JB in NOVA's MK4 build : First overnight road trip!

[JB in NOVA]

For completeness sake, here is my entire fuel set up. Tank to filter:



Filter to 3/8” NiCopp hard line:



Hard lines along the PS 4” tube:



Terminations in the engine compartment:



Vent to the charcoal can:



As always, I welcome any constructive feedback from the forum. If I’ve done something ill-advised (or downright stupid), please let me know. This is literally my first time running fuel lines, so I'm almost certain I've made a mistake somewhere.

[jiriza84641]

jiriza, thanks for the tip. It looks like I'll be purchasing that tool since I have not come up with any other solution or explanation for this gap. In the scheme of things, it's not that big a deal, but most of the other MK4 panels have lined up perfectly, so I'm a little hesitant to bend this panel into place unless it's absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, it's looking like it's necessary.

JB, I flipped my panels to match yours. Doing so, it corrected the gap.

[toadster]

My plan was to secure the inside line using the FFR-supplied clamps, then use these separators from ESpeeder: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 to separate the lines, and then to secure the outside line at the beginning and end of the run to keep everything horizontal. To put it mildly, that plan failed miserably. It looked terrible, and the outside line did not want to stay horizontal.

So I changed plans. I aligned the supply and return lines vertically (as many others have done) and used the same ESpeeder clamps to keep them separated. The clamps contoured very nicely with the round 4” tube, but I needed a way to secure them. I drilled the clamps with a ¼” hole, and then tapped the 4” tube to receive a ¼” screw. I used ¼ X 1” stainless steel socket cap screws to tighten the clamps to the 4” tube. They snugged up very nicely. These pictures show the 3/8” NiCopp lines covered by stainless steel gravel guard and secured with the ESpeeder clamps:

really diggin the look of your lines - how much gravel guard did you end up using?

[JB in NOVA]

really diggin the look of your lines - how much gravel guard did you end up using?

Toadster, I got it done with a single 16-foot roll from Inline Tube. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[JB in NOVA]

I haven’t had much time to work on the Roadster this week, but I did manage to get the Breeze forward battery tray installed:



This kit is very high quality, and it fit perfectly into place – impressively so. The instructions were also easy to follow. One thing I learned during this install is that stainless steel rivets are much harder to pull by hand than aluminum ones. Holy cow! After pulling three 3/16 inch SS rivets with a manual rivet tool, I felt like I’d just pitched 9 innings and needed a compression sleeve. Anyway, I got it done, and I confirmed that a size 51 battery will fit perfectly into this tray:



The other thing I did (OK, you can file this under “Overkill, Newbie”) was make a crude replica of the FFR firewall:



The reason I did this is that I am noodling options for how to mount my heater/defroster and my FFR dash with glovebox. My current plan is to build an aluminum box to bump the heater a few inches into the engine compartment. But before I do that, I wanted to mock it up with a “practice” firewall to see how it looks. More on that later . . .

It was nice seeing the dash in place for the first time:

[Caddy Dad]

Have you thought about using the Firewall forward from FF Metals?
http://www.ffmetal.com/

I installed and have tons of room for a heater, glove box etc

[JB in NOVA]

Caddy Dad,

I did think about using the FF Metal forward firewall. The website says it moves it up 1.5" -- but is that enough to fit in the FFR heater and the FFR glove box? My measurements seem to show I would need 2.5" to avoid interference. Can you post a picture of yours?

[jrcuz]

Hi JB, I don't have a glove box but I did install the FFMetal firewall forward. I can't check measurements right now (body is on). If I remember correctly space is very limited. IMG_0521 (1).JPG
JR

[JB in NOVA]

Caddy Dad and jrcuz, thanks for your input! As FFR advises on its options list, the glove box option is not directly compatible with the heater/defroster option. Basically, they take up the same space between the firewall and the dash. As far as I can tell, there are three basic options for making this work:

(1) Cut 2.5 inches off the back of the glove box, making it essentially a “faux” glove box.
(2) Use a FF Metal “forward” firewall (moves it forward 1.5 inches), and cut 1 inch off the back of the glove box.
(3) Build a box to bump the heater forward 2.5 inches into the engine compartment, and leave the glove box unaltered.

Although I'm still considering options (including the FFR forward firewall), I decided to mock up option #3 to see how it looks and to work out any bugs. As I mentioned above, I first made a replica of the FFR firewall to practice with. Then I used my meager sheet metal skills to build a crude 9.125” x 6.5” x 2.5” box with 1” rivet flanges:



After separating the heater motor from the core, I cut the holes for re-attaching them through the front of the box, using the template supplied in the FFR heater/defroster instructions. I’m not sure why, but the template holes did not line up very well with my actual heater, so I ended up having to modify them quite a bit.

Here’s the box with the two parts of the heater installed on both sides:



Finally, I cut a 9.375” x 6.75” hole in my “practice” firewall and attached the box with the flanges on the inside. Here’s how it looks mocked up with the heater installed:



I confirmed with Blueprint that this will not interfere with my small block 347 engine. And with the glove box installed, there is no interference behind the dash:



Again, this is just a mock-up. If I decide to go this route, I will probably have the box made by a local sheet metal shop (they’ll do a much better job than I could ever do) and then either paint or powder coat it to match my real firewall. On the other hand, if I can squeeze everything in using the FFR forward firewall, I might go that route instead.

[jrcuz]

JB, Your skills with metal are NOT meager. Even if you decide to have a shop make it for you at least you know it will work. You may want to go with the FFMetal firewall forward because it is much stiffer or maybe brace the FFR firewall.
JR

[ArcticAZ]

That's looking good. I would still be concerned about clearance though. My heater installed in the standard location has less than two inches clearance from the blower housing to the 427w valve cover. Granted, a 347 has lower deck height which should help.
The other concern is the hose connections. I cut off the threaded fittings and rolled beads to clamp the hoses directly which adds a lot more clearance and allows more options for routing.

[JB in NOVA]

Not much going on with the Roadster project this week, except I ended up switching out my power steering rack. As I mentioned earlier, I decided mid-project to install power steering, so I bought a replacement PS rack for a 1982-93 Mustang. Specifically, it was a new Cardone 97203F PS rack from Rock Auto. Even though the new rack was $120 more than a refurbished rack, I figured it would save me headaches going forward. (Spoiler alert: it didn't). I also bought the Breeze offset bushings and the FFR inner tie rod extenders.

As I mentioned earlier, the first problem I had was getting the Breeze offset bushings to fit, although I eventually got them in with a lot of work. Then, when I went to install the FFR inner tie-rod extenders, they didn’t fit . . . at all. After taking off one of the boots and the inner tie rod, I found that the remaining piece is female, not male, and it’s a completely different size bolt than what the FFR tie rod extender is configured for:



I contacted Dave at FFR, who informed me that some OEM replacement racks for the 82-93 are configured differently and will not accept the FFR inner tie rod extenders. Apparently, the Cardone 97203F rack falls into this category. I asked whether I could “get away” with not installing the tie rod extenders, and he said, “not really.” I recall Mark at Breeze saying the same thing. The bump steer is apparently pretty bad without these. I spent some time looking for inner tie rod extenders that would fit my Cordone PS rack, and I did find some that cost over $100.

At that point, I threw in the towel and just ordered a FFR PS rack, which is already configured with the tie rod extenders. It arrived today, and what a difference between the two racks! First, just from looking at it, you can tell it’s higher quality than the Cordone unit I purchased:



Most of the FFR rack is powder coated (unlike the Cordone unit), and the hydraulic lines are heavier and better looking than the ones on the Cordone unit. The Breeze offset bushings slid in with no problem at all, and the whole rack was easy to install. I had the whole thing done in less than an hour, including centering the rack and torqueing everything to spec:



So here’s my $230 lesson for future newbies like me: just buy the FFR power steering rack!

[jrcuz]

JB, any chance of returning the Cardone rack? If you are going to make your p/s lines check with Breeze, Mark has everything to do it including the fittings to connect the AN fittings to your rack. Too bad we are in lock down, I have the cutter to cut braided stainless line to size. It wasn't cheap. I got it a Home Depot for I think around $70. They are made for cutting electrical cable by Klein Tools catalog no. 63035. There are plenty of videos on you tube on making up AN fittings. If you go this route I learned the hard way how easy it is to cross thread the fittings during assembly of the fittings. Have fun.
JR

[JohnK]

Hey JB. Sorry about the headaches with the PS rack. The FFR rack does look to be much better quality. Not sure where FFR gets their PS rack from, but it looks similar to the Unisteer PS rack I bought for my project, which is also a quality piece and also came with the extenders already in it. Glad you finally got it all sorted out. Your project is really coming along nicely!

-John

[Caddy Dad]

JB, any chance of returning the Cardone rack? If you are going to make your p/s lines check with Breeze, Mark has everything to do it including the fittings to connect the AN fittings to your rack. Too bad we are in lock down, I have the cutter to cut braided stainless line to size. It wasn't cheap. I got it a Home Depot for I think around $70. They are made for cutting electrical cable by Klein Tools catalog no. 63035. There are plenty of videos on you tube on making up AN fittings. If you go this route I learned the hard way how easy it is to cross thread the fittings during assembly of the fittings. Have fun.
JR

X2 on getting the power steering hose set up from Breeze. Kit has everything you need already cut to length.
Cheers!

[nuhale]

I went with the new BBB / VISION-OE N1010106 (N101-0106) from Rock auto. I too had to clean up the adapters to get the breeze aluminum bushings to fit. A little emory cloth on a drill bit to hone it a bit worked like a charm. That really stinks on the ends. Won't be the last 2 steps forward 3 back you will have in your build process. .

I had a big issue where I had a complete failure of my PS rack on first start. My theory is that the rack sat for almost 10 months before seeing fluid and had a driveshaft seal fail which caused some really loud colorful words barely heard over the rumble of the engine. Had to pull it completely out and replace (Rock Auto took care of it via warranty). Working great now in my go-cart mode.

I too worked with Mark Reynolds at Breeze on the hoses/fittings. I was going to just pick most of it up at Summit and would have been cheaper (not much) but Mark is awesome/been a great support in my build process and want to give him business where I can. I have more required as I went with a hydroboost power brake setup from Mike Forte. The quality of the fittings/hose was great and he spent time going through what would be needed. I used a angle grinder with cutting wheel to cut the tube. Worked pretty good. I recommend getting a pressure testing set (I have mine and would consider sending) that cap off each hose and one end has adapter to fill with compressed air. Dunk in a tote with water and look for bubbles. Better find it here than with the fluid leaking all over the place.

[toadster]

Not much going on with the Roadster project this week, except I ended up switching out my power steering rack. As I mentioned earlier, I decided mid-project to install power steering, so I bought a replacement PS rack for a 1982-93 Mustang. Specifically, it was a new Cardone 97203F PS rack from Rock Auto. Even though the new rack was $120 more than a refurbished rack, I figured it would save me headaches going forward. (Spoiler alert: it didn't). I also bought the Breeze offset bushings and the FFR inner tie rod extenders.

Most of the FFR rack is powder coated (unlike the Cordone unit), and the hydraulic lines are heavier and better looking than the ones on the Cordone unit. The Breeze offset bushings slid in with no problem at all, and the whole rack was easy to install. I had the whole thing done in less than an hour, including centering the rack and torqueing everything to spec:

So here’s my $230 lesson for future newbies like me: just buy the FFR power steering rack!

great job! I changed up my steering as well when my epowersteering setup wouldn't fit in the engine bay with the Coyote, so i went with the KRC FFR setup myself!
https://cobradreams.com/2020/06/08/i...-finally-done/

I did get the Breeze offset rack, Breeze PS lines, and KRC pressure adjuster, also suggest installing the Moog ES2150RL tie-rod ends as they're much beefier than the FFR ones - cheap upgrade IMHO

[jrcuz]

JB, here is the info on the pressure tester for the -6 AN lines. I think Va. Hokie got his at Summit.
JR

[JB in NOVA]

Everyone, thanks for all your suggestions! This is what I love about the forum, I get to benefit from the wisdom of others that I actually don't possess myself. I just sent a request to Mark Reynolds at Breeze for the PS connection kit, which is a no brainer for me. So far, I've been very happy with all of Mark's products, so I'm confident this will also be an easy turn-key solution, which is exactly what I'm looking for at this point. For the 6AN fuel lines to the engine, I'm still noodling options, but I really appreciate the suggestions, especially about the pressure tester. I've got just the pool to test my lines in:

JB, any chance of returning the Cardone rack? If you are going to make your p/s lines check with Breeze, Mark has everything to do it including the fittings to connect the AN fittings to your rack. Too bad we are in lock down, I have the cutter to cut braided stainless line to size. It wasn't cheap. I got it a Home Depot for I think around $70. They are made for cutting electrical cable by Klein Tools catalog no. 63035. There are plenty of videos on you tube on making up AN fittings. If you go this route I learned the hard way how easy it is to cross thread the fittings during assembly of the fittings. Have fun.
JR

jrcuz, I may have to plan a stop in Stafford next time I'm on my way to Virginia Beach -- I'd love to see your project and get some pointers.

[jrcuz]

JB, you are welcome any time, I'll even try to get a couple local owners to drop by.
JR

[JB in NOVA]

I took some time off for a family vacation and then got very busy at work, but now I’m back to the MK4 project. Last week, my Blueprint 347 EFI engine arrived via Fed Ex:







I can’t wait to get this beast into its new home!

[JB in NOVA]

I’ve spent the last couple days getting my dashboard figured out and the Russ Thompson turn signal mod aligned and installed. I’m using an under-dash support panel from Mike Everson, so my first step was to trim that panel to fit. I found I needed to cut some slots to accommodate the steering column support plates, along with a few other trims here and there:



Once I got the under-dash support panel cleco’d in place, I was able to get my dash into the proper position to rough-fit the turn signal mounting hardware and tube:



I widened the hole in the dashboard to accommodate the turn signal tube and wires. I am using a polished bezel from Mike Everson, which also made a good template for the cut. I used a Dremel cutting bit, which did the job (but kind of messy with the vinyl and plastic dash – there’s probably a better way to make this cut):



With that, I was able to get everything mocked up into position:





Per Russ’s suggestion, I cut 3/8” off the rear end of the turn signal tube, to put the turn signal mechanism closer to the dash:



After verifying that I still had smooth steerage from full left to full right, I drilled three 5/16” holes and secured the new RT mounting bracket to the steering column support plate:



Overall, I found the Russ Thompson turn signal modification relatively easy to install (mechanically). Soon, I’ll be tackling the wiring, so I will report back if I come across any difficulties.

[jrcuz]

You've been busy JB, looking good.
JR

[GTBradley]

I can tell you from my experience that you can do the full-depth glovebox and the heater. I used the firewall forward mod, but because of that I had to fabricate a bracket because it put the heater too close the the Coyote I used. Find out where other builders engines of the same type mount in relation to the firewall and you'll know if there is going to be a conflict. If there is, the only thing you need to do is mount the heater further into the cockpit. I mounted my heater far enough inside the firewall forward to snug it up against the back of the glovebox. This had the added benefit of a more solid feel in the plastic glovebox. I wrote mine up starting at #254, if you're interested.

[glastron351]

Yes Looks good! Nice work! I like the trim ring on your RT Signal light column....been looking for something like that. Now I know where to go, Thanks!

As far as your heater/glovebox install here's what I did. I purchased a sheet of aluminum from a sign company (.090 as opposed to .040) and used this to fabricate a new firewall. A lot stronger than the original. I also moved the firewall forward approx. 1.75". Watch for Valve cover/heater core connection/heater fan interference depending upon your motor combination. With a taller deck height on a 351w it was tight. I wanted to leave at least 1" to allow for engine movement etc. I then cut out about a 1-1.25" section of the glovebox compartment depth and refastened the back using 2 part epoxy. This left me with a shallow glove box but enough room for registration, wallet, phone and few other small items. It's a tight space but do-able. It meant I didn't have to move my heater core into the engine bay (as I was limited with space there as it was). Just the way that worked for me but lots of great ideas from all the forum members.. Good luck!

Cobra Glovebox.jpg
Cobra Heater2.jpg
Cobra Dash.jpg

[JB in NOVA]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! I sincerely appreciate the advice. My slow but (un)steady progress continues. Today I installed my new firewall with a heater “bump out” modification. To back up a bit, after mocking up this potential modification last month, I decided the FFR firewall was too flimsy to support the heater motor. So I purchased a .090” firewall from ffmetal.com. It arrived quickly, and it feels so much sturdier than the FFR firewall – and it’s a perfect fit. Meanwhile, I asked a local sheet metal shop to replicate my 9” x 6.5” x 2.5” box with 1” rivet flanges, and it came back looking really nice. I cut all the appropriate holes and sent everything out for powder coating.

Here’s the box, which oddly looks like some sort of robot emoji:



I’ll call him Mr. Roboto.

I riveted Mr. Roboto to the FFmetal firewall, then I glued my original FFR firewall (trimmed appropriately to sit flush with Mr. Roboto’s flanges) to the back of the FFmetal firewall to create a 0.13” composite firewall:



I went ahead and drilled the three 1 ¼” holes that I’ll need for the wiring harnesses while I was at it. Here’s the new extra-thick firewall with heater bump-out box riveted in place:



You can see the sandwich structure here. This firewall is sturdy!



You can also see the Mike Everson under-dash support panel here, which I’ve still got cleco’d in place. The large round tubes are the heater vents. The small stubs on the right are rivnuts for attaching the dash from underneath. My plan is to have a fully removable dash, so I am looking into the drop-down mounting tabs that others have suggested. I'm OK with with the screw heads showing on the dash -- I just want to make sure none of them are "captured" by the body once mounted.

Next up is wiring!



But I’ve got a 1-week sailing trip starting on Monday, so wiring will probably have to wait until later this month.

[BadAsp427]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! I sincerely appreciate the advice. My slow but (un)steady progress continues. Today I installed my new firewall with a heater “bump out” modification. To back up a bit, after mocking up this potential modification last month, I decided the FFR firewall was too flimsy to support the heater motor. So I purchased a .090” firewall from ffmetal.com. It arrived quickly, and it feels so much sturdier than the FFR firewall – and it’s a perfect fit. Meanwhile, I asked a local sheet metal shop to replicate my 9” x 6.5” x 2.5” box with 1” rivet flanges, and it came back looking really nice. I cut all the appropriate holes and sent everything out for powder coating.

Here’s the box, which oddly looks like some sort of robot emoji:



I’ll call him Mr. Roboto.

I riveted Mr. Roboto to the FFmetal firewall, then I glued my original FFR firewall (trimmed appropriately to sit flush with Mr. Roboto’s flanges) to the back of the FFmetal firewall to create a 0.13” composite firewall:



I went ahead and drilled the three 1 ¼” holes that I’ll need for the wiring harnesses while I was at it. Here’s the new extra-thick firewall with heater bump-out box riveted in place:



You can see the sandwich structure here. This firewall is sturdy!



You can also see the Mike Everson under-dash support panel here, which I’ve still got cleco’d in place. The large round tubes are the heater vents. The small stubs on the right are rivnuts for attaching the dash from underneath. My plan is to have a fully removable dash, so I am looking into the drop-down mounting tabs that others have suggested. I'm OK with with the screw heads showing on the dash -- I just want to make sure none of them are "captured" by the body once mounted.

Next up is wiring!



But I’ve got a 1-week sailing trip starting on Monday, so wiring will probably have to wait until later this month.

I have to say that the "Mr.Roboto" is ingenious... but, I really fear you may have a problem with engine fitment. I have the exact same motor as you. Here are a couple photos that show my heater mounted on the standard position firewall and it's proximity to the engine. in the 2nd photo, you can see the rear of the PS valve cover and the heater core tubes. I have both the heater and the glove box. I did modify the glove box however. Hope this is not too late.

IMG_2183.jpg IMG_2310.jpg

[jrcuz]

JB, nice work. In the past a few builders have reported that the heater core copper tubing was not soldered properly and leaked, if you can run water through it to test it might be worth it.
JR

[JB in NOVA]

I have to say that the "Mr.Roboto" is ingenious... but, I really fear you may have a problem with engine fitment. I have the exact same motor as you. Here are a couple photos that show my heater mounted on the standard position firewall and it's proximity to the engine. in the 2nd photo, you can see the rear of the PS valve cover and the heater core tubes. I have both the heater and the glove box. I did modify the glove box however. Hope this is not too late.

IMG_2183.jpg IMG_2310.jpg

BadAsp427, yeah I'm certainly nervous about that. Before I moved forward with this plan, I actually sent my dimensions and pictures of my mock-up to Blueprint, and they said it would be fine clearance-wise. But looking at your pictures, I see how tight it's going to be. At a minimum, looks like I might have to shorten the copper tubing and have them make a sharp outboard turn as soon as they enter the engine compartment.

At this point, I'll hope for the best, and if it doesn't work out, I'll end up with a mysterious blanked-off box that will be a conversation piece.

[JB in NOVA]

Well, my sailing trip fell through, which is a real bummer. I was really looking forward to spending some time on the open water. The only upside is that I had time to work on the Roadster project this weekend. First, I installed the DS inner footbox panels:



I patched some of the bigger gaps inside the footbox using thin aluminum pieces and caulk. I don’t want to depend entirely on the insulating material to keep heat and water out. Hopefully this will help a bit:



Next, I installed the fuse panel. I found I had to trim a bit from the mounting plate to get it to fit the fuse panel properly – not sure if FFR has changed something recently. You can see the mismatch here, especially on the left-hand side:



Not a big deal, I just made a few cuts with my Dremel tool, and everything fit perfectly. I installed it in the FFR-recommended location under the master cylinders, but I added a support member for the front, outboard corner, as others have suggested:



Next, I did a rough install of the Ron Francis wiring harness. For me, wiring an entire car is a fairly intimidating task, so I’m trying to take it slowly and methodically. I’m sure I will make mistakes, but I’d like to avoid any catastrophic mistakes, so please let me know if you see anything going seriously awry. Because I’m running a Holley Sniper EFI, I decided to drill three 1 ¼ inch holes in the firewall as suggested in the RF instructions (although I understand It’s possible to get away with just two). As currently roughed in, I’ve got the main harness on the passenger’s side, the sending harness in the middle, and the rear harness on the driver’s side:



I’ve got the front harness coming through the DS footbox front wall and running along the outside of the upper frame rail, per the RF instructions:



So far, I’ve only wired the headlight switch and the ignition switch; otherwise everything is still unconnected:



I have a couple questions for the forum, which I’ll put in a separate post.

[JB in NOVA]

At this point, I have two wiring questions for the forum.

First Question: Impact Switch. Because I’m using an under-dash support panel, I can’t really mount the impact switch on the 2x2 tube as recommended in the RF manual. I understand it can be mounted virtually anywhere on the chassis, as long as it is: (1) upright, and (2) easily accessible in case it needs to be reset. I’m considering mounting it on the inside DS footbox panel, as shown by the “?” symbol here:



I figure, if need be, I could remove the access cover from the top of the footbox to reset the impact switch. Are there are any downsides to this location, or reasons I should consider a different location for the impact switch?

Second Question: Holley Sniper Wiring. I’ve reviewed Papa’s excellent summary of how to wire the Holley Sniper EFI system: https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...ges-EFI-Engine . For completeness sake, here is his response to another builder’s question:

I assume, please tell me otherwise, that your BPE provided EFI is the Holley Sniper? If so, this is very easy to get wired up.

1. Run the main power (red) and ground (black) wires directly to the battery
2. Connect the pink keyed +12v wire to any +12v keyed source (must have +12v when key is on and when cranking)
3. Connect the blue fuel pump control wire to your fuel pump (+) wire (I did this by de-pinning the fuel pump wire in the dash harness)
4. Connect the fan control (light blue) wire to one of the two green fan wires available (one near the top of the engine and the other at the bottom of the radiator).
5. Connect the coil wire (yellow) from the EFI to the (-) post on the coil
6. Connect your (+) post on the coil to any +12v keyed wire (typically the EFI/COIL (orange) wire in the RF harness)
7. Re wire the inertia switch to be in-line with the fuel pump ground wire (I still need to do this)
8. Install the CTS (if BPE didn't already do it) and connect the CTS plug from the EFI to the sensor

I “think” I understand what to do, but I want to make sure I’m not missing something. If my understanding is correct, I only need to send two wires from the EFI harness through the firewall to connect with other wires behind the dash: (1) the Holley Sniper blue wire (fuel pump output (+12v)); and (2) the Holley Sniper pink switched ignition wire. All the other wires mentioned above (e.g., the yellow and light-blue wires) will connect to components inside the engine compartment. Is that correct?


As I understand it, in this arrangement the Holley Sniper blue wire is used to control the fuel pump relay on the FFR fuse panel. This can be done either by (1) cutting the orange wire on the fuse panel and connecting it in-line to the Holley Sniper blue wire (i.e., leaving the orange connection in place at the fuse panel); or (2) “de-pinning” the orange wire from the fuse panel and replacing it with the Holley Sniper blue wire with an appropriate pin connection.

If I understand correctly, this will result in two relays between the Holley Sniper EFI and the fuel pump: (1) the Holley Sniper fuel-pump relay that is pre-installed in the EFI wiring harness, which resides in the engine compartment, and (2) the fuel-pump relay that is pre-installed on the FFR fuse box. I’m assuming it’s OK to have two relays in series like this?

Finally, I understand that the Holley Sniper pink wire (switched ignition (+12v)) connects to the orange “EFI/Coil” wire pictured here, which is part of the “EFI” branch of the main harness:



If I understand correctly, this is the wire that fits the requirement of being “clean” switched power during key-on and cranking. Is this correct?

As always, I would greatly appreciate any input on these questions, and on my proposed approach in general.

[JB in NOVA]

Wiring continues. So far, it has not been as bad as I thought it would be. Tedious for sure, but it’s also kind of fun to “dream” something into existence using switches, relays, fuses, wires, etc. and then see it actually happen. My only goal today was to wire my USB charger and my CobraHeat seat warmers. I’m trying to take this whole process one step at a time, so small victories are fine with me.

On that note, I should point out that I completed the Breeze forward battery ground wire and jumper:



For the USB charging port, I purchased this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MNDDTP6...t_b_asin_title It’s a dual USB charging port with LED lighting, powered with 12v.
I wired the (+) side of the USB charging port to the “radio power” wire. This will be powered when the key is in anything other than the off position. I contemplated using the “radio memory” wire, which remains powered after shutoff, but I really don’t think I’ll need that. My phone will only be charged when I’m in (or near) the car, with key in the ignition. For the (-) side, I connected a ground wire to the frame at the same location as the fuse box ground, and then used this as a common ground for both the USB charger and the seat warmers.

For the seat warmers, I used the “wipers” wire, since I will not have powered wipers. [Note to self: I need to replace the 18A fuse with a 20A fuse, per CobraHeat instructions –10A per seat]. I wanted the control switches mounted under the dash, as opposed to on the seat base as the CobraHeat system is configured. This required cutting the four wires to the CobraHeat switches and running extensions to the seat areas. In addition, the seat warmers require red (+) and black (-) power wires. So I ran a total of 10 wires (4 switch controls each for left and right and 2 power lines through the firewall (same hole as the rear harness) and down the transmission tunnel:



At the “Y” junction at the back of the transmission tunnel, I branched the (+) and (-) power lines to the left and right, so that each seat received 6 wires – 4 switch-control wires and 2 power wires.



My plan is to bring the wiring looms through a 1” hole in the back of the cockpit behind each seat. This will require a hole in the carpet – but nobody will ever see anything back there behind the seats.

I wired everything to quick-connects, so I can do the final assembly once the body aluminum is completed and the seats are going into place. But I could not avoid my curiosity – will this actually work? I went ahead and hooked up the seat heaters, left and right:



Happily, I saw power lights under the dash (left and right) and felt warm pads. My USB port works, too (and I verified it actually charges my phone):



Small victories.

[edwardb]

Wiring is fun, isn't it? Two comments: Personally, I'd find a different place for your fuel pump inertia switch ("impact switch"). I've yet to trip mine in actual use (which is a good thing) but have checked it several times for various reasons. Really wouldn't want to be removing the access cover every time. Even with the under dash cover, you should be able to find a place in the cockpit where it can be reached. Just my opinion. I'd also suggest a little caution on changing fuses. The wiper circuit you mentioned is 10 amps, not 18. Never heard of an 18 amp fuse. The wiring in circuits is generally matched to the current carrying requirement and specified fuse. Just changing the fuse doesn't increase the capacity. You could exceed the wiring in the circuit and with the heavier fuse get into trouble before the fuse blows. Don't know the details about what you did and maybe it's OK. But be careful there.

[JB in NOVA]

Paul, thanks for the advice. I think I've found a more suitable place for the inertia switch on the passenger's side -- I just need to test fit my dash with glove box to make sure I'll have access. And your caution about replacing fuses with higher ratings is well-taken. I will leave everything as-is, although I might have to find a different power source for the seat heaters, which are rated for 10A each.

[GTBradley]

Very clean on the wiring! - a sure sign of a disturbed mind.

My wiring decisions were very similar to yours. Not only did I run the seat heat wires through the back wall, but I also mounted the relays there. I figured that would keep them elevated should the car get water in it. The wires don’t really show, especially since I wrapped the white plugs with black electrical tape.

[toadster]

I haven’t had much time to work on the Roadster this week, but I did manage to get the Breeze forward battery tray installed:

just FYI - Breeze directions recommend 5 rivets - you have to drill the other two; not that it's going places!

and yes, my air rivet gun made QUICK action on my 3/16 rivets too!

[JB in NOVA]

just FYI - Breeze directions recommend 5 rivets - you have to drill the other two; not that it's going places!

and yes, my air rivet gun made QUICK action on my 3/16 rivets too!

Toadster, ha ha, you caught me! My arm was so tired after manually pulling those three SS rivets I wondered, "do I really need those other two?" I decided I didn't. Like you said, that box isn't going anywhere. Nevertheless, this is one of the things on my list to revisit before I install the engine. Good eye!

[JB in NOVA]

Today I worked on the dashboard wiring. I’m running the Ron Francis wiring harness and the FFR-supplied vintage GPS gauges. Almost immediately, I ran into an issue. The Ron Francis manual (Rev. W, Nov. 2019) says to connect the “black gauge dial light cable to all of the gauges.” It shows a picture of a daisy-chain connecting black-and-gray wires on each gauge:



But my Vintage GPS gauges (purchased with my kit) don’t have any black-and-gray wires, and there was no gauge dial light daisy-chain cable in my gauge box:



I assume I have a newer version of the vintage GPS gauges, although it’s surprising that the wiring manual was updated less than a year ago, in November 2019, but doesn’t address this new gauge configuration. Anyway, I think I figured out how to wire the gauge lighting by connecting the white wire in the “power distribution cable” to the white wire labeled “Dash Lights” in the RF harness. I also separately connected the white clock wire to a separate white “Dash lights” jumper. The rest of the install was fairly straight-forward, after taking some tips from the forum such as connecting the brown “Gauge feed” wire to the yellow voltmeter wire (not specified anywhere in the RF instructions – why???).

As you can see, I used my pool table for this entire task. If you think that’s sacrilege, just know that it’s the most use this pool table has seen in 5 years:



Finally, my curiosity would not let me get away without testing everything out. I used a 9V battery, and here was the result:



The coolest thing is that the voltmeter accurately recorded my 9V power source:



I also set the clock and verified that it ran accurately. Next step: temporarily install the dashboard in the Roadster and test all the functions.

[TMartinLVNV]

I used my kitchen table. But, living the bachelor's dream over here, I eat most of my meals over the sink so there is no one to complain.

Doc recommended this for me and it worked really well when testing everything electrical in the car. It really came in handy testing the harness with everything hooked up.

https://www.amazon.com/Rayovac-926-G...5129621&sr=8-1

[JB in NOVA]

Today, I finished the dash and got the glovebox installed. The FFR hinge hardware for the glovebox is kind of rickety, so I might be looking to upgrade that in the near future. In the meantime, I went ahead and rough installed the dash and the RT turn signal arm in the car and hooked it up to 12V:



While I was at it, I found what I think is a suitable mounting location for the inertia switch, on the firewall extension on the passenger’s side, accessible from below with the dash installed:



I ran one of the inertia switch ground wires through an emergency fuel cutoff switch, mounted under the dash:



One rookie mistake to report: When I installed my USB charger smack dab in the middle of the under-dash panel, I failed to anticipate that the headlight switch occupies this same real estate. So I had to move the USB switch back a few inches. I’ll patch the old hole with a block-off plate of some sort.

With my son helping out from the driver’s seat, I used a multimeter to test all the switch functions. Headlights and tail lights work fine in all modes, turn signals and hazard flashers seem to work, although the cycle is something like 8.7V / 9.3V, which is not enough of a differential to actually make the indicators blink. I understand that I actually need to load the circuit (i.e., attach bulbs) to fully test this feature, so I’ll do that later this week.

My GPS speedo acquired a signal and accurately reported my speed as 0 mph, with 00000 miles driven so far. I hope to change that soon!