BAWC Forums

How many Spyder-specific parts are damaged beyond repair or missing completely?

The headliner is missing.

Any halfway decent upholstery shop could make one of those. The original piece is just a gently curved piece of ABS plastic with foam-backed vinyl glued to it.

Yup. I'm aware

All I'm saying is there's very few parts on there that you'd need a salvage car to provide, unless you're a stickler for originality. The hydraulic rams, the moving body parts, and the ECU are about the only things that you couldn't make a reasonable substitute for. Any car that's far enough gone to need those probably isn't worth repairing in the first place.

You might actually be able to use a Saab 9-3 roof ECU with some mods. I was part way down that road around the time we sold the car.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Doubt it. How many Spyders need those parts? Any cars in bad enough shape to need that stuff aren't any better off than the one we're talking about. Probably worse, actually.

I'd argue it's a lot easier to install a rebuilt engine in an otherwise intact car than it is to repair a smashed one that happens to have a working engine.[/quote]
I'm thinking that there isn't a whole lot of demand for a salvage-titled Spyder when you can get a clean title one that runs already and hasn't been through hell for <$20k. I could be wrong.

There's not a lot of running VR4 Spyders out there for <9k in any condition.

I didn't rebuild that car because it made sense. I did it to keep it from getting scrapped and because I wanted to mess around with it.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]All I'm saying is there's very few parts on there that you'd need a salvage car to provide, unless you're a stickler for originality. The hydraulic rams, the moving body parts, and the ECU are about the only things that you couldn't make a reasonable substitute for. Any car that's far enough gone to need those probably isn't worth repairing in the first place.

You might actually be able to use a Saab 9-3 roof ECU with some mods. I was part way down that road around the time we sold the car.[/quote]
My other post sat queued for a while before I posted it so I didn't see this one...

Yeah, you can probably finagle ways to make things work. Spyder-specific body parts (tonneau, roof panels, weatherstripping, glass, etc.) might be difficult.

If it had to be done, I'd probably try to cobble together a replacement roof ECU myself with modern tools - which shouldn't be that difficult. You could handle all the logic easily with a PIC chip.

It'd be nice to come up with a replacement for the trunk sensor. I had looked around for similar pads a while back, should probably look again.

Potentiometers for the top stack would also be a nice replacement part to have. I have them for the tonneau, but they are opposite from the top stack.

Matt wrote: You could handle all the logic easily with a PIC chip.

Have you really looked at one though? It's got all this analog sensing circuitry to tell when the motors are overloaded. It's really cool. But there's a lot of supporting stuff outside of the 68HC11 chip.

I looked into building a sensor mat before I got really lucky and found an intact used one. The closest thing I found was the pressure mats that they used to use for automatic building doors. With as cheap as sensors are these days, I think it'd be more interesting to rig up some kind of ultrasonic sensor net. Maybe repurposed ultrasonic parking sensors.

Hans wrote:Potentiometers for the top stack would also be a nice replacement part to have. I have them for the tonneau, but they are opposite from the top stack.

That should be easy. I never really looked at the ones in my car, but I'm sure I could find the specs for them. ASC used a lot of off the shelf stuff. If you can get me a clean close up photo of one, or at least tell me what the markings are, I can take a look around.

[quote=""Jeff V.""]I looked into building a sensor mat before I got really lucky and found an intact used one. The closest thing I found was the pressure mats that they used to use for automatic building doors. With as cheap as sensors are these days, I think it'd be more interesting to rig up some kind of ultrasonic sensor net. Maybe repurposed ultrasonic parking sensors.[/quote]

We have pressure mats that we use as safety barriers here on some of our equipment. I bet you could make that work if needed.

[quote=""aaronatstate""]We have pressure mats that we use as safety barriers here on some of our equipment. I bet you could make that work if needed.[/quote]

Also the OCS mat in seats for srs sensing

Same concept, but not nearly large enough. The Spyder trunk mat covers the entire trunk floor.

Hans talked to the guy. He didn't sell it. Looks like he's keeping it and is going back to a stock engine with a few upgrades.

I wondered if anything happened with it. Another local had showed me the ad when it first went up. I wouldn't have been able to pick it up and no way would I have time to work on it. Mine has sat neglected while out of state. I'm almost curious to meet him to see how much he knows.

If you are on FB, his name is Devin Lillard.

He knows cars, but I think this is his first 3S. The Spyder has been his dream car that he's always wanted.

[quote=""vegasidol""]The Spyder has been his dream car that he's always wanted.[/quote]
Then he really should've taken better care of it.

[quote=""mjannusch""]Then he really should've taken better care of it.[/quote]

You think?

I think his ambition outran his wallet.

I keep waiting for Hans to post up he bought it for some stupid good deal.


Coop

[quote=""vegasidol""]I think his ambition outran his wallet. [/quote]

Sums up nearly every single car ive owned lol.