MONTE CARLO "COPO" Monte Carlo SS - Turbosaurus Build (Swinging Dick Racing's c*ck got bent... she bounced a little too high & hard, & came down awkwardly)

[motorheadmike]

All that metal you took off for weight saving has just been replaced with wire!!!!!!!!!!!

Ironically I still haven't got to the lightening phase of this project yet (other than the glass hood) - but for all the weight of an 80s motor and accessories vs. a 2000s motor and accessories (other than the turbo) this has to be a zero sum endeavor thus far.

Mike, lanolin hand cleaner is great for cleaning up the insulation. There's not much worse than electrical tape goo stuck to your fingers.

I used a combination of WD-40, a brass wire brush on the aluminum, and stiff nylon brush and an old toothbrush on the wiring - and lots of brake cleaner and compressed air. I wiped my hands down a lot while fishing wires back through the harness.

Oh man. This reminds me of wiring my brother's car. Not as fun a bolting on headers or an accessory drive. You're into the engine harness a lot deeper than I got. I'm glad you are showing this part of the build, even if truthfully, I don't enjoy seeing it. It's part of it. It always irks me when the TV shows gloss over the wiring or just build a simple vehicle that doesn't have anything more than lights.

No, the fun isn't immediately there - but the satisfaction of having it done properly will be. Even if no one will ever truly appreciate it or what it took to achieve. My motivation is usually pretty low for these portions of projects - which is why I paused everything else until I got a grip on this. I suppose the saving grace with this job is how much simpler the approach is versus the wagon - and therefore is going a lot quicker. Having some experience under my belt obviously helps, but this is achievable by anyone with a smidgen of self-discipline and the ability to read and follow instructions.

 

[motorheadmike]

Got some parts for wrangling pixies.

And finally got the harness buttoned up, off the bench, and laid down on top of everything. Looks uber crappy. Added provisions for the electric fans too.

The fun starts now with moving the leads around and getting the battery set in the trunk.

 

[motorheadmike]

My next big read: http://opengarages.org/handbook/ebook/

 

[Texas82GP]

My next big read: http://opengarages.org/handbook/ebook/

I admire your ambition. That's a bit deep for me, at least right now.

 

[motorheadmike]

Managed to take a little time tonight to get something done on the Monte... especially given I have been distracted doing other life things as of late.

I picked up this speed sensor from Jagsthatrun.com a long time ago. The immediate problem is that mounting it to the transmission case is not possible due to the floor board. Good news is that this car has a two piece speedo cable! Bad news is that this thing has a two piece speedo cable! A lot of heat and oil and wax and grunting and swearing and futzing later it finally came apart.

After that it was just a matter of finding the right connector and soldering it on.

And install. The harness has a female-female adapter on it in case anyone was worried.

 

[fleming442]

 

[B's 87mcss]

VERY impressive, Hats off to you Mike, outstanding perseverance and dedication to your project. I thought I was an electrical genius when I got the VCR to stop flashing the time.

 

[motorheadmike]

Working on my merit badge in spagetti organizing.

Also "rebuilt" a couple of old O2 sensors that previously had their pigtails cut off... good thing this harness came with spare pigtails!

 

[motorheadmike]

This beautifully packaged order came in from China yesterday. They are really upping their game and legitimizing doing international business.

 

[TURNA]

So you got a 64 box of crayons to snack on ?