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Project Ronin

25K views 124 replies 31 participants last post by  OnePaintedMan 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought it was about time I introduced everyone to Project Ronin properly.

Rather than write up the story so far I thought I'd bring everyone up to speed with some pictures. All of the mods to my car have taken place over the last 3 years. . .

As you can see, I am very much in the retro roadster camp!

My starting point. . . rolling on WORK RS Alpha wheels (Still got 'em - they are sitting in my garage waiting to be refurbed.Stupidly I mislaid one of the four original centre caps. . . they are as rare as rocking horse poop)

Racing Beat style bar . . .

Rare OEM knee pads. . . pocket on tunnel side

. . .plain on door side.

Added a Garage Vary lip



18" Racing Roundels

Hardtop was next up, along with an offset plate.

Front (and rear) tow hooks (which I sprayed up red)

Momo Prototipo (Only one wheel for me . . . I'm a big Porsche fan)

14" Panasports!

Starting to look OK. . .

Oh, and I'd added a MazdaSpeed Chrome Style/roll bar as well . . . love seeing this through the rear window!

Retro dash switches . . .

Joyfast Supershort shift knob . . . my first parcel from Japan. I was stupidly excited about this piece of metal! lol

Followed Adams (Revlimiter) excellent instructions (I wish I had the same talent for writing them) as a basis to make these TSIs. They look the bomb!

Let me suck up some air!

Dynobond (?) plastic/aluminium sandwich slam panel. . . very limited run by Skuzzle Motorsports in UK
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I.L Motorsports Cobra irro - hard won on ebay!

. . .it was worth every penny!

ARC Chamber. Woohoo! This is what it looked like after some hard polishing!

Already tapped for an intake air temp sensor! It was a pain in the arse to find a plug to fit!

Purchased an OEM front strut brace at around this time too. . .

Sunglasses holder . . . to replace the horrible Bongo cup holder that was sitting in the ashtray recess

Just in case. . .

Skuzzle motorsport plexiglass side window and vent

Homemade window switches (using Landwombles guide)

Chrome step/sill covers

Radyot style racing mirrors (Spun aluminum. . . stupidly light! When they were deliered I thought the boxes were empty. Seriously)

I love this photo so much . . .

M2 style pedal set . . . Mmmm.

Begs for the open road!

New OE DM mats to replace the rubber universal ones

Zoom starter button . . .

This. . .was a great day! K.G Works. Sublime.

My Roadster now feels special from behind the wheel. . .

Lets make it more retro. Bought some leather and learned to sew diamonds!!!!

Not bad. . . even if I do say so myself! (All the more satisfying when you do it yourself and it turns out ok)!
 
#3 · (Edited)
Added some 'homebrew' retro interior door handles


Things start to get serious. 60 hrs+ of sweating, swearing, fibreglass fingers, filler, leather, metal, experimentation and a little blood sacrifice (my own . . . clumsy) and my bespoke dash is born. . .


So pleased with the result (Switches from right to left: Starter button, Lights raise/lower, hazard, Two way light switch for fog lights rear/front and Rear)


My favourite place to sit an enjoy the open road


Warbirds. . . just when I was looking for dial faces Adam creates the perfect set!


Just stunning when lit with OEM bulbs. Perfect retro lighting. No LEDs here my friends.


I drive my car a lot at night for no other reason than to enjoy their glow


I deleted the tombstone and wrapped the whole dash, glovebox door, column panel and crashpad in soft grained leather. Then I built up and re-carpeted the tunnel. To finish it all off I added a chrome shift ring and sewed myself up a new shift boot.

 
#4 · (Edited)
:)Bought a chrome harness bar

It matches my MazdaSpeed style/roll bar exactly!

Car Make Corn*s type 1 (1 piece) exhaust.

It took a lot of polishing!

ARC Titan Tower Bar (Ultra Rare - have you seen another?)

Sweet titanium . . . weighs just 1.28kg. Like jewellery for cars. . .

S-Limited Seatbelts

Period decals. . .

My philosophy. . .
 
#15 ·
^ the tombstone delete had already been done in Japan and I saw a picture on a nostalgic roadsters thread. The crashpad design with the inset diamond pressed metal (from a DIY superstore!) and inset switch panel is 100% all my own design though.

I got my inspiration from MGB and E-type dashboards. I wanted the curve at the dashpod end of the metal crashpad insert to mirror the curve at the other end around the vent to give an OEM look to it. I then inset the switch panel to try an give a slightly more bespoke feel and the width of the switch panel mirrors that of the old centre vents to preserve the balance of the original dash. As a result the switch panel also replicates the shape and width of the rear view mirror which gives a beautifully resolved feeling (and was completely accidental).

I had additional plans for lighting the switches but have abandoned those for the moment as I love the fact that the only light when driving at night now comes from Revlimiters awesome Warbird gauges. They really iced the cake. I LOVE my interior.

It will be even nicer still when I have had the seats I've bought reupholstered. . .
 
#18 ·
Lots of people have been interested in how I have handled the issue of HVAC. Its all still in place!

I have disconnected the cable that selects exterior source or recycling for the air feed (I just set the flaps by hand to be permanently external source) and currently the control unit is on its side in the glovebox space. . .



I have modded a spare control unit to split the fan switch from a shortened unit containing the heat and direction slide mechanisms. I will install the sliders in the glovebox space, as I don't change them from warm windscreen venting that often, and then install the fan switch somewhere discreet and in easy reach.


 
#21 ·
I haven't been able to find anywhere to fit my old electric window switches since my dash and tunnel install so tomorrow I'm fitting manual window winder mechanisms (which will shave 1kg off the weight as well).

I'll find some nice chrome winder handles for them soon.

The retro refit continues . . .

I might have a go at the charcoal canister delete as well as looking at the photos aboe I seriously need to sort my scruffy engine bay out! (The shame :smile1:)

:)
 
#23 ·
I haven't been able to find anywhere to fit my old electric window switches since my dash and tunnel install so tomorrow I'm fitting manual window winder mechanisms (which will shave 1kg off the weight as well).

I'll find some nice chrome winder handles for them soon.

The retro refit continues . . .

I might have a go at the charcoal canister delete as well as looking at the photos above I seriously need to sort my scruffy engine bay out! (The shame :smile1:)

:)
Too damn cold outside. . . it'll have to wait. Need to clear the garage so I can work inside!
 
#24 ·
Didn't want to waste the day so I thought I'd drill a hole in my drivers door to allow me to finally fit the mirror blanking plate I've had sitting in a box for ages (The door on the other side is a replacement and has the hole for electric mirrors so I fitted the blanking plate to that side a year ago!)!

The rear view from the drivers seat is a LOT better now!


 
#26 ·
Yep, both sides are convex (special order). It's not as noticeable as it appears in the photo though. I've been out driving all afternoon and kept stopping and adjusting them until now, finally, I have them perfectly set.

I need to trim the rubber under the mirror bases as well.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Busy day today. Changed my 'leccy windows for manual winders. Mo' retro! :)





Removed my central tunnel carpet and backed it with scrim foam as well (The carpet is quite thin so it feels more substantial now). Whilst the carpet was out I also trimmed the ragged hole in my tunnel carpet I'd cut for the handbrake with some carpet tape. Not 100% sure I'll leave it like this though. Needs something neater!



 
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