Its a while since I have updated my diary on MAKC:
Finally I have completed my electrics - its only taken 18 months! I can not say I enjoyed the experience, as it should be so logical, yet my intuitive logic often did not mange to get it right first time! Red/Black may be live, but it depends which end it comes from, so splicing into it does not always result in a live splice!
Any way its done - yippeee! The dash is all wired up: everything works, and it can all easily be disconnected, and re- connected, allowing me to go back and finish the dash fixings, and heater controls etc.
Dash lights all lit up - (I need a tripod for time delay photos!) Even managed to get the old Sierra switch back lights to work
Rear ligts all working - hazard only coming on with main lights, as required by IVA
I've also completed the fabrication of the rear diff support for the Sierra diff. The T bar I made was fine, but I was concerned that with two fixings so close together there was a lot of torque being generated through a small lever, so I have triangulated the T bar support:
Now that ther electrics are complete I can fit the dash for the final time before the IVA, except I want to fit my carpets before doing so.......
So, its carpet time.................
But................it never ceases to amaze me how jobs become inter-dependent.
I have finished my electrics, so theoretically I could fit the dash.
But to fit the dash for the final time before the IVA I need to fit the sound proof felt and carpet beneath the centre console and along the transmission tunnel
To do this I need to remove the rings for the gearstick, and handbrake
To do this I need to drop the prop shaft to get at the fixings under the tunnel.
To do this I need to remove the diff - to be able to pull the prop shaft out through the rear bulkhead hole
( I wanted to change the diff anyway, and strengthen the diff carrier bracket, so its not all bad news)
To remove the diff I need to remove the boot floor and the petrol tank, and so it goes on.......
............until finally, with all these steps backwards done (again!) I'm now ready to start fitting my carpets.
Woooooow! - its scary cutting up expensive bits of felt and carpet!
"Measure twice - cut once" is my mantra, but even by cutting out paper templates to get the final shape, I find I have to be ultra careful about marking out silhouettes in reverse and remember which side up the carpet is relative to my template!
But its exciting - this really does feel like I'm on the home straight now:
Cutting the 1/2" thick felt for the front of ther transmission tunnel to reduce noise, vibration and heat from the engine/exhaust.
1/2" Felt marked out and cut ready for gluing to the transmission tunnel sides
Although its not a big part completed, I am really happy with the way this bit of the carpetting has turned out. As its the first, and likely to be the most difficult, I was not sure how well I could make carpet fit around compound curves, but by making paper templates, then cutting the felt/carpet and trial fitiing (and adjusting several times!) it has gone on very well.
I deliberately cut the felt 20mm short all around the perimeter of the carpet, so that it creates an under shelf along the floor. This will allow the floor carpet edges to be pushed under the overhanging vertical carpet, making the floor edges slightly less critical for neatness as they'll be hidden.
This spray on adhesive was suggested to me by an upholsterer I used for the door cards, as it is never lumpy, and I find it is brilliant to use (and easy to wipe off the over spray using white spirit).
For the very sharp eyed, I have fitted felt to the top of my centre tunnel section, between the seats, as width is at an absolute premium for my Audi A4 seats - even after reducing my tunnel down to only 95mm wide: even the thickness of the carpet will press against my seat sides, but hopefully it will all still fit when I come to re-fit them!?!
Just have to keep fingers crossed on that one - but its like so much of my car - I have pushed the limits all the way.
I've also trimmed the edges off the Sierra heater at the front/sides, as these would certainly have failed IVA unless covered up - and to have done so would have reduced the leg room.