37 Ford build--IE: old Header issues thread /37 Ford/5.0/GT40P heads

[IC2]

Been wiring in my new battery and remote battery system shut off plus significant cleanup of a messy area that has perturbed me for a couple years. Everything works!!!! Horn blows, lights light, sparks jump down the side of the coil, engine cranks.

This is how it looked before last spring's clean up of extraneous wires (can't find a later picture)



The space saved this year with the mods - the tape and matted carpet show how BIG an area the Optima covered:


DSCN1806.jpg

DSCN1807.jpg

The box will be enlarged up a little for the stereo plus will be covered with some of the same padding and upholstery as the rest of the car - that's still a work in progress

[randyr]

Lookin' good, Dave! That's a lot of space you saved there. I'm gonna assume you have a remote for that stereo.....otherwise.. channel surfing or changing discs while driving will be challenging....

[IC2]

Lookin' good, Dave! That's a lot of space you saved there. I'm gonna assume you have a remote for that stereo.....otherwise.. channel surfing or changing discs while driving will be challenging....

Yep - almost have a real trunk again

Remote? Heck, I thought that my wife could ride back there and do any station/CD changes

Not a good idea - I guess, but this I do have and it does work pretty well:

Stereo remote.jpg

[IC2]

I finished the battery box and stereo installation with a little foam padding and some vinyl upholstery. Unfortunately no one nearby had the color but I did find something close enough that it isn't a glaring fault. If I can find some of the original color, I'll just put a layer over what I have. Everything works. The new battery and the remotely operated battery kill switch is, in my opinion, a good add-on as it ended up taking that big Optima battery and mount, the Longacre master disconnect, two short lengths of 1 ga battery wire as well as the extra Ford solenoid out of the trunk - and means I can now actually put something in there besides a small bag of tools and a 6 pack cooler. The project took a little longer then anticipated with having to build the box plus a separate cover just for the stereo. If I was to build the car again, that battery would have been mounted on the frame, but at this point, a lot more time and work plus a few added bucks.

That wire on top of the stereo is the remote switching, the other is to the Battery Minder charger.

Trunk-wires1.gif

This is the 'mess I started with
Batt box & stereo2.JPG

[34_40]

Some good ideas there Dave! And it looks good too!

[randyr]

That looks good, Dave!!! I wish I was working on stuff like that. Instead I have a nasty deck lid & tail pan to contend with! One thing leads to a thousand more! I do hope to drive it again sometime in this lifetime!

[IC2]

Thanks Mike and Randy.

And, Randy, that tail pan - that one I thing which I would bite the bullet and spring for the EMS. Save your pennies while working on the trunk lid and the multitude of other things that need to be done, then go back and 'do' the pan. Too much stretched metal that's been bent, gouged, ground and beaten on too often for my abilities - but heck, I could spend your money all day ( and think I already have in the past).

[randyr]

And, Randy, that tail pan - that one I thing which I would bite the bullet and spring for the EMS. Save your pennies while working on the trunk lid and the multitude of other things that need to be done, then go back and 'do' the pan. Too much stretched metal that's been bent, gouged, ground and beaten on too often for my abilities - but heck, I could spend your money all day ( and think I already have in the past).

Yes, Dave, you do have a knack for helping me spend my money!

I got a "best price" quote for the tail pan & tool compartment combo for $600 including shipping. That's a big chunk of change! I also emailed the guy building the 37 on this site Stellar Antique Auto Restorations 1937 Ford Restoration because he replaced the tail pan in that car. He said that they had to split & reweld the tail pan to make it fit because it was just a little too wide. Geez! For $600+ dollars you still gotta do a lot of fabricating!

Then I look at the metal work being done by Dave Seversen, 123Pugsy, that new guy MP&C, Charlie and a bunch of others who work miracles with sheetmetal, and think maybe I should try smoothing this one out before I plunk out $600 for a repop. Heck, maybe I could even cut this one out, rework it and weld it back in since it doesn't appear to be rusted. There is lead work on each side of the pan, which may be from the factory, I'm not sure.

Anyway, I'm getting my threads mixed up by talking about the tail pan stuff here instead of the other one but oh well. My threads tend to go all over the place anyway.

[bluestang67]

Hardly any panels go right in but with some cutting and finis you get them looking better then new . I would rather work a replacement then try and save a medium condition one .

I have 2 ahead of it but I might catch up wit you ,

[Don Shillady]

Front Signal.JPGTeacup-LED.JPGDon Shillady/RumpleStiltskin here. I know I don't belong on this thread but you guys have accepted my drivel before. We have had a mild winter here in central Virginia with only two small snow storms and so far I have avoided the bad cold I had this time last year. Amazingly yesterday and today I have seen some flowering trees! We had two warm days this week and I bought a precautionary fire extinguisher for my wood/frame garage and charged up my battery so I can start checking out my electrical system. The digital speedometer is not hooked up yet, the dimmer switch is not connected and the windshield wiper runs but will not shut off. With that list I am telling myself that at least I did not have a fire! Anyway I know my effort on the wiring is pathetic so far but I am reporting some good news here in that at least my turn signals work! In fact I am very pleased with the LED tailights and the front turn signals are actually brighter than shown in the picture because the camera flash negated some of the yellow light at the bottom of the three-in-one bulbs. The rear teacup-LED lights are really bright and I am happy about that small positive step. I am showing this very limited progress just to keep in touch with IC2/Dave. If the flowers keep popping up with an early Spring maybe I can sort out these circuits and get the engine running before Summer? OK so humor me while I try to psych myself into getting the wiring done this Spring.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/Teen Rodder

[NTFDAY]

Hey Don, good to see you posting again. A little perseverance and you'll figure out your wiring problems and if you need help you know that all you have to do is ask.

[34_40]

HI DON! It's good to see you posting again! Never drivel,and any forward progress is good progress! The lights do look good and I like the LED rear lights in mine also. A lot brighter than an 1157 lamp for certain. I'm sure IC2/Dave will be along to harrass you soon.

[IC2]

Don -consider yourself harassed. I think that you just saved us a search and rescue mission to VA

Besides that - congratulations on some progress.

[IC2]

Ok one last update on my wiring mod/battery disconnect. Since I plagiarized both Painless and Cole-Hersee, I'll give them some credit - well, a wee bit anyhow. This is the wiring diagram for what I did. It works, so I am happy. Had it been a bigger car with more room, I probably would have gotten fancier, but my intent was to create some more useable trunk space plus clean up some wire mess - and it for sure did that:

Disconnect wiring.JPG

[34_40]

Dave, what's connection 3 feeding? Switched?