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All the connections are made and the head unit is ready to be tucked back in, along with will the wires running to the rear of the car. The clock is working, and I tapped the gearshift selector light to tell the radio when the lights are on. The sub is wired and sounds good.
I'm having a problem with the cigarette lighter circuit. I'm trying to split it into two parallel circuits to power two USB adapters. However, even though I'm showing +13v with the motor running, it dips to +3v when I plug in the circuit I wired. I have no idea why.
Tomorrow I'm going to get the wires tucked away and the front buttoned up. I may end up searching for a place to tap for +12v switched for the USB ports. It'll be a short run, since the USB adapter is on the passenger side of the center console near the package tray.
I also pulled out the non-functioning power antenna and put in a dumb antenna. The old antenna was quite a mess, and I don't think a single connection was still in place. The new one is a short, black antenna, longer than a bee-sting, but not full length. It looks fine back there. I need to put new connectors on to the existing antenna cable and the new cable to hook them together, and make sure the connection is good up front, as it looks a little hacked together at the moment. Hopefully I won't need to redo that as well.
I also picked up a $20 voltmeter gauge, because the one on the dash doesn't seem to be working at all. I'll probably mount it below the pod, or on the side of the center console. The cigarette lighter circuit seems like a good spot to plug it in to.
I spent the last couple days laying wiring. I have a six-channel RCA cable, the amp power-on wire, and two channels of speaker wire running from front to rear. All that was laid alongside the center console, through the footwell behind the driver, and under the rear set on the driver's side. Then, under the interior rear quarter to emerge near the correct end of the amp. I gathered the stray wires into plastic tubing to keep it as neat as possible and gathered loops of things that couldn't be shortened - the RCA cable and the antenna wire. I held everything in place where it would sit under the interior quarter with blue painter's tape. I also ran the wires for the subwoofer, and the power and ground for the amp.
I hacked a hole for the new rear speaker - still working the driver's side only - and got the new speaker in place. Then I pulled the seatbelt through the hole and got the interior quarter into position and sort of slit it into place. It went in with a minimum of cursing. Then I mounted the amp in its new position on the 'shelf' under the side window.
I ran out of time at that point, but at a quick glance, it doesn't look nearly as horrible as I thought it would. I may have a different opinion when I see it in the light.
Oh, and my dash pod is dead. Like: nothing. I have lights and the GPS speedometer still works. But none of the other gauges. I must have jostled something.
I think I'll do a final post and close this thread, preparatory to starting a new one for this winter's debacle.
For those of you not following along at home and needing a recap, I set out to do TB and cam seals last winter. There was a lot of oil on the motor and since I had to go in deep enough, replacing the timing belt was a WYAIT. I also decided to straighten and reskin the rear interior quarters, put in door cards from a newer year, and put in modern stereo.
After much cursing, showing of my ***, and not a few tears, I made it to Frenzy 21 with the car running pretty well, the stereo sounding pretty good, and the rear interior quarter looking pretty wonky. But, the car made it without explosion, fire, or general seizing. So, I must have followed the instructions and advice more-or-less correctly!
After arriving home from Frenzy 21 (with a new stereo head unit installed in the parking lot of the hotel), I have a new winter project list:
Transmission: Anyone who was behind me at Frenzy: I'm sorry. I knew it was bad, but I didn't know it was that bad. I have a line on a $50 3-speed twenty minutes from my house, and if that doesn't work out, Matt from Rochester has offered me one of his spares.
Rear Interior: I'm tired of the cardboard quarters. Especially after seeing Kevin Lacy's early euro fiberglass rear quarters. I'm also out of patience with fabrics, like leather and vinyl. My thinking at this point is to pick up Rob Budd's fiberglass replacements and just have them wrapped, like a car.
Front interior: Keeping with the theme of being tired of fabric surface covers, I'm seriously considering those rubber covers for the dash and pod.
Instruments: Now that I know Roger sells a modern replacement for the ancient film that's there now, that's on my list. The film got pretty beat up last year when I took the pod apart (and put in the GPS speedometer). I'm pretty happy with the GPS speedometer, so I may keep that, or I may scavenge the instruments from local buddy's parts car.
That's all I've thought of so far. Thanks for sticking with this saga. I'm sure this year's will be even more exciting!
09-23-2017, 11:46 PM
