When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Bit more progress today, rewired the radio connections so they're actually connected to the intended circuits in the original loom instead of all the wires Bubba had added to make it work.
Remade the door switch connections for the courtesy lights and alarm and now have an orange wire feeding the cigar lighter so I now have somewhere to plug in my satnav with a reliable supply!
I've lubed up the speedo and tacho cables and added an additional ground to the wiper switch as the upper part of the gauge panel was broken when I took it all to bits (not by me I might add!)
I tested the clutch pedal switch and it works so I've reconnected it so tomorrow I can start putting it all back together, the phantom snipper has been at the courtesy light wiring on the passenger side so I've still got a little way to go before I'm all done but I think I'm on the home straight now, although nowhere near all done as I need to drop my tranny to fit a new throw out bearing then I want to rebuild the front suspension so still a way to go yet!
Graham
You really do have to ask yourself why the hell GM didn't put the fusebox in the rear cubby instead of up by the car's liver or spleen or something? I'm not sure they could have put it in a worse place.
Some real nasties there, fortunately mine is a Texas car so no rust issues to worry about, looks like you had a fair bit of water ingress there probably past the base of the steering column.
Trying to reshape the vent pipe back to something like it should be so the nozzle on the speedo panel wil fit inside it again, forced out of shape by the incorrect run of the wiring harness.
Looking for replacement piano wire for the push pull cable for the air vent flap in the footwell, measures just under 1/16" or about 1.4mm as mine was snapped when I took everything apart, always wondered why the vent lever was tied up with copper wire so now I know!
Graham
Some real nasties there, fortunately mine is a Texas car so no rust issues to worry about, looks like you had a fair bit of water ingress there probably past the base of the steering column.
Trying to reshape the vent pipe back to something like it should be so the nozzle on the speedo panel wil fit inside it again, forced out of shape by the incorrect run of the wiring harness.
Looking for replacement piano wire for the push pull cable for the air vent flap in the footwell, measures just under 1/16" or about 1.4mm as mine was snapped when I took everything apart, always wondered why the vent lever was tied up with copper wire so now I know!
Graham
consider documenting with pics. It’s always fun to go back and see what you cleaned up.
This thread is giving my flashbacks of when I received my 71, what a dog of a car it was. The shift console is my personal favourite bubba modification followed closely by the engine bay wiring.
This thread is giving my flashbacks of when I received my 71, what a dog of a car it was. The shift console is my personal favourite bubba modification...
Latest progress report, got the dash back in, had a bit of a battle getting the speedo and tacho back in, hardest bit was getting the drive cables plugged in the back of them, centre gauge panel went in fine used the screw pack I bought a couple of years back so all correct screws in place now looks much smarter.
Handbrake console given a coat of satin black and all the vinyl a good clean, just waiting for piano wire to arrive so I can replace the drivers side vent flap control wire which was broken when I took it all apart.
Last job was to fit the electric aerial which I've had waiting for fitting, finally checked the electrics before connecting the battery only 10mA drain so all looks good to go.
Wish I'd taken pictures of what I found, I always think about it after it's all been put right, I'm always too keen to crack on and get it fixed!
I'll try to put some pictures of the interior once it's all back together then you can see what can be achieved with a rattle can and a bit of elbow grease!
Graham
Thanks for posting up the photos of your project....
These kinda' threads make me feel better about my car which was less Bubbafied than many... and yet I've still spent the
past 5 years undoing what others have spent 42 years screwing up.
Keep up the good work and good luck on further debubbafication.
Piano wire arrived yesterday so after a bit of experimenting I found a piece of round bar the right size to form the eyes on the ends of the new cable, fortunately I had the broken piece so I could get it the right length.
Got the console back in place with a bit of a fight, just the shifter plate to go on now then a final test for shorts before connecting up the battery again and go for a test firing!
Be good to have the wiper door open from the wiper switch for the first time since I got the car, hope it's all been worth it!
Graham
It's not too much of a pain you just have to ask why! after all if the alarm was playing up all you need to do is disconnect one wire at the fuse box and that kills it why cut all the wires instead!!
An earlier one was I had no reversing lights, on investigation the whole switch and linkages had been removed, if you can't afford a new switch just leave it and come back to it when you can but don't just remove it then pretend it never existed!! If I ever meet Bubba I'm going to punch his lights out
Graham
You'll have to get in line but ... Bubba's real easy to spot ... he's wheelchair-bound, jaw hanging off his shoulder, both ears bleeding, bruised all over but disguised by all the tar & feathers and has about 3 feet of 2 x 4 hanging out his azz.
Had to go to the office today so not much to report other than all back together now, new vent control works a treat, main beam light works, headlights down light works, glove box light works with the lights on, clock still running as is the clock on the radio, nearly forgot ammeter shows discharge with the lights on so quite a few successes so far.
Hopefully will go for a start tomorrow and check what else works for the first time in a while!
Graham
Finally was released from gardening duties so was able to get the beast out in the sunlight for the first time this year, and as it was a nice sunny day decided it would be a good idea to paint the garage floor
Anyway that's all done now so back to business, well the radio works and the aerial goes up when I switch on and goes down when I switch off, marvelous!
Ammeter is not quite right, shows discharge when lights on with engine off, however, with engine running still shows a discharge with the lights on and doesn't show charge engine running lights off, only thing I did charging wise was to insulate the 2 small spade connectors on top of the alternator, does it matter which way round they're fitted as I might have swapped them?
Key in buzzer works when I open the door so does that mean I might be on course to have working courtesy lights once I can find suitable bulb holders?
Clutch switch works so I need to have clutch depressed to enable starting, good deterrent to joy riders.
Going to check the battery next to see if it's charging or not so will report back later.
Graham
I feel your pain. I keep finding Bubba contrails as well. The weirdest one was cutting and electric taping the rear center storage compartment courtesy light. Why would you do that ?!?!?
The most dangerous one was failing to reinstall the steering column base plate. The steering column was essentially "floating" in the footwell
if someone was clueless and thought is was draining the battery maybe?
It's not too much of a pain you just have to ask why! after all if the alarm was playing up all you need to do is disconnect one wire at the fuse box and that kills it why cut all the wires instead!!
An earlier one was I had no reversing lights, on investigation the whole switch and linkages had been removed, if you can't afford a new switch just leave it and come back to it when you can but don't just remove it then pretend it never existed!!
If I ever meet Bubba I'm going to punch his lights out
Graham
Sorted the charging issue it was as I thought swapped the leads and normal service resumed, phew!
Next the courtesy lights, on passenger side I had 2 white leads from the door switch cut off by Bubba then I had 3 whites and an orange to figure out, eventually identified them with lots of multimeter work, so now I have a white and an orange for the light which is correct when either door is opened, last part of the puzzle was the rear courtesy light which was missing the bulb, unfortunately its a double contact type and I didn't have one, also I need to source the bulb holders for the footwell courtesy lights, any suggestions?
Next problem I uncovered last night the LED bulbs I fitted for the instrument lighting don't work not sure what's going on there, could it be to do with the dimmer in the lighting switch? The one I fitted in the headlight warning light works fine, as do the indicator, high beam and brake warning lights so its not the bulbs.
Graham
That was my first thought but with the others working fine I cant think that's the issue, it's very rare I'm out after dark so it can wait until the next time I have the dash out can't think that will be any time soon though as it was a mare of a job!
When I tried the wipers the door opened before they started but came down on them when I switched off so have had to replace the vacuum interlock switch so hope that fixes that, my fat fingers aren't designed for that job!
Replaced the headlight warning light switch which had been broken since I've owned my car so hopefully the warning light will go out now when the lights are up, PO's solution was to remove the bulb!
Graham
