Aftermarket cruise control?

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:54 pm

I want cruise control for my 93 L Series.
Both because speed cameras suck, and 3+ hr drives get a bit annoying.

What are my options?

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:25 pm

1. $150 K-Mart special - used to come with a VHS instruction/installation tape, or

2. for north of $800 buy a professionally fitted one, or

3. buy a lib with one fitted, or

4. concentrate - cruise control will possibly make you more likely to miss changes in the speed limit = more fines

Have never really seen aftermarket CC work in the long term - there are car yards with boxes of them ripped of older cars

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:01 pm

if the kmart special is made by Command auto group like AP50 or 60 (ebay about 260) they are good stuff. I bought an AP50 from Kmart about ten years ago , came with most explicit instructions, three levels of diagnostics and second to none telephone support from the guys in Botany who designed something like twenty different cruise systems, including the new (back ten years ago) drive by wire for BA Falcon. Great thing! I mounted my vacuum unit under the glovebox so I can hear it working, keeps it away from heat and wet etc.

With AP50 and Subaru, just one magnet required on tail shaft, medium sensitivity and snip the black loop wire so it works over 105 kph and not below 40 !

sven '2' · Post by **sven '2'** » Fri Nov 04, 2011 11:42 pm

steptoe wrote:if the kmart special is made by Command auto group like AP50 or 60 (ebay about 260) they are good stuff. I bought an AP50 from Kmart about ten years ago , came with most explicit instructions, three levels of diagnostics and second to none telephone support from the guys in Botany who designed something like twenty different cruise systems, including the new (back ten years ago) drive by wire for BA Falcon. Great thing! I mounted my vacuum unit under the glovebox so I can hear it working, keeps it away from heat and wet etc.

With AP50 and Subaru, just one magnet required on tail shaft, medium sensitivity and snip the black loop wire so it works over 105 kph and not below 40 !

Yep, that's the one - prob includes one those new-fangled DVDs the kids are into nowadays.

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:00 am

Bennie installed one not long ago, have a look in his thread. He is very happy with it.

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:36 am

Venom wrote:Bennie installed one not long ago, have a look in his thread. He is very happy with it.

where is this thread?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:00 pm

Venom wrote:Bennie installed one not long ago, have a look in his thread. He is very happy with it.

Yeah I am! AP60, got it from Autobarn, not my favourite choice of retailer, especially in benders but they were the only place I could find a unit that I was happy with, and I didn't want to buy from ebay. I think it cost me $250, about $20 more than the smallest fine you get for speeding over here...

2nd Hand Yank wrote:where is this thread?

In the restorations section, you should read it - link to post about the cruise install - photos are after this post; link to Ruby Scoo's build thread. I'm not meaning to blow my own trumpet but there's probably a lot in there that you want to do to your L series. The cruise was easy to install once I knew where I wanted to place everything. Tuning it was straight forward once I'd stopped and read the instructions! Been a dream ever since and makes long distance driving a breeze now! I'm not feeling buggered at the end of a long drive anymore...

And I'm sure Ruby Scoo would be more than happy to have a twin!

Cheers

Bennie

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:56 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Yeah I am! AP60, got it from Autobarn, not my favourite choice of retailer, especially in benders but they were the only place I could find a unit that I was happy with, and I didn't want to buy from ebay. I think it cost me $250, about $20 more than the smallest fine you get for speeding over here...

In the restorations section, you should read it - link to post about the cruise install - photos are after this post; link to Ruby Scoo's build thread. I'm not meaning to blow my own trumpet but there's probably a lot in there that you want to do to your L series. The cruise was easy to install once I knew where I wanted to place everything. Tuning it was straight forward once I'd stopped and read the instructions! Been a dream ever since and makes long distance driving a breeze now! I'm not feeling buggered at the end of a long drive anymore...

And I'm sure Ruby Scoo would be more than happy to have a twin!

Cheers

Bennie

Ouch! WA's a bit kinder than VIC in that regard. Mine was $150.

Cheers mate.

Ruby Scoo and Donk become twins?

d_generate · Post by **d_generate** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:20 am

I didn't realise they were so expensive, I've ripped 2 out of cars and have no idea if they are still in my bits boxes.....damn should have been more careful with them.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 1:28 pm

Yeah I had the option to pull the cruise from dad's old rangie that was after market with the column stalk but a) it may have made the install harder, b) I was flat out for time to pull it and c) I wasn't 100% sure it worked...

So new was the logical choice for me.

Cheers

Bennie

d_generate · Post by **d_generate** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 7:14 pm

Yeah the reason I ripped them out was because of the ugly wobbly stalk. I'm sure they could have designed a switch set up that was a neater fit.

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:09 pm

Wow Bennie. that's one serious read. A "saga" is a good way to put it.

I read the first page. I think I'll limit myself to 1-3 pages per day.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:16 am

AP50 was a kmart thing with flat panel switches, the AP60 was an autopro autobarn thing with the ugly stalk arrangement

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 4:22 pm

steptoe wrote:AP50 was a kmart thing with flat panel switches, the AP60 was an autopro autobarn thing with the ugly stalk arrangement

Well my unit is the AP60 and has the control pad:

Cheers

Bennie

D3V1L · Post by **D3V1L** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:21 pm

same as the cruise controll on my patrol bennie.

payed 220 and took me less then an hour to fit, and benefits are amazing. gotta get one into the new 4bie as well for the missus now caus the factory one is a bit hit and miss

davo

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 5:29 pm

noticed that the latest 60's are pad switched, mine was about 2001, 2002

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:22 pm

D3V1L wrote:same as the cruise controll on my patrol bennie.

payed 220 and took me less then an hour to fit, and benefits are amazing. gotta get one into the new 4bie as well for the missus now caus the factory one is a bit hit and miss

davo

Good price D3V1L.

Did you get that recently? Where?

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Thu Nov 10, 2011 7:14 am

my price was better .... $149 on special ten years ago

Retail back then was about the $200 mark, so inflation, buying power etc not had too much of an effect in all that time - bit like income

They were made in Taiwan, hope that is still the case....