Aprilia Cabrio - here we go again

[Jaydub]

Peter I am not an expert on these matters by any means, but my understanding is that LED`s need a resistor or a voltage limiter or else they will burn out with too much voltage, because they are a diode not a bulb as we know it.

[Jaydub]

Re LED, interestingly with exactly the same set up, but with a standard bulb, it all works. It was a NOS 1950's mechanical relay.


Simon, on your test rig you appeared to have only one flasher illuminated and the relay didn`t function. I wondered if you had 2 lamps in the circuit thereby adding more load c/w LED, the relay might have worked as per my reference on the XK120?
Just curious.

[Mikenoangelo]

I fitted LED flashers to a 20hp RR, or rather, tried to. Normal flasher units do not work with LEDs alone, but can if you are content to have for example the rear indicators using incandescent bulbs with LEDs at the front. Specific LED flashers work with LEDs as long as there is no ignition derived interference which on the RR would make the LEDs flash in synch with the contact breaker when the engine was running, although OK with the engine stopped. Using suppressors in the plug leads more or less worked but the engine did not like them so in the end I abandoned the idea, which in fact makes sense as the purpose of using LEDs is to use less power, which bearing in mind the minimal time that the indicators are working is insignificant. As mentioned in an earlier post, the old fashioned clockwork type flashers should work perfectly, although I gave up before proving that. Such clockwork flashers were used on the Citroen 2cv and are still available although they are incorporated within the dash mounted switch which you may or may not wish to use.
The above was my experience from 3-4 years ago so may be not so relevant with more recent LED compatible flasher units.

Mike

[peteracs]

Peter I am not an expert on these matters by any means, but my understanding is that LED`s need a resistor or a voltage limiter or else they will burn out with too much voltage, because they are a diode not a bulb as we know it.

Hi

You are correct that a simple LED is a diode and hence would normally want around 1.5V across it. The packaged LED lights you see are not just LEDs, but will have some extra circuitry, maybe simple resistor to limit the current/voltage drop,  they may also have multiple leds, guess it all depends on the design. Either way the packaged ones should have a voltage rating and also a wattage spec.

Peter

[simonandjuliet]

I've learnt a lot about LED's - thanks. The only other thing to note is that they are +/- sensitive so you have to take care which way they are fitted

I have put some time aside this week to work with my upholsterer with a view to finishing the interior so I will try and do updates as we go along

Today was marking out the carpets and planning the rest of the week. He also showed me the steering wheel grip to see if I was happy - I am !

The photo of the boot was to see if I wanted dark beige or black in the boot, so I am going with the dark beige, trimmed with the same colour red as the seats, everywhere

My job now is to fit the underlay and make new door panels .....

[DavidLaver]

Exciting !!!

[Mikenoangelo]

One more observation on LEDs - they pass so little current that the earth connection can be the point of greatest resistance in the circuit and will stop the LED from working. Do make sure there is a really good earth return.

Mike

[simonandjuliet]

Thanks for that

Today's exciting installment ......

I fitted the underlay in the car and boot area last night and then after a vine treatment (criminally early this morning !) I started on the new panels.

I set up a table under the Appia, but it is still very warm in the garage. The headline temp has dropped but it is still 34°C with 95% humidity

Clément showed me a neat way of tracing the shape of the frame. You put double sided sticky tape around the frame , stick some thick polythene onto it and then trace it out with a felt pen. Then you peel it off, cut it out and transfer it to the new plywood. I taped it loosely to the board and then sprayed the edges with black paint (my adaptation to the process) - ready to cut out. The edges were nicely chamfered and ready for recovering

While I was doing this, Clément was doing a check fit of the carpets before finishing the edging. The boot carpet has been finished and fitted and he has also made the patterns for the inner wheelarch trims, so that there will be no metal showing

So advancing slowly - tomorrow we will be making the RHS door panel and trimming the footwell panels along with other bits and bobs. Unfortunately I haven't got enough leather so a a quick call to Connolly and another skin is on its way

Other panels were either repaired or remade as well, they have now all gone off for re-trimming

The rear quarter panels and arm rests are back and after a trial fit will be properly fitted tomorrow

[simonandjuliet]

Couple more pics

[chriswgawne]

Fascinating, particularly for me knowing what is on the horizon.
My quest for the correct colour nocciola wool cloth is nearing fruition I believe….but its not helped by the huge variation in colour in potential supplier's photos....even from photo to photo of the same material in the same car!
When I am sorted I will find a way of illustrating this.
Well done Simon, the Aprilia Cabriolet is turning out to be a real eye catcher.
Chris

[mikeC]

Chris, my Appia is trimmed in Nocciola. If you are attending the AGM we can see if we can find a small area to cut off that you can use as a sample.

[DavidLaver]

I like that pattern making trick.

[simonandjuliet]

Quieter day here today, most of the trimming being done at Clément's workshop

In the meantime I have tidied up a couple of bits on the underlay so that the carpets will lie flat and finished the rest of the underlay

Rear quarter panel fitted to RHS, need to go into Narbonne for more door seal tomorrow when I collect my bike wheels (conversion to tubeless)

Other jobs were cleaning and protecting the firewall rubber which is complete but the rubber has gone soft and it is quite delicate. The tunnel rubber is a NOS piece that I found at Padova a couple of years ago. Finally sound deadening bitumen panels have been fitted to the other door, inner wings etc

[simonandjuliet]

Still waiting on the extra "skin" so unfortunately we couldn't finish it all this week before he goes on holiday (sad face !) but very happy with what we did get done. The footwell panels , for example, can't be finished until the door panels are done because we need to follow the line of the carpet forward - the bottom of the doors will be carpeted

I still need to screw in the studs for the boot carpet but the inner wheelarches look great , lined in the faux-leather. There will be a board at the back of the boot , originally painted, but I've decided to cover that as well

Now that most of the interior is back in place I can see a couple of bits of bodywork that will need to be covered in the faux-leather (or leathercloth) to hide the black paint, mainly in the corner around the rear seat

However, a major step forward this week

[simonandjuliet]

The extra "skin" arrived today so hopefully crack on with the door panels again this week

I had some time today to finish the wiring on the dash. The indicators were a bit of a faff, I could not get a single LED dash warning lamp to flash for both sides however I wired it (even with a resistor added), so after some time I fitted a second lamp - one lamp for left , one for right. There was an extra hole already drilled in the dash and I had fitted a chrome blank to fill it in neatly, so I found another dash lamp and fitted a second LED into this.

I used a 2 terminal flasher unit tucked high up, slotted onto a bespoke bracket. I then added a nice circular junction box to connect the front/rear indicators and dash repeaters to the switch wires.

The only other non-standard mod to the dash is a series of earths to ensure everything has a good grounding, it has added a couple of extra wires but it looks OK

All the switches have been stripped and cleaned, the most complex is the interior light switch that uses a rotating square to alternatively create/break the circuit. The angled contact on one side turns the block as the button is pushed

The indicator switch is very straight-forward, a pair of sprung boards that have a left-neutral-right position and the lever connects the boards as required.  Refreshingly simple after the Appia/Aurelia units ....

All the switches are mounted , and pre-wired,  to the triangular plate. This in turn is held onto the dash with the ignition/light unit (round thing with lots of terminals) and chrome indicator mounting nut.

The ignition/light unit is also pre-wired before fitting. The clip-in dial unit is also pre-wired before it goes in. All well thought out, just leaving the oil pressure gauge and speedo cable to finish it all off

In theory, I can now connect a battery and start the car !