seatbelts were left out in the sun to dry. The seatbelts came out so clean, they look like
new out of the factory. They are ready for re-installation.
When I took out the carpet, the carpet was hung and beat with a carpet beater
to dislodge and remove the soil, dirt and sand that has been embeded within the carpet fibers.
It was followed by soaking it in hot water and thoroughly brushed with 2 cups of Formula 409 with
trace amount of Clorox bleach added, then pressure washed. To make sure all that junk in the carpet
was cleaned out, this step was repeated 3 times.
The carpet was hung to dry in the sun. It looks and smells like new again and is now ready for re-installation.
Once the interior was dry, I began laying multiple layers of Dynamat Extreme sound deadening material
inside the door cavities, the quarterpanel cavities, the rear deck, the ceiling and the floorpan. Dynamat Extreme was purchased factory direct at a discount but you can purchase if from any reputable dealer.
This Dynamat damping material helps control the heat coming from the center hump, reduce road noise
and subdue transmitted engine noise when the car is in motion. It also dampens any transmitted noise
created by loud vehicles and semi trucks next to the car as you are driving on the interstate.
This results in a very comfortable environment when traveling long distances.
The seats were given the same thorough cleaning. From the seat frames, to the
electronics modules, seat adjustment motors, to the leather surfaces. Any rust on the metal was sanded out, cleaned and sprayed with 3M rust converter.
It was sprayed with Krylon Gloss Black enamel to give it a protective coating.
The electronic trays were cleaned and are now dust free.
All seat frame moving parts were greased to prevent binding and to provide years of noise free operation.
These are pictures of the drivers seat after I was done with them.
The lower plastic trim mount was originally cracked and left the trim hanging off the seat. Cannot tell there ever was a problem now.
The passenger seats came out looking identical to these.
I am still looking for a seat heater wiring diagram. If any of you know of someone who has a seat heater wiring diagram for the Mark, please let them know to contact me through LVC. I would be so greatful.
The next thing on the agenda is to take the car to Mark at Oasis Auto Tint in Chattanooga, TN. Will be applying 15% gray tint on the sides and 5% gray tint on the rear glass.
Octane
After I took out the seats, center console, seatbelts, speakers, lift jacks, spare tire and interior panels,
I covered all the electronic modules with plastic sheathing to keep them from getting wet.
Pressure washed the whole interior of the car including the trunk with my Karcher 1750 psi pressure washer. Got all the muck and debris cleaned out as I pressure washed the floorpan, the rear deck, the door cavities and quarterpanel cavities.
I also towel cleaned the inside part of the rear and side glass with Formula 409. I then followed that by
pressure washing the glass. I want the glass to be free of any lint and contaminants when
I take it to my tint guy. This will ensure a perfect, lint free tint.
The seatbelts were soaked in a bucket of Formula 409 overnight to loosen the 13 years
of accumulated grime and was pressure washed the next day.
The seatbelts were left out in the sun to dry. The seatbelts came out so clean, they look like
new out of the factory. They are ready for re-installation.
When I took out the carpet, the carpet was hung and beat with a carpet beater
to dislodge and remove the soil, dirt and sand that has been embeded within the carpet fibers.
It was followed by soaking it in hot water and thoroughly brushed with 2 cups of Formula 409 with
trace amount of Clorox bleach added, then pressure washed. To make sure all that junk in the carpet
was cleaned out, this step was repeated 3 times.
The carpet was hung to dry in the sun. It looks and smells like new again and is now ready for re-installation.
Once the interior was dry, I began laying multiple layers of Dynamat Extreme sound deadening material
inside the door cavities, the quarterpanel cavities, the rear deck, the ceiling and the floorpan. Dynamat Extreme was purchased factory direct at a discount but you can purchase if from any reputable dealer.
This Dynamat damping material helps control the heat coming from the center hump, reduce road noise
and subdue transmitted engine noise when the car is in motion. It also dampens any transmitted noise
created by loud vehicles and semi trucks next to the car as you are driving on the interstate.
This results in a very comfortable environment when traveling long distances.
The seats were given the same thorough cleaning. From the seat frames, to the
electronics modules, seat adjustment motors, to the leather surfaces. Any rust on the metal was sanded out, cleaned and sprayed with 3M rust converter.
It was sprayed with Krylon Gloss Black enamel to give it a protective coating.
The electronic trays were cleaned and are now dust free.
All seat frame moving parts were greased to prevent binding and to provide years of noise free operation.
These are pictures of the drivers seat after I was done with them.
The lower plastic trim mount was originally cracked and left the trim hanging off the seat. Cannot tell there ever was a problem now.
The passenger seats came out looking identical to these.
I am still looking for a seat heater wiring diagram. If any of you know of someone who has a seat heater wiring diagram for the Mark, please let them know to contact me through LVC. I would be so greatful.
The next thing on the agenda is to take the car to Mark at Oasis Auto Tint in Chattanooga, TN. Will be applying 15% gray tint on the sides and 5% gray tint on the rear glass.
Octane
kaha
Dedicated LVC Member
Wow, those seats look like they just came from the factory! What did you use on them?
Raped Ape
Dedicated LVC Member
Patience Grasshoppah!
There will be plenty of pictures for you to see. So stay tuned for the reveal!
Octane
No patience
, me wants to see pics of bumper now 
Hankyman240
Active LVC Member
I bought a Gen 2 FSM for Brandon a while back off ebay, I'm sure it has a wiring diagram but I'm not sure how in depth it gets with the seat heater. I should be talking to him tonight, I'll see if he has what you're looking for.
BIG ROLLER
Well-Known LVC Member
First off,welcome to the forum.
I will be falling this thread and what you will be doing for sure as I plan on doing the same process with my ride some day.
I will be falling this thread and what you will be doing for sure as I plan on doing the same process with my ride some day.
Bought an Addco 1-1/4" lowered Anti-Sway bar from SCP.
The only difference between the normal height anti-sway bar and the lowered
is a shorter 3/8" ID spacer tube.
When I received the package from UPS, I knew there were some modifications
that needed to be done to the bracket before I can begin installation. I have
read from other sources that several Mark VIII owners who also bought the
Addco's recommended making such modifications because the factory Mark VIII
sway bar bushing were smaller than the Addco bushing.
In order for the factory bracket to accomodate the larger bushing, it means that you are to bend the U-shaped bracket outwards and bend the mounting tabs back down. This meant that once installed, the tabs would 'float' from the mounting surface.
My modification method allows the bushing and bracket to fit snuggly once mounted
without altering the bracket and its original factory position unlike the above modification method.
The Addco bushings were not necessarily cast to fit the Mark VIII and they
are slightly taller than what is needed for our cars. The solution is to shave
the Addco bushing down another 5/32". The easiest way to shave
5/32" from the bushing is to sand down the flat portion of the bushing using
a belt sander.
For comparison, the unfinished and the finished bushing mod is shown below.
As you can see below, the 1-1/4" Addco anti-sway bar is thicker in diameter than
the stock hollow bar from Lincoln.
The solid Addco bar is also about 1-1/4" narrower in width than the factory. This is welcome news for those who are thinking about mounting wider wheels and tires.
The added clearance is a big help in avoiding tire rub if you have wider than stock tires. I am planning on putting wider 295-40-18 tires in the back with Black chrome 18x9 Saleen Cobra wheels.Octane
The only difference between the normal height anti-sway bar and the lowered
is a shorter 3/8" ID spacer tube.
When I received the package from UPS, I knew there were some modifications
that needed to be done to the bracket before I can begin installation. I have
read from other sources that several Mark VIII owners who also bought the
Addco's recommended making such modifications because the factory Mark VIII
sway bar bushing were smaller than the Addco bushing.
In order for the factory bracket to accomodate the larger bushing, it means that you are to bend the U-shaped bracket outwards and bend the mounting tabs back down. This meant that once installed, the tabs would 'float' from the mounting surface.
My modification method allows the bushing and bracket to fit snuggly once mounted
without altering the bracket and its original factory position unlike the above modification method.
The Addco bushings were not necessarily cast to fit the Mark VIII and they
are slightly taller than what is needed for our cars. The solution is to shave
the Addco bushing down another 5/32". The easiest way to shave
5/32" from the bushing is to sand down the flat portion of the bushing using
a belt sander.
For comparison, the unfinished and the finished bushing mod is shown below.
As you can see below, the 1-1/4" Addco anti-sway bar is thicker in diameter than
the stock hollow bar from Lincoln.
The solid Addco bar is also about 1-1/4" narrower in width than the factory. This is welcome news for those who are thinking about mounting wider wheels and tires.
The added clearance is a big help in avoiding tire rub if you have wider than stock tires. I am planning on putting wider 295-40-18 tires in the back with Black chrome 18x9 Saleen Cobra wheels.Octane
Thats very strange with the width. I never measured my last one but know the Addco bar is much closer to the wheels on my previous car then on the current car with the stock bar and they are both running the same offset Saleen wheels. Wonder if things changed?
Good tip on the bushings. When I did my Addco I snapped both mounts in a few weeks. KK sent me a new pair and I shaved down the bushings the same as you. Over a year now with no issues.
Good tip on the bushings. When I did my Addco I snapped both mounts in a few weeks. KK sent me a new pair and I shaved down the bushings the same as you. Over a year now with no issues.
Raped Ape
Dedicated LVC Member
OK, enough of the shop-a-rama drama mama crap. Let us see you actually installing something
danny_holtermann
Dedicated LVC Member
you could have just bought some mounts from DLF, his are heavy duty, but i like what im seeing
Raped Ape
Dedicated LVC Member
The only problem I see with shaving those bushings is now after several hundred torque binds of the sway bar, it is going to wear the bushing even faster and the sway bay is going to rub metal to metal at the bracket area.
9000+ miles on my last ones and when I inspected them two months ago they still appear as new.
Here she is.....my Fast Forward Progress pics!
I will backtrack on some details later.
OK, as you all saw from the previous page, I started work on the interior.
The driver side seat is temporarily installed so I can drive and move the
car from home to shop locations where some work will be done.
To get the car's finish looking like new again, first I used Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
and Conditioner (part # 17116) to remove the dirt and residue. Next, I needed to cut the oxidation
and remove blemishes. That was done by using Meguire's Ultimate Compound (part# 17216) on a dual action
(DA) orbital polisher with the foam pad.
There were some noticable scratches around the door handles and around the trunk key lock area.
To remove those scratches, I used Meguire's Scratch X (part # 07103) on a soft microfiber cloth.
To protect the finish, I applied Meguire's Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax (part # 12216) throughout
the car using my DA with a foam pad. The whole car was polished with a soft microfiber cloth
pad again on the DA to get that shine you see. I maintain the shine by applying Meguire's Quik Wax
(part #11616) every week or after it rains.
Yes, I've been using Meguire's products for many years on all my cars.
For the interior. . . . .
The carpet will be installed later after I run all new sound system wiring
and miscellaneous power wires and optical cables. There are also a few custom
fiberglass speaker pods that will need to be built and mounted .
Once all wiring is installed, all the interior parts will go in. Trunk work will begin in
about 3 months from today.
As for the mechanicals, they are all coming together better than expected.
The Addco anti-sway bars are installed.
The modified front and rear suspension are in place.
Got the new custom made upper shock mounts done.
A new pair of extended compression 5950 SensaTrac shocks
replaced the worn out factory shocks. The 5950's provides more compression travel
than the factory shocks, allowing Octane to sit lower without bottoming-out the shocks.
The 2-1/2" pipe diameter axle back exhaust system shown here with the Magnaflows
tucked out of view. The new 7"x 3" chrome oval tips fill the exhaust cutouts perfectly.
The old rusted out rear disc rotors are replaced by a pair of Zinc plated
drilled-slotted R1-Concepts brake rotors and new brake pads all around.
Near future upgrades will be a set of larger Aimco 13" and 12" brake rotors along with a set of two
piston PBRs up front and Hawk HPS pads on all four corners. Eventually, I will replace
the PBRs with Wilwoods and add Stainless Steel brake lines all around.
She runs smooth. Drives responsively firm but not harsh. Her mannerism
is predictable and the steering is stable with no sloppynesss when taking a slalom.
For comparison, my Crossfire rides much firmer.
At WOT, she growls like a big angry feline but purrs at idle.. I get alot of compliments on
the Magnaflow muffler sound. I still have not heard it for myself while standing outside the car.
But inside, the sound is intoxicating and no drone. You just can't get enough of it.
If you're looking for that muscle car sound for your Mark, I would definitely
recommend these straight through mufflers from Magnaflow. 3rd cat delete and add X-pipe
is on the to do list.
The Chrome Saleen replica wheels I ordered from Brad Storey at The Custom Wheel
Shop are here. Tires will be ordered two months from now.
In the meantime, Octane will be rolling on factory wheels.
Painted the Snowflakes in transparent Candy Black. You can still see the brushed aluminum
behind that paint. The body contours are straight and as smooth as a baby's butt with all the dents
and dings removed by Andy at Fixx-a-Dent PDR in Chattanooga. With the interior panels off the car, Andy did not have to drill access holes for his PDR tools. This is a great way to save money on minor body work as there are no repainting involved.
The bad neon ballast was replaced with a used factory ballast. The neon works like
it should now. All the rear brake lens assembly have been buffed and polished to remove the oxidation.
Reverse lights were replaced with a pair of very bright 10 watt white LEDs. Likewise, The license plate
lights were modified with four white LEDs mounted on a custom bracket. LEDs are spaced apart
through the entire width of the license plate opening for a more even light coverage. (See the
third picture from above)
It makes the car look new to those not familiar to Mark VIIIs. When I drive to gas stations
at night, I get alot of people asking me if its a new car model.
The old yellow incandescent lights made the car look old and dated. The LED color temperature I chose is
in the 4800 Kelvin range while trying to stay away from the bluish look but still casting
a pure white light. The reverse light color output is similar to the LED reverse lights found on the 2010 and 2011 Lincoln MKX.
I purchased the four Festoon license plate LEDs and a pair of 3156 reverse LEDs
from Superlumination website. Look for my LED mod pictures later.
The awesome tint work was done by Marty, owner of Oasis Glass Tinting in Chattanooga.
Had him lay 15% Llumar gray film on the sides and
5% Llumar gray film on the rear glass and I had him tint over the glass where
my former third light was. Marty may the Best tint installer in the southeast.
Ren/Octane
I will backtrack on some details later.
OK, as you all saw from the previous page, I started work on the interior.
The driver side seat is temporarily installed so I can drive and move the
car from home to shop locations where some work will be done.
To get the car's finish looking like new again, first I used Meguiar's Gold Class Shampoo
and Conditioner (part # 17116) to remove the dirt and residue. Next, I needed to cut the oxidation
and remove blemishes. That was done by using Meguire's Ultimate Compound (part# 17216) on a dual action
(DA) orbital polisher with the foam pad.
There were some noticable scratches around the door handles and around the trunk key lock area.
To remove those scratches, I used Meguire's Scratch X (part # 07103) on a soft microfiber cloth.
To protect the finish, I applied Meguire's Deep Crystal Carnauba Wax (part # 12216) throughout
the car using my DA with a foam pad. The whole car was polished with a soft microfiber cloth
pad again on the DA to get that shine you see. I maintain the shine by applying Meguire's Quik Wax
(part #11616) every week or after it rains.
Yes, I've been using Meguire's products for many years on all my cars.
For the interior. . . . .
The carpet will be installed later after I run all new sound system wiring
and miscellaneous power wires and optical cables. There are also a few custom
fiberglass speaker pods that will need to be built and mounted .
Once all wiring is installed, all the interior parts will go in. Trunk work will begin in
about 3 months from today.
As for the mechanicals, they are all coming together better than expected.
The Addco anti-sway bars are installed.
The modified front and rear suspension are in place.
Got the new custom made upper shock mounts done.
A new pair of extended compression 5950 SensaTrac shocks
replaced the worn out factory shocks. The 5950's provides more compression travel
than the factory shocks, allowing Octane to sit lower without bottoming-out the shocks.
The 2-1/2" pipe diameter axle back exhaust system shown here with the Magnaflows
tucked out of view. The new 7"x 3" chrome oval tips fill the exhaust cutouts perfectly.
The old rusted out rear disc rotors are replaced by a pair of Zinc plated
drilled-slotted R1-Concepts brake rotors and new brake pads all around.
Near future upgrades will be a set of larger Aimco 13" and 12" brake rotors along with a set of two
piston PBRs up front and Hawk HPS pads on all four corners. Eventually, I will replace
the PBRs with Wilwoods and add Stainless Steel brake lines all around.
She runs smooth. Drives responsively firm but not harsh. Her mannerism
is predictable and the steering is stable with no sloppynesss when taking a slalom.
For comparison, my Crossfire rides much firmer.
At WOT, she growls like a big angry feline but purrs at idle.. I get alot of compliments on
the Magnaflow muffler sound. I still have not heard it for myself while standing outside the car.
But inside, the sound is intoxicating and no drone. You just can't get enough of it.
If you're looking for that muscle car sound for your Mark, I would definitely
recommend these straight through mufflers from Magnaflow. 3rd cat delete and add X-pipe
is on the to do list.
The Chrome Saleen replica wheels I ordered from Brad Storey at The Custom Wheel
Shop are here. Tires will be ordered two months from now.
In the meantime, Octane will be rolling on factory wheels.
Painted the Snowflakes in transparent Candy Black. You can still see the brushed aluminum
behind that paint. The body contours are straight and as smooth as a baby's butt with all the dents
and dings removed by Andy at Fixx-a-Dent PDR in Chattanooga. With the interior panels off the car, Andy did not have to drill access holes for his PDR tools. This is a great way to save money on minor body work as there are no repainting involved.
The bad neon ballast was replaced with a used factory ballast. The neon works like
it should now. All the rear brake lens assembly have been buffed and polished to remove the oxidation.
Reverse lights were replaced with a pair of very bright 10 watt white LEDs. Likewise, The license plate
lights were modified with four white LEDs mounted on a custom bracket. LEDs are spaced apart
through the entire width of the license plate opening for a more even light coverage. (See the
third picture from above)
It makes the car look new to those not familiar to Mark VIIIs. When I drive to gas stations
at night, I get alot of people asking me if its a new car model.
The old yellow incandescent lights made the car look old and dated. The LED color temperature I chose is
in the 4800 Kelvin range while trying to stay away from the bluish look but still casting
a pure white light. The reverse light color output is similar to the LED reverse lights found on the 2010 and 2011 Lincoln MKX.
I purchased the four Festoon license plate LEDs and a pair of 3156 reverse LEDs
from Superlumination website. Look for my LED mod pictures later.
The awesome tint work was done by Marty, owner of Oasis Glass Tinting in Chattanooga.
Had him lay 15% Llumar gray film on the sides and
5% Llumar gray film on the rear glass and I had him tint over the glass where
my former third light was. Marty may the Best tint installer in the southeast.
Ren/Octane
danny_holtermann
Dedicated LVC Member
damn your car looks clean
Octanes Air Spring Mod Pictorial
These are the air springs in my car now. I came up with this modification
because I wanted to maintain the ride quality on the Mark as I lowered the
ride stance and to increase its all around performance especially during lateral
maneuvers. I was not satisfied with the car's performance with just the sensor mod
after lowering the ride. The Mark would oscillate or bounce excessively when going
over ruts, bumps and dips. Cornering was sloppy. Confidence in the car is poor
when going through twisty mountain roads as there are plenty in my area.
To regain confidence back, I needed the airsprings to ride firmer as the car is
lowered. The solution is simple. As you trim the bottom seat section of the airspring,
this allows the bladder to accomodate more air and more air increases the air pressure.
You now regain much of the air pressure you lost when you did your sensor
lowering mod. This brings the rear suspension air pressure back to specs,
eliminating that mushy ride and increasing the Marks performance.
This is how the finished product looked after the modification.
It is ready to go back in the car.
To accomplish this modification you can use any tool you have or have access to.
I am using the tools I have in my garage at this time. To begin, I clamped
the airspring securely to a board under the blue tarp. The blue tarp will keep the shavings
cleanup to a minimum.
Next, I took a measuring tape and marked where my cut line will be.
The cut line is 11/16" from the bottom edge of the airspring seat.
Adjusted my Porter Cable trimmer guard stop at 11/16" from the router bits
cutting edge.
Made a series of plunge cuts stopping every few inches.
This maintains the edge material for the trimmer to guide from.
Trimmed off 11/16" all the way around.
Lopped off the remaining material with a flush trimmer snips.
To allow the bottom bulb section to sit flush to the lower control arm surface,
the angled supports are removed with a flush trimmer snips.
The airsprings bottom edge and all cut surfaces were sanded smooth.
Cut off 1/2" from the centering tube. A hacksaw is sufficient to make this cut.
Do this to reduce its underhang once it is installed through the lower control arm.
The finished airspring after the cut
surfaces have been sanded smooth.
A belt sander was used to smooth out all the rough surfaces.
Left and Right set, ready for installation.
Ren/Octane
These are the air springs in my car now. I came up with this modification
because I wanted to maintain the ride quality on the Mark as I lowered the
ride stance and to increase its all around performance especially during lateral
maneuvers. I was not satisfied with the car's performance with just the sensor mod
after lowering the ride. The Mark would oscillate or bounce excessively when going
over ruts, bumps and dips. Cornering was sloppy. Confidence in the car is poor
when going through twisty mountain roads as there are plenty in my area.
To regain confidence back, I needed the airsprings to ride firmer as the car is
lowered. The solution is simple. As you trim the bottom seat section of the airspring,
this allows the bladder to accomodate more air and more air increases the air pressure.
You now regain much of the air pressure you lost when you did your sensor
lowering mod. This brings the rear suspension air pressure back to specs,
eliminating that mushy ride and increasing the Marks performance.
This is how the finished product looked after the modification.
It is ready to go back in the car.
To accomplish this modification you can use any tool you have or have access to.
I am using the tools I have in my garage at this time. To begin, I clamped
the airspring securely to a board under the blue tarp. The blue tarp will keep the shavings
cleanup to a minimum.
Next, I took a measuring tape and marked where my cut line will be.
The cut line is 11/16" from the bottom edge of the airspring seat.
Adjusted my Porter Cable trimmer guard stop at 11/16" from the router bits
cutting edge.
Made a series of plunge cuts stopping every few inches.
This maintains the edge material for the trimmer to guide from.
Trimmed off 11/16" all the way around.
Lopped off the remaining material with a flush trimmer snips.
To allow the bottom bulb section to sit flush to the lower control arm surface,
the angled supports are removed with a flush trimmer snips.
The airsprings bottom edge and all cut surfaces were sanded smooth.
Cut off 1/2" from the centering tube. A hacksaw is sufficient to make this cut.
Do this to reduce its underhang once it is installed through the lower control arm.
The finished airspring after the cut
surfaces have been sanded smooth.
A belt sander was used to smooth out all the rough surfaces.
Left and Right set, ready for installation.
Ren/Octane
danny_holtermann
Dedicated LVC Member
what does that do for you?
danny_holtermann
Dedicated LVC Member
ahh very nice.... and awesome and clean job doing it
Tail-End Lighting Upgrade
I haven't seen any other Mark VIII with super bright LED reverse lights and LED
license plate lights. This is one of the mods I wanted to do to give my 14 year
old Mark a more up-to-date / current year model look.
Here are a few night shots I took of the car yesterday evening.
'A plethora of lights'
Side marker lights, Brake lights, 10 watt 5000K LED reverse lights X2, Neon Center light and
4800K License plate LED's. High-mount Third brake deleted. Strobes will be installed
later.
Cast in the Blue evening sky.
Jeckyl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hyde
The single old incandescent license plate light has been replaced
by four brightness - adjustable LED's in a custom lamp assembly.
The whole LED light assembly is completely detachable for ease of maintenance .
The wiring configuration is similar to my battery cover project. All wires are
soldered and heatshrink tubed.
No license plate frames were used on Octane because most of all frame
design and thickness created shadows to be cast on the license when
it is lit at night. Front plates are not issued here.
A better look at the LED lamp assembly from below. The four lamp
configuration gives the area an even light coverage. Although the LED's
are properly aimed at just above the plates center line, I played around
with the brightness control few times to where I got the LED's to light up
the plates enough but not too bright compared to other cars on the road.
The plate itself was painted with a 1/4" strip of body-matched color
around the border and finished with automotive clearcoat .
The four stainless steel security screws were also painted separately
to mimic the different graphics color of the plates where the screws are positioned.
Ren / Octane
I haven't seen any other Mark VIII with super bright LED reverse lights and LED
license plate lights. This is one of the mods I wanted to do to give my 14 year
old Mark a more up-to-date / current year model look.
Here are a few night shots I took of the car yesterday evening.
'A plethora of lights'
Side marker lights, Brake lights, 10 watt 5000K LED reverse lights X2, Neon Center light and
4800K License plate LED's. High-mount Third brake deleted. Strobes will be installed
later.
Cast in the Blue evening sky.
Jeckyl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hyde
The single old incandescent license plate light has been replaced
by four brightness - adjustable LED's in a custom lamp assembly.
The whole LED light assembly is completely detachable for ease of maintenance .
The wiring configuration is similar to my battery cover project. All wires are
soldered and heatshrink tubed.
No license plate frames were used on Octane because most of all frame
design and thickness created shadows to be cast on the license when
it is lit at night. Front plates are not issued here.
A better look at the LED lamp assembly from below. The four lamp
configuration gives the area an even light coverage. Although the LED's
are properly aimed at just above the plates center line, I played around
with the brightness control few times to where I got the LED's to light up
the plates enough but not too bright compared to other cars on the road.
The plate itself was painted with a 1/4" strip of body-matched color
around the border and finished with automotive clearcoat .
The four stainless steel security screws were also painted separately
to mimic the different graphics color of the plates where the screws are positioned.
Ren / Octane
There have been a few simple things that have been done since my last post.
I'd like to share some of those with you but before I do that, I'd like to get you caught up with a few pictures I took before I posted my Fast forward segment.
As you all know by now. This car sat on its frame in a field for several years before I bought it. During this time, many parts on its undercarriage has rusted pretty badly. Alot of time and effort was taken to remove and eliminate the rust.
Among other parts such as the exhaust pipes, Rear air canister pan and anti-sway bars brackets, both rear hubs and the front hubs were cleaned of rust and pray coated with rust preventive Zinc-Phosphate solution. Obviously, the original rear disc rotors have seen better days and were discarded and temporarily replaced with a set of drilled/slotted Mark VIII rotors from R1 Concepts of Orange county in California. The front and rear rotors will eventually be replaced by larger 13" and 11.65" Amico D/S rotors.
The old shock absorbers were so worn out that they did not have any damping factor left. I replaced them in favor of the Sensatrac 5950. The 5950 are perfect for Mark VIII's that are lowered because they have a much longer travel or in other words, a shorter compression length.
The old noisy shock tower mounting plate was replaced with a custom 3/16" metal plate that I made. To prevent rust from forming to the plate, Zinc-Phosphate solution was applied to the bare metal before primer and 4 coats of black paint was applied. It is secured to the car, under the wheelwell, with stainless steel hex bolts. The noise is totally eliminated and the ride quality has improved ten fold. And with the car lowered, I don't have to worry about the shocks bottoming out whenever the car hits a dip or a bump anymore.
I'd like to share some of those with you but before I do that, I'd like to get you caught up with a few pictures I took before I posted my Fast forward segment.
As you all know by now. This car sat on its frame in a field for several years before I bought it. During this time, many parts on its undercarriage has rusted pretty badly. Alot of time and effort was taken to remove and eliminate the rust.
Among other parts such as the exhaust pipes, Rear air canister pan and anti-sway bars brackets, both rear hubs and the front hubs were cleaned of rust and pray coated with rust preventive Zinc-Phosphate solution. Obviously, the original rear disc rotors have seen better days and were discarded and temporarily replaced with a set of drilled/slotted Mark VIII rotors from R1 Concepts of Orange county in California. The front and rear rotors will eventually be replaced by larger 13" and 11.65" Amico D/S rotors.
The old shock absorbers were so worn out that they did not have any damping factor left. I replaced them in favor of the Sensatrac 5950. The 5950 are perfect for Mark VIII's that are lowered because they have a much longer travel or in other words, a shorter compression length.
The old noisy shock tower mounting plate was replaced with a custom 3/16" metal plate that I made. To prevent rust from forming to the plate, Zinc-Phosphate solution was applied to the bare metal before primer and 4 coats of black paint was applied. It is secured to the car, under the wheelwell, with stainless steel hex bolts. The noise is totally eliminated and the ride quality has improved ten fold. And with the car lowered, I don't have to worry about the shocks bottoming out whenever the car hits a dip or a bump anymore.
UltimateSVT
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Love your thread man. You have put forth amazing effort towards that car.