Time for a redo

[Yadkin]

When I rebuilt my 64 TBird I added a lot of accessories including an electric cooling fan, so to manage all that I installed a new power panel from a 2003 car (under the hood), then back-fed the old OE panel in the passenger side footwell. Time flies that was 9 years ago.

Last summer I started having intermittent trouble with lights on my console. And the fan on my Vintage Air Gen4. I added grounds and that didn't fix it.

Now that I have time I'm going to change out both the OE kick panel unit and the junker.

New panels on order:

[LATB]

You going with a Lowrance or Hummingbird fish finder?

[Yadkin]

The lower picture is a Blue Sea unit. I've used stuff from them in the past and it's marine grade, top quality. That ill replace the OE panel, safely protected under a kick panel.

I searched for hours to find a decent panel for under-hood. Key is to have crimp connectors from underneath and a cover that sheds water. Blue Sea doesn't make one. Hella doesn't make a combined fuse-relay panel. I found a unit from Bussman but the details were sketchy. American Autowire, and their competitors, don't make one with a cover. Lots of Chinese crap out there. The one I chose is from True Mods, and they at least have a lot of details on their Amazon store.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by LATB

You going with a Lowrance or Hummingbird fish finder?

Well, it is a land yacht...

[Don Rickles]

'64 T Bird......I stripped down two birds, junked the bodies and now have boxes and boxes of parts....When I say stripped, I mean down the the shelled uni body. I'd like to get this stuff to someone that needs it.

The one better car was Wimbledon white with light blue interior. You name it, I have the part.....

[LATB]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Well, it is a land yacht...

well played.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Don Rickles

'64 T Bird......I stripped down two birds, junked the bodies and now have boxes and boxes of parts....When I say stripped, I mean down the the shelled uni body. I'd like to get this stuff to someone that needs it.

The one better car was Wimbledon white with light blue interior. You name it, I have the part.....

Thanks for the offer. I am looking for rear spring shackles. They are heavy pressed steel, maybe 1/4" thick or so, and connect the center of the spring at the axle. I last replaced the rubber inserts 37 years ago, and my shackles were badly rusted. I reinforced with heavy sheet steel and lots of ugly welds. Time for me to replace the rubber again.

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by LATB

You going with a Lowrance or Hummingbird fish finder?

I've used that exact panel on a few projects

[Yadkin]

Mapping out what goes where. I'll use a stand-alone relay to power section B of the Blue Sea panel.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

I've used that exact panel on a few projects

I haven't found better quality anywhere.

[Don Rickles]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Thanks for the offer. I am looking for rear spring shackles. They are heavy pressed steel, maybe 1/4" thick or so, and connect the center of the spring at the axle. I last replaced the rubber inserts 37 years ago, and my shackles were badly rusted. I reinforced with heavy sheet steel and lots of ugly welds. Time for me to replace the rubber again.

Being such an old chassis piece, wouldn't buying a brand new shackle be the best route? The body/shell is still sitting at the junk yard these parts are likely still on it.

[simpleman68]

A project well worth your time. When we were pulling apart my GTO, after stripping the interior, we ran entirely new electric in the entire car. New fuse panel and every wire.
I didn't want to have to deal with ground issues from oxidation etc.

The vintage air was one of the best mods for comfort.

Post up some pics mofo!
Scott

[Big bob]

Beautiful car always like them best of luck.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Don Rickles

Being such an old chassis piece, wouldn't buying a brand new shackle be the best route? The body/shell is still sitting at the junk yard these parts are likely still on it.

There's nothing in the usual catalogs. I can call a spring shop and see what they've got. This was a NYC car so everything was a rusted mess. I've gotten parts from out west and have had great luck.

[Don Rickles]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

There's nothing in the usual catalogs. I can call a spring shop and see what they've got. This was a NYC car so everything was a rusted mess. I've gotten parts from out west and have had great luck.

This? The are most likely still on it...

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by simpleman68

A project well worth your time. When we were pulling apart my GTO, after stripping the interior, we ran entirely new electric in the entire car. New fuse panel and every wire.
I didn't want to have to deal with ground issues from oxidation etc.

The vintage air was one of the best mods for comfort.

Post up some pics mofo!
Scott

The OE wire harness was in great shape, mostly, for this build. Quality insulation and tight bullet connectors, all wrapped in fabric and held to the body with nylon loops. So I kept as much of it a I could.

In contrast my 74 Fiat project, the harness was a mess. And the fuse panel was nearly melted. Shitty blade connectors, no wrap protection, and mostly held onto the body with sheet metal tabs. I re-wired the whole car. Fit It Again Tony was mostly electrical issues.

[Yadkin]

Some pics during the build.
1. Under hood
2. F.A.S.T system
3. Custom third brake light
4. Vintage Air
5. March serpentine belts
6. Rebuilt console

[Yadkin]

Moar:

7. Interior
8. Shoulder belt retractors for rear seat are in the trunk
9. Pass through slot from a late model donor
10. Back seat and belts. OE had front lap belts only. Now I have retracting shoulder belts for all four seats
11. Fuel pump is inside the tank, accessible from the trunk.
12. Main panel that I am changing out.

[GTOguy]

Steering wheel emblem???
Very nice quality work, IMO, but also IMO taking a relatively simple car and adding complex, off-shore parts and systems that are much more likely to fail over time. For the sake of luxury and because you are compelled to, of course.
This has been my experience with modified vehicles, even done by pros, for the past several decades. From Brass era cars to the present. Of course, if you took something like a Painless or M&H wiring harness and used it to replace the wiring of your Audi or Mercedes, you would be making it MORE reliable than factory.

[MadInNc]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

Well, it is a land dinghy...

here's a yacht. docked most of time due to 6 MPG