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Punisher

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#1 · (Edited by Moderator)

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#1,528 ·
A quick look at the "junction box" for the wiring. I have progressed beyond this picture and have added the wiring for the backup lights and custom plate lighting as well.

The second picture looking inside the trunk shows the two switches, one for the parking light circuit, which includes the tail lights, the fog lights, and the windrestrictor. The second switch is for the backup lights and the custom show plate which are on a flasher circuit.

The wiring that is visible looking inside the trunk will be hidden by covers which fit over both sides behind the tails to neaten up the trunk when its displayed in the open position.
 

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#1,529 ·
I had to build a custom cable for the inside of the rear bumper cover. It connects the two back up lights and the connector for the custom show plate to the body wiring harness through a plug set. I also took several pictures of the back side of the third brake light for anyone who is interested.

I had previously considered pulling the rear bumper cover a challenging job but having done it several times, its really quite easy. Thus the decision to put the wiring junction box behind the bumper cover.
 

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#1,531 ·
LOL

Talk with my wife . . .

I sent her to Chico's where she bought ~$500 in spring clothing so I could spend the day with my baby . . .

I am hoping to get the wiring done this week, the rear bumper reinstalled and the car ready for the AC to come home. Then I need to put the front bumper back on, get it running so I can take it over to Jeff's to get the owie on the right door fixed, the hood cleaned up and the wheel lights installed.

THEN I will be ready for the summer season. The schedule is already tight :willy::willy::willy:
 
#1,533 ·
As usual an impeccable job!

Sooo wish I had a garage to work on my Sky in the winter!


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#1,535 ·
Went to one of my favorite stores . .. superbright LEDs. Found a pair of lights to use with the fender inserts. They are long enough to completely surround the lexan. Need to do some testing to see what works well. I also found and ordered some extruded channel that is specifically made to mount the LED strip to the edge of the lexan.

Should be a fun weekend.
 
#1,536 ·
And you're going to share where you got the extrusions from....right?

Going to put LEDs in my fender vents now that I've removed those fake vents.


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#1,537 ·
1 Meter Aluminum Extrusion with Frosted Diffuser - .5" Deep EX-KL-1FR-1M $18.99 1 $18.99

See your PM
 
#1,540 ·
Almost ready to reinstall the rear bumper. Last evening I got the connecter slide red to the flasher circuit. Need to install the connecter on the bumper, then add one more circuit for power to the cockpit. Should easily have that done this weekend.

Hopefully Dr Dave will have good news about the AC condenser soon. I need to get the car over to Jeff's for the door and hood work
,
 
#1,541 ·
Sol and Sky hump profile

As a public service, I decided it was time to post a composite picture of the two subject hump profiles. You can see that the Sol is less pointed and that they are significantly different.
 

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#1,544 ·
Heard from Doctor Dave. They had a lot of snow and are rearranging the shop to have more room for shipping. Good news

Also, the test on the repair of my AC condenser and tubing revealed a tiny residual leak that they need to address and it should be good to go.

He also recommended a change of pads and is shipping them.
 
#1,546 · (Edited)
The bumper cover is going on the car. Some pictures. While I was at it, I installed super bright LEDs across the top of the trunk lid so when its open I can turn on VERY BRIGHT lights similar to the under hood lights. Also when I hooked up the 12 volts to my lighted door sills they no longer light. I think that when I was working on the right hand unit I shorted out the power supply. I am looking at getting the new version of lighting from Stephan. Since mine were one of the first production units they had the old style lighting and nothing lasts forever.
 

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#1,547 ·
OK!
Progress again.

Had a good day on Sunday. Got the right side bracket reshaped to allow the repaired right end of the rear bumper cover installed. When they did the repair on the tabs on the right end it created an interfearance with the rubber retention bracket. I finally got the bracket reshaped to clear the repaired area and now the bumper cover fits perfectly. Better than the other side LOL. ..

Got the cover installed and torqued. Got the inner fenders installed. Got the rear valence installed. Tested the electrical and all is functioning as desired.

WHile I was down there I checked and the cats are not wrapped any more. Good news.

I also spent a few hours working on the trailer winch. Replaced the steel cable with blue winch rope which was fun. Its now ready for mounting and pulling the car onto the trailer Friday morning.
 

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#1,548 ·
#1,549 ·
Superwinch makes a great product. Years ago I bought the Sidewinder for my 4x4 Suburban. It hide behind the front bumper with just the keyhole showing. Never had any problems with it in the GWN.


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#1,550 ·
I have been playing with it on the bench and it appears to be good quality. Maybe very high when price is a consideration as it was very inexpensive. I was hoping to do a test fit on the trailer this weekend but it is looking a lot like rain mixed with snow on Saturday. Will have to see how things look on Sunday.
 
#1,551 ·
Had a good conversation with Dave this morning

1) the AC condenser is apparently holding pressure long term after its second repair. They fixed the obvious source of the leak and then found another very small leak which they repaired and are now testing integrity.
2) Since every time I lift the car and put it on stands the front hard points fail a bit more. .. I pushed him to get me the reinforcement pads that he has designed. He said he is a couple of weeks away from getting the drawings to the fabrication shop so he can make the first production run. He has a couple of test sets that he made from aluminum to fit test so he is really making progress on this sorely needed product.
3) Talked with him about the need for a recovery hook for the Sol and Sky. He was considering a front hook that would be accessible through the front grill on the Solstice but I told him that we needed a solution that would work on both the Sky and Sol. Then we had a discussion about this being a recovery hook, it would be as useful or maybe more useful if it mounted on the back of the car. Which brought up the suggestion to use the DDM ProBeam as the attachment point for the recovery hook. He has a design solution in his head that could be easily fabricated and productized that would do just that, you could carry one on a group outing and if anyone needed to be winched onto a trailer or pulled a short distance out of a piece of bad terrain, you could slap the hook on the car and have an easy way to pull it out. He is working on coming up with a design hopefully in the near future.
4) talked with him about the conversation in a different thread surrounding the options for engine cooling and ways to enhance performance. He said that the early design he used has ducting around the fan on the engine side of the radiator and that in the more recent conversions he is doing he is including ducting on the front face of the radiator to direct cooling air. Further, the latest design uses rubber louvers that are open when the car is traveling forward but close to direct all air through the radiator when stationary. I found this most interesting.

I am going to start mocking up some duct work on the input to the radiator this weekend with a view to testing to see if there is any increase in efficiency to be realized.

:thumbs:
 
#1,557 · (Edited)
1)
since every time i lift the car and put it on stands the front hard points fail a bit more. .. I pushed him to get me the reinforcement pads that he has designed. He said he is a couple of weeks away from getting the drawings to the fabrication shop so he can make the first production run. He has a couple of test sets that he made from aluminum to fit test so he is really making progress on this sorely needed product.

Rob assuming these will be welded in, btw, if aluminum can that be welded to the steel frame?


Talked with him about the need for a recovery hook for the sol and sky.

Great idea, i could see the need for both f&r, how would they be applied, bolt on, or welded?

xxxxxxxxxxxx
 
#1,552 ·
Interesting idea....a recovery hook!
I have the DDM Probeam (as well as the other two).


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#1,555 ·
#1,556 ·
Based on input from several sources. I ordered the stock radiater shroud and lower air duct. I plan on modifying it to fit the current hardware. Also a new air filter to replace the well used one currently in the car
 
#1,558 ·
The test units for the hard points are aluminum because Dave can form them in house. The production ones will be steel and can be welded to the existing structure.

As to the tow hooks, he has a conceptual design for a Sol front hook that would provide a screw in hard point immediately behind the honey comb grille into which a tow hook could be screwed when needed, and removed / stored when not in use. He has an idea, not yet a concept, for a rear hook that would mate to Ny DDM Probeam . The idea came out of my mouth while we were talking so he has not taken pen to paper as it were yet.
 
#1,559 ·
Do you think I need a new air cleaner element?
 

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