Speccing Up/Upgrading Parts

[Hendry]

Just purely out of curiosity more than anything else, I wondered if im the only one on here who does this, now Im not talking about replacing broken/damaged cosmetic stuff with new items, nor am I talking about Fast and the Furious style modifications, or even engine modifications, aftermarket alloy wheels etc.

 

Im talking about OEM upgrades from a higher spec or older (if the earlier cars had better equipment) newer model/version of your car, or do you all enjoy the inverse-decadence of poverty spec cars, like I first thought when I read topics on here when I first joined, where a Cavalier Envoy had more kudos on here than a Diplomat for example.

 

To give you an idea what I mean: ive changed the following on my car: mk6 Golf traction control switch to replace the mk5 "ESP OFF" switch. chrome glovebox handle from an early Golf, black autodim rear view mirror from a Golf GT to replace the cream coloured one, chrome handled headlight switch from a 2015 Tiguan R Line, Top dash vent to replace the cubby tray from a Golf equipped with Climatronic ventilation (VW speak for electronic climate control rather than the rotary dials) and a Golf GTi gear knob to replace the standard one.

 

Thus far Ive justified this by telling myself Ive replaced all damaged parts anyway so id have to replace them anyway so why not add some nicer touches to the interior.

 

As my car has a "highline" central electronic control module this allows things like cornering fog lights, indicators as DRLs, changing the dual stage unlocking for single stage, alarm chirps on locking/unlocking, footwell lights that come on when car unlocked or any door opened as permanent ambient lights at night, simply by hooking the car up to VCDS (VW dealer level software) and changing settings, no parts, wiring or new hardware required.

 

Finding it a bit harder to justify forking out for a GTi flat bottom multi function steering wheel, Scirocco R Line 3D Colour Speedo Clocks, chrome edged electric windows, mirrors and fuel flap release switches. 

 

Ive always liked the subtle little touches nobody else would ever notice but to me just makes the car a slightly nicer place to be. Its something Ive always done on all my cars, I think mainly because back in the days, cars had trim levels all one rung above another so it was possible to have one with everything, whereas now after the 2 base model trims, they seem to fork off between luxury/comfort and sporty trims, for example I had an Astra Design with half leather sports seats, chrome window trims, alloys, front fogs, ambient lights, trip computer/check control, all round electric windows, auto lights, rain sensor wipers, but the SRI had a spoiler, bigger alloys, Sport button and an alarm I wanted on mine but wasnt even available as an option, whereas the SRI didnt have the half leather, rear electric windows, auto lights, rain sensor wipers etc. mine had, even the top spec Elite didnt have the "Sporty" stuff, why isnt it possible to get a volume car in a sporty spec AND have the toys, not one or the other. Anyone else? 

[conkerman]

OEM+ was a thing a few years ago. Cue Bentley wheels on golfs.

And nicked RSx seats in caddy's

 

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[Matt]

 

 

Anyone else? 

 

Yep, I've always liked this kind of modification too and would like to do more but my current car basically has everything (which isn't much, all things being relative and all that). I looked for quite a while for a set of Suzuki 7 spoke 13 inch alloys from the pre-facelift model and finally found a set which Moog kindly dropped off in the since stolen Starlet. Only other parts I could do really would be A/C, heated drivers seat and headlamp washers but I would need to buy the parts from abroad which would almost certainly be a massive PITA. In my old VW Polo I swapped the instrument cluster for one that had a tachometer, a bezel from a Coupe S that had a red stripe around it and a leather gearknob from a Golf or something.

[Hendry]

OEM+ was a thing a few years ago. Cue Bentley wheels on golfs.

And nicked RSx seats in caddy's

 

Sent from my Vodafone Smart ultra 6 using Tapatalk

 

Yeah but as you said thats still pretty major modifications with expensive parts.

 

Im more talking along the lines of a Mondeo Ghia interior light with map lights fitted into a Mondeo Aspen, or a rev counter instrument panel into a Corsa B Merit, etc. Much lower key than 20" Bentley rims stuck under the arches of a slammed black rep mobile A4. You can, as youve proved, have a very extensively modified car without ever fitting anything that wouldnt have came out of a manufacturers parts bin. 

[eddyramrod]

I've been known to do stuff like this, but many years ago.  In 1982, just for example, I had a 1967 Arrow Minx, 1725 auto, which was pretty basic even by the standards of the time.  A neighbour had laid-up a later Hunter estate, so I bought the reclining seats and wood dash from his car, and fitted them to mine.  More recently my mate Dave stripped the leather interior from a Volvo 940 estate to go in his 940, which didn't have it.  Nowadays I don't have spare cash, or anywhere to work properly.... and anyway I've got a Cadillac, how do you upgrade from that?  Not possible!

[conkerman]

To be honest, I see it as largely pointless. Want a Ghia, buy a Ghia etc. Probably cheaper than buying bits piecemeal and other dicking about getting stuff coded to work properly. I tend to buy the spec car I want and don't cock about with it, because life is too short

 

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[eddyramrod]

Coded?  HAHAHAHAHA!  In my day you could wander around your local scrappy and unbolt anything you fancied and it wouldn't be that hard to make it fit.  7/16AF was your best friend!  None of this coding rubbish, bits from any car could be made to work on any other.  Those were the days.

 

Oh dear, I'm so old!

[conkerman]

I did chuck a Golf GTI steering wheel on my MK1 golf in around 1990. I had lots of suspension bits as well. Sadly, they were more fucked than the ones on the car.

 

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[sierraman]

I put leather in the 97 Mondeo I had, swapped the standard dash for wooden effect shit. Some stuff was an easy swap, others like changing Manual to electric sunroof was a bit of aggro.

[Hendry]

To be honest, I see it as largely pointless. Want a Ghia, buy a Ghia etc. Probably cheaper than buying bits piecemeal and other dicking about getting stuff coded to work properly. I tend to buy the spec car I want and don't cock about with it, because life is too short

 

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That's fair enough except for when the car is given to you, or you've bought the car based on condition, history, how well looked after it was. Give you an example, on the Golf GTi forum everyone wants all the stuff that was optional extras so thus it wasn't like just buying the GTi spec would get you the features to wanted, as they weren't standard, especially hard on a used car where you can't tick the option box, the obvious thing to do is look for a car with those features but you could end up with one with leather, cruise, Bluetooth, xenons but scruffy as fuck, no history, high miles, not well cared for, or you might see a mint condition, 1 owner low miles full service history car with receipts for everything but no options, it's easier to add leather seats and xenons to that car than it is to conjure up a lower mileage, non existent service history, and tidy exterior/interior condition which is obviously impossible to do.

 

As I said, my car is the highest trim available on that model but some parts weren't available on it even as options (flat bottom steering wheel and GTi seats for example) and some are from newer models. There's also the fact why spend out on a car with everything when you may only want specific bits from the higher spec car and save yourself a couple of grand between buying the mid range and adding to it and buying the top spec.

 

Then as well said, if for example you buy an Astra Elite, top spec with heated leather, cruise, climate control, electric folding mirrors, auto lights, rain sensor wipers, but the Sport button, bigger wheels, spoiler, alarm system, darker headlights from the SRi aren't available on that model. If only every car was as customisable from new as a Fiat 500, Vauxhall Adam, Mini, Citroen DS3 then problem solved, anything goes, but alas other models aren't like that, you have to pick a spec from a list of ones decided by the manufacturer and have only set optional extras available depending on the model and spec you go for. They even sometimes don't offer some exterior colours on some trims but they do on others, and some interior and exterior colour combinations aren't available, if you're paying all that money the car should be exactly how you want it, but it's not, hence I decide to make my car a mish mash of all the different parts I'd like on it.

 

To me it's like the interior decor of your house, you don't have half a dozen set combinations, you pick and choose all different items and combine them to fit what your tastes are and what you want it to be like, you have have the same wallpaper and carpet as a thousand other people but you might have a different tv, units, sofa, etc because it's your choice based on your personal preference, why should your car be any different just because it's not a £200k hand built Bentley. So if the manufacturers won't do it, I'll make my car the way I like to my tastes by myself.

[chodweaver]

I like my gadgets and did a lot of mucking about with electronics in my teens so i'm a sucker for this too. My first foray into it being to add a variable intermittent wipe to my dad's Solara LS. It sort of worked, but had some annoying foibles like triggering a double wipe when it felt like it, and a single wipe when the ignition was switched off. A valuable lesson was learned - OE manufacturers do this sort of thing rather better than 1. a spotty teenager with a soldering iron and some back issues of Practical Electronics 2. a spotty Chinese teenager with a demanding boss and some spare time in between building IBM XT clones, so i've shied away from home brew add ons since. Some owner's forums have come up with some cracking modifications though - someone spotted a tiny difference between US spec electric window switches and UK spec - and removal of a tiny plastic tab meant auto-up was enabled. Another was a simple extra switch defeated dim-dip headlights - a particular bug bear of mine, esp on a car with pop-up headlights - so that got done. As for the love for Base spec here, i do like a bit of misery, but only if i don't have to live with it all year round. I want rear wash wipers, head restraints, electric mirrors and heated seats, alloy wheels and brighter lights, and i've suffered very little from top spec cars having ill designed or implemented gold plating features. Granted, some manufacturers put rubbish stereos in that must be replaced while no attempt should be made to better those in certain Volvos. However, when added to my own experiences the recent FIRE thread on here has brought home how lethal many PO's efforts at stereo upgrades/removal of stereo upgrades are for setting light to your car... some people really shouldn't be allowed to tinker...

 

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[RoadworkUK]

I can relate to this with my old 820e Fastback.

 

I added the grab-handle mounted front and rear reading lights from an 820 Se, the connectors were already there but Rover must have saved £3 per car by not fitting the lights. The rears weren't so simple and required a separate feed. Actually, that car probably had more interior illumination than any other I've owned.

 

The best interior upgrade I made, though, was the rubber inlay that sat in the shelf in front of the passenger (where the airbag is on later Mk2s). It's inexcusable that this was only provided on SLi models and above.

[Hendry]

I like my gadgets and did a lot of mucking about with electronics in my teens so i'm a sucker for this too. My first foray into it being to add a variable intermittent wipe to my dad's Solara LS. It sort of worked, but had some annoying foibles like triggering a double wipe when it felt like it, and a single wipe when the ignition was switched off. A valuable lesson was learned - OE manufacturers do this sort of thing rather better than 1. a spotty teenager with a soldering iron and some back issues of Practical Electronics 2. a spotty Chinese teenager with a demanding boss and some spare time in between building IBM XT clones, so i've shied away from home brew add ons since. Some owner's forums have come up with some cracking modifications though - someone spotted a tiny difference between US spec electric window switches and UK spec - and removal of a tiny plastic tab meant auto-up was enabled. Another was a simple extra switch defeated dim-dip headlights - a particular bug bear of mine, esp on a car with pop-up headlights - so that got done. As for the love for Base spec here, i do like a bit of misery, but only if i don't have to live with it all year round. I want rear wash wipers, head restraints, electric mirrors and heated seats, alloy wheels and brighter lights, and i've suffered very little from top spec cars having ill designed or implemented gold plating features. Granted, some manufacturers put rubbish stereos in that must be replaced while no attempt should be made to better those in certain Volvos. However, when added to my own experiences the recent FIRE thread on here has brought home how lethal many PO's efforts at stereo upgrades/removal of stereo upgrades are for setting light to your car... some people really shouldn't be allowed to tinker...

 

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I never mess with wiring in terms of cutting, splicing, scotchlocks, chocolate blocks, and soldering, Ill plug stuff into spare plugs on a loom, I can add additional OEM looms to the main loom for features the car doesnt already have, and I can fit an aftermarket stereo with ISO adapter blocks, swap around wires so the stereo doesnt lose presets every time I switch ignition off, on old Vauxhalls to make the date show permanently on the info display when the aftermarket stereo is on and connect an aftermarket stereo to the steering wheel controls, but id never fuck about with wiring too, and tbh you shouldnt really have to, the amount of fairly in depth upgrades ive seen done on cars, heated seats, parking sensors, climate control, factory sat navs, really really involved, indepth stuff and people have never had to dice and splice wires like some of the complete horrors ive also seen on cars with aftermarket stereos, this primarily is the older generation with their "that can get to fuck" attitude to instructions and guides. 

[Des]

I once popped a blanking plug and stuck in a ciggy lighter.

[beko1987]

Amys zafira has insignia washer jets...

 

When I broke my rusty Puma for spares the leather interior sold in about 5 seconds to some lad who upgraded his boggo cloth to it out of his uni grant. He stripped everything out of his bar the drivers seat and drove over and I helped him fit it. Got me £300 that did!

[eddyramrod]

It's still a while ago I suppose: 2002.  I had a 1987 Mini Mayfair that I'd taken in px against my first Cadillac, and embarked on a programme of upgrading.  Brand new carpet set; good black seats and door cards from a Red Hot which I think was about 1990, and a set of flat-face 12" alloys from another edition, but without their hubcaps.  I went for all-red rear lights too, as it was a red car.  There's a load of other stuff I did too, I'll have to dig out a pic.

[stuboy]

everything i could unbolt and upgrade from higher models i did it

[Ghosty]

I'd quite like a set of 416GTi lattice wheels for my 216, as they're similar style to the trimz already on there.

[mk2_craig]

The Autoshite way is the opposite way. Replacing troublesome electric windows with keep-fit jobs, like I once did on a 1992 Fiesta Ghia.

[Honey Badger]

I once fitted a floor console (in poo brown) with integrated gearstick and hand brake surround that had 4 integral cassette holdeholders from a 1.4 uno in Charlie Perkins scrapyard into my 900cc peasant standard Uno (Blue interior).

 

I drove round the town center like a boss, changing tapes with wild abandon until the floorpan round the self tappers holding it in rotted out (this was also the point in life I found out that it isn't a good thing that your new car has fresh underseal front to back) this took about 2 months.

 

I've always assumed I could never top this, so I've never tried again.

[Lord Sterling]

Yeah. Up-speccing or something I think it's called.

 

Did it Ma_Sterlings K11 Micra;

 

 

Started with the usual bull, OEM floor mats. Then upon spying a few higher-spec Micras in various scrappies I visited back in the day, items were bought.

 

Started with rear speakers:

 

As found in higher spec K11s, the looms are apparently all the same in the later K11s so the plug-in for the rear speakers were already there.

 

Cigarette lighter:

 

Originally a blanking hole. A relative fitted a Halfords cigarette-lighter fitting kit to plug in thier SatNav, I found an OEM cigarette-lighter in another scrapped Micra and that went in.

 

A-pillar tweeters:

 

Again, found often in higher-spec Micras, the plugs were already there, it was just a case of finding tweeter speakers and trim which was easy to find.

 

Rear panel trim;

 

Before:

 

After:

 

Speaks for itself really. Found a Micra Sport or other in a scrappy, saw these and whipped off for fitting in Ma's Micra. There was also some trim which covered the Blue metal underneath the window but I didn't bother with those because it was too much work whipping them off the other car, and it kept a sort of originality to it if I left it off.

 

I changed the sun damaged front door cards too but only for the same, cleaner, unmarked items. There are better door cards on the later Micra but I couldn't find any for cheap at the time. It still is on my to-do list but probably not for a long while.

 

There were also other minor stuff like inner boot grab handle replacing a blanking plate, sunvisors which had mirror and shutter for both sides, rear ashtray, OEM Japanese Nissan March floor mats which I got cheap on a second-chance offer after they originally sold for something like £71, rubber strut top covers which seem to be added to some Micras and not others in a almost ad-hoc fashion.

 

I really enjoyed swapping trim over for higher-spec stuff, it's little touches like that that just made the Micra more interesting and slightly unique without going down the cheap tatty aftermarket route.

 

I wanted to fit front-fog lights to it as well but getting these lights was impossible, either sellers wanted stupid money for just one fog lamp or I was late to the party for cheap ones, besides, fitting them was a bit more involved than it looked, some splicing of wires in hard to reach places. I gave up on that idea.

[Hendry]

Easiest car ever to fit front fog lights to I've found so far is the mk4 Astra, all you need is the fogs themselves, some torx screws and the headlight switch with front fog button, don't need a different bumper or inserts with fog holes, you simply drop the bumper, cut out the fog holes which are premarked where to cut, put the fogs in the spaces you've made, screw them on to the mounting points already on the bumper, plug in the looms which are taped up below the headlights, refit the bumper, and swap the headlight switch.

 

By comparison, and this is where I hate modern bollocks, canbus systems and the like, Vectra C front fogs are a nightmare, they need coding in on the CIM and sometimes there's errors where they just refuse to be coded, other times the coding all goes through successfully and they still don't work. Some cars, referring to VAG here, you need to replace the CECM for the highline 30byte module to allow fogs or the option to code them in isn't even there, my car has them standard so has the high line 30byte module which is a rare, sought after part and actually sells for a fortune 2nd hand because of all the other functions it allows you to code in that the other lower byte modules don't.

 

Steering wheel controls/MFSW is another one, on older cars it's a swap the button blanks for the buttons or at worst a swap steering wheel job to fit and they just work, others like Astra H need them coded too, but on mk5 Golf platform cars, if you don't have an MFSW then you need to replace not only the steering wheel (unless you have a DSG gearbox because for some reason DSG steering wheels can accommodate the buttons) but also the steering wheel controller, in some cases the slip ring, in some cases the indicator stalk/cruise control stalk, and then the wiper stalk (VWs without MFSW control the info display and trip computer off buttons on the end of the wiper stalk which interfere with buttons doing the same function on the steering wheel when the MFSW is fitted) or if you are really unlucky you need to replace everything, I've got off fairly lightly just needing the wiper stalk, steering wheel controller and the wheel itself. Then VCDS coding, all those parts are expensive 2nd hand because rare and sought after because VW unlike most manufacturers were still producing top spec trims without MFSWs in 2009. Plus German car parts are mega expensive, a Focus ST or Astra VXR steering wheel is £80-100 2nd hand, bogging Focus and Astra MFSWs £20-40. Golf MFSW £100 and GTI ones around £200, even non MFSW GTi wheels are nearly that much despite the only difference from my standard wheel being it's flat bottomed, and 2-4 o clock and 8 - 10 o clock areas are perforated leather, otherwise identical. As soon as a part is for Audi, VW, BMW or Mercedes the price jumps maaaively over Ford, Renault. Vauxhall, even other VAG stuff like Seat and Skoda.

[sierraman]

Fitted some fog lamps to a Mondeo once. Really can't be arsed with shit like that now, so long as it has a heater and a radio I don't need anything else.

[tooSavvy]

I have my ToMM©

 

CBA modding a 2.0i motor in....

 

There you go

 

 

TS

[bramz7]

Put a TXD driver's seat in my TGE BX...but that was mainly down to the original being wrecked.

Always wanted to put a set of Aura alloys on one of my ZXs but most I found had trash tyres attached.

To be fair I don't have high expectations, as long as the seats are nice and (most of) the dials work it'll do.

[Noel Tidybeard]

well the spaceship went from this 2007 grille

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...to this 2009 grille

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...to this 2011 grill

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...to this black skullcaps like the championship models

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[chodweaver]

I never mess with wiring in terms of cutting, splicing, scotchlocks, chocolate blocks, and soldering, Ill plug stuff into spare plugs on a loom, I can add additional OEM looms to the main loom for features the car doesnt already have, and I can fit an aftermarket stereo with ISO adapter blocks, swap around wires so the stereo doesnt lose presets every time I switch ignition off, on old Vauxhalls to make the date show permanently on the info display when the aftermarket stereo is on and connect an aftermarket stereo to the steering wheel controls, but id never fuck about with wiring too, and tbh you shouldnt really have to, the amount of fairly in depth upgrades ive seen done on cars, heated seats, parking sensors, climate control, factory sat navs, really really involved, indepth stuff and people have never had to dice and splice wires like some of the complete horrors ive also seen on cars with aftermarket stereos, this primarily is the older generation with their "that can get to fuck" attitude to instructions and guides. 

Don't ever get an old camper van then

[purplebargeken]

Mostly stuck vinyl seats from 1300 FWD's into Dolomites and Toledos. 

 

Osram Nightbreakers into the Mk3 Golf, GTi interior also into the Golf.

 

DAB radio into the Volvo 340 DL

 

Fitted Micra GX sunvisors into Mrs PBK's boggo Micra Shape, also hatchback outer handle thing from a later Micra.

[Eddie Honda]

DAB radio into the Volvo 340 DL

 

 

You wrong 'un Ken!

[Hendry]

well the spaceship went from this 2007 grille

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...to this 2009 grille

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...to this 2011 grill

  [/url]">http://

 

...to this black skullcaps like the championship models

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Didnt realise there were so many different grilles for a Civic, and all of them nice apart from the 2009 one. 

 

Doubt Honda will ever make a Civic as well styled and smart looking as those ever again, every model since has been a step down, and the latest one looks awful, horribly shaped and bland, it puts me in mind of another bland Jap car from years ago but just cant place it. The interior too was smart, so untypically Jap dull boring masses of grainy light grey plastic style. Quite fancy one of these when the prices really do hit rock bottom, still command a decent wedge considering how old they are now.