Projects BRIAN MADE ME DO IT: 34 Roadster Build

Five minutes!
Apparently you haven't been across the I-5 bridge lately.

 

No, I was in Europe of all places.

 

March 28/2018
Dear Diary: Have I mentioned lately how much I hate wiring. I hate all aspects of it.
I hate the fact that the calluses joyfully obtained from polishing brake lines are now replaced with fingers numb from wire strippers, dikes (can we still say that word?) and pulling cables through too small of spaces.
I hate the daily trip to the auto parts store for more connectors and shrink wrap.
I hate the growing pile of cables and blood stained cloth covered wire that is occupying the floor of my roadster.
I hate the thought that I forgot something important that will necessitate reworking what I have painstakingly accomplished thus far.
I hate the instructions that said "easy to install" with just a few simple tools.
I hate wondering how the brake lights work when there is no frickin brake light wire!
I hate not having paid someone else to do this step.
I hate it when my wife suggests I take a night off from the project because I am afraid I will forget where everything is supposed to go!
I hate the fact that I forgot to label a couple of those wires.
I hate thinking about how many miles of wire there is in this car, and adversely how many empty bottle of Crown Royal are in the trash can.
I hate wiring.

 

look on the bright side, if you do it right, you will never have to do it again.

 

what kind of cheese do you like???

 

Nice shift boot Bob.

 

Thank you sir: coming from the KING of CHROME I appreciate the compliment.

 

^and connoisseur of alcohol

 

March 29/2018
Damn Diary;
While I still have a great disdain for all things electrical I have managed to work myself up to the cockpit as of last night. Seat heater? check. USB power port at front of seat? Check. Door jamb switches for under dash courtesy lights? Check. Cool power window switches that look like window cranks? Check. Tail light harness? Check. Fuel tank sender and in tank pump wiring? Check. Reverse light? Check. Trunk mounted Solenoid wired? Check. Quick disconnect for battery? Check. Shut off switch? Check. 100 amp breaker wired? Check.

I hate wiring!!!! This thing better run and everything had better work. Not only are my hands giving out, my heat gun is dying. I had to shrink wrap with a propane torch last night.

Not to self, stop by liquor store on the way home.

 

Do you get a quantity discount at the liquor store ?

 

I am surprised they don't deliver, with the quantity you buy......

 

It would be easier if Summit sold it and just tossed a bottle in with my parts.

 

I'm sure the licker store selz it by the case.

 

The neighbors would just think it's part of your car.
https://milehidistilling.com/produc...hine-stills/moonshine-stills-stills-for-sale/

 

I am totally stealing that idea!

 

I love wiring. I'm really good at it. The best, really, everybody says so...

 

I found a weekend project that combines my love for metal polishing with the task at hand. I need to get the seat upholstered but first I had to run the wiring for the seat heaters and the charging port. Then I had to fabricate a panel to hide the switches.
I tool a chunk of crappy aluminum angle and ran my portable band saw down it to slice off a control panel.

I cut a control panel out of it and made a steel backing plate to upholster over. The back plate is mild steel and attached to the frame with sheet metal screws. A liberal dosing of semi flat black followed.

Sorry about the back drop but the car cover (or HAMB filter) was missing this afternoon. The aluminum polished perfectly and was no cost, a nice benefit.

I counter sunk the hardware, a bit large but all I had in the drawer of death. I love polishing metal.
The angle matches the controls for the recline and forward/aft movement controls. Basically, you will never lay an eye on this work, like most of the parts I created.
Across the top I built a bracket to protect the wires, probably overkill but I figured what the hell.

The control panel screws are a bit long to allow for the upholsterer plenty of room for foam and leather.
all said and done the switches and power port are practically out of sight but at my finger tips.

A Saturday not wasted.
Happy Easter from the Bandit garage!

 

I didn't get much done today with Easter and all but I did paint the plate that the fuse box bolts to and installed it in its new home under the dash.

The power box is a 23 circuit system with 8 internal relays (fan, windows, fuel pump, fan, etc) so this will be the only control on the car. I added wire loops to run the power from the top and down the sides as I designed this box to drop down for service and fold up out of the way when not necessary.

It is attached to a steel bracket welded to the firewall and drops nicely over the column. Now comes the fun part, hook wire B to mounting post D and so on and so forth.

 

As a precaution I would remove any Alcohol & Firearms from the premises before firing that Flatty, you seem highly excitable, JMO!

 

Where's the fun in that? I'm never completely sober during the first engine firing.

 

But it's been done(already burned in) hasn't it????

 

The flatty not the wires, Speaking of wires, you done yet?

Sent from my SM-G900V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

April 5/2018
F'n Diary: I hate wiring. I just need to make that clear. Forgive me HAMB, It has been 3 days since my last confession. I got the MSD blower box wired completely after calls to both MSD and the tech at Coach Controls. The latter also helped me configure circuits and relays in the panel for the seat heaters and fog light. I have the ignition switch, starter button, fuel pump over ride and MSD retard switch all mounted and wired to the under dash panel. I had to buy two 20 amp rotary switches from West Marine for the pump and fog light, they showed up today finally. I am still awaiting an order of cloth covered wire for the headlight harness, once they are here I should be able to finish this little project.

I also finished the wiring for the courtesy lights and radio. What a job.

 

For you...



Good Job...


​

 

Id like to let the genie out of that bottle.

 

I already have on one just like it!

 

Today
D:
I hate wiring. My hands cannot take much more but there is much more left to do. I got the heater power grid completed as well as the central switch harness. That will power the bank of switches below my dash including the keyed ignition (2 position), fuel pump switch, push button start, MSD manual retard and the fog light switch. All are wired to the panel and ran through a cloth harness.

I mounted the MSD switch in the panel tonight and tomorrow I will reinstall the switch panel and hook up the harness pictured. Then I can install the battery box for the first time and test the system.
I need to do so at this point to finish the install of the intermittent wiper system (make sure park is in the correct position and make sure the sweep is correct)

I know most of you think a hot rod only needs 2 circuits but this is what a 23 circuit panel looks like half way through install.

Wipers, windows, radio, courtesy lights, fuel pump, fan, fan temp sensor, fog light, Ignition, remote solenoid, MSD, seat heaters, power port, etc.
Lighting and gauges still to come, after I test what we have thus far. This will look better once loomed, and it still folds up out of sight nicely.

I like the challenge, I like the engineering, I even like the result so far but I hate...I hate!...I hate wiring!

 

Why don't you tell us how you really feel.

 

Umph fuuuuuck that. I’ll say a prayer for your sanity tonight haha. Good luck man your getting close!