I’m a sucker for factory cost-options. Whether its colour-screen infotainment systems, styling upgrades or equipment that has no apparent use, I’ve been keen to retrofit these oft-awesome accessories to each of my motors (even if the parts in question are for models other than those sat on my driveway). With that in mind, you can imagine my surprise when serial Performance Vauxhall feature car owner, Tom Cowles, showed me the genuine GM refrigerator that sits between the back seats of his Signum. There was no doubt about it – I had find a way to equip the rear of my MV6 with the same bit of kit!
In addition to its food and drink cooling capabilities, the Signum’s fridge includes retractable fold-out tables, multiple storage compartments, a duo of 12-volt power points and handy cup holders. Originally available to order in tan or black with cloth or leather-trimmed lids (and an option of integrated audio controls), this unusual component represents a feature that few Signum owners saw fit to request before collecting their new cars from dealer showrooms in period.
Fortunately, MIGweb forum user, Melv, had a tidy leather-clad example of the rare refrigerator collecting dust in his shed. He agreed to sell me the part, and he was also able to supply the required wiring loom.
Mount/cradle:
Fizzy pop on lockdown:
Rubber insert present and correct:
That all-important loom:
Of course, positioning a fridge that was designed to sit between Signum seats atop an MV6 rear bench proved tricky, not least of all because I had to be sure that the unit was secured firmly in order to prevent it from flying around my car’s cabin in the event of an accident! To that end, I ordered a genuine mounting bracket, bolts, screws and other Signum fitting equipment from my local Vauxhall parts desk before engaging in a process of trial and error that involved attacking my long-suffering Griffin’s carpet, underlay and middle arm rest hinges, as well as the drilling of bolt holes into the car’s transmission tunnel.
This is how the loom attaches to the locking floor bracket:
Carpet and underlay cut, transmission tunnel drilled. I crawled beneath the car and sealed the holes and bolt ends that were showing after the work was complete. The MV6's propshaft acted as a bit of an obstacle (something that I guess Signum owners don't have to worry about!), but I got there in the end :
Loom fed through from boot space and under seats/carpets:
I’m delighted to be able to report that my MV6 is now fully fridged-up! And in case you were wondering whether or not the super Signum gear is removable, the use of a flip-down mounting-point lid conceals the main bracket and electrical connector that I’ve buried deep within the car’s carpet, allowing me to extract the refrigerator without leaving any mess behind. Neat!
Rear brackets need extending, but otherwise all good!
