Speaker and Radiator



7/21/00 Speaker and Radiator

I made a template out of cardboard for a speaker box I wanted to make for the back package shelf in the car. The template was traced out on a sheet of aluminum and cut out with a jig saw. I chose aluminum because it’s sturdy, and pretty easy to cut and bend. After cutting out the aluminum, (reminder to self: buy more jig saw blades) I took some steel bar stock, and used it to bend the aluminum in my vice. The box doesn’t look pretty, but you can’t expect much from a guy who makes his living as an audio technician! When it’s painted and hidden under the rear package shelf, no one but you and I will ever know, but it sure will sound better!

*Footnote: To those who are wondering, and have e-mailed me, aluminum is not the best acoustical materal to use if it’s not insulated correctly. Wood is a better choice, but in the environment I am installing it, the wood would probably rot. Yes, I could coat the box in fiberglass resin, but “deadning” the aluminum is far easier. I will put foam tape on the contact points, and fill the interior with acoustical foam to help the sound. Thanks for the input!

François stopped by bearing gifts. My radiator is back from the shop with one leak patched, and pressure tested. To save some money, I am going to do the detailing. This is also a place where the time and the patience will pay off in having the work done myself. The side support brackets are made out of steel, with the rest of the radiator is made out of brass. The two dissimilar metals are held together with solder. Using paint stripper to remove all the paint, I found the metal has some surface rust.  I wanted to prime it with some rust preventative primer, but coating the brass parts will only insulate the radiator making it less efficient. Only a thin coat of black paint is needed on the rest of the radiator, so I brushed on the special primer only on the steel parts, leaving the brass parts bare for the thin coat of paint I’ll spray on the whole radiator. This extra step would never be done at a radiator shop, so I’m not only saving money, but also doing a better job!

I spent the last part of my day looking for my fuel sending unit. I haven’t seen it in months, and it’s beginning to worry me. François had it for a few weeks when he took it to his shop to help fix it. I remember him returning it to me a few months ago, but I’m not sure what I did with it after that. I vaguely remember testing it’s resistance of the sender when I was going through my electrics, but I’m not sure what I did with it after that. I may have taken it back to François but he hasn’t seen it at his shop. I decided to give another search of my shop. I haven’t thrown anything out, so it’s got to be somewhere. It’s a pretty large mechanism, so I shouldn’t miss it. I even looked in my pile of Porsche, Mustang, and Alpine parts, but I didn’t find it. I guess I’ll just keep looking!

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