SkinnyG's V8 Pontiac Firefly

You could always put the heater core in the back and just run ducts back to the windshield.

I worked on the dashboard wiring harness today. Picked out wires and options I don't have, along with things I won't have.

I kept V+ and GND for the heater so I can power a defrost of some sort. I'll have to run it through a switch. I will probably replace the entire heater controls with a basic switch panel, since there isn't enough room behind the dash to fit true heater controls (much less a heater).

I ~may~ be lucky, in that the speedometer "appears" to have a Vehicle Speed Sensor built in. This isn't used on this standard transmission Turbo model, but this might be all I need to make the TBI ECU happy driving a TH350. Not a whole lot of visual change in this harness:

Looking good. When do you think you'll be trying to start it up?

The hope is ~finished~ this summer.

I found a computer case fan (4.7" square), which I can attach to a plate over the heater core. I drew up a 4.7"-square-to-dual-1.25"-round-outlet adapters in Inventor, exported to STL, and then discovered the MakerBot I have is too small. Sucks to be me. So... emailed the file to work, where I have larger machines.

May continue with wiring later tonight.

Trial fit the dash harness into the dash. Put some of the switches back in the dash.

Moved 20 bags of cement off to the side of the shop (was in the middle of the floor), and tried to tidy up the workbench a bit. Did some labeling. Gathered old tools to give to goodwill. Planned out a rack for power-tool battery chargers. Drained the compressor of moisture. Schemed a bead roller bead rack. Machined some PVC tubing adapters for the defroster. I must be trying to avoid some task....

Started printing the adapter thingie for the heater. Printers says 9 hours. It was still printing when I left....

Previously, I've been putting together some new defrost ducting with 1" PVC tube left over from doing sprinklers. I've cobbled together some adapters to connect it to 1-1/4" hose of some sort. At Home Depot this evening, I found some 1-1/4" hose for a sump pump, which is certainly both flexible and cheap enough to probably do what I need it to do for the defrost.

Here is what I've come up with for the defroster. Not sure it will work, but I will feed these with two 1-1/2" flexible hoses.

Holes drilled in the top of the tube to line up with the existing vent holes in the dash.

And put a big dent into sorting out what wires went where, what I needed, and what the SBC ECM needed. I ~think~ I've got this all ready for connecting together. Interesting studying the Firefly wiring diagram figuring out how it all works, and what I don't need. A bit of fun, since I didn't strip the car 7 years ago, it was kids - and I could only trust that it was all there. So far - it is. Good job, nameless student of yore.

Still tying the two wiring harnesses together. Suzuki didn't seem to worry about fuses (one 20A fed the entire fuel injection), while Pontiac had fuses for everything.

Once the engine is all hooked up (one more wire), I will connect all the lights again. I seem to have cut off all the wires through the cabin, so that will take some time to do.

you can clickie to biggie-size this:

Wiring sure doesn't show progress like paintwork or engine assembly. I like wiring, but it's not impressive to show off.

Challenge Advantage: I have a LOT of wiring harness to scavenge!

I did not wire in the VSS buffer. It ~seems~ that all the buffer does is allow the VSS signal feed the ECM, the Speedo (not using electric), and the Cruise Control (not equipped). I just plugged the Firefly VSS from the speedo into the ECM. We'll see what happens.

Got the gauge wires run into the engine compartment. Starter solenoid wire. Found the back up light wires.

Hmmmm. Battery will go where the back seat was. How to run all the V+ up to the fuse box.....? The Firebird seemed to tap into everything at the starter. Little iffy about running wires so close to the header in zero work space. I'll sleep on it and see what I come up with.

Fat wire from battery to a thru panel fitting on the firewall, junction everything there (starter B+, alternator B+, fuse panel feed).

I use a bus block from an 80s s10 or full size truck depending on space. Very nice, and less than a buck at the junkyard.

I picked up one of those bulkhead fittings, thanks BrokenYugo! Pricey though - $25. Surely I could fabricate one....... I Cut up some more dead appliances for sheet metal.

But I've been busy trying to finish the driveway to the shop now that the snow is gone. Part of that included teaching my 11 year old how to MIG weld:

In reply to SkinnyG:

Those T/A wheels look perfect on there.

Ok, we're back. Today I finished up the landscaping next to the driveway to my shop. Two pallets of sod.

Then once the pain started to subside, plus a little nap on the floor listening to "Wish You Were Here" Pink Floyd, I ventured back into the shop. After two butt-kicking escapades with Megasquirting my Crusty Chevy, I put the HEI-8 all back in order on the Firefly. Cramped, eh? Even MORE fun to work on it.

Then it was trying to figure out where I left off three-odd months ago. Ah yes. Wiring. Turns out I left things fairly well organized. Good! Also went through my pile of Firebird wiring clipping out all the connectors so they're easier to find. Started making a list of what I need to get.

Progress will come and go - you can see the stack of lumber for my soon-to-exist-air-compressor-shed.

yeah Firefly update! The last pic is a work of automotive art...air compressor, box fan, stack of wood, Firefly, harness, LIFT, voila "work in progress" By Skinny G

I pulled the plugs out of heater hose in/outlets and threaded the hose barbs back in so I can run a defroster. Wise, and potentially more legal should a vehicle inspection be ordered.

I finished wiring up the electrical to the engine (Coil +, tach, oil pressure, coolant temp), wrapped the loom a bit, and sat down inside to take a good look at the dash wiring. This, too, looks like I left it reasonably organized. I seem to have made everything that the ECU needs to plug into un-pluggable, my guess is so that it would be easy to remove entirely. I'm not really sure what my thinking was at the time.

I have to decide what to do about the battery.

It will go in the passenger compartment, so I need to fab a sealed container for it. Then figure exactly how to run the wires. Plus I think ~now~ would be a good time to wire a disconnect so I am a bit more legal at the drag strip.

Then I need to figure out where I'm going to put the switch at the rear, and still look "sleeper." Which wire runs the field on a 10SI alternator? Pin 2?

I also need to figure out where to run the gas filler, which to be ~street~ legal all must be separated from the passenger compartment via metal. I'm thinking the filler and disconnect mount behind the license plate, and I make the inside back of the hatch seal against some sort of bulkhead panel that I have to fabricate. I don't really want to move the factory fuel filler door, and sealing that properly to a new location would be challenging.

So, not a ton of progress, but I am getting my head wrapped around some details that thoroughly need to be detailed, and soon.

Field is pin 1, pin 2 is the sense wire (connect directly to battery +).

Picked up some 2/0 wire for the battery, as well as eyelets. Rubber grommets for whatever has to pass through something, and some heater hose because I ~am~ going to run defrost in the beast. Also some 1/2" fuel line that I may or may not use to properly close up the PCV system.

Ordered a 4-post battery disconnect switch to be drag legal, but I haven't exactly sorted out where that's going to go just yet - not a lot of real estate at the back, and I don't want to detract from the sleeper look on the street. I'm thinking some kind of removable push-pull apparatus.

I have not been at all happy with the needlessly complex and rickety heater core mounting I had been doing. So I've hacked it all back and come at it from a different angle.

I spent pretty much the whole day at this. Pics soon - the primer is drying right now. The new design is considerably more service-friendly should the core need replacing.

Though once the dashboard is installed, all bets are off. I also swapped out the allegedly 14ga wire in my MIG welder to something significantly more robust.

I also needed a port for the vacuum modulator on the transmission. I fabricated one using the manifold plug that was in a convenient hole, and a 5/16" bolt. Turned down to 1/4" on the lathe, welded together, shiny goodness.

And located in-situ. 

I don't have a lot constructive to add, but wanted to at least mutter some randomly motivational things. And so:

This is such a great build. Keep the metal to the pedal.

Yeah what wheelsmithy said- nothing brilliant to add but I do love watching this come together.

I also like that vacuum modulator port you made and your use of 'in-situ' which I assume to be a project Binky reference.

How far off are you from first drive?

In reply to NOHOME:

My goal is the end of the summer. I am a high school shop teacher, so I have the whole summer off (with exception of family commitments). I usually waste the first week winding down (which I did), and then start to pick up speed as I go. I've been at this car for 8 years now (working sporadically); I'm kinda tired of it.

I have back brake lines, fuel lines, fuel tank, floors, seat mounts, seat belts to do, plus whatever I've forgotten.

In reply to Gunchsta:

I purpose to appropriately utilize a modicum of the colloquial vernacular.