Author Topic: Future mods for your Kappa (Read 4736 times)

Sol Asylum · « **on:** December 30, 2013, 02:26:53 PM »

So it's been kind of slow around here lately and I guess that's because everyone already has all the mods made for our cars installed on their car.

That got me thinking what mods would I like to see that aren't yet made or perfected for a Kappa.

For me I would like to see a head up display that incorporates a GPS as well as a dash hawk or ultra gauge features. Garmin now makes a head up display that couples to a smart phone and with the right app will give you GPS features yet it's still lacking the features of a ultra gauge. One would think with a blue tooth OBDII plug in and the right app this shouldn't be a big thing to develop. Anyone know how to write such an app? Anyone have any experience with the Garmin HUD?

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-road/apps/hud-head-up-display-/prod134348.html

What future mods would you like to see developed for our platform? Who knows maybe one of our vendors will see your idea and be able to make it happen.

Arabas · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2013, 02:57:15 PM »

more aftermarket (and affordable) body kits, fenders, bumpers, hoods etc for the Sky-GT
oh, and less tax mod + cheaper gas in my country

cdflint · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2013, 07:10:17 PM »

Convertible fold down hardtop!!!

The engineering would be a pain but who wouldn't want one? Perhaps the rear decklid would have to be modified to do it? Everybody's soft top will fade and need to be replaced. Any vendor that could do it, I think, would do well in the future with it. For me I thought of buying a hardtop for the Summer days since my last convertible I had just for this but now living differently it would end up just taking space in the garage. Now a hard top that folds down into the trunk...Come on Norm!!! or Smoothline? Somebody...

Sly Bob · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2013, 08:59:48 PM »

Future mods? Hmmmm...

I thought that Norm should make a tilt front end clip for the Solstice like he does for the Fiero. Oooor, maybe a set of headlights for the Solstice that would incorporate a pair of Hella projectors like the C6 style lights he does for the Fiero.

I just thought it was quiet 'cause a lot of us are hibernating for the winter.

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ChopTop · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2014, 02:58:55 PM »

2014 Year of the Recessed Grills!!!

Sol Asylum · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2014, 04:38:43 PM »

Quote from: ChopTop on January 02, 2014, 02:58:55 PM

2014 Year of the Recessed Grills!!!

Yeah someone, and I won't mention his name, needs to get that done doesn't he?

Sly Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2014, 06:58:28 PM »

Quote from: ChopTop on January 02, 2014, 02:58:55 PM

2014 Year of the Recessed Grills!!!

Don't tease us...

blackbirdracing · « **Reply #7 on:** January 02, 2014, 10:25:15 PM »

Quote from: ChopTop on January 02, 2014, 02:58:55 PM

2014 Year of the Recessed Grills!!!

This!!!

Quote from: Sol Asylum on January 02, 2014, 04:38:43 PM

Yeah someone, and I won't mention his name, needs to get that done doesn't he?

Quote from: Sly Bob on January 02, 2014, 06:58:28 PM

Don't tease us...

cdflint · « **Reply #8 on:** January 03, 2014, 12:10:06 AM »

Stronger shifter rings. I've tried and heliosky has tried but we just can't get enough people involved to build it. That and I tried getting Rudy at Aftershock to respond. He emailed me a prototype for a ring last April and never heard back. I've emailed him every month after. I hope he's ok. It look like it was a cover over the original but it did look promising. I'd use it. I tried Rich Santana but again, needed enough people to make prototypes.

Some day.

cdflint · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2014, 12:13:41 AM »

That headlight idea too would have been cool. I would have had norm build a hood and incorporate those headlights the first time.

ChopTop · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2014, 10:54:25 AM »

Full LED plug and play conversion: http://www.solsticeforum.com/forum/f62/project-darkside-full-led-conversion-fiberglass-headlight-trax-customs-82009/

I could dig a full Weekend Racer rear fascia replica (body color ground effect and lower valance, integrated exhaust).

Problem is we'll never be able to find someone who specializes in small production runs. Thinking 3D printing is best bet for small productions runs when the whole process begins to get cheaper to make small production runs worth someone's time.

ihawk95 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2014, 11:55:15 AM »

I do like the headlight idea. I also thought of the recessed grills.

I've always been a fan of some of the body kits out there, but probably will never get one. Although...if it covered up some of my road rash behind my doors I could be persuaded. Or just paint the car which will have to happen someday soon.

What about things to do as our car ages? Are there better sealants, etc for say the back window (still haven't fixed mine yet) or maybe the windshield surround? I'm not aware of any, but I'm also not up on that stuff either. My top is still in good shape, but the seals are starting to show wear/deterioration. I have the handle leak again during a heavy rain.

kgschlosser · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2021, 10:24:09 PM »

well. I know this is a stale topic but what the hell.

It's only taken 7 years but dual projectors are almost a reality. well for me anyway.

HUD is the next project on my todo list. It is actually a replacement cluster that is fully digital, needs no modification of the dashboard or the bezel. will have navigation , parking sensors, lane assist, blind spot detection, birds eye view parking camera system with guides that move when the steering wheel is turned. It will be controlled using the factory steering wheel controls. I am also going to hijack the buttons on the onstar mirror, bluetooth and navigation audio will work through the factory system. Streaming audio from your favorite online service through the factory radio. and last but not least a transparent OLED HUD. no projector, no double image from reflection on the windshield.

Sol Asylum · « **Reply #13 on:** July 12, 2021, 11:12:28 AM »

I have now had to work with a few HUDs for a project at work. Some of what is out there is real crappy. A lot of the low cost ones are a reflected image and those are not even worth looking at. The best ones are the projected image on an actual viewing glass (not the windshield). We had looked into doing the transparent LCD but the RND cost took that idea out of contention.

That being said I would really like to see the transparent LCD version just to compare.

The nice thing with a properly designed projector version is that the image actually looks like it is out in front of you so that it is in focus with the rest of your forward view. The reflected versions just have an image that is about in line with your dash so your eye actually needs to refocus on the image. It kind of defeats the purpose of the HUD.

I suspect the transparent LCD may be more like the reflected version but without seeing one it will be hard to tell.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #14 on:** July 12, 2021, 01:42:41 PM »

Yeah a HUD would be sweet and I too am anxious to see what transpires.

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #15 on:** July 12, 2021, 03:30:15 PM »

Sol Asylum · « **Reply #16 on:** July 12, 2021, 03:39:40 PM »

This is one of the better low cost HUDs that we worked with. We ended up with a much higher end HUD.

https://www.dualgpssolutions.com/explore-by-product/xhud1000-head-up-display

Critterman · « **Reply #17 on:** July 12, 2021, 05:28:50 PM »

When you are done with this car, it would be worth a trip to see everything you have done.

Uranium-238 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 12, 2021, 09:00:57 PM »

Has anyone just tried transplanting a 6th gen Corvette/5th gen Camaro HUD into a Kappa?

Honestly, the electronic similarities between my old Kappa and my Camaro are striking, at least on the surface. My guess is there's at least some crossover between the two on the BCM level.

Autometer also makes a widget that allows you to repurpose the HUD, and display other engine parameters/displays.

kgschlosser · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2021, 06:41:46 AM »

won't fit dashboard is too small on the kappas. The projector assembly for the HUD is pretty large. There is also a special layer of material between the layers of glass in the area of the windshield that the HUD is projected onto. This special layer reduces/eliminates the double image caused by the reflection off 2 pieces of glass. You would not be able to get a windshield with this special layer in it for a Kappa. Well you might be able to have one made and I am sure that would come with a really nice price tag to it. Then you are faced with the projector simply not being able to fit into the dashboard. You are also going to have an issue with the HUD being able to read the data from the BCM and that could be a really big headache in and of it's self if it's not able to communicate you would have to build a translator and write a program to decode the incoming data and encode it into what the HUD is able to understand.

kgschlosser · « **Reply #20 on:** July 13, 2021, 06:55:50 AM »

it would be something along these lines.

large enough to display the information needed and small enough to not cause an issue with looking out the windshield.

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Author Topic: Future mods for your Kappa (Read 4736 times)