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Here's a couple of shots of the gutted interior. Tore down the dash in anticipation of my Autometer Phantom gauge cluster install. Note the $50 junkyard seats (the other one's nearby) out of an 85.5 Cougar. I mounted them on the power bracket assemblies from the TC. Now I have dual power buckets with power lumbar support! I utilized the TC wiring harness and custom mounted the switches in my console, where the ashtray used to be. Photos to come. Now I've gotta find me some Halo headrests!
Here's the materials and tools used to construct my power seat switch console cover plate. I cut a template out of a manilla folder. The cost of materials was staggering! After MSRP, tax, license, dealer preparation charges and 9/11 security fee the grand total came to........$2! The vinyl and 1/2" foam rubber was purchased at a local fabric store.
Tools included jigsaw, die grinder, stapler, 1/4" staples and 2-part epoxy.
First I removed the ashtray lid and mechanism. Then I cutout any offending pieces of plastic that would hamper the installation. Next, I cut the base for the switch plate from some scrap 1/4" MDF I had laying around. I just kept grinding away until the bottom portion of the switches dropped into place. When that was done, I epoxied the base plate to small ledges I had left on the console, where the ashtray originally rested.
I then cut the switch cover plate from the same scrap 1/4" MDF. I layed the foam rubber on top of the cover plate, cutting it to fit, and then wrapped it in vinyl. I used epoxy and 1/4" staples to secure it to the back of the plate.
Here's the finished product. It's got 1 or 2 small wrinkles, but I'm not entering it in the Grand National Roadster Show! It'll do! On the TC, the switches were side by side. I had to slice the facing down the middle (carefully) and placed them vertically. I think it came out OK!
Here's my new gauge cluster. Full compliment of Autometer Phantom's! I've also got fuel level and volts in a gauge cage to go in the center vent. The actual gauge panel is from www.florida50.com and the gauges are a hodgepodge bought from TFer's, Ebay and Summit Racing. Out of the six original factory gauges I had, the only ones that worked were the tach and speedo (and they were iffy at best)! Compared to my old gauges, these are like having a top notch EKG machine to monitor my (engines) vitals!
Today was a productive day! Not only did I get my LA3 wiring conversion, completed and installed, but I also solved the 'bad ground' problem that's inherent to all Fox bodied Fords! I now have a common ground plane where every system 'sees' the same ground potential. I simply welded some 3/8" and 1/4" bolts to 3/8" plate and in turn welded that to my frame rails on either side. My battery is in the stock location. I'll run 1.0 welding cable from my negative post to the 3/8" bolt, I'll also use 1.0 cable as engine grounds from the block to the same bolt and another cable from the passenger side of the block to the ground bolt on the other side. The smaller bolts are used as various accessory grounds. That should dispel some of those hideous electrical gremlins!
Today I built the mounting brackets for my intercooler, radiator and fan. I used the stock Volvo lower mounts and isolators. Note how the mount is stepped. With some minor trimming of the isolators, the large NPR I/C sits in them prefectly! I set the IC/rad/fan assembly at the proper height, marked it and determined I needed 2" spacers to get it to the proper height. 2" square tubing did the trick. The mounts were designed for the Volvo rad, so it too fits perfectly!
For the upper radiator and fan mounts, I picked up an 8' length of 1/4" aluminum bar stock and some self tapping screws at the local salvage yard ($9) and proceeded to fab those. I simply cut some stock the width of the rad, and screwed it to the 1/2" lip that's part of the rad. I then bent some stock into U-shaped brackets and screwed those to the strip on the rad and the other end to the rad support. I also used the stock Volvo upper isolators with some minor trimming.
For the fan brackets, I ran two lengths of stock, top to bottom and bolted them to existing holes in the rad.
I then marked and drilled holes in the stock and corresponding holes in the fan shroud. I installed 3" long 5/16" bolts through the shroud and stock. I also added supports on the 3" bolts using 5/16" pipe nipples to keep the shroud from collapsing. I then fabbed a small cover piece from another shroud, to fill in the hole where the fan rises above the rad. I plan to install 1/2" marine weatherstripping, all the way around, to seal the fan to the rad. Simple yet effective and rock solid! This thing ain't goin' nowhere!
Because the Volvo cooling system is a closed system, I needed to mount the Volvo coolant fill bottle above the radiator outlet. This was achieved by flipping the Volvo mounting bracket upside down and mounting the bottle in front of the shock tower. This accomplishes the high mounting point, while also leaving room for the VAM/K&N cold air intake setup that'll be coming soon!
I'll be using an Optima redtop battery and leaving it in the stock location. After measuring the batt, I headed for Pick-n-Pull to see what I could find. The batt measures 10" x 6-7/8". The battery tray from an '84 Mercury Monarch measures 10" x 6-13/16".....snug as a bug in a rug! And, it's a virtual bolt-in! Fox body, 'ya know. It all looks kinda ratty now, but after I get all mounts fabbed, I'm gonna blow it all apart for paint and detailing.
Had to show this off! Everything is wired and finished. 10k tach, 160 mph speedo, oil press, water temp, boost and air/fuel in the dash. Fuel level and volts in the gauge cage w/working vents! I was tired of looking at my cell phone to see the time, so I installed a digital clock from an '88 Honda Accord in the dash above the glovebox. Looks damn near factory! Also note the Momo steering wheel. Retails for $250, picked it up on Ebay for $103 in perfect condition! I wanted to keep the cruise control. No room on the wheel, so I mounted the switches below the wheel, just to the left of the HVAC controls. Later, I'll swap the HVAC controls into the stock radio location and mount my MP3 player where the HVAC controls currently reside. The Momo horn button is wired and works but I don't like the wimpy Mustang horns. While up at Pick-n-Pull, I grabbed the horns off a '64 Buick Skylark. They're made out of metal (unlike the plastic Mustang units). These are REAL horns! Yeah..........they're loud!!
