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Cunning Bus

Started by Cunning Plan, August 11, 2008, 03:58:25 PM

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Cunning Plan

It's not the pattern that I need bud, it's the designing the loom for the modfications
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

Andy

First thing to do is seperate your circuits.

Get a few print outs and then tip ex out the wires on each copy for each circuit. Car wiring may look complicated but it's actually not that bad considering you're only dealing with one conductor for any device. The chassis makes up the other conductor (ground). Another way maybe drawing it up in autocad with different layers representing different circuits.

Had to do this with the Mustang when I borked some of the wiring, if you're methodical it becomes easier to work with.

art b

id get the old loom pinned out on a board,

and then get a feel for where things are and where you can add relays,switches and the extra wiring,
having it in front of you will give you a chance to each time you look at it
This forum needs, ''YOU'' posting,Not just reading ! :moon:

Cunning Plan

Update:

  • Sliding Door
  • Interior Roof Headlining Preparation
  • Window Fitting Preparation
  • Interior Roof Sound-Proofing / Insulation
  • Running Interior Roof Light Wiring
  • Wiring Loom Rig

    Sliding Door

    Finished putting the layer of protection paint down, then gave it a top-coat to blend it in a bit.



    Re-installed the restored the components, some are completely new.






    Interior Roof Headlining Preparation

    Cleaned up the underside of the roof with a light wire-wheeling ready for protection paint. Also treated with MetalReady.





    Half-way through painting, I ran the wires for the roof-lights as that wiring would need to be in before the headlining is installed.

    This meant a little messing around with a coat-hanger, string and a hoover to run the wires through the roof box-sections.



    Painted! Which took a while!







    Window Fitting Preparation

    I also put a layer of protection paint down around the window frames ready for the window fitting.






    Interior Roof Sound-Proofing / Insulation

    Decided to go for the material that would have the least chance of creating or holding condensation.



    But as it was so cold, I had to have a few beers to keep warm  ;)  



    Fixed using:



    High-temperature resistant adhesive spray.

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180704440516?\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180704440516? ... 1439.l2649

    from MegaVanMats   :shadey:







    Completed!






    The more I do, the more gets added to the list:



    :?

    Running Interior Roof Light Wiring

    As mentioned, I knew I needed to run the wires for the in-roof lighting before the headlining install. As I am also building a completely new wiring loom for the bus, I decided to buy a new tool and supplies :)



    Here is my home-made 'wire clamp' to assist the soldering process.





    Working well:





    Had to use a continuous piece of string to pull multiple wires through the A-pillar.



    Nice and tidy:



    Ended up with a mini-loom ready to connect to the main loom when that is fabricated and installed:



    Wiring Loom Rig

    Built a rig to fabricate the wiring loom on. It is around the same size as the bus chassis and it will enable me to run wires to their exact position in the bus and even connect a battery to test the loom before installing it. I think the wiring loom really needs to be correct first time as it will be a large amount of work to remove and problem solve faulty circuits.

    An old Table-Tennis table provided the majority of wood. The rest was made up of old spare bits I had stored away.





    Next to do:
  • Sliding Door Hinge - Find a replacement or fix the original.
  • Buy components for headlining along with the actual headlining.
  • Fit Headlining
  • Wiring Loom
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

F Body

Progressing along nicely for such a major project

Quoting: Cunning Plan
Wiring Loom


Noticed that you have clearly labeled all your white wires + and - but as the build progresses, it's gonna be a bastard if you need to add another spur or change the wiring loom if it's all white wire

Just thinking ahead that a bit of extra investment in some red wire could save you shit loads trouble in the future

Roadkill

Epic update.

Bravo.

:shadey:

Cunning Plan

Quoting: F Body
Progressing along nicely


Quoting: Roadkill
Epic update.

Bravo



Thanks

Quoting: F Body

for such a major project  


I am glad you have said that as I keep having to remind myself that it is a total rebuild.



Quoting: F Body
Noticed that you have clearly labeled all your white wires + and - but as the build progresses, it's gonna be a bastard if you need to add another spur or change the wiring loom if it's all white wire  

Just thinking ahead that a bit of extra investment in some red wire could save you shit loads trouble in the future


You're totally right and it's a good point.

However, I had not prepared for the roof-wiring as I only realised I needed to do it before the Headlining when I started the sound-proofing and thought about the windows and how they hold parts of the headlining in. So I had to use something quickly that I had spare and good quality.
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

art b

This forum needs, ''YOU'' posting,Not just reading ! :moon:

Rob

Quoting: Cunning Plan
High-temperature resistant adhesive spray.


How did you go with this adhesive....?

Need some to do the Bandit headliner

Cunning Plan

Quoting: Rob
How did you go with this adhesive....?


Good stuff as far as I can tell right now. Even though it was very cold outside, it stuck the material to the cold metal without any issues, just a few presses on it with my hand was enough to get a seal.

I cannot tell you how good it is in the heat yet....... as we haven't had any

However, my friend owns and runs the company MegaVanMats where that product is from and he recommended it to me and he is very knowledgeable about interior fabrication, so I have no doubts about it
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

FUBAR

A friend of mine sent me this pic of something he saw on a freeway near his house in Kentucky

It's the time that we kill that keeps us alive...

Cunning Plan



Brilliant!

That's an EarlyBay too! (Note the low-indicators). :geek:
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

Cunning Plan

Update:

• Headlining

Material samples arrived from MegaVanMats to choose for the headlining material.

1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

F Body

Quoting: Cunning Plan
Material samples arrived from MegaVanMats to choose for the headlining material.


My choice would be the first grey one with holes, the dark ones are going to make it look really, well dark inside

Roadkill

I'm guessing top, left is closer to stock ?

Incursus

Top left

Reminds me of my parents Van, though that was white with holes if I remember correctly.

ianjpage


Titsy


Cunning Plan

I think I have found the range of gauges I would like to use!

Here's the Speedo:





Although, they are an American company and do not have distributors in England

1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

Incursus


F Body

Sweet but surely it only needs to go to 50mph

Roadkill

Quoting: Cunning Plan
Although, they are an American company and do not have distributors in England


All of my gauges are AutoMeter, too.

Try Summit and ship via iParcel - they add the duty on top of the shipping charges (and they're always the cheapest) and because you pay the duty in advance the stuff flies through U.K Customs !

Cunning Plan

Quoting: F Body
Sweet but surely it only needs to go to 50mph


Aha, funny you should say that but, one of my 'requirements' was to find a gauge with a 'sensible' MPH range on there. Most were going to 180mph, which, yes, is pretty unrealistic in a '68 bus

The style of the gauge I think looks pretty impressive, it has a classic look with the typeface chosen on the cream background which also manages to look similar to the original German typeface that was used on the original gauges from the 1960s, the chrome ring gives it a nice boarder and the black ring in the centre gives it a bit of contrast. It's also digital, so useful for trip-counting too! As a bonus it goes to 120mph, which leaves 60mph nicely at the top of the gauge, which I think will be used the most

Quoting: Roadkill
All of my gauges are AutoMeter, too.  




Quoting: Roadkill
Try Summit and ship via iParcel - they add the duty on top of the shipping charges (and they're always the cheapest) and because you pay the duty in advance the stuff flies through U.K Customs !


I was waiting for you to post a reply on here I knew you would know the best way of shipping them!

I am not totally clear on what you mean though, when you say they add the duty, is that just paying the American duty, so when it gets to England, customs can see that is has already paid some duty and let it through?

I've been in direct contact with Autometer to ask a few questions, mostly to do with how I am going to get this to work with a manual transmission, but they suggested using their only distributor in England:

http://www.realsteel.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">www.realsteel.co.uk

Do you know of them? Do you think it will just be cheaper shipping through Summit?
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

Cunning Plan

Quoting: Roadkill
Try Summit and ship via iParcel - they add the duty on top of the shipping charges (and they're always the cheapest) and because you pay the duty in advance the stuff flies through U.K Customs !


Quoting: Cunning Plan
I am not totally clear on what you mean though, when you say they add the duty, is that just paying the American duty, so when it gets to England, customs can see that is has already paid some duty and let it through?




Are you ordering anything from Summit soon?
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)

Cunning Plan

Quoting: Cunning Plan
Material samples arrived from MegaVanMats to choose for the headlining material.


Quoting: ianjpage
Top left as well


Quoting: Incursus
Top left  
Reminds me of my parents Van, though that was white with holes if I remember correctly.


Quoting: F Body
I'm guessing top, left is closer to stock ?


Quoting: F Body
My choice would be the first grey one with holes, the dark ones are going to make it look really, well dark inside


I'm deffiantly going for something different to stock, probably more of a felt-type material rather than a vinyl.

I am just waiting for delivery of some more samples as I decided that I didn't like any of the first four samples enough to choose one  
1968 VW T2 Bay Bus (currently being restored and upgraded)
1999 Jeep Cherokee XJ (modern classic daily driver)