Your Favorite Budget MODs ($50)

[solidaxel]

Following this one !

[tate65]

3d printed new armrest for my sons 1980 C20. About $3 in plastic each, maybe 3 hours to design then fix design after 1st prototype

[TrailerTrash]

THAT is awesome nice work man!

[smpoulin01]

Polk Audio 4"x6" speakers - +/- $40.00, lots of holes drilled = free.

[MF Doom]

Originally Posted by smpoulin01

Polk Audio 4"x6" speakers - +/- $40.00, lots of holes drilled = free.

what? i had no idea a 4x6 would fit there. that looks wider than my single cab

[smpoulin01]

That may just be the trim panel, it is a bit wider than the piller. I have done this on all of my single cabs.

[Malo83]

How is the speaker mounted?

[smpoulin01]

Kinda depends on the speaker. The ones I installed in the pic had a tweeter that was raised about 1/2" above the frame. I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood as a spacer, screwed the speakers to the spacer and then screwed into the spacer through the pillar. I have installed speakers that were flush and used rivets through the pillar into the speaker frame.

[RedBed]

Well if there is one thing I am ALL about, it's DA BUDGET MODS.

Here's a few:

Tie downs made out of Angle Iron, bolted to the bed, and under the side rails.



Homemade spare tire mount:



Auxiliary input into old AC Delco (so bluetooth will work on it)


And the Aux Input mounted behind the ashtray door.


Rubber Gym Flooring for matts


And cheap ABS Plastic repair (plastic shavings + acetone)

[burb1085]

That is freakin great! Do you have any write ups/threads on these mods? Especially the plastic and acetone.

[RedBed]

Originally Posted by burb1085

That is freakin great! Do you have any write ups/threads on these mods? Especially the plastic and acetone.

Thanks! There is a ton of info on repairing ABS plastic online, but basically, you can either buy ABS PELLETS, or you can take old pieces of ABS (and bust it into little pieces) and melt them in an equal amount of Acetone. They will make a thick liquid that you can use to repair broken or cracked ABS, and it will weld back together.


I used it to rebuild the corners broken off my Dash cover, and door panels that were cracked and had holes in them.

[smpoulin01]

Drink holder from Pick-a-part - $5.00, scrap metal plate for mount - $0.
License plate lights from mid 90's 1500 from Pick-a-part - $2.00
Rearview mirror w/map lights from Pick-a-part - $7.00
Underhood lights from Cadillac from Pick-a-part - $5.00 (for both)
Power distribution block from mid 90's suburban from Pick-a-part - free

[abig84]

i guess this kinda counts as a budget mod, i put 2009 leather volvo seats in my 86 k30. got them for free from the body shop next to my old work, they bought half a car and took most everything out of it but the seats so asked if could have them. other then spending 2 days measuring and making brackets for them and figuring out the wiring they didnt cost me a thing

only pic i can find at the moment, right about when i started figuring out how to mount them, you can still see the crappy cloth seat in the driverseat that someone decided to weld in this thing before i got it



the 8 position controls and the memory work, only thing i didnt hook up was the heated seats as the controls for them were on the door and werent available to take.

[Jay2Cor517]

(I love this thread and just don't want it to stop. You guys come up with some really good stuff) I finally got around to doing this. I cleaned up the look of my original dash bezel: 2 cans of Rustoleum Plastic Paint with Primer.

[smpoulin01]

That came out nice!

[Jay2Cor517]

Originally Posted by smpoulin01

That came out nice!

Thanks smpoulin01. The bezel originally came with the silver-look overlay but it had become nasty over the years. So I just peeled it off and decided to spray it to a different color scheme. But as a matter of fact, me and a buddy will be off to Pick-a-Part tomorrow for half off day. I was planning on taking a page from your book: rearview mirror with lights, license plate lights and finding a drink holder. I was also hoping to find a new washer pump and tank like the mod posted by Jimbonice (post #101). That's the reason I love this thread--there are so many easy to do, LOW BUDGET ideas. I just hope everyone keeps posting as they come up with clever mods. Come on guys and girls, let's keep this one going!

[smpoulin01]

Good luck! Hope you find every thing you're looking for. FYI - I got the mirror out of a Buick and got all of the harness I could.

[RPOZ11]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

supercharge your HEI directly to your junction on the firewall where the alternator keeps the voltage at max.

http://www.hoigto.com/tech/powerHEI.htm






The cost is well under $5 so a very affordable great upgrade.

result: cold morning starts are great, backfires didnt happen anymore and idle is nice and strong

That "link" is now invalid.
Is their a correct relay to use with an HEI?
I see the wires going to coil, ground, 12 V supply.
Where does the white (or is it green?) wire end up at?
Anything else you might be able to share about this install?
Thanx!

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by RPOZ11

That "link" is now invalid.
Is their a correct relay to use with an HEI?
I see the wires going to coil, ground, 12 V supply.
Where does the white (or is it green?) wire end up at?
Anything else you might be able to share about this install?
Thanx!

I see. well in those cases I always use the WAYBACK MACHINE
pretty cool website that lets you search the internet cache


https://web.archive.org/web/20160307...h/powerHEI.htm

[RPOZ11]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

I see. well in those cases I always use the WAYBACK MACHINE
pretty cool website that lets you search the internet cache


https://web.archive.org/web/20160307...h/powerHEI.htm

Awesome!
Thank you

[Jeepwm69]

Originally Posted by smpoulin01

Drink holder from Pick-a-part - $5.00, scrap metal plate for mount - $0.
License plate lights from mid 90's 1500 from Pick-a-part - $2.00
Rearview mirror w/map lights from Pick-a-part - $7.00
Underhood lights from Cadillac from Pick-a-part - $5.00 (for both)
Power distribution block from mid 90's suburban from Pick-a-part - free

Nice ones.

What vehicle did that drink holder come out of? I like it.

[kikkegek]

Originally Posted by RPOZ11

Awesome!
Thank you

voltage at my volt meter stills drops to a terrible 9-10V during cranking....but cranks just fine....weird isnt it?

[smpoulin01]

Thanks.

The drink holder came out of a 2005 Avalanche.

[RPOZ11]

Originally Posted by kikkegek

voltage at my volt meter stills drops to a terrible 9-10V during cranking....but cranks just fine....weird isnt it?

I ordered up one of those Bosch relays.
Can't wait to install and try it out!
Thanx for this

[RPOZ11]

Got this installed
Seems to work just fine

What stands out to me is that is removed some of the hard start firing due to my timing.
Thanx again so much!!!