Should probably stop lurking...

[smx]

Hello,

I have been hanging around this forum for a bit since i bought my first Copen in April so i though i better introduce myself.

My names Andrew and i live down in Bournemouth, always liked Copen’s since i first saw them on Top Gear ages ago, unfortunately due to practically they have never been an option when buying cars, until now.

I was in the market for small cheap to run car for getting to work and back and my local garage just happened to get in a 54 plate Vivid, 18,000 on the clock, full service history, fresh MOT and in mint condition, Test drove it and bought it straight away!

Since purchasing it i have taken out the old clarion head unit and digital clock and replaced them with a Sony iPod compatible unit, i have also taken out the pioneer speakers and put in 3 way Sony ones to match the head unit, "dynamatting" the doors at the same time.

I have also changed the gear knob for the Momo air leather (cheap 2nd hand eBay bargain) as i think it matches the steering wheel well.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ZZFaj9cxTxo/TAThasOFfOI/AAAAAAAACk0/B2pJXAm6c7Y/s512/stereoi.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ZZFaj9cxTxo/TAThY62hKhI/AAAAAAAACkk/eVQOccv7WP4/s512/door.JPG

You'll notice too that the cars been debagged and i have moved the Copen badge to front grill, i also changed the rear wind deflector for a smoked one (eBay) and replaced the square number plate for a customised standard one and the rear has a shiny new plate as the old was falling apart.

The car has no rust but a few small chips which i have painted and I’m in the process of waxoyl'ing the sills etc. to help prevent any rust from setting in, also have some new custom mats on the way.

After that I'm thinking of customising the interior a bit, maybe some 3m carbon wrap and paint the vent rings. I'm leaving the mechanicals alone for now as i can’t afford to change anything but if something go's or needs replacing when i next service it then i will try and push for upgraded parts.

Any tips i might have missed or cheap upgrades i can get / do please let me know.

Thanks, Andrew.


http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ZZFaj9cxTxo/TAThZK7cUHI/AAAAAAAACko/VF-fVM1uCFA/s720/front_side.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ZZFaj9cxTxo/TAThZxpv-JI/AAAAAAAACks/i8lkB7cFYlA/s720/rear%20side.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_ZZFaj9cxTxo/TAThaL7EIUI/AAAAAAAACkw/UGAgICKR_mM/s720/side.JPG

[rushmere]

Hi Andrew, welcome to the site, and thanks for a great first post. You've done some good work there. :)

[honeyjew]

Hi Andrew, your Copen looks great. I've also got the smoked wind deflector from ebay (japanezzi I think) - did you find that it rattled around quite a bit as it is somewhat thinner than the original item? Mine does and I'm not too sure the best way to get it to stop. Any ideas?

[smx]

Thank you!

Yeah it did rattle a bit at the bottom when i first fitted it. What i did was take it back out and i had a spare sticky pad used holding the number plate on, so i cut this up into small pieces and used it for padding out the plastic inside the mounts. I found the key was to wet the sticky pad then you could slide it all together easily and then when it dried it held fast.

I got the idea after seeing the little rubber foam bits on the bottom of the original defelctor.

Installing mine was actually a lot trickier though as i broke one of the brackets trying to figure out how to remove the old deflector and didn't know ware to get a new one, after some drilling, glueing, painting etc. you would never know it broke, just sods law though that there's now one on eBay.

A

[cobilly]

As this turns into an wind deflector thread, I am looking for a wind deflector for my Copen which did not come with one. I asked Daihatsu Greece, they sell the original part, but it is rather expensive. Would you recommend getting one from internet, and if so, from where?

[smx]

Hello,

The ones we bought on eBay are just the plastic, theres currently a used one on ebay complete with fixings thats a good price:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/152-2003-Daihatsu-Copen-Rear-Wind-Brake-/370384916524?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item563ca9502c

[Rex]

Hello and welcome Andrew,

Your Copen looks great. I was in the Bournemouth / Poole area a few weeks ago for a few days.

Can you tell be a little more about the Sony speakers? Where from, how much, did you have to modify anything etc... ?

Thanks,
Rex.

[cobilly]

Hello,

The ones we bought on eBay are just the plastic, theres currently a used one on ebay complete with fixings thats a good price:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/152-2003-Daihatsu-Copen-Rear-Wind-Brake-/370384916524?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item563ca9502c
Wow that is exactly what I am looking for, my car does not have the fixings. Thanks!

[smx]

Thank you Rex, did you get down while the sun was out? Miserable now, cars tucked away in the garage staying dry while i get soaked cycling to work.

The speakers are Sony XS F1735 3 way speakers 17cm, i struggled to find 16cm to replace the existing pioneer ones like for like. Because they were slightly bigger i had to use some spacing washers to to bring the speaker about 3mm out of the door so it fitted in the hole ok, (door card fitted back on no problem).

I used SoundX strips (cheaper than Dynamat but very good) around the hole first though so that when it's all screwed together there's no gaps.

I'm not much of an audiophile but the sound is a lot better that the Pioneers and the Sound X makes the door feel much more solid when opening and closing. In fact i also lined the boot with SoundX, has the added benefit of keeping the water away from the metal when it drips into the boot.

Here's the ebay link for the speakers, there last years model so going cheap:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SONY-XS-F1735-6-5inch-17cm-200W-3-way-CAR-SPEAKERS-NEW-/260616368995?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GP S_Car_Speakers_PP&hash=item3cadf23363#ht_500wt_1154

SoundX: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SoundX-Car-Audio-Sound-Proofing-Noise-Deadening-8-SqFt-/350259551201?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item518d189be1

Andrew

[Rex]

That's great info Andrew, thanks.

I'm very tempted!

Rex.

[machinehead]

Welcome to the site Andrew (smx).

Best first post ever!!

M.

[smx]

Thanks Machinehead, i've got a bit obsessed since i bought the little Copen.

Just got some custom mats of eBay which i'm really pleased with so i'll get some pics up and the details. Theirs still lots i want to do but i need to slow down a bit as I'm spending to much money on the car (and time according to the other half).

A

[Rex]

That's great info Andrew, thanks.

I'm very tempted!

Rex.



In fact, I couldn't resist! :rolleyes:
Found the speakers slightly cheaper (inc P&P) on Amazon. Now ordered.

Rex.

[smx]

In fact, I couldn't resist!
Found the speakers slightly cheaper (inc P&P) on Amazon. Now ordered.

Rex.

Excellent, let us know how you get on, just rember you have to space them out slightly and that the gap around them ware they are spaced will need filling or covering, i found you end up with a tinny sound if you leave a gap, hence the sound matting.

Good luck! Andrew