HB + Mazda 24v V6. Now sold and gone to a good home :-)

[yoeddynz]

Here's the chassis rail just before getting coated in Epoxy mastic. Pretty good- original underseal! I reckon this car has had a pampered life.



I added a breather to the fuel tank so its not just sucking air through the cap!



Brand new Carter fuel pump arrived today- waiting on a regulator to arrive. Hopefully will get through a load of the wiring tomorrow. I so want to start this engine up!!!

[yoeddynz]

I started on all the wiring today. I have some great ideas about keeping it safe if the boost gets too high. I want to keep it all as neat as possible and easy to work on.
Today was 29 degrees and such lovely sunshine to drink coffee and play with wires in.



I had a little helper but he soon grew tired of the haynes manual wiring diagram and gave up...



Fortunately Vivas are about as simple as it gets for wiring.



I have stripped the loom right back and started again. I want to have a big fat supply to the coils- the standard mazda supply wire is bigger than the Vivas main loom feed!!! So I shall employ a relay activated by the ignition which will then feed the coils straight off the battery lead- I want big fat juicy sparks!

[opelscott22]

Nearly there Alex! Bet you cant wait to hear that thing. Im looking forward to the video!
Good luck with the wiring, Ive got a few different manuals for the HB and my wiring matched none of them, so glad its just a simple loom!

Still just slightly jealous of your working environment, room for a visitor?

Scott

[yoeddynz]

Jump on a plane and pop over by all means- I'll put the kettle on!

Wiring is a fun job- at least when its hot and sunny. Not so nice when its so cold that hands wont work and the insulation tape wont stick, although I'm using solder and heat shrink on every join. I'm really trying to keep the wires tidy and hidden out view- well at least no big messy runs over the engine. Carby engines are so much easier to keep tidy. Yeah- I have about 3 books and they are all slightly different- but I know the wires all by first name basis now

Do you get paranoid about fitting in wires that may be to small in section? Or try to keep the wires the same colour even though they will be hidden under tape? Just me then eh...

Other things done today- no wiring. My new drive shaft turned up. Made by Circletrack engineering in Christchurch- very nice job too!



And it fits perfect ;D

They also parted off a 50mm wide section of truck prop shaft- this I used for my driveshaft hoop. Saved me extra mucking about. This is in case the front universal fails- it stops the front end of the drive shaft dropping on the road and causing much grief. Its more recent certification requirement in NZ.



I have also killed one more saw on my very trusty well used £5 B &Q holesaw set by sawing a hole in my front panel for airflow to carb.



I'm actually amazed it cut through so well given its for wood! well not anymore- its now only good for cookie cutting...



I remounted my shiny painted fuel tank. We are now off to a proper hippy festival for 5 days so will just have to dream of Vivas while away.

[opelscott22]

Ha! Ive got some of those hole saw things, mine are actually meant for metal and theyre not any better!!

One thing to remember with the wiring though, If your upgrading the headlight bulbs to halogens then you will need to add a relay and a new supply to them as they take a fair bit of juice. I got stuck on a rainy night in my old HB as with both the wipers and headlights on I popped 3 fuses on the way home from work, not the most clever thing Ive done!

Propshaft looks good and I like the prop hoop idea, might have to steal that one!

Have fun at the festival!, festivals are goooooood....

Scott

[pbottomley]

Old wire coat hangers metal, wrapped in black electrical tape, also do as wiring for headlamps.... also did you know if you pop one of the front seat clamp bolts out of a seat it fits inthe fuse holder as well.... uprates the amps somewhat as well


Bodge and scarper electics Limted

[yoeddynz]

Back from the festival- now I'm looking shades of brown (tan), red (not yet tan) and possibly soon white (peeling). Was a good festival- very very hippy one called 'luminate' with hippy workshops etc. We just chilled in the sun listening to great music of every kind.
Not a very hippy thing to install a thirsty rotary into a viva though eh....

For the lights Scott I was thinking of fitting 2 relays for the light circuits. One for dip and one for main. Reason being I will instal some more powerfull bulbs in future- I was more worried about burning the switch out. The main lights are on a thermo circuit breaker- I was just going to use the original wires as the controls to switch the relays and run the power off another fat feed from battery, with the fuses being what's installed in the relays I have bought. My concern would be the fuses heating up and melting as I have seen happen in some relays that have a fuse.

Any advice on what would be a good bulb wattage/type to fit would be great please. IE; I normally would fit Halogen and about 55/65 watts in a chevette (which love to burn out the light switches!) but maybe the new technology in xenon bulbs?

[opelscott22]

HID,s would be the way to go. Im pretty sure they will be illegal here soon as old headlights arent designed for them but Im not sure about NZ.
Other than that its the Xenon ones, with these its a case of you get what you pay for.
One bit of advice though, if you go for the Xenons buy a few because when one pops you might find the type you bought are discontinued and you have to buy a pair so they match, as the all have slightly different colours.(guess how I found that out).

Good idea with the relays, I might do the same as mine only have a relay for main beam at the moment...

Scott

[yoeddynz]

What wattage have you fitted? Are you fitting an electric fan too? I was thinking of having one fat wire straight from batt to front for both fan and lights. Then have fuses for each.

[opelscott22]

Ive got normal Halogens, think they are 65 watts...Ive done just that with my wiring with the two relays fitted next to the radiator. Saves having wiring running around the place.

Scott