Roadster pickup build, take two.

[donsrods]

Thanks, guys.

Yep, I had 3 fire extinguishers taken in about the same number of years, so when I redid the car I left it out altogether. I think people did it just to be "cute", and it was sitting right there in the open, all they had to do was unsnap the bracket and take it.

Gotta love people !

 

[bob w]

You can be soaked in gas. Just don't get near a spark or flame.

It's obvious you and your sons are not cut out to be rat rodders.[ddd

But don't change a thing. Keep doing the same precise and creative work you are known for.[cl

 

[donsrods]

Haha, thanks , Bob. BTW, I have been looking at the car for the best place to put my flying eyeball emblem. Originally, I thought dash, but there is not a lot of room there, so now I am thinking centered on the tailgate area.

In any event, it is going somewhere, I have been saving it for a few years for this very car.

 

[Skip]

Haha, thanks , Bob. BTW, I have been looking at the car for the best place to put my flying eyeball emblem. Originally, I thought dash, but there is not a lot of room there, so now I am thinking centered on the tailgate area.

In any event, it is going somewhere, I have been saving it for a few years for this very car.

Just make sure its tied down good, or it might end up with the fire extinguishers.

 

[donsrods]

Just make sure its tied down good, or it might end up with the fire extinguishers.

Good idea. I am going to Locktite the mounting bolts.

Well, it is finally cooling off for the day, gonna head for the shop to get a few things done.

 

[Bamamav]

Don, you could run the fuel line behind a hat shaped channel, sealed to the firewall. Wouldn’t take up as much room as a second firewall, just a narrow strip.

 

[donsrods]

Don, you could run the fuel line behind a hat shaped channel, sealed to the firewall. Wouldn’t take up as much room as a second firewall, just a narrow strip.

Yeah, I am going to put a second firewall on the inside anyway to hold the carpeting, so that will seal it in there pretty well.

Well, I went to the shop tonight because it has been too hot and humid during the day to even venture outside. It wasn't too bad temperature-wise, so I actually got a lot done.

I laid the dashboard up on a work table and installed the SW Wings gauges so I could wire them all up. I did the wiring from scratch, but had a couple of parts left over from other projects, like the plug on the end of the wiring harness. That one green wire left dangling is going to be for my high beam indicator light that will go in the middle of the dash above the gauges.

My plan was to put the 3 pull switches for the lights, fan, and fuel pump into the dash, but once I had all the wiring and gauges in there, it became apparent there was very little room left. So, I am going to make a switch panel to go below the dash to hold those 3 switches, and maybe the ignition switch too.

I also need to figure out where my turn signal switch will go. Removing the dash is about a two minute deal , all I have to do is remove 6 screws and unplug the wiring harnesses. That should make maintenance a lot easier. I hate laying upside down with a flashlight in my teeth.

Anyway, here are some pictures from tonight.

 

[Skip]

That looks great. [cl

 

[DozerII]

That turned out really well. [P[P

 

[Torchie]

[cl
[P [P [P
Torchie

 

[donsrods]

Thanks, guys. Now I just have to tag each wire as to where it goes, remove the whole harness, drill a hole for the high beam indicator and the two turn signal indicators, and then I can sandblast the dash and start the painting process, when that time comes.

I think my next project will be to fab up an underdash switch panel for at least the 3 switches and then figure out where my ignition switch and turn signal switch will comfortably fit.

I can also continue running wires to the back of the car for the tail lights, brake lights, fuel sender, fuel pump, etc. According to the weather report, the next few days are supposed to be cooler, so the nights should be even cooler yet, that will be a nice change and not so brutal to spend time in the shop.

Funny thing happened last night. A guy who has a shop near me has an old Hummer that he is always working on, kind of a military Hummer. He came over and said " You know cars, do you know where I can get this little part, I have been to every parts store and they do not know what it even is ."

I looked at it, and laughed. I reached into a little Stewart Warner box I had sitting on the work table and handed him the exact same part ! What it was from is, I ordered a sender from Summit for my electronic speedometer, and it comes with a little drive pin that is about an inch or so long and has a square end on one side and a tang on the other. My 350 transmission needs a square end on both sides, so this one would not fit.

A day or so ago, I ordered the correct part from Summit ($17.99 for the part and $10.00 for shipping ! ) and I have no use for the wrong one that came in the box with the sender, so I handed it to him and said " Merry Christmas !"

It was absolutely bizarre that he needed that exact little pin that I had just gotten and had no use for ! Here is a picture of the one I gave him.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sww-82625?rrec=true


And here is the new one that should be delivered to me today:

www.summitracing.com/parts/sww-8262...art+Warner&utm_campaign=Part+Number+Ad+Groups


Like, what are the odds that my next door neighbor needed the exact same pin I had and had no use for ?

 

[donsrods]

This is the sender that goes onto the transmission to send the signal to the electronic speedometer. Stewart Warner gets $ 122.00 for this darned thing, and no one sells it any cheaper, so I had to bite the bullet. And then, on top of it, I had to spend almost $30 for the little drive pin to make it work with my transmission !

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sww-82623b/overview/


Anyone who says this is a cheap hobby doesn't know what they are talking about !

 

[Old Iron]

I've looked for those thinking I'd find a better deal, Nope

 

[donsrods]

I've looked for those thinking I'd find a better deal, Nope

Yep, Stewart Warner must restrict their vendors from discounting any of their parts. I think it is obscene , that little drive tab couldn't cost more than a few pennies to make, and they get $17.99 plus shipping ! But, if you need it, what are you gonna do ? Between the sender and this little part, I have about $150 in the sender alone, on top of about $600 for the gauges. Absolutely ridiculous.

I just got home from the shop and got a few more things done tonight. I have been going there late at night when it sort of cools off a little.

I got the speedo sender mounted, then started working on getting the fuel tank permanently mounted. I drilled and tapped threads into the front part of the tank mount, and made a little L bracket for the rear, and drilled and tapped the frame back there to hold it in place. Then, I ran the fuel line to the filter, so that is now done 100%.

I ran out of stainless steel clamps, so I will pick up some tomorrow and get the vent hose screwed to the frame, and also get some signal wire so I can start wiring up the speed sensor.

Not a ton of progress, but progress nonetheless.

 

[bob w]

Very neat work, Don. Where do you get the stainless steel clamps?

 

[donsrods]

Thanks, Bob. I use Ancor brand marine wiring supplies for everything, mainly because I work in the boating business and they are available to me, and also are of really top notch quality. I use their brand clamps, wire, terminal ends, etc.

You can get them at any marine supply store, or on line.

https://www.amazon.com/Ancor-Marine-Electrical-Stainless-Cushion/dp/B000PM1FUW

They are a little more pricey than the automotive grade stuff, but they hold up in a wet marine environment, so they are worth it in the long run. Some of the wiring has been on my 27 for 30+ years and still looks like the day I put it on.

Well, it is cooling off a little for the day, so Dan and I are headed to the shop. He is going to work on wrapping up the body welding, and I am going to continue working on wiring, etc.

 

[soltz]

''[cl''
((([P)))

 

[donsrods]

Tonight Dan worked on welding up the final holes in the body and he started to work on making the doors fit right. While he was doing that, I did more wiring. I got the transmission sender wired up, as well as the neutral safety switch.

The other thing I had to do was figure out where my ignition and other switches would go. I hoped they would fit into the dash, but that is not going to happen, there is no room on the dash for anything more. But, I was able to get the turn signal toggle switch mounted as well as the two indicator lights on either side of that switch. I also got my high beam indicator light mounted below the gauges. The two red lights are for left and right turn signals, and the blue one is for high beam.

Now, what we have to do is make an underdash mounting bracket to hold the ignition switch and three switches to operate my fan, fuel pump , and headlights.

I work until 3:30 tomorrow, but will head over to help Dan with whatever he is working on at that point.

 

[bob w]

A mighty fine job of wiring so far, Don. I use an On-On toggle for high/low beams. I believe it is a marine part.

 

[donsrods]

A mighty fine job of wiring so far, Don. I use an On-On toggle for high/low beams. I believe it is a marine part.

Yep, Carling makes almost every switch for every one else, mostly made in Mexico. That switch you describe is a marine switch.


Today I went to the shop early, Don was starting his boat for the first time in 14 months. It started out to be just putting a fresh 454 engine in it, and ended up pretty much every part on the boat being brand new......engine, exhaust, outdrive, electrical system, gauges, controls, upholstery, hatches, etc. One thing just kept leading to another, once he tore it down. But it fired right up and ran like a clock. Just a few little things to do and it can go back to the marina.

After he left, I took a short nap in the recliner with Mama Kitty (ok 3 hours ) and when it got cooler for the day I started working on the wiring again. After Dan got off work, he came over and started doing more work on the body, and I kept wiring the rest of the car.

Both of us got lot done, and finally gave up about 1 am. Nothing was picture worthy, but there are a lot of things now scratched off of our to do list. I am almost done with all the wiring I can do until the body is finally mounted and then I can continue wiring up under the dash.