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Thread: Converting my Mirage into a mini-camper, work station, and music studio

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    Converting my Mirage into a mini-camper, work station, and music studio

    This thread will be all about my DIY Mirage mini-camper conversion.

    Covid threw a wrench into everyone's life, so I decided to throw a wrench into my Mirage.
    Both my job and college classes have been converted completely to online.
    Luckily I work and study IT, so I only need an Internet connection to thrive.
    I have been wanting to do this for a while, and now is a better time than ever!

    My end goal is to use my Mirage for long road trips, whether it be rock climbing in the hot months or snowboarding in the cold ones. I want to be able to travel with all my gear and supplies, have the option of sleeping inside the Mirage to save some cash, work and study with just my phone and laptop, and make music. Possible upgrades like a solar panel on the roof and shower water tanks may come later.

    Here is a list of upgrades and mods I will be doing before the snow comes:
    • Sound Isolation
    • Climate Insulation
    • Sound System
    • Interior Storage
    • Bed


    I will update this thread as I continue work on my Mirage. Please feel free to comment, critique, criticize, or ask any questions. I will be very familiar with the entire Mirage and troubleshooting once this is complete.



  2. The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to WI_Mirage For This Useful Post:

    01-7700 (08-29-2020),inuvik (08-27-2020),Loren (08-28-2020),mitsumi (08-29-2020),Top_Fuel (08-28-2020)

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    Last year, the stock stereo receiver broke on me. I threw that hunk of junk away and replaced it with a Kenwood unit. I removed the stock Bluetooth unit, wired a new harness directly into the stock connection port, and added a new trim panel which also gave me some extra storage space up front. This was all relatively easy as the harness came with directions that were 80% correct. The rest of the wiring was done with an electrical multimeter plus some trial and error. The Kenwood throws a considerable amount of more power at the stock speakers and will distort them into oblivion if turned to max volume.

    Here is the Bluetooth module that sits behind the stereo receiver. If upgrading to a new stereo receiver this unit must be removed. I had spent some time wondering why my new head-unit would not turn on after properly wiring the harness correctly. It's because this Bluetooth module is a middle man between the wire running from the fuse box and the stock head-unit. It has some weird safety function that causes it to not pass any power unless wired up to an OEM receiver. The port connections are the exact same, so the wiring harness fit just fine after it was removed.
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    Testing out the new unit
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    Fully installed. Note the little cubby space under the unit. This is great because the lack of storage near the front seats is aggravating. Also, the vent trim panel up top have been replaced because the previous owner had sprayed some dank air freshener in the vents so her parents wouldn't smell all that good stuff she was smoking (PS, they did smell it. And then gave the car to me out of spite lol)
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  4. #3
    I couldn't do it. Kudo's to you if you can pull off living in your car. I have a crappy old 29' camper that we find cramped as hell with 3 kids and 2 adults. Now on the lookout for something that sleeps 10. First world problems.
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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    I have started the sound isolation process. The purpose of this is to eliminate as much vibration and reverberation from the metal of the car, and eliminating any rattling that may be caused by other parts or cables. The Mirage has absolutely terrible acoustics and is well know for being a loud ride.

    The reason for sound isolation is to make a very quiet and relaxing environment when I will be spending long hours behind the wheel for road trips, and so that I can maximize the acoustic potential of this car for record vocals and producing music with my laptop.

    Unfortunately I did not save all the pictures to my phone because I use Snapchat and forgot to click that little button before posting. I will be sure to save all photos going forward to share more detail.

    The material I am using is a cheaper version of Dynamat. It's called Killmat, and from everything I have read it works just as well. Dynamat is stupid expensive. And since this is a budget car, it gets a budget job (for the most part). The material is basically a mat with two sides. One is a sticky tar substance that is applied to the metal, and the other side is the same material that space blankets are made out of (high strength aluminum foil?). This part is a pain because the metal has to be very clean (use medical grade rubbing alcohol), no air bubbles can be made, and the mat has to be pressed down with a roller for maximum adhesion. A plus from this though: my Mirage is now extremely clean in all the spots you'd never think dirt could find it's way to.

    For most of the disassembly of the car, I used a great guide than an amazing member of this forum put together. Much thanks to him for the detail! I am also following most of the sound/climate stuff he did to his Mirage, with some changes I think can be improved upon. Again, kudos to this guy for making it much easier for me.

    All seats removed. The back seats will forever remain in storage. The passenger seat will be put back in whenever I need room for another passenger. Note that I had started to apply strips of the sound deadening mat to the trunk space. This was the first area I started in and was the guinea pig for the best way to install this stuff.
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    Here is more of the car gutted. I had started to install that mat on the passenger side. In hindsight, I would recommend doing the roof of the car, and working your way down, doing the floor last, so you don't mess up the material when stepping on it. But alas I will make it work (with some extra back pain). I have not finished the floor yet, will update with pictures when it is. I plan on doing the roof last as I have some additional insulation material coming in the mail that will be put in the roof.
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    Last edited by WI_Mirage; 08-29-2020 at 02:14 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    I couldn't do it. Kudo's to you if you can pull off living in your car. I have a crappy old 29' camper that we find cramped as hell with 3 kids and 2 adults. Now on the lookout for something that sleeps 10. First world problems.
    Sleeps 10?? That's basically a whole house on wheels! I'm interested to see what you find or have already found. Luckily I'll be solo and will only have to smell my own stinky feet. I don't plan on living in the car full time, just for some road trips around the country. I'm not sure yet what I will do about showering but that's for another time. Again, first world problems lol.

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    Quote Originally Posted by WI_Mirage View Post
    Last year, the stock stereo receiver broke on me. I threw that hunk of junk away and replaced it with a Kenwood unit. I removed the stock Bluetooth unit, wired a new harness directly into the stock connection port, and added a new trim panel which also gave me some extra storage space up front. This was all relatively easy as the harness came with directions that were 80% correct. The rest of the wiring was done with an electrical multimeter plus some trial and error. The Kenwood throws a considerable amount of more power at the stock speakers and will distort them into oblivion if turned to max volume.

    Here is the Bluetooth module that sits behind the stereo receiver. If upgrading to a new stereo receiver this unit must be removed. I had spent some time wondering why my new head-unit would not turn on after properly wiring the harness correctly. It's because this Bluetooth module is a middle man between the wire running from the fuse box and the stock head-unit. It has some weird safety function that causes it to not pass any power unless wired up to an OEM receiver. The port connections are the exact same, so the wiring harness fit just fine after it was removed.
    Name:  IMG_0455.jpg
Views: 1912
Size:  95.0 KB

    Testing out the new unit
    Name:  IMG_0460.jpg
Views: 1841
Size:  95.0 KB

    Fully installed. Note the little cubby space under the unit. This is great because the lack of storage near the front seats is aggravating. Also, the vent trim panel up top have been replaced because the previous owner had sprayed some dank air freshener in the vents so her parents wouldn't smell all that good stuff she was smoking (PS, they did smell it. And then gave the car to me out of spite lol)
    Name:  IMG_0461.jpg
Views: 1839
Size:  89.2 KB
    How did that vent get so scratched up? Did you have like a rabid hedgehog chained to the dash?
    Also, how tall are you that you can sleep in a mirage?

  8. #7
    Subscribed!

    Some of your attachments are borked in post #4.

    Also, I'm sure you've seen this thread... somewhat related (though it seems like you're going much further with the idea)...
    Thread: Sleeping platform in Mirage (car camping)

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Subcompact Culture's Avatar
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    Check out the Peace Love Car: 1988 Ford Festiva. I have seen this car an know the owners. Pretty neat.

    https://youtu.be/i-VgaUClWCA?list=PL...Cnwyjy9RVmAtOZ

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    Senior Member mitsumi's Avatar
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    this will be easier, but not sure if you can stretch your feet though.

    Name:  Inflatable Bed.jpg
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    or another way is from the 2nd row to the back of the trunk

    Name:  Inflatable Bed 2.jpg
Views: 2681
Size:  45.5 KB

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage GLS 1.2 manual: 3,108.4 mpg (US) ... 1,321.5 km/L ... 0.1 L/100 km ... 3,733.0 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    How did that vent get so scratched up? Did you have like a rabid hedgehog chained to the dash?
    Discoloration from air freshener. Previous owners damage. Replaced with a used one from ebay, looks great now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    Also, how tall are you that you can sleep in a mirage?
    Quote Originally Posted by mitsumi View Post
    this will be easier, but not sure if you can stretch your feet though.
    or another way is from the 2nd row to the back of the trunk
    I am 5'10". The only seats in the car will be the drivers seat. The bed will run the length of the right side of the car, from the trunk to the glovebox. The bed frame will be foldable. The front passenger seat can be put back in as needed. The rear seats will never be put back in this car again. Unless I sell it.



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