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[BlueNova]

Really liking this project Brett.

[islandman]

Looking very good and its going to make taking the canopy off a lot simpler than wires threaded through the hinge arms

[Phill]

That's very clever. Does the canopy always align and make good contact? Mine has a bit of left to right play but as my car lacks the canopy indents (pegs/locating holes) it is more likely to be an issue for me than it is for you?

[Peter]

I would use the 'ajar' warning lights by using a switch at all points, better safe than sorry especially the hood . could also use a alarm triggers.

[Brett]

That's very clever. Does the canopy always align and make good contact? Mine has a bit of left to right play but as my car lacks the canopy indents (pegs/locating holes) it is more likely to be an issue for me than it is for you?

When I redesigned the lifting arms I replaced the oem plastic pivot bushings with ball bearings which eliminates any play in the arms, so to answer your question, with me the canopy closes at the same spot every time.
Having play in the lifting arms(using the oem bushings) bothered me so much that it was one of the first things to fix on the car.

At one time I was considering going with bronze bushings to replace the oem nylon bushings but latter decided to go with ball bearing because of the lower maintenance required

The contacts on the board are about 11mm/0.43" in diameter.

Whether this will work in your application thats up to you. You could install your own centering dowel to help the canopy when lowered to close in the same spot. Maybe putting a rubber grommet in where the dowel lowers into would help secure the canopy better.
I know in the hydraulic systems that are used the hydraulic is used to secure the canopy in the down position but that secures the canopy only in the vertical plane(up/down), putting in a centering dowel will help hold the canopy in the horizontal plane(left/right).

Just a thought.

[Brett]

Wiring is going real slow

Trying to maintain the wire color code of the donor harness is making wiring a slow process. It seems I spend more time looking for the correct size and color wire than I do wiring in the circuit.

I have most of the front circuits wired but still not wired into the BCM(body control module).

Just when I thought I was done and I had everything wrapped and secured into position I realized I missed wiring in the horn and windscreen washer pump circuits

Had to undo parts of the harness to get those items installed.

[islandman]

ir

Had to undo parts of the harness to get those items installed.

Its a good reminder for me not to wrap the loom until after its been in the car and everything works, I plan to cable tie initially at intervals. I remember when I did my first loom 25+ years ago, it took far far longer to wrap the loom than doing it as I used nylon spiral wrap, which I won't be using again!

As for the wiring I spent ages recently looking for sites that sell auto wires correctly coloured with coloured tracers by the meter and came up with a blank

[steve]

I don't know if I will build my own loom, but I will have spare wires going to all corners of the car to allow for new features, upgrades, or forgotten stuff.

[Brett]

As for the wiring I spent ages recently looking for sites that sell auto wires correctly coloured with coloured tracers by the meter and came up with a blank

http://www.euro-nova.co.uk/vb/showth...-stripe-tracer

I don't know if I will build my own loom, but I will have spare wires going to all corners of the car to allow for new features, upgrades, or forgotten stuff.

With my luck, if I did that I'd get the gauge wrong or wire it to the wrong circuit(ACC/ON, Start/ON, Hot at all times) or maybe the circuit would need a relay or the circuit that is wired can't handle the amperage. Whatever the case would be I know I'd get it wrong.

[Peter]

ir

Its a good reminder for me not to wrap the loom until after its been in the car and everything works, I plan to cable tie initially at intervals. I remember when I did my first loom 25+ years ago, it took far far longer to wrap the loom than doing it as I used nylon spiral wrap, which I won't be using again!

As for the wiring I spent ages recently looking for sites that sell auto wires correctly coloured with coloured tracers by the meter and came up with a blank

Vehicle Wiring products, They will sell you 1/2 a meter of any combination of wire and they have various Amp and all the fittings. I did all my car in BL code for 30 quid.

www.vehiclewiringproducts.co.uk