Kugawestie's MX5 SDV Build Thread - Now An Upgrade Thread

[KugaWestie]

No piccys tonight, camera lens frosted up

I decided to check that the wiper threaded sleeves that go through the screen fillet were clear of silicone, so I took them off and gave them a clean and the refitted.

Then I had a look at the dashboard which is still uncovered. Firstly I lengthened the hole where the steering column passes through to allow for the new position. Next I noticed the hole I am using for the horn button was not big enough, so I opened this up. I am going to fit a 12v power socket in the dash, So I decided on a position and cut a hole for this.

Then I got out all the warning lights and popped them in the holes for a trial fit and layout check. Next I did the same with the dip/beam toggle. I then dropped the delta rocker switches in to make sure they fitted.

Lastly I got out the rotary headlamp switch, and this was where my fun began

As I pulled the rotary knooob off, I lost grip of the switch, and it went flying accross the garage and hit the corner of a leg on the workmate which is hanging on the wall.

When I got walked round to pick it up, the back of the switch had come off, and all of the pieces inside that make the switch work were spread all over the floor.

Eventually I discovered that this consisted of a ball bearing, 4 springs, 3 brass connectors, a brass spindle and a brass spindle cap. I only discovered all of these pieces after trying to assemble the switch and realising there were still bits missing. So after spending some time on my hands and knees on a very cold concrete floor, I decided I had found all the bits.

After lots of trial and error re-assembly efforts and multimeter checking, I finally got all the bits in the right place and the switch works again. What a job it was as I had not seen the inside of the switch before it disintegrated. This little mishap took 90 minutes to sort out

I was nearly as pleased when I got the switch working as I was when I got the engine running

[Dommo]

I did something vaguely similar with the electric seats switch on my range rover. From that moment on, they were fixed seats!! Good work on fixing it.

Are you going to give the 12v socket before the IVA? Are there any radius issues to watch out for? I guess you could fit a blank from a Ford or something to solve that.

[KugaWestie]

I did something vaguely similar with the electric seats switch on my range rover. From that moment on, they were fixed seats!! Good work on fixing it.

Are you going to give the 12v socket before the IVA? Are there any radius issues to watch out for? I guess you could fit a blank from a Ford or something to solve that.

I am going to fit one of these - as CBS say IVA ok, I was going to fit it before the test.....

http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/product/Lighter_Power_Socket_Rubber_Plug_IVA_OK_LTRPS2

[Dommo]

That makes sense...

God forbid you hurt yourself on the cigarette lighter in a crash!

[KugaWestie]

That makes sense... God forbid you hurt yourself on the cigarette lighter in a crash!

It has got a nice radius on it, so I think it should be fine

I guess IVA dont consider that you are strapped on so tight you dont move much with 4 point harnesses

[Mark (smokey mow)]

IIRC Mark (Westie66) had a fail point on his IVA becuase of the lighter socket radii but that was different to the one in your link. That one looks ok to me and is the same as mine, although I fitted it behind the dash through the ecu panel.

[KugaWestie]

I fitted the washer jet tonight

Then fitted some hinges to the sidescreens that arrived today (Thanks Nic), and put them on the car for a look

I need to make up some straps for them, and also fit some fasteners, can anybody recommend any good ones to use?

It was too cold to do anything else!

[Nic Chase (NICO) - Shropshire & Mid-Wales AO]

They look good Gary :)

See if Westfield can supply the straps, or see if someone on here can machine up a couple. They bolt on and are held shut with a couple of snap fasteners. One fitted to the strap and the other screwed to the interior panel.

nic

[KugaWestie]

They look good Gary :)

See if Westfield can supply the straps, or see if someone on here can machine up a couple. They bolt on and are held shut with a couple of snap fasteners. One fitted to the strap and the other screwed to the interior panel.

nic

Cheers - just ordered some straps and fasteners from Westfield

[KugaWestie]

I braved the sub-zero tonight for a little while

I decided to seal the steering wheel column hole, using Mooch's method of covering it with a piece of inner tube, siliconed into position. I put a piece both sides of the hole, and mated the bits that touched each other with some silicone too

Continuing with the inner tube theme, I then covered the two holes in the top tunnel panel, as I have been struggling to source any gromets the right size

And finally, I bolted down the scuttle - by this time I had well and truly put the silicone away

[KugaWestie]

I decided to split my time today between the warm and the cold, so I started in the warm

My inside job was to recover the dashboard. Firstly I started with some scrim backed foam cut roughly to size.

Then I used some high temperature spray glue (as recommended by our dashboard expert Captain ) and glued the foam on

Then I cut out the holes in the foam and cut the vinyl approx 40mm oversize, and fitted the vinyl to the dashboard by only applying glue to the area of vinyl that overlapped onto the back of the dashboard. I left it there to let the glue to go off.

So out into the cold

First job was to fit the header tank and main fuse box to the scuttle

Then I started connecting the wiring loom back onto everything in the engine bay. Next job is to cover it all with convoluted tubing

Then it was back in the warm

I then cut out all the holes for the instruments, and sprayed the back of the dash and vinyl with glue and this is the end result, very pleased with it

[Captain Colonial]

Nice job on the dash mate, couldn't have done better myself!

[KugaWestie]

Nice job on the dash mate, couldn't have done better myself!

Why thanks Cap'n. The advice received from you and Gadgetman proved invaluable

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Yep, looks a good job!

[Mark (smokey mow)]

That dash looks much better than when I owned it