Can't hardly believe it's been eleven days since I've been here, must be time flies when you're confused and don't know much. And speaking of being confused, first thing I gotta do is back up - in post #428, I inadvertenly called Yeller Dennis instead of Steve, his actual name. Dennis is hiding out here as Forfan. Both guys are aces and have helped me (and others) bunches, so, sorry about that.....
So, for eleven days now, I've been trying to unscramble the wiring - 1970 Bronco, originally 170, three speed, now 351W, C4. That would seem to be fairly straight forward, but the plot thickens - all custom gauges from Classic Instruments and mostly custom lights and blinkers from most anything I could find that might work. Harness from American Autowire.
Well, I reckon AA makes a mighty fine harness, and that the instructions are fine in a stock application, BUT. my horse ain't stock, the gauges ain't stock and I sure ain't Thomas Saliva Edison. So I putzed and dawdled and asked and searched the weboverse for how to's. Found some got some from the fine chaps here, but still something was not coming together. So I called American Autowire.
The tech and I had a bit of struggle at first, until he learned I had a Duraspark distibutor. "Ah", he said, "do you have the the Duraspark kit for your harness?" In my mind I muttered "Now ya tell me...." And some explitives. Why couldn't there be a note in the instructions alluding to sumpin' like that? Anyhow, sent for the Duraspark kit, got it a couple days ago, and installed it for the first time today. Maybe also the last time, but I sorta doubt it.
Here's how the trudge began.
And a few pics of the crime scene
I can't even say that I'm 'cautiously optimistic' that it'll work
Best I can do is 'hopefull'
Biggest concern is probably all the cutting and splicing I did due to custom gauges and lights.
Plus my inexperience.
Guess it'll either work or not. If it's not, I'll just keep finigalin' as best I can until it does. Howard in beautiful but confusing west Michigan
Started with a little trimming
'cause of my tendency to wreck stuff first, build stuff second.
But what if it doesn't fit nice?
Well, then just hack off another little bit.
Yeah, that's more gooder....
Yeah, like my dad used to say, "Good enuff for the girls Junior knows".
But not very often.
That there bent metal plate and threaded rod gizmo was made to hold the shifter and console in position relative to each other. The wooden blocks were designed to hold the front shifter mounts in place for my booger welding.
And then the knee bone gets connected to the thigh bone
And then I end up pretty much where I wanted to be
except for seat position
relative to shifter and console placement and height.
Turns out, the 'frisky' part, not so much, but ya can't blame a guy for tryin'. And I did learn a good lesson that day - my flat head was not so visible if I covered my flat spot with fruits and vegetables. So I took doin' just that, even if I was only out walkin' the pups.
So, all in all, I ain't got it so bad, even with the things that make me special'. I guess the part I like the most about my 'flat top' is I don't hafta worry about bumpin' the noggin on the rollbar. So, life goes on, and if we're really lucky and if we really pay attention, we'll see that each one of us is 'special' in their own special way and if yur lookin' for someone to connubial with, don't put your head in a watermelon.
and set about tryin' to tame
them. The goal was to to get them sorta bundled together, sorta neat and tidy.
See that bottle at the back there, sittin' on the HB bracket? That was a big help getting the wires into the shrink tube. No, it's not vodka, it's wire lubricant. Helped a lot.
Got a couple of pieces of shrink tube on
and the joint cleaned up pretty nice.
toward the back end. Heck, the dasterdly ten file limit again. Dangit, no wonder it's takin' me so long to get 'er done....
Next stop, the gas gauge wire.
