derekf.com

28 Oct 2021
Next Big Hurdle

Some little stuff first.

First off - the wires for C220 and C230 (see 12 Jun 2020 and more importantly 16 Jul 2021) were running through the lower firewall at the pass floorboard. Realization that this is going to go really poorly every time I hit a puddle means the wires need to move.

Here's a good spot - it'll be protected from splashes and can run the wires through the side of the cowl.

My first thought had the wires coming in and immediately making a hard left and coming through the inner edge of the cowl. Realized that that was maybe even worse of a place than the floorboard - the cowl is guaranteed to get a lot of water flowing across it in any rain.

Better to use the back edge of the cowl side for access.

This picture shows neither.

With the wires run through, here's the grommet. Added Strip-Calk to seal.

The small set of wrapped wires is a white and a blue wire, for the tach and the cruise indicator. Unfortunately I am not sure which color I used for which - I *think* white is tach.

Added weatherstrip to the top of the defrost vent. They Say that you shouldn't seal these. I did it anyway.

I bought a condensor - a Vintage Air 037030-OVR. It was 29.5" x 16", which matched what I measured the opening as.

Spoiler alert: Nowhere close to fitting.

Returned that, bought a different one - Vintage Air 037033 (24" x 12"). Still need to get the brackets set up.

Retried mounting the pass fender. It worked better this time.

Need to either adjust the front of the door "out" or add shims to the bottom mount. It's close though.

Quick paint on more things.

Defrost vent mounted. Wires are still strewn, need to clean that up.

I have created mounts for the ambient light sensor and the security LED. I REALLY hope these are in a good place.

And then onto the hard part.

New purchase.

I *think* this is the last remaining task that I categorize as "really hard". I'm actually terrified of this task.

Cleaning the area at the edge of where it'll go with a wire wheel revealed oddly shiny metal.

Oh.

That's lead.

A torch works well to remove it.

and fully cleaned up.

And again on the other side.

Did find that there was some half-assed rust repair on the windshield.

I don't THINK I did this in the last round.

Doesn't matter anyway, this is all getting replaced with the new panel..

I had these. If you look closely, you'll see that both of them have broken teeth - one of them happened on the first spot weld.

I spent about twenty minutes trying to figure out where I'd put the first one after the second one also failed, and while I was searching I tried to come up with advertising copy for these.

The best I came up with was either "The quality goes in before the name... what's that? Oh. No, it doesn't." or "It makes good cutters or it gets the hose again".

Either way, an order of cheap spot weld cutters from the Kingdom of Bezos arrived the next day.

I have cut the weld beads incorrectly.

Go back to the previous day (16 Jul 21)

	First off - the wires for C220 and C230 (see 12 Jun 2020 and more importantly 16 Jul 2021) were running through the lower firewall at the pass floorboard. Realization that this is going to go really poorly every time I hit a puddle means the wires need to move.
Here's a good spot - it'll be protected from splashes and can run the wires through the side of the cowl.
	My first thought had the wires coming in and immediately making a hard left and coming through the inner edge of the cowl. Realized that that was maybe even worse of a place than the floorboard - the cowl is guaranteed to get a lot of water flowing across it in any rain. Better to use the back edge of the cowl side for access. This picture shows neither.
With the wires run through, here's the grommet. Added Strip-Calk to seal. The small set of wrapped wires is a white and a blue wire, for the tach and the cruise indicator. Unfortunately I am not sure which color I used for which - I think white is tach.
	Added weatherstrip to the top of the defrost vent. They Say that you shouldn't seal these. I did it anyway.
I bought a condensor - a Vintage Air 037030-OVR. It was 29.5" x 16", which matched what I measured the opening as. Spoiler alert: Nowhere close to fitting. Returned that, bought a different one - Vintage Air 037033 (24" x 12"). Still need to get the brackets set up.
	Retried mounting the pass fender. It worked better this time.
Need to either adjust the front of the door "out" or add shims to the bottom mount. It's close though.
	Quick paint on more things.
Defrost vent mounted. Wires are still strewn, need to clean that up.
	I have created mounts for the ambient light sensor and the security LED. I REALLY hope these are in a good place.

New purchase. I think this is the last remaining task that I categorize as "really hard". I'm actually terrified of this task.
	Cleaning the area at the edge of where it'll go with a wire wheel revealed oddly shiny metal. Oh. That's lead.
A torch works well to remove it.
	and fully cleaned up.
And again on the other side.
	Did find that there was some half-assed rust repair on the windshield. I don't THINK I did this in the last round. Doesn't matter anyway, this is all getting replaced with the new panel..
I had these. If you look closely, you'll see that both of them have broken teeth - one of them happened on the first spot weld. I spent about twenty minutes trying to figure out where I'd put the first one after the second one also failed, and while I was searching I tried to come up with advertising copy for these. The best I came up with was either "The quality goes in before the name... what's that? Oh. No, it doesn't." or "It makes good cutters or it gets the hose again". Either way, an order of cheap spot weld cutters from the Kingdom of Bezos arrived the next day.
	I have cut the weld beads incorrectly.