When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
While you're at it, rattle can some of the goods satin black. Once it dries and the car is driven a few times in the rain... no one could completely see what you're working with.
I knew someone around here would be on board!
If anything, I'll tag the under panel in Hammerite for a bit of extra protection, but that's about it. The coils will be getting a coating of Fluid Film and grease to keep things turning easy over time, so that rules out any real paint. There are going to be some things that I won't be able to hide no matter what. I am tempted to remove the Wilwood decals on the DPHA's, and they'll already be black... But if you're noticing that I have DPHA's, you're probably going to ask what else is going on.
I picked up a spare cluster at PnP earlier this evening for an interior project. The plan was to remove and send out the gauge panel for modifying, but now I'm having additional fun things in mind after taking a look at all of the empty socket and LED spots on the board... We'll see how it goes, there's plenty of room to play!
More fun stuff arrived today. I'm concerned that my poor Japanese Fit isn't going to know what to do with a German Blaupunkt radio in it. Gomi! Haha. I wasn't going to stand for the connector party that was about to take place behind the dash (I hate bad wiring), so that was corrected. Now everything is ready for install tomorrow. I'm going to try out a more efficient CDV delete than the current posted methods as well, that's what the Earl's line and Typ 200 are for.
Last edited by idrivemyself; 04-15-2017 at 01:10 AM.
Got the interior wiring done and the stereo installed today. I'm not very impressed with the Metra kit, the fitment sucks and I don't like that there are not provisions to reinstall the two 8mm security bolts. And to make matters worse, I now have multiple console bulbs out that were working prior to removal, so I get to go back in for that. But overall I am happy with the Blaupunkt nav unit. It does what it's supposed to do and for a decent price. With the recessed position of the unit it does make adjusting the volume via the knob difficult and there's nothing I can do about that (see fitment issues).
My OCD is a bit perturbed that the overhead console is slightly off-center and I keep having to remind myself that the Fit (especially this one) isn't cosmetically perfect. It just has to work, and it does. So job done.
Went to delete the CDV this afternoon and didn't realize that the inlet size is 12x1mm, not 10x1mm as I thought. So those plans are on hold until an adapter arrives; I bled the system instead. I knew that the fluid was bad, but I didn't know that it was that bad.
I was able to reuse the stock radio side plates with my metra kit so I could still use those to stock bolts. all it took was drilling a couple of extra holes.
I was able to reuse the stock radio side plates with my metra kit so I could still use those to stock bolts. all it took was drilling a couple of extra holes.
Glad to hear you made it happen. I took a look at the brackets after I put up that post and made plans to try figuring out a way to re-install them when everything comes back out for new bulbs. We'll see how it goes!
I hate my Metra kit as well, the color matches but my OCD wouldn't let me live with that gap. :/
I took yesterday evening to attempt to finally install the coilovers, strut brace, and rsb. And I only accomplished half... The coils were fully disassembled and everything got a coating of Fluid Film and grease, then was reassembled. I installed the fronts and the strut brace first, which went well. The Ksport universal sway bar end links were too short for my comfort, they had to be wound all the way out to just barely fit, and so I deemed them crap and put on the stock units that were still in good shape. Two notes: the DC bar is going to make accessing the master cylinder a bit tricky, so I have a pressure bleed adapter on the way that I'm hoping can be squeezed in. I'd hate to have to remove the bar every time to bleed brakes... Not that it happens all that often, but still. And two, I need to remove the wiper cowl to insert the damper adjustment knobs. Good idea, poor placement, at least there's four knobs and I can leave the fronts in place. And to be safe I'm thinking of making a dust boot for them too. The fronts already feel much, much better now. I may add a helper spring to each coilover at a later date, there's still 6-8" of threads to play with. But I'm happy for now!
To my disappointment, the rears aren't finished. Or were barely even started, really. The rear shock cross bolts were installed way tighter than they should be (there's no rust) and I ended up rounding off the first 14mm bolt head. So the stock rear suspension lives on for a few more days until I can fully tackle drilling those out.
No pictures for now, I'll snap a few once everything is done.
I might get a Scosche in the future if this Metra kit still bugs me.
As for the coilover install, that's weird that you had to take out the wiper cowl for accessing the damper adjustments, on my F2 set I didn't have to. It was tight but accessible. And as for the rears, get new bolts and grease the sh*t out of them because you will spend a lot of time tweaking the rears than the fronts (For me at least).
I had a Scosche lined up prior to install but Crutchfield got me with their next-to-free Metra kit... Oh well. Again, mine isn't quite a looker, just has to work.
I'm talking about removing the cowl once and once only to install the damper knob. Ksport provided four of them so I will be leaving one in each front strut. Pictures of what I'm talking about will clear it up, I'll take a few when it's happening. The rear shock bolts are F'd. Hopefully I won't have to be removing the rear shocks after they're in, one and done would be nice. Dampening adjustment is made from the top, in cabin, after that.
One of my fears with the DC strut brace has come true. I picked up a CTA 7030 brake reservoir adapter to use with my Motive power bleeder and found out that it won't fit unless the brace is removed. On the plus side (at least), the brace is easier to remove/install with the additional clearance in the strut tower due to the coilovers, and brake bleeding isn't a regular service.
Hit another road block yesterday. I found out that Ksport and shipped me GE rear suspension. Not sure how it happened, the box clearly says "2006-2008 HONDA FIT GD" and the front struts fit, so I'm working with them to correct it. It's disappointing. Especially considering that I had the car apart, but whatever, it happens. So hopefully they'll correct it quickly and easily and I can finish my suspension install soon.
One of the reasons that I went with the Ksport coils is that I can keep them "high" and should be able to retain close to stock ride height and proper (functional) suspension geometry. My goal is to tighten up the car without giving away the fact that it's modified.
And here I thought I was the only guy who did things like buy a racing exhaust for his motorcycle, then baffle it to meet street dB regs. while keeping the power gains and weight savings.
I'll start off by asking that if anyone who has Ksport coilovers on their GD, or has installed a set, I would appreciate it if they could chime in.
Here's where things currently sit... Tuesday, 4/25, I found out that the Ksport rear suspension didn't install properly, at all. I contacted them by phone, spoke with Anthony, and then submitted the photos below to his email inbox. He agreed that things didn't look right and suggested that I may have received the rear suspension for a GE (Ksport DOES NOT have part numbers on any of their mounting components, making things extremely difficult to identify )(He later informed me, on Thursday, that the difference between their GD and GE rear suspension kits are a roughly 10 thread increase on the GD rear shocks. Same springs, etc). I also gave measurements of the lower shock bushing relative to the visible gap (40mm shock bushing w/ insert adapters / 45mm shock beam mount opening) and measurements of unusual upper shock mounts (that clearly don't fit either). The rear shocks that were previously installed are OEM with correct part numbers for a GD. An offset lower bushing insert may solve the contact issue with the beam but at accelerated upper and lower bushing wear rate given the additional deflection, no such extra lower inserts were included with the kit. The upper mounts supplied are way off in every way and the adapter sleeve they included with them will not take up the gap to allow me to use the OEM shock mounts instead.
I also raised the issue of the lower spring perches and the fact that they have unusual slop relative to the spring locating bump in the beam, additionally that they do not bolt through the beam, which he noted that they should do. Ksport's instructions note that the OEM upper and lower spring isolaters are to be retained. Clearly, the lower will not fit even if the spring ears are trimmed, another sign that things aren't right.
Anthony gave the usual assurances of prompt resolution and needed to contact his engineering team to verify the bushing measurements from their CAD. He also floated the idea that the rear beam may have been replaced with one that was not from a GD chassis, which I find difficult to believe, at best. I have received several empty promises of returned phone calls since then. Our last contact was Thursday, 4/27, when I called them, in that he and his engineering team were to contact me later that afternoon or Friday morning regarding the suspension issues. I'm irritated at this point, it's off-the-shelf rear suspension for a fucking GD Honda Fit, nothing custom, how complicated can this be?? Better yet, how difficult is customer service?! Not very... It would have been simple to say on Tuesday, "that isn't right, we're going to ship out a verified set of GD rear suspension, please ship us back what didn't fit." Hell, I even offered to do this on Wednesday and PAY for another suspension setup to be refunded when what didn't fit was returned. Nope.
Originally Posted by Mister Coffee
This remains an outstanding build thread. I continue to read with interest.
Thanks! Admittedly, and sadly, it has slowed a bit lately, but c'est la vie and hopefully it will be picking back up soon enough.
Last edited by idrivemyself; 04-30-2017 at 10:58 AM.
04-11-2017, 12:25 AM
But overall I am happy with the Blaupunkt nav unit. It does what it's supposed to do and for a decent price. With the recessed position of the unit it does make adjusting the volume via the knob difficult and there's nothing I can do about that (see fitment issues).
On the plus side (at least), the brace is easier to remove/install with the additional clearance in the strut tower due to the coilovers, and brake bleeding isn't a regular service.
)(He later informed me, on Thursday, that the difference between their GD and GE rear suspension kits are a roughly 10 thread increase on the GD rear shocks. Same springs, etc). I also gave measurements of the lower shock bushing relative to the visible gap (40mm shock bushing w/ insert adapters / 45mm shock beam mount opening) and measurements of unusual upper shock mounts (that clearly don't fit either). The rear shocks that were previously installed are OEM with correct part numbers for a GD. An offset lower bushing insert may solve the contact issue with the beam but at accelerated upper and lower bushing wear rate given the additional deflection, no such extra lower inserts were included with the kit. The upper mounts supplied are way off in every way and the adapter sleeve they included with them will not take up the gap to allow me to use the OEM shock mounts instead.
