Half Pint - Z22 swapped 510 goon

[Lockleaf]

Yup kinda blows. The sense of relief from being done with it didn't really hit until around 11 or 12 last night when i sat down to do the wiring and didn't have to feel bad for not studying. Randomly got a huge stupid smile on my face.

 

So here's too much detail on what I played with yesterday, wiring in the clock.

 

I extended the factory clock power wire and ran it over to where the oil and volt meters connect. At that point I realized that the 6pin connector for the gauges had only 5 wires in it.

 

 

So i depinned another connector and snagged some supplies to add a pin.

 

 

And wired the green clock wire in to both sides of the gauge connector.

 

 

With clock permanent power run, i needed clock ground and then illumination. All three of those are available in the gauge harness. There was already a splitter (a Y shape) in the wiring, so i uncovered that and added another to each.

 

 

I did that too all three wires and then put the factory covers back over them.

 

 

Then just wired in the clock. After this pic was taken i bundled everything back up in the factory wiring sleeve.

 

 

And Then tested everything to be sure it worked. Which is the pic from last night. I connected my 12v power source to the pins on the connector that plugs into the body harness, thus checking to be sure my wiring was actually done correctly. I will be installing Amber leds all three gauges so the illumination should match better.

 

 

And lastly, i edited my wiring diagram to include the new clock.

 

[Lockleaf]

In other news, remember that fan switch knob i spent a couple days creating?

 

 

Well...i lost it. Like 3 months ago. Felt like total moron so i haven't mentioned it or bought another knob.

 

Anyway, after all that wiring work last night i decided i needed to reorganize and clean up my wiring supplies. I found that damn knob down in the very bottom of my wiring box! I was ecstatic!

 

I had my 510 dash in my pathfinder at the same time as my wiring supplies. Somehow the knob jumped ship and lost itself in the wiring. :)

 

Last night was a happy evening.

[Draker]

Excellent! And nice work on the wiring diagram.

[Lockleaf]

Scored a Datsun am/fm radio at the junkyard today. It's from an 82 720. The faceplate isn't a perfect fit, but i can work around that. I'm just excited to have a Datsun labeled filler for my radio hole.

 

 

plan is to install a bluetooth unit inside the case in such a fashion that the power knob and volume controls are functional.

[S30Jay]

The clock is a great touch, and I agree the black face is the better choice for your dash.

 

Looking forward to seeing how the gauge pods looks all done and installed, it will help with the transition between the console and the dash.... Kind of make things flow.

 

I'm glad the bar is behind you now, I'm sure you did fine. Focus on half pint for a few weeks and try not to think about it anymore. Enjoy the break!

[Lockleaf]

Bought some cool seats. They don't fit. At all. They didn't seem huge when i got them, but they rub on the trans tunnel, the b pillar, and the window. They dominate the interior. So....yeah....no. Maybe they will go in my truck?

 

But my friend randomly gave me a sweet ridiculous old man 70s gauge though.

 

 

 

It's a vacuum gauge that you calibrate to give you estimated fuel economy based on engine load/vacuum. I may jam it in under the dash between my ac tubing and the drivers door. He called it shelf art, but i kinda feel like the 510 needs this.

[Draker]

Looks like a cool gauge! 

[S30Jay]

That gauge is great. My only concern is that it will be doing battle with the clock to be the crown jewel of the interior. And the clock is pretty cool too.

 

As for the seats, I did the same damn thing with my Z a few years back. I got a smoking deal on a nice pair of buckets that totally looked like they'd fit. Tried them out..... No bueno. Interference everywhere.

 

They are serving shelf art duty in my garage actually, well they are on top of a cabin but same idea.

[Lockleaf]

You make a fair point about the gauge. I won't decide until i can mock everything up and see if it's just too much. Its the retro ridiculousness of it that calls to me.

 

I have sets of z32 seats, s13 seats, gc impreza, and a set of mystery i-think-they-are-import-mid-eighties seats all kind of hanging around right now... And I'm not necessarily concerned about selling my newest set anytime soon so they will just get stashed with the others. :)

[Lockleaf]

Its not much but i did just get an ash tray for the car. Thanks Hobbes!

[Lockleaf]

And one more part.

 

These awesome Datsun center caps my buddy dug out of a shed on his grandmother's property just barely. They make me like the rims more as the rims appear more compelte with them on.

 

 

Work on this is slow currently. I have done all 4 corners shock/struts and rear control arm bushings on my pathfinder plus custom rebuilding the rear coilovers and swapping a cv for my wife's saabaru. Still have a brake job on hers, plus some other maintenance on my sister's Subaru before i can get back to playing.

[Lockleaf]

I redid some radio wiring in my harness. I realized that i had misunderstood some of the wiring and had to redo some stuff. I also added a fuse to a blank on my fuse block that's always hot. Its now my 12v radio memory. Updated my wiring diagram again too.

 

Then i got to working on my heater defroster ducts. Mine are completely destroyed. So I'm making new ones from metal will connect via flex hose.

 

My first attempt went very badly. So this is actually round 2.

 

I made a box out of cardstock that fit the heater outlet. Then made a long tube from card so i could connect them.

 

 

 

Then pieced in the front and side that wrap the pipe itself. Got those taped to the box and pipe and then pulled the assembly out of the car. I just guesstimated the other two until i had a box wrapped around the pipe completely.

 

 

 

after a test fit it looked pretty good. So i decided to attempt a one piece version but out of card.

 

 

Folded it up, it sure looked right.

 

 

so i cut down the pipe to a good length and test fit everything again.

 

 

Alignment is fairly good. Ive proven i can recreate the shape from my pattern. Now i just need to try making one out of steel.

 

If this works, i will post the pattern with some measurements so others can duplicate it.

[Draker]

Binky inspired CAD work.. I like it.

[Lockleaf]

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery Draker :)

[Lockleaf]

Tonight i made a metal one. It's clear my pattern still needs a little refining. However, this is now the most complex thing I've ever made from a single piece. I'm pretty happy over all with it turned out.

 

Earlier today i bought some 2 inch ID carb preheater hose to use as ducting, 2 inch exhaust pipe for heater outlet and a few hose clamps for assembly.

 

 

I traced my pattern on to metal.

 

 

No pics of the flat piece after the cuts, the folding or any of that. The folding was a bit difficult. I used angle iron in a vice as my bender.

 

But here it is tacked together. And with a chunk of pipe i cut out using my cardstock pipe as a template.

 

 

Test fitting. Angles are off some but they are decent enough that the flex tube works. And the adapter clears everything on the heater unit fine.

 

 

 

And tacked together

 

 

 

This is all a bit mockupy. I will clean the ugly off it and paint it after i make the other side. I'm hoping that if I flip the pattern that it will work on the other side.

[Lockleaf]

I built the other side. First i folded my pattern up backward (inside out) to test it. Worked fine. I'm glad i didn't have to binky together another of these.

 

 

So i traced the pattern out and got to cutting. I moved the pipe outlet up about 1/4" in comparison to the first one, hoping it would give me better alignment. I think it helped.

 

 

Assembled for test fitting.

 

 

I need to sandblast and seal this one now. I sandblasted the passenger side and I sealed the pipe to the body with jb weld putty. I sealed the seams with a "liquid metal filler".

 

 

At this point, i honestly think these could be built out of heavy cardstock and painted with truck bed liner to waterproof and reinforce them. I can't see a reason that wouldn't be a fantastic idea.

 

I will clean up patterns a little and post them up.

[Lockleaf]

Took a break from real work. Made some custom coil covers.

 

 

[Lockleaf]

And ready for install.

 

[Xnke]

You guys keep saying Binky Inspired CAD...

 

You know CAD stands for Cardboard Aided Design, right???

[Lockleaf]

You know i was using cardboard to design it? As in the manner used in project binky?

 

So I'm rather confused as to how you might be confused about our understanding of their use of the term CAD.

[Xnke]

Because long before computer aided design was so widely available, CAD was commonly joked about as Cardboard Aided Design. Like 20 years now, that's been the running joke among engineers and fabricators, almost all of them I have worked with.

 

I dont have a clue what project binky was/is..

[datsunfreak]

I dont have a clue what project binky was/is..

 

 

You're welcome.   B)

[Lockleaf]

Watch. And be highly entertained.

[Lockleaf]

Installed the outlets. I just "glued" them in with a little rtv and ignored the screws. I'm comfortable with it. I bolted the heater assembly in to the car and fitted everything to the dash.

 

 

 

 

Dash has now been removed in preparation for reinstalling the wiring harness.

[Lockleaf]

I have two more projects on my wiring harness and its ready to go in to the car.

 

I'm wiring lighting for the "fuel efficiency" vacuum gauge.

 

I'm going to install a self dimming rear view mirror in the car. I have no rear view at all. I love the self dimming feature. And I've chosen one with map lights, which i also like.

 

Recognizing how this piece of modern tech could VERY easily stick out as ugly and incongruous with my aesthetic (oh yeah, $10 words FTW), I have chosen the most basic and plain appearing one i could find. I'm hoping it won't look terrible.

 

It's from an early 2000s Sebring.

 

 

 

Possibly going to look ungainly and large regardless. No way to know till i do it. And if i hate it, i won't use it and i will hide the wiring. No harm no foul.

 

Hoping to finish the harness tonight, minus the connector for the mirror itself.