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Carried on with the slow process of trimming it out, and got both the quarter lights in, complete with lining rubber strips, and now all the rain channels. I am gradually getting nearer to what I am dreading, which is the bunch of spaghetti, that once all repaired, has to be tried, tested , and connected up to the dash.
I think I now have a mental block forming, which seems to get worse as I get closer.
Of course, I will do it, and it will all work in the end, but I can see problems!
The last thing to go on I guess will be the doors, as I need all the room I can for the wiring out.
The cockpit is going to be so very tight, once all trimmed out believe me.
I am 6 foot, and really need more room than there is, anyone bigger would simply not fit comfortably in it.
The main reason for this that it is 5 inches narrower than a real one, and the fore aft space is less too.
Perhaps some pics tomorrow. There were none today as it hasn't changed much with today' work.
Yes WCA you are right about the space, but the trimming I've been doing is the rain channels and quarter lights and windscreen fittings, which don't really affect the internal space much.
I know its not that difficult, but I still am not looking forward to it!
It's 'one of those jobs' Scottie, they have to be done to enjoy the rest of the build. There are quite a few tasks I had a mental block with on my restoration, I find it's best to just get stuck in and look forward to the intense satisfaction you get when it's done!
It may just be something silly like a trapped wire, or one of your pop rivets has touched something it shouldn't?
Just make sure all your earth connections are good. Possibly even double earth for the starter in case one fails. That's what happened to me and it ended up earthing through the rear brake flexi when I turned the starter motor. Because it was at the other end of the car and I was head down by the engine block, I didn't realise until the smoke from the melting rubber on the flexi lines had totally filled the garage. Great fun.
WCA and Ed, thanks for the input, you are right Ed it was a live wire that had touched the earth wire. I will not happen when all the connections are in the right places, but they are all hanging together at present!
And you too WCA, you are right also, when I had the short, it burn out all of the earth wires in the loom under the dash, melting other wires as it did so. I intend to re-do the earth connections, and make it so it could not happen again.
Another day on mainly the loom and wiring. The wipers used to work, but since the electrical short they don't.
In the end it was easier and quicker to cap off the cables that did not check out and just rewire it. The wipers work now, and so does the window wash jet. I have repaired more of the loom, and feel I am getting on top of it now.
Will do more like this tomorrow.
Oh, I almost forgot, I insured the (Spitfire) car today, and told them I intended to re-body it in the near future, and would let them know the details, they seemed happy enough with that info.
As soon as I get an Mot, and re-register it, I'll give them the good news.
No pics I'm afraid, I'm still working on the damaged wiring, and I got my concealed stereo unit up and running again, the whole lot is hidden under the dash, including the speakers, and all works from a micro remote.
I can do everything from the remote, and even play music from a phone, tablet or laptop if I wanted too.
I'll probably never ever turn the thing on, as the exhaust note sounds so satisfying, and that will be music to my ears!
I have spent most of the day doing the electrics on the car.
Repairing the loom further, and wiring out all the switches on the dash and labeling them, so that when I finally come to connecting them all to the car,
it will be a straight forward job.
I have also been studying the Spitfire wiring diagram, and trying to figure out how I connect all the wires that went to the complicated switch-stalk arrangement on the steering column, to the simple 50's Jaguar switches that I intend to use.
I think I have it cracked, and have drawn several of my own wiring diagrams which will help me do it.
I also fitted the wiper-hiding bit of dash trim, and connected up the demist pipes to the heater.
Met up with Chris and Dan in the hall, also WCA, IanA, Mr Christmas, (Roger)
and several others.
Was impressed with Roger's A352, a very nice job.
Was not too impressed by the attendance figures at the show, and noticed that there were a lot less kit cars present than usual.
Also in one lane I noticed there are normally five to ten stalls selling things,
but yesterday there was only a single stall there.
I don't think the weather can be blamed, as in the past, I've been there when it rained all day, and the place was packed out with more kit cars than ever.
At the present rate of shrinkage, I even wondered whether there will be a "Stoneleigh 2016"
...Was not too impressed by the attendance figures at the show, and noticed that there were a lot less kit cars present than usual.
Also in one lane I noticed there are normally five to ten stalls selling things,
but yesterday there was only a single stall there.
Yes, even the Stoneleigh Show is dwindling, presumably due to the cost of stands to those outside traders. Even the traders' hall was not full. I looked in the For Sale hall and saw about 5 cars- even last year there were about 20.
I don't think the weather can be blamed, as in the past, I've been there when it rained all day, and the place was packed out with more kit cars than ever...
In terms of kit car owner attendees, I think the weather can be blamed. Yes there are a number of die-hard enthusiasts who'll attend (and usually stay overnight) regardless but in my experience over 10 years, the number of cars on the Westfield and Cobra club areas is inversely proportional to the forecast chance of rain. There were about double the numbers respectively on Monday compared to Sunday. Still not as many as you'd see on a really sunny day though.
I must admit I wouldn't have gone if rain had been forecast on Monday - I've driven my Spyder once in heavy rain on a dual carriageway and it was a genuinely scary experience.
My goggles steamed up, I couldn't see a thing and I couldn't even stop because it was the A11 Thetford towards Wymondham so there's no hard shoulder.
I just locked on to the lights on the back of a truck and kept a safe distance at about 40mph until I was able to turn off at a junction and find somewhere to stop. Not something I'd want to experience again.
I MUST get the front inner wheel arches sorted out on my car!
And also not delay the roof building once the car is "finished".
IanA,
not being present on Monday, it's nice to hear there were more cars there that day, so perhaps the weather was instrumental after all, and I agree about the "barometer" of Cobra's and Westfields, I've noticed that my self over the years!
It was my own fault Scottie, I checked the weather forecast for my start and end points, but didn't check the weather in between.
I got caught in a tropical maelstrom of biblical proportions on the A11 and almost drowned on what ended up as the hottest day of the year last summer.
I also found cress growing in the carpet behind the passenger seat a few days later.
I've driven it in the more typical British summer drizzle and it's not such a problem. It stings your face a bit at speed but most of it gets whipped over the top by the flyscreen. You only get wet if you stop for prolonged periods at junctions or in traffic jams.
Best of luck getting your hood to fit and be watertight...
Well I have spent most of the day just wiring up the stuff in the boot area, and the stuff at the front of the car.
Why so long?
Okay, 18 months ago, when I stripped the loom away from the lights etc, I marked every wire, using masking tape, and writing the text on in biro.
After 18 months, the glue on the masking tape had gone dry, some of the labels had just dropped off, and most of those that were still attached were un-readable, as the biro had faded out.
To make matters worse, as the car is 45 years old, all the wires had turned a nasty brown colour, and all looked the same!
I resorted to using paint thinners to clean off every wire, which was very time consuming, and eventually the wiring took on its multi-coloured new look. I could then identify, and connect everything up.
Then on to the front of the car, which was a bit easier, although some of the wiring had different colours than the book said they should!
After stripping the loom back a few connections, I found the colours I was looking for, and realised that somewhere in its life, the very front part of the loom had been re-wired in different colours.
Once I had this info, it was straight forward, and I made the connections, but as I said this little exercise took a whole bloody day.
I am moving forward to completion, but at times feel that the beast is fighting me all the way!
No pics I'm afraid, but if anyone knows of a better system of marking the loom for future jobs, please share your info with me!
... if anyone knows of a better system of marking the loom for future jobs, please share your info with me!
I use a Brother P-touch or Dymo Letra-Tag labeller printing black on white plastic tape. The labels come out large and readable and seem to be durable. Best to have some masking tape handy to trap the backing as you peel it off- otherwise static will make it hard to put down.
Many different colour small cable ties yellow to yellow red to red etc and if complex I hung those plastic key tags with info on the tie, this worked for me as if I only take pics I would surely loose my phone or SD card . ed
Stick with white electricians tape, write on it with a pen then put clear cellotape over the top. Its never failed in the last 10 years ive worked as a spark. Remember to always put 2 labels on the same cable.
IanA, BSM and Danny, thanks for the input, which sadly has come too late to help me this time!
Danny, your solution sounds like the cheapest workable one, and I will resort to that in the future, as I do not need to buy anything extra, 'cos I have all the ingredients already!
Scottie - Do it now anyway. You will be really pleased in 2-3 years time when you decide to change / repair something. It will take a lot less time now.
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