1975 Viva DeLuxe - What Have I Done?

[oli8925]

Thanks Paul, that's what I thought the answers would be. Now, is there any point in shelling out £120+ on a Kenlowe leccy fan kit, or will cheap copies do the job just as well. You can get a 10" fan from ebay for £20, and the control units for about £30, but the last thing I want is it not doing it's job properly and the engine overheating.

[hbpeter]

Or just get a scrap fan from the scrapyard and wire it to a switch. Job done. Did this on a Carlton worked a treat. Just dont forget to turn it off when you leave the car!

Peter

[oli8925]

That would be a very cheap way to do it, but I want to keep it looking as neat and tidy as possible and have it on a thermostat so it works it's magic automatically.

Decided what to do about relays. Hazards and flasher relay will be kept seperate (as they're incompatible with anything) and mounted underneath the drivers dash tray on a little lip. The rest of the relays will get power from a fused distribution box, situated in the engine bay (probably), with the relays housed neatly to the right of the drivers feet. This satisfies my OCD in keeping it neat and tidy. I just need to do some measuring as the current front speaker location makes things tight, but it should be ok. Quite happy with that.

[shamm]

Fit the cheap fan and controller but add an override switch, gives peace on mind and means you can preempt head build up when you pull up to the back of a long queue on a hot day.

[oli8925]

Think I'll do that Steve, will definitely have an override switch, will probably use the dash lights cut-out switch as it's never used.

Drilled holes, mock mounted the control unit. Fits very snug behind the glovebox and is actually in a really good position for wires. I can run the alarm loom above the heater unit to join it to the rest of the loom which looks very neat, and it's in the perfect position for an earth and a grommetted hole in the bulkhead to feed the siren loom through.

Mocked up the wires and held them to the existing loom with tape to the points at which they'll all be soldered in. Should be fairly neat when done and not look like someone's been messing around with some wires and a crimping kit.

Still a mess at the moment, just a more organised mess



New dilemma, where to put the ultrasonic sensors? Screwed on or Tigersealed on top of the dashboard in the corners, Screwed on or Tigersealed to the underside of the dash (in the footwells more or less) looking up at the seats and doors, or get some of the earlier style 'push in' sensors and fit them to the plates I may or may not be making to replace the dash trays. Now I've thought of the Tigerseal option, plan 1 or 2 seems better, I just didn't want to drill holes in visible areas.

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[Paul Dawson]

I'd have thought you want those sensors as high as possible but away from vents that can let draughts trigger them. The higher they are the better they will cover the entire interior, and also they will be a more visible deterrent.

Edit - I've just been reading your thread on Migwelding as I'm getting to the time to tackle the welding on mine - having not touched a welder in years - how is that going as it doesn't seem to have been updated for a while.

[oli8925]

I could try to mount them at the top of the A-pillars but I don't think it would work too well. On top of the dash looking across the interior would probably be the best of the three places to put them, but it looks a bit funny with them there.

By the time I got onto welding holes on the actual car, all the gas from my disposable bottle had escaped and then came the rain. At the moment I'm chasing Adams Gas for an order of a proper refillable bottle. I do really need to start the welding again.

[droopsnoot]

For the sensors, what about a "stealth" mounting in the centre of the air vent open/close knob? Sure, it's a lot of work but you've got nothing else to do....

[oli8925]

Not got any more done on the Viva wiring yet, although all my boxes of bits have arrived so I've got more or less everything.

I've been spending my last few days off hacking my old Mini (RIP my dear friend and love of my life) in half to make some money and clear space in my mum's garage. With the ridiculous amounts of rain we've been having I need to move all my interior and parts out of my leaky shed and into the dry. The garage will now become my storage and base of operations for renovation of removable parts and the engine.

So, to put an end to the boredom, look what I got today


Re-cored rad and heater matrix (not pictured) quick rack from TJM and as a bonus I found my NOS Chevette water pump in the garage, meaning no more of those silly bottom hoses with the weak heater take offs

[oli8925]

Give your honest opinions - I'm very much undecided...