Tim's Type 65 Build - Cockpit Wiring Finished?

[JTG]

If you need another nuge, I also purchased a machine to do my upholstery. You can find some nice used ones online for sale. If you are doing leather, look into the leather skiving machines. I was able to pick one up at a reasonable price from a place going out of buisness.

And if you need something else to buy, take a look at the laser welder, cutter, and cleaner. These allow you to weld steel, stainless, aluminum, and more. They are not super heavy duty but can cover a lot of things.

https://youtu.be/_JgLokBW5eI?si=nlIUHdVuOiCVBsw6

This might be last nudge I need to pulling the trigger on an industrial sewing machine My wife is all-in on the idea, so now it's a matter of either finding a good used machine or finding the budget for a new Sailrite. We're currently building a bouldering / climbing cave in our basement, and next up is making the crash pads which would also benefit from an industrial sewing machine. We're not having a hard time justifying this purchase!

As it has been mentioned before, we all do a fantastic job of spending each others money!! No complaints on my part, I love having more tools at my disposal.

As for that laser, welder, cutter, and cleaner?... Exceptionally cool, but harder to justify since we already have a TIG welder, and I have access to a CNC laser at work.

[Papa]

This might be last nudge I need to pulling the trigger on an industrial sewing machine My wife is all-in on the idea, so now it's a matter of either finding a good used machine or finding the budget for a new Sailrite. We're currently building a bouldering / climbing cave in our basement, and next up is making the crash pads which would also benefit from an industrial sewing machine. We're not having a hard time justifying this purchase!

As it has been mentioned before, we all do a fantastic job of spending each others money!! No complaints on my part, I love having more tools at my disposal.

As for that laser, welder, cutter, and cleaner?... Exceptionally cool, but harder to justify since we already have a TIG welder, and I have access to a CNC laser at work.

I have the opportunity to buy this machine for $250, but I don't know if I want it or not. It's big and heavy and from what I'm finding on-line, can be difficult to find parts or have it worked on.

[burchfieldb]

This might be last nudge I need to pulling the trigger on an industrial sewing machine My wife is all-in on the idea, so now it's a matter of either finding a good used machine or finding the budget for a new Sailrite. We're currently building a bouldering / climbing cave in our basement, and next up is making the crash pads which would also benefit from an industrial sewing machine. We're not having a hard time justifying this purchase!

As it has been mentioned before, we all do a fantastic job of spending each others money!! No complaints on my part, I love having more tools at my disposal.

As for that laser, welder, cutter, and cleaner?... Exceptionally cool, but harder to justify since we already have a TIG welder, and I have access to a CNC laser at work.

Yeah, that would make it hard to justify. I have access to mig and tig at the office but it makes it hard to work on things at home. I have the same reasoning for a CNC mill.

[burchfieldb]

I have the opportunity to buy this machine for $250, but I don't know if I want it or not. It's big and heavy and from what I'm finding on-line, can be difficult to find parts or have it worked on.

The big amd heavy is pretty standard for industrial sewing machines. We have a bunch at the office and it is hard to find service for them as well. Does it have a servo motor?

[Papa]

The big amd heavy is pretty standard for industrial sewing machines. We have a bunch at the office and it is hard to find service for them as well. Does it have a servo motor?

I'm not sure what the motor is ... likely whatever it originally came with.

[PNWTim]

So, here's my two cents after shopping hard and educating myself over the last two months or so. There are a handful of industrial machines that are sort of "go tos" for a lot of people. The Juki 1541, Pfaff 1545 and the Consew 206r or 226r. I ended up with the 226. I swapped out the clutch motor for a servo motor and installed a new thread stand. The Consew you pictured is probably 75 years old and built like a battleship but it probably is limited on parts. All these machines have triple feed walking feet and reverse.

Since I am a hobbyist I wanted something that would work without too much fuss, I could repair or have repaired fairly easily and do what I need it to do which is sew multiple layers of leather and cloth. This requires a walking foot machine. The servo motor helps a rookie manage needle speed as well. If you want to dive deeper, PM me and we can go down the rabbit hole. I am planning on doing a separate thread on my upholstery adventure so stay tuned.

[PNWTim]

Pretty much buttoned this up today. Nothing earth shaking to report and pretty much followed the general procedure as outlined in several builds. I did install posts on my battery which allow another connection through a threaded hole in the top. I will run two cables down from my upper posts to these so charging, etc. will be easier given the location. Otherwise, pretty standard stuff. This is a bit of a milestone for me since I can now close up the DS footbox and drop the drive train in. I have tried really hard to complete everything I could think of in and around the engine compartment with the engine out of the way.

Firewall engine side power wiring completed with the exception of the alternator and sensor harness. It looks a bit like black and red spaghetti but I'm pretty happy with the layout. I think most of it will be hidden by the cowl when the body is on. As I noted previously, I'm going to wait until the engine is in to shorten this leg and put the finishing touches like heat shrink and tape.

Power Wiring Final_020526.jpg

Ran the starter power and trigger wire along with the PDB ground wire in their own loom and tucked under the main battery cable. You can just see the starter leads poking out behind the engine mount bracket.

Main Cable and Starter Wiring_020526.jpg

[Papa]

Pretty much buttoned this up today. Nothing earth shaking to report and pretty much followed the general procedure as outlined in several builds. I did install posts on my battery which allow another connection through a threaded hole in the top. I will run two cables down from my upper posts to these so charging, etc. will be easier given the location. Otherwise, pretty standard stuff. This is a bit of a milestone for me since I can now close up the DS footbox and drop the drive train in. I have tried really hard to complete everything I could think of in and around the engine compartment with the engine out of the way.

Firewall engine side power wiring completed with the exception of the alternator and sensor harness. It looks a bit like black and red spaghetti but I'm pretty happy with the layout. I think most of it will be hidden by the cowl when the body is on. As I noted previously, I'm going to wait until the engine is in to shorten this leg and put the finishing touches like heat shrink and tape.

Power Wiring Final_020526.jpg

Ran the starter power and trigger wire along with the PDB ground wire in their own loom and tucked under the main battery cable. You can just see the starter leads poking out behind the engine mount bracket.

Main Cable and Starter Wiring_020526.jpg

Looking really good, Tim. I'm hoping to order my engine package soon, but I'm not looking forward to the wiring and routing puzzle for the Coyote.

Dave

[PNWTim]

Thanks Dave. Puzzle is definitely the right word. There are lots of ways to do it, some of them much simpler. Whatever path one chooses, there is just a lot wire to deal with that isn't really meant to be in our Type 65 space. I'm sure it fits great in a Mustang though.... You can always just order the PDB kit and pick up the Coyote later if you were so inclined.

[Papa]

I'm going with the Factory Five AT package, so it will come as a complete package. I'm not sure what their lead time 8s right now.

[Lugnut Mark]

Hey Tim just a couple of quick tips before you drop your engine … leave your alternator off until after your engine is in (for clearance purposes) and before you install your alternator install your drivers side header otherwise you’ll have very limited space to install later see photos IMG_0399.jpgIMG_0398.jpgIMG_2866.jpg
I’m doing my install a little differently than yours I opted to install engine first then place wiring in so I wouldn’t have any clearance issuesIMG_0400.jpgIMG_0401.jpgIMG_0403.jpg

[Sharris2]

I'm going g the same route; I'd be interested I what there timeliness are as well?
Scott

[PNWTim]

Hey Tim just a couple of quick tips before you drop your engine … leave your alternator off until after your engine is in (for clearance purposes) and before you install your alternator install your drivers side header otherwise you’ll have very limited space to install later see photos IMG_0399.jpgIMG_0398.jpgIMG_2866.jpg
I’m doing my install a little differently than yours I opted to install engine first then place wiring in so I wouldn’t have any clearance issuesIMG_0400.jpgIMG_0401.jpgIMG_0403.jpg

Thanks for the tip Mark. I read this note in your thread previously. I always thought it was possible to fully dress the engine prior to installation but it sounds like the juice maker is in the way now. Not difficult to add back in after though.

[Papa]

Tim,

Looking more closely at your battery cable picture, what is bracket in the front-passenger frame area near where the radiator top hose will go? I don't recall seeing anything like that in my parts, but I may have missed it.

Main Cable and Starter Wiring_020526.jpg

Dave

[PNWTim]

Tim,

Looking more closely at your battery cable picture, what is bracket in the front-passenger frame area near where the radiator top hose will go? I don't recall seeing anything like that in my parts, but I may have missed it.

Main Cable and Starter Wiring_020526.jpg

Dave

That is my super duper custom remote battery terminal bracket. That bracket comes with the kit and is meant to be used to mount the PDB fuse block. I knew I wasn't going to use it and I also knew I wanted remote access to my battery for a trickle charge, jump if needed, etc. Since I put my overflow tank in the DS triangular space my need for symmetry was met by modifying this bracket for the PS space. It worked out pretty well and obviously, the two empty holes are for the studs. I cut the corners off to match the angles of the tubes and drilled through the one tube to bolt it up.

I was originally going to use something like this as it is more discreet:

https://www.rosenberger.com/product/magcode/

but I decided it was a little too fiddly, wasn't sure where I could mount it and then realized I could repurpose something I had. Here is a picture from earlier in my thread where I was test fitting it:

Remote Battery Posts.jpg

[Papa]

That is my super duper custom remote battery terminal bracket. That bracket comes with the kit and is meant to be used to mount the PDB fuse block. I knew I wasn't going to use it and I also knew I wanted remote access to my battery for a trickle charge, jump if needed, etc. Since I put my overflow tank in the DS triangular space my need for symmetry was met by modifying this bracket for the PS space. It worked out pretty well and obviously, the two empty holes are for the studs. I cut the corners off to match the angles of the tubes and drilled through the one tube to bolt it up.

I was originally going to use something like this as it is more discreet:

https://www.rosenberger.com/product/magcode/

but I decided it was a little too fiddly, wasn't sure where I could mount it and then realized I could repurpose something I had. Here is a picture from earlier in my thread where I was test fitting it:

Remote Battery Posts.jpg

Thanks, Tim. I was a bit worried I'd missed something that would require modifying the panels I got from Brent. I like the idea of having remote battery terminals. I added a charging plug on my Cobra and will likely do the same on the Coupe, but haven't given it any real thought yet.

Dave

[Power Surge]

Love the details on your build Tim. Everything looks awesome!

[PNWTim]

Now that I have buttoned up the engine side of things I am going all in on the cockpit side of the firewall wiring. As I dig deeper and start laying things out I keep bumping into items spread across the three installation manuals - F5 Chassis Wiring Harness, Ford Control Pack Installation and the F5 Coyote Installation Manual.

I have several questions about integrating the RF harness with the Coyote harness. Some are related to what appear to be redundant circuits, and some are just those I can’t seem to wrap my head around. I am hoping some of you who have gone through this process can shed a little light. I am pretty comfortable with wiring but the directions provided are throwing me a curve ball. So here goes:

1. Fan circuit. F5 instructions state to connect the RF blue fan wire to the Coyote PDB orange wire if I plan to use the engine fan control. I am assuming they mean the engine computer fan control. With that said, why use the RF wire at all? The PDB box has a power wire for the fan (orange), an associated relay to power the fan, and to me, connecting that blue wire seems totally extraneous and unnecessary. I am also using a PWM fan controller, so I don’t need the fan thermostat wire either.
2. Ignition wiring. Specifically, the blue trigger wire. I am going with the “Setup A” wiring schematic from the PDB instructions. I am using an ignition key switch with a separate push-button start. Is it still necessary to connect the blue trigger wire from the RF harness? Again, seems redundant since its only function is to tell the starter solenoid to engage. Maybe I am missing something.
3. RF harness power. I am pulling power off the ignition side of my cutoff switch to a bus bar. My intention is to then connect the necessary RF hot wires, which would normally go to the starter solenoid. There are three called out – Battery Feed, Alternator Feed and Ignition Switch to Solenoid. When I trace these back it looks like the Battery Feed powers the RF fuse panel, the Alternator feed should be coming from the alternator and the Ignition Switch feed powers the Bat + side of the ignition switch. Does this sound correct?
4. Alternator Feed – my Coyote harness has a plug for the alternator built into the PDB harness. The Ford instructions indicate simply connecting C102A, and that’s it. Page 92 of the F5 Coyote installation calls out installing the “Chassis Harness Alternator Red Wire” to the alternator post. Aside from the stubby one in the main harness I mentioned in question 3 above, there is no engine-side heavy-gauge alternator wire in the RF harness that will come close to reaching the alternator. Do I simply connect a 6 or 8 gauge wire to the HAAT side of my cutoff switch and run it out to the alternator? Seems simple enough but that’s what worries me. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

[edwardb]

I'll take a shot at it:

1. Assuming you want the Coyote to control the cooling fan, which most do, agreed the cooling fan power wire and thermo wires in the RF harness are not used. The fan wire in the control pack can go directly to the cooling fan. The PWM controller would go in that wire. Side note -- your choice, but I haven't found another controller necessary. Had one in my 20th Anniversary Roadster, but haven't used one since. Builder's choice, right?

2. I'm a little lost in your description, but simply the Coyote system needs +12V on the Starter Motor Request (SMR) wire to signal the PCM to spin the starter. I connect this wire to the RF blue start wire off the ignition switch and remove the rest of the blue wires in the RF harness including the ones used for a clutch safety switch. However you make that happen with your pushbutton start is up to you. Just get +12V on the SMR wire when you want it to start.

3. What you describe is correct. I do essentially the same thing. There is an long alternator leg in the harness that is intended to go to the post on the alternator. I've used that in the past. For my Mk5 build, FWIW, I removed the alternator wire completely from the RF harness. The one in the starter solenoid group and the longer leg intended to go to the alternator. I'm going to run a single line from the master disconnect to the alternator. Many upsize that cable and that's what I'm going to do as well. I think the RF harness is 8 gauge. A little light maybe for the Coyote alternator. I'm going with 6 gauge, Same as I have on my Coupe. Some go to 4 gauge.

4. I think answered in #3 since they were related.

Hope that helps. I doing all these exact hookups on my Mk5 right now.

[PNWTim]

I'll take a shot at it:

1. Assuming you want the Coyote to control the cooling fan, which most do, agreed the cooling fan power wire and thermo wires in the RF harness are not used. The fan wire in the control pack can go directly to the cooling fan. The PWM controller would go in that wire. Side note -- your choice, but I haven't found another controller necessary. Had one in my 20th Anniversary Roadster, but haven't used one since. Builder's choice, right?

2. I'm a little lost in your description, but simply the Coyote system needs +12V on the Starter Motor Request (SMR) wire to signal the PCM to spin the starter. I connect this wire to the RF blue start wire off the ignition switch and remove the rest of the blue wires in the RF harness including the ones used for a clutch safety switch. However you make that happen with your pushbutton start is up to you. Just get +12V on the SMR wire when you want it to start.

3. What you describe is correct. I do essentially the same thing. There is an long alternator leg in the harness that is intended to go to the post on the alternator. I've used that in the past. For my Mk5 build, FWIW, I removed the alternator wire completely from the RF harness. The one in the starter solenoid group and the longer leg intended to go to the alternator. I'm going to run a single line from the master disconnect to the alternator. Many upsize that cable and that's what I'm going to do as well. I think the RF harness is 8 gauge. A little light maybe for the Coyote alternator. I'm going with 6 gauge, Same as I have on my Coupe. Some go to 4 gauge.

4. I think answered in #3 since they were related.

Hope that helps. I doing all these exact hookups on my Mk5 right now.

Thanks Paul, I was hoping you would respond. This helps alot and at least I wasn't staring at the sun too long.

I know the ignition question was a little confusing. Where I was going is this - there is the blue SMR wire out of the PDB harness that ultimately ends up in what I call the "green wire bundle" that's used to power the fuel pump and ignition. That's where I was going. If I use that blue SMR wire, isn't the RF wire redundant? This is the diagram from the Ford Manual:

Screenshot 2026-02-11 202023.png

Based on this I am thinking I don't need the RF trigger wire? Thanks again.

[edwardb]

As long as you're getting +12V on the ignition trigger wire to wake up the system and the SMR wire to spin the starter it will work. However it's wired. I've always used the blue start wire that's part of the RF harness coming off the ignition switch. it's an easy splice to the Coyote SMR wire. Same as using the RF EFI wire for the ignition trigger wire. But wiring the Coyote wires directly to switches as in the diagram certainly does the same thing.

[PNWTim]

OK, thanks. I started to second guess things because that's what I do. Having parallel capabilities in both harnesses threw me a curve ball until you clarified. It makes sense knowing the RF harness is one size fits most. There is actually quite a bit of "off book" integration or de-integration that can occur if one chooses.

[PNWTim]

With some clarification from forum members I am all in on the cockpit side of wiring. I have stripped off all the convolute and dieted out much of the wiring. This includes some redundant fan wiring, redundant power wiring, all of the sending unit wiring and some other odds and ends. Once the convolute is removed and the wiring cleaned up it's much easier to work with. I also replaced the front harness connectors with Deutsch fittings and tidied up the routing of the last leg of the PDB harness.

Just diving into it:

Dash Wiring 1.jpg

And several hours later. This photo also shows how I will use the upper console to mount associated electronics. I currently have two circuit breakers, Bat+ buss bar, Bat- busbar and the CC module. I am also going to mount a 12v to 5v DC voltage converter to operate a Magsafe charger so it can be hardwired to the 12v electrical system rather than plugging into a USB-C somewhere.

Other than that I don't believe I need any additional relays (although I bought 4 or 5 of them) since all my lights are LED. My Retrobright headlights draw a total of 5.56 A on high beam. I am sure the rear lights are less and the driving lights somewhere in between. Between the PDB and RF fuse boxes I have relays for the fuel pump, the fan, the horn and the computer. This is a relatively simple build without a lot of heavy electronics so I think I am good to go unless I add something like power windows.

Dash Wiring 2.jpg

I also fabricated a harness for my alternator feed and to house the oil pressure and water temperature cables for my SpeedHut gauges.

Gauge Feed and Alternator_021226.jpg

And used some split loom and heat shrink to protect the throttle pedal wiring harness for the cruise control module. This essentially plugs into the throttle bracket and then the Coyote harness plugs into it. The cable then feeds to the center section where the CC module resides.

Cruise Control Harness_021326.jpg

[Papa]

Tim,

I keep telling myself that I should just leave the harnesses alone, but considering how much of what's going to be left unused, I keep digging deeper and deeper. I'm definitely sold on the Deutsch solid contact system.

Dave

[edwardb]

Looks very familiar. Nice work. Going through those exact steps with my Mk5 build right now. I like what you did with the cruise control cable. I think I'll copy that. Agreed the RF harness is a lot easier to work with once you take it apart and customize. I haven't tried Deutsch connectors yet. For the front and rear harnesses, I'm not going to have any connectors. Cutting them out and going to splice them to the main harness. I don't envision a need to take them apart once installed (and working ) and saves valuable space. Will have some updates on my build thread soon that look similar.

[PNWTim]

Tim,

I keep telling myself that I should just leave the harnesses alone, but considering how much of what's going to be left unused, I keep digging deeper and deeper. I'm definitely sold on the Deutsch solid contact system.

Dave

If you're comfortable with wiring I would definitely open up the RF harness. There is a lot there that you don't need and it also allows you to route most of it any way you want, rather than the way it comes and making do. Yeah, the Deutsch connectors are so easy and straightforward. I used the barrel crimper for the first time yesterday and it is sweet.

[PNWTim]

Looks very familiar. Nice work. Going through those exact steps with my Mk5 build right now. I like what you did with the cruise control cable. I think I'll copy that. Agreed the RF harness is a lot easier to work with once you take it apart and customize. I haven't tried Deutsch connectors yet. For the front and rear harnesses, I'm not going to have any connectors. Cutting them out and going to splice them to the main harness. I don't envision a need to take them apart once installed (and working ) and saves valuable space. Will have some updates on my build thread soon that look similar.

Thanks Paul, you provided a great template! It's funny, I almost eliminated those connectors to the front. The wires were cut and I looked at them and thought to myself, "I should just splice these together and call it good". But I couldn't leave well enough alone and had a shiny new tool to try out so there we go. I can still go direct with my rear harness so will probably do so.

Look forward to seeing your updates.

[Lugnut Mark]

Tim have you connected the green wire to the fuse box orange wire relay yet? …. This is for your fuel pump I’m guessing that we clip it close to the jumper bus on the fuse box and then connect it to the relay side to power the fuel pump is that correct then the light blue wire(smr) to light blue and then light green to orange efi wire right? ….. I’m sort of knee deep into the wiring as well !

[PNWTim]

Tim have you connected the green wire to the fuse box orange wire relay yet? …. This is for your fuel pump I’m guessing that we clip it close to the jumper bus on the fuse box and then connect it to the relay side to power the fuel pump is that correct then the light blue wire(smr) to light blue and then light green to orange efi wire right? ….. I’m sort of knee deep into the wiring as well !

Yes, that is correct. I am doing it just a little bit different by going straight to my key switch and push button start with the leads from the Coyote but the way you describe it is correct. I am going to use the green wire to the clipped orange jumper for the fuel pump but going to use the Coyote's light blue and light green wires direct to my switches rather than tie them into the RF harness.

[Lugnut Mark]

I really like how nice and neat your harness looks compared to mine …… I think I will take your advice and open up the whole thing and eliminate wires not being used and reroute everything …….as well as cut to length rather than make due with the way it is …. I just don’t like how twisted up everything looks right now ! Btw wait until you get into the transmission harness the O2 sensor wires are way to long for the passenger side then too short for the drivers side it makes no sense

[PNWTim]

I really like how nice and neat your harness looks compared to mine …… I think I will take your advice and open up the whole thing and eliminate wires not being used and reroute everything …….as well as cut to length rather than make due with the way it is …. I just don’t like how twisted up everything looks right now ! Btw wait until you get into the transmission harness the O2 sensor wires are way to long for the passenger side then too short for the drivers side it makes no sense

In all fairness, all I did was follow what Paul (edwardb) did on his coupe build 8 years ago. I think you will be happier with it if you do so. It's not nearly as unmanageable as it feels with the convolute on. I am very familiar with the transmission harness as I modified it about 2 months ago. I am guessing it fits a Mustang swap fairly well in that configuration but at least it's pretty easy to modify.

[PNWTim]

Still chipping away and making sense of everything I need to tie together. I have it pretty much worked out and will go into some of those details in a later post. For the last day or so I have simply made sure I knew where everything was going to go and discovered a couple of issues which I corrected. A word to the wise for all those diving into their wiring - make sure you understand where your dash ends land on the 1 1/2" cross tube. I had after the fact conflicts on both sides and luckily I was messing around with my dash and realized I needed to move the main harness inboard and use a riser on the heat and A/C wiring. Also, that A/C harness is a weird one. It basically doubles back on itself with the control leads poking out about 1/2 way down. I was half tempted to take it apart and see if there is a better way to manage it but decided to leave as is. I also originally wanted to run it above the evaporator between the housing and the cross bar but there just wasn't enough room so I chose to sneak it up at the corner. The wiper wiring runs through the firewall here and continues to the center of the dash with the other harness. Here's a couple of pictures:

AC Heater Wiring_021726.jpg

AC Heater Wiring 1_021726.jpg

I also took the opportunity to punch a couple of fittings through the lower firewall and ran my alternator wire and sending unit wiring for the water temp and oil pressure. I also mounted my windshield washer bottle and ran it's wiring into the cockpit as well. If you look closely you can also see a purple wire I ran with the pump wiring to connect to a coil pack signal wire for my tach. I am going to pull the signal off of cylinder 8.

Washer Bottle_021726.jpg

Sending Units Installed_021726.jpg

I am waiting on a couple of bits and pieces so I can wrap up my cockpit wiring. Somehow I managed to purchase 30 and 40 amp circuit breakers instead of 10 and 20 amp. I also inadvertently purchased 5 wire relays instead of 4 wire so I ordered a couple of those as well. I know I can use the 5 wire, just didn't want to clutter up the clutter with another unnecessary wire.

[JTG]

Maybe I've just missed it on other builds, but I don't recall seeing windshield washer fluid in other FFR cars.
Is this something you need to pass inspection or just an addition you wanted?

[PNWTim]

Maybe I've just missed it on other builds, but I don't recall seeing windshield washer fluid in other FFR cars.
Is this something you need to pass inspection or just an addition you wanted?

Oregon has no physical vehicle inspection other than a VIN check depending on the situation, so no, not needed. I did this because while I will rarely drive in the rain (if ever) I will have wipers and I like the idea of being able to clean dust and bugs off my windshield. I originally got the idea from edwardb's build. In Michigan it's required so he installed them. I figure for $50 and a little bit of time and effort it's worth it.

Some guys I believe are using the overflow to accomplish the same thing. A little for elegant than the plastic bottle but you do have to figure out the pump bit.

[8secDuster]

Oregon has no physical vehicle inspection other than a VIN check depending on the situation, so no, not needed. I did this because while I will rarely drive in the rain (if ever) I will have wipers and I like the idea of being able to clean dust and bugs off my windshield. I originally got the idea from edwardb's build. In Michigan it's required so he installed them. I figure for $50 and a little bit of time and effort it's worth it.

Some guys I believe are using the overflow to accomplish the same thing. A little for elegant than the plastic bottle but you do have to figure out the pump bit.

Yep... required in the Great Lakes State.
I used a small fabricated aluminum tank with a universal pump motor https://www.amazon.com/SI-A0050-Wind...s%2C357&sr=8-3 and a momentary toggle on my switch panel.

356d9711-665e-4933-8525-ab77b9a7b121.jpg

20250812_205811.jpg

20260216_220725.jpg

[PNWTim]

Yep... required in the Great Lakes State.
I used a small fabricated aluminum tank with a universal pump motor https://www.amazon.com/SI-A0050-Wind...s%2C357&sr=8-3 and a momentary toggle on my switch panel.

356d9711-665e-4933-8525-ab77b9a7b121.jpg

20250812_205811.jpg

20260216_220725.jpg

I am curious if you have actually tested out the squirters? I have heard some are a bit erratic.

[8secDuster]

I am curious if you have actually tested out the squirters? I have heard some are a bit erratic.

I have not. Just installed them and need smaller vacuum hose to complete.
It's at the bottom of the To Do list, but curious now

[PNWTim]

This is a small update but I was excited it worked and wanted to share. I am not a fan of cords and plug-ins and all the other clutter it seems like our lives are full of these days. Several months ago I started investigating hard wiring a MagSafe charger into a 12v automotive system. Most of the search returns have a sentence in them along the lines of "plug in the USB-C cable and...". I finally determined these chargers typically operate on 5v so there is no direct connection available. Enter the DC to DC converter. This little unit takes up to 20v and steps it down to 5v. To test and determine if any of the magic smoke was going to escape, I cobbled it together with my power station and low and behold, the little lightening bolt showed up on my phone and there was no melting, sparking or other unpleasantness.

My plan is to drill a hole just a few thousandths larger than the disc and bond it in place with something (probably silicone adhesive or the like) on the underside and upholster over the top side. I may also trap it in place with a bracket and rubber backing which would allow me to remove it easily if necessary. I will probably mount it on the angled center section I purchased from Snakebite. This will solve three issues: 1. No cord; 2. No phone sliding around and ending up under my seat or feet, take your pick; And 3. A charged phone with visual access. More to come on this particular project.

MagSafe Charger_022026.jpg

[jemorgan3]

This is a small update but I was excited it worked and wanted to share. I am not a fan of cords and plug-ins and all the other clutter it seems like our lives are full of these days. Several months ago I started investigating hard wiring a MagSafe charger into a 12v automotive system. Most of the search returns have a sentence in them along the lines of "plug in the USB-C cable and...". I finally determined these chargers typically operate on 5v so there is no direct connection available. Enter the DC to DC converter. This little unit takes up to 20v and steps it down to 5v. To test and determine if any of the magic smoke was going to escape, I cobbled it together with my power station and low and behold, the little lightening bolt showed up on my phone and there was no melting, sparking or other unpleasantness.

My plan is to drill a hole just a few thousandths larger than the disc and bond it in place with something (probably silicone adhesive or the like) on the underside and upholster over the top side. I may also trap it in place with a bracket and rubber backing which would allow me to remove it easily if necessary. I will probably mount it on the angled center section I purchased from Snakebite. This will solve three issues: 1. No cord; 2. No phone sliding around and ending up under my seat or feet, take your pick; And 3. A charged phone with visual access. More to come on this particular project.

MagSafe Charger_022026.jpg

Ive been a fan of QuadLock phone cases for years, they make cases and mounts for nearly every application and feature magnetic charging. I have a turnlock case on my phone that is compatible with the quadlock charging/locking mount on the handle bars of the ducati, a mountain bike and the magentic charging base in the expedition. Having a cable free, secure place to put my phone is key!!
Looking forward to seeing how you mount that up!

[PNWTim]

It's been awhile since my last post. I was a little distracted installing another mini-split for my woodshop (which is where I want to sew my upholstery) so that took a bit. I have mostly finished up my wiring with only some final routing to do. I dropped off my last three pieces of aluminum to the powder coater and once returned I will be able to wrap up all the dash wiring. As a final dieting move, I took the cat o' nine tails, also known as the dash harness and gave it the full keto treatment. I essentially broke the harness apart, depinned every wire I wasn't going to use and put it somewhat back together. i think I removed half of the wiring. Here's a before and after:

Dash Harness Initial_030626.jpg

Dash Harness Final_030626.jpg

I think it's important to note - if you are using Speedhut gauges, there are a significant number of wires in this harness which are not used. Daisy chained grounds, lighting circuits, sending units, etc. I didn't want to leave them in there so this is what you're left with.

I also finished my almost final mounting of my wiper motor sans grease and cable. Can't do the latter portions without the body on. I sort of did what others have done but rather than use or make a separate mounting bracket I used what was already there. I purchased some vibration dampeners (because that's what you do, right?) but instead of attaching them to a separate bracket, I attached them directly to the housing with coupling nuts. I guess I should mention I purchased double post dampeners, so one post through the firewall and one through the wiper housing. I then fastened coupling nuts and attached the motor and front of the housing with small screws into the coupling nuts. Frankly, it worked out pretty slick.

Wiper Mount w Couplers_030626.jpg

Wiper Mount Final_030626.jpg

Since I am going "full on" toggle switch with my dash I also had to do a little research on the world wide web to figure out how to incorporate this 1964 Jaguar wiper switch with the wiring from the Specialty Power Windows wiper unit. This was an interesting challenge and started with me trying to test the motor just with my power supply. Apparently, you can't just hook up power and ground to get the motor to park position. I finally called them because my suspicion was the park wire needed to be invited to the party. This is correct. For those of you that haven't gone down this rabbit hole yet, just know, to set your motor to park before you put the indexed wheel on, you must be smarter than me or use the switch. With that figured out, I reviewed some old Jag schematics and what do you know, wiper motor technology hasn't changed a hell of a lot in the last 60 years. Figured out the correct terminals to use and was in business. Oddly enough though, the switch was essentially upside down. I may have accidentally placed the new handle on incorrectly or the switch was wonky but either way, I heated the handle up a bit, popped it off the switch shaft, reversed it and we're off to the races.

Wiper Switch.jpg