Dash and Custom Wiring Harness – Part 2

Posted on September 4, 2024 by valv8988

Before installing the dash we wanted to complete the installation of the front courtesy lights as they are not easy to access without the dash, much less with dash in place. We also completed the wiring and testing for the pedal brake switch that can also be seen in the photo below.

LH front courtesy light

We then covered the front aluminum cockpit molding with our red vinyl and installed it on the body. It looks quite handsome.

front cockpit molding vinyl covered

Just to add a touch of bling to our work the chrome rear view mirror went on next. Two chrome oval head #10-32 x 5/8″ machine screws secure the mirror to the captured nuts in the body.

Rear View Mirror

We then added the rear cockpit molding:

Rear cockpit molding

We then installed the LH demister hose to the elbow and nozzle vent. We will be using an AFR gauge to assist with tuning but do not plan to leave it in the car permanently so we ran a red wire from fuse position #19 in our fuse box, through the firewall an into the interior. This wire can be easily removed after we finish tuning.

We then began the actual installation of the dash with all of its wiring, gauges, switches and etc. in place. We had seen a tip on the internet to make this task easier. That is to use large zip ties to support the corners of the dash. This allows easy access from above for mating Deutsch connectors, finishing up with a few loose wires and for running cables through the dash and the firewall. As it turned out, it was a great tip and made the job quite a bit easier than it might have otherwise been.

Dash with zip ties to the body

We could then gradually tighten the zip ties and move the dash closer to the body. Ultimately, we cut the zip ties and inserted the 1/4″-28 – 1″ hex head bolts and tightened each corner.

Care must be taken with three items 1. one must keep an eye on the steering shaft so that it remains free in the column bezel. 2. There are two braces under the dash that secure the dash to the firewall. The braces must be above the lip that they mount to on the firewall before the dash to body bolts go in on the corners, otherwise they are difficult to properly position. This is especially true in our case since the braces serve as the platform for our supplementary switch panel behind the dash. 3. Routing the capillary tube for the water temperature gauge and the copper pipe for the oil pressure must be approached cautiously to avoid damage to either.

The installation of the individual items associated with the dash is covered in the attached video. Once we had the dash in place we began testing all of our circuits. Everything seems to functioning properly! A major achievement in the process toward assembling the Bugeye.

Bugeye Restoration Video Episode Eighty-six:

https://vimeo.com/1006256130/a0a01395e3?share=copy

0:00 – Front courtesy lights connected

0:21 – Brake light wiring

1:11 – Covering and installing the aluminum cockpit molding

2:56 – Rear view mirror installed

3:18 – Rear cockpit molding installed

3:50 – LH demister hose installed

4:00 – Temporary AFR gauge wiring installed

4:22- Dash wiring and installation

8:00 – Zip tying the dash to the car

8:47 – Wiper controller rheostat installed

9:07 – Water temperature & oil pressure gauge & pipes installed

10:00 – Windscreen washer pump hoses and wiring connected

10:19 – Brake wiring connected

10:48 – Started cable installed

11:05 – Heater switch installed & wires connected

11:12 – Choke cable installed

11:24 – RH ground bus bar wiring

11:39 – Dash to body mounting bolts and braces

12:08 – Electrical circuit testing begins

Bugeye Interior Personalizations

Posted on May 7, 2024 by valv8988

We have introduced a number of modifications in the interior to suit our interests. These are listed in no particular order below:

Gauges – Speedometer and Tachometer

The right hand drive connector for the speedometer cable on the Rivergate five speed conversion never worked well. Once the cable came loose and a second time the cable broke.

Rivergate Speedo Cable Adapter

Now seemed to be the perfect time to convert to the GPS speedometer sold by Bugeye Guy.

The unit is made by Speedhut instruments and apparently David at Bugeyeguy.com has a custom face made for the unit to look similar to the original Sprite gauge face. Details about installation including the wiring may be found in another post “A New Electrical System.”: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13986

The speedometer uses a gps sensor which routed between the driver’s door and the dash trim and is secured to the top of the dash with a magnetized plate.

Bugeye Guy GPS Speedometer

Bugeye Guy Speedo GPS Sensor

We liked the speedometer so much that we ordered the matching tachometer too!

Speedhut tachometer

Many of the electrical connections for the tachometer take advantage of the wiring loom provided with the speedo so that the tachometer can piggy-back for shorter wiring runs. Really happy with both of these upgrades. At first glance, the new instruments do look very much like the originals.

Hazard Switch and Lights

Of course, the Bugeye did not come equipped with hazard or caution lights. However, in today’s world and particularly with such a small car, hazard lights are really essential. The Classic Technologies relay/fuse box incorporates a hazard flasher relay system. We purchased a Lucas 155SA hazard switch to activate the system.

Lucas Hazard Switch

The switch is a push/pull type and incorporates a flashing warning light in the body of the switch. The switch will be added to the dash panel we built and is installed behind the dash.

The Lucas 155SA hazard switch was used in many British cars, and apparently the one we ordered was used in the 1974-75 triumph TR6 and the 1973-77 Triumph Spitfire. Details about installation including the wiring may be found in another post “A New Electrical System.”: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13986

Variable Speed Wiper Controller

Some years ago Ed Esslinger authored an article on a Sunbeam Tiger web site about a kit he put together to provide unlimited variable control of the speed of the Lucas wiper motor. We tried one of his kits on the Big Healey and liked it. Great for handling mist and light rain. Unfortunately it doesn’t make the wipers go any faster!

We installed the control knob for the variable speed rheostat on the vertical panel we made and installed behind the dash. We took advantage of the blanking bolt nuts intended for the steering column bracket in a RH drive car as a location for mounting the controller electronics. No holes were drilled in the chassis. Details about installation including the wiring may be found in another post “A New Electrical System.”: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13986

LED interior gauge lamps

All of the lights were converted from the original incandescent bulbs to LEDs sourced from Moss Motors.

LED Interior footwell and boot courtesy lights

LED interior footwell, map and boot courtesy lights operate remotely by a key fob or manually with a toggle switch on the panel behind the dash. We ordered the RF Relay and key fob from Amazon. DieseRC 433Mhz Universal Wireless Remote Control Switch DC 12V 1CH RF Relay Receiver Module with 1 Transmitter, EV1527 Learning Code Remote Switch. Details about installation including the wiring may be found in another post “A New Electrical System.”: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13986

RF Courtesy Light Controller

The boot has two aimable LED lights. Each one is mounted on the LH and RH rear interior quarter panels. These lights were sourced from SuperBright LEDS.

Boot LED Light

In the front footwells we also installed LED lights sourced from Better Car Lighting in the UK.

Footwell Lights and Brackets

Turn Indicator Warning Buzzer

The turn indicator switch in the Bugeye is not self-canceling. While there is a warning lamp on the dash located between the speedometer and the tachometer, it is often not sufficiently bright to let the driver know to turn the switch to the off position. We installed a little buzzer sourced from Radio Shack to provide an audible alert when the flashers are turned on.

Modified Windscreen Washer Pump (plunger)

The Bugeye came equipped with a windscreen washer system that was activated by pushing a plunger mounted in the dash. The pressure created by pushing the plunger moved the cleaning fluid out to the windscreen. The process worked well enough, but when the Big Healey was restored we became aware of Stu Brennan, an owner of a Sunbeam Tiger, who had converted his hand activated pump windscreen washer to an electric washer. Stu’s idea was to put an electric momentary micro switch inside the aluminum pump canister thereby eliminating the need to install an additional switch somewhere. Since the washer in the Tiger is the same as the one in both the Big Healey and the Bugeye we decided to give it a try.

Two items needed to be purchased for the conversion. An electric pump typically used on later Sprites was ordered from Moss Motors. A Home Depot switch was purchased, Gardner-Bender, Push Button, GSW-22, SPST always-off. Details about installation including the wiring may be found in another post “A New Electrical System.”: https://valvechatter.com/?p=13986

Washer Pump Parts

Under Dash Parcel Tray

Later Sprites and MG Midgets had a parcel shelf mounted under the dash on the passenger side of the car. We decided that it might make sense to add one to the Bugeye as well because there just isn’t much space for storing small items. The shelf was originally made from some type of fiberboard. We located a fellow in the U.K. who makes the shelves out of aluminum and for an extra commission will add the front rubber cushion to the shelf too. All at a very reasonable price.https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?item=116168223491&rt=nc&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l161211&_ssn=bicycle55cps

This is an image of the shelf sans the rubber cushion. All of the mounting holes are incorporated. We will cover the shelf in red vinyl to match the interior.

Aluminum Parcel Shelf

Seat Belt Harnesses

Upgrading to shoulder harnesses was a must, but unlike the belts we had in the car previously, we decided on retractable units this time around. We ordered our belts from BugeyeGuys.

Red Retractable Seat Belts

While we generally try to do everything we can to avoid drilling new holes in the Bugeye sheet metal, it is required for this installation. Four holes in the interior floor and two holes in the rear wheel wells.

Seat belt mounting holes

Shoulder Harness Retractor Holes

This is a brief video showing the installed belts:

https://vimeo.com/942791115/4a83c628a8?share=copy

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Windscreen Washer

Posted on July 3, 2017 by valv8988

First a description of what was:

My 1964 Jaguar Mk2 did not have the original Lucas Screenjet washer bottle and pump. I don’t know why it was missing. Perhaps a pump motor failure or a broken reservoir? Lucas actually put glass reservoirs under the bonnet. This is an image from Eric Kriss’s MK2 of the original equipment that should have been in my car:

Lucas Screenjet Washer

Note that on the original Lucas washers there were three electrical leads:

Lucas Washer Electrical Terminals

Restorer’s can purchase new replicas of the original that do look the part, but the new pumps have only two electrical terminals:

New Lucas Pump

While today’s replica is not perfect, it sure beats what I found in my car: nothing! This photo illustrates the proper location of the Lucas Screenjet.

Lucas Screenjet Washer/Pump Location

Two captive nuts are provided in the LH engine bay valance for securing the washer bracket to the car.

Mounting Point for Lucas Screenjet Washer/Pump

Now a description of what is:

I cannot locate a washer reservoir in the original position because that space is now at least partially occupied by the air conditioner compressor. I also cannot relocate the washer to the space on the valance rearward of the fuse panel because I have mounted my power steering pump at that location. So I gave up on mounting the washer reservoir/pump in the engine bay.

After considering several options, to keep things “Jaguar” I elected to use a later plastic reservoir and pump used on XKEs and perhaps some later MK2s – I am not sure. I sourced the pump and its mounting bracket from Welsh Enterprises.

Lucas Windscreen Washer Pump

Lucas Electric Screenjet

I decided to locate the pump and reservoir at the front of the LH wheel well on a chassis bracket. I mounted it to the same crossmember that is used to mount the reservac tank on the RH side of the car. Because the crossmember comes from the factory with two pre-drilled holes to mount the reservac tank for RH drive cars, I was once again able to mount a modification without having to drill new holes in the car!

I picked up a stainless “L” bracket from my local ACE Hardware store made from 1/4″ stock and mounted it to the Lucas supplied bracket using two 1/4″ – 28 x 5/8″ stainless hex bolts with flat and split washers and nuts.

Lucas Electric Screenjet Mounting Bracket

I then mounted the bracket assembly to the chassis using two stainless 1/4″ – 20 flat head screws with flat and split washers.

Lucas Electric Screenjet Mounted

The clear tubing goes through a rubber grommet in the valance and is routed through the firewall to a “T” fitting where it branches to the LH and RH spray nozzles for the windscreen. A ground wire connects the pump motor to a fastener on the diagonal chassis rail and can be seen in the image above. The + wiring (light green/black) for power is encased in a rubber sleeve and also goes through a rubber grommet and is routed through the firewall to the central gauge panel switch for the washer activation.

Dash Fascia and Gauges

Posted on January 3, 2006 by valv8988

When we bought the Bugeye, it came with a working tachometer and a dead speedometer. After thinking about having the original instruments refurbished or buying new ones I decided to buy new Smith’s gauges. Keeping the original tach would have involved installing the guts of an electric tach into the casing of the old gauge since we had previously installed an alternator making the original worthless since it had a mechanical drive off the back of the dynamo.

So the new gauges were ordered from APT Instruments, but it would be terrible to install them in the old dash so replacing old vinyl with new naugahyde was the only thing to do! I began the removal of the dash and proceeded slowly, carefully labeling the wiring to each instrument or switch.

I initially disconnected 2 orange/yellow braided wires to the wiper washer pump. Using a micro switch, my dad had previously converted the manual pump for the windscreen washer to an electric pump. Next was the heater switch. I disconnected a green/brown wire from the harness from a black wire to the heater switch. Then I disconnected a black wire from the heater switch body from a double bullet connector into a light green wire.

Washer Wiring

Heater Wiring

Heater Switch Wiring

The turn signal wiring was next. The switch has three spade connectors. On the side with tow spades, a yellow wire attached to one and a blue wire to the other. A white wire was disconnected from the side of the switch with the single spade.

turn signal switch

The Ignition Switch followed. The switch had four screw terminals. The top right terminal had 2 red wires joined together. The top left terminal had 1 heavy gauge yellow wire. The bottom right terminal had two white wires joined together and an red fused wire from the the electric fan switch that had been added. Finally, a large blue wire was disconnected the bottom left terminal. A previous owner had fabricated a clamping system to hold the ignition switch in place, that while primitive, did work. It will be replaced later.

Ignition Switch Wiring

Ignition Switch

Gauge Lights. Wiring for most gauges is red. The oil/water temperature gauge light fit into the retaining bracket sleeve. The tach light was also red, but this wire was ultimately discarded as it was not needed for the lighting for the new tach.

Oil and Tach Lighting

Oil & Water Temp

Tach Lamp Wiring

Speedometer Lamp Wiring

Wiper Switch. Disconnected the dark blue wire with a soldered tip from the right screw terminal, and the black wire from the left terminal.

Fuel Gauge wiring. One black ground wire was removed from the retaining bracket. A red/white wire for the lamp to the retaining bracket, a green wire to the left terminal and a green/black wire to the right terminal were all disconnected.

Fuel Gauge Wiring

Panel Lamp Switch.

The panel lamp switch had three wires. Two red/white wires were joined and connected to the right terminal and 1 red wire was disconnected from the left terminal.

Panel Lamp Switch

Radiator Fan Switch

The radiator electric fan switch

Has three wires: the black ground wire was removed from the top spade terminal, the blue power wire from the switch to the fan itself was removed from the middle spade and the red wire with fuse to the ignition was also disconnected.

The Horn

Had one brown wire from the horn trim ring to the horn itself. The wire was disconnected at the bullet connector.

After removing the starter button and cable, the choke cable and the heater air control assembly cable, and the grab handle, the dash was removed from the car. Two ¼” hex head bolts secured the dash to the body on the left and right side. Two chrome phillips head screws fastened through two brackets from the firewall to the dash and finally one nut is fastened to a stud located centrally at the top of the dash.

Recovered Dash

Then it was time to recover the dash. I purchased some naugahyde at a local fabrics store and some contact cement and went to work. This is the result:

Fresh New Look

Reupholstered Dash

Horn Ring

Reupholstered Dash

The new tach and speedometer

While not original design, the new tach certainly looks period. The tach required some new electrical connections. One wire connected to the coil, another to the fused power block and one to ground. These are the installation instructions:Electronic Tachometer Installation Instructions

Smiths Electronic Tach

tach coil connection

Tach Fused Power

Tach Ground

Coil White Wire

Finished Dash Installed

Demister Hoses

The old paper demister hoses had holes in them and obviously did not work well. With the dash off it was the perfect time to install some new hoses.

Left Side Hose

Right Side Hose

Aluminum Racing Pedals

My dad had installed racing pedals in the Big Healey and thought they did give a better pedal feel in addition to looking cool, so I bought a set for the Bugeye as well. They do look nice. I did not use the racing pedal for the accelerator pedal as it was just too close to the brake.

Electric Windscreen Washer Pump

Posted on August 22, 2005 by valv8988

Electric windscreen washer

My dad read a technical article by Stu Brennan, an owner of a Sunbeam Tiger, who had converted his hand activated pump windscreen washer to an electric washer. He liked the idea because he put the electric switch in the aluminum pump canister thereby eliminating the need to install an additional switch somewhere. Since the washer in the Tiger is the same as the one in both the Big Healey and the Bugeye he decided to give it a try.

The old pump was easily disassembled by un-crimping the lip from around the plastic bottom. The metal is relatively soft, so it unfolds easily. The bottom and the old rubber bellows came right out, leaving only the plunger within the shell of the pump.

Washer Pump Open

Washer pump

To provide enough depth for the switch in the canister a slot was cut in the plastic face plate. The slot also provided space for the switch wires to exit the canister. To provide stability for the switch in the canister and to use as a spacer a circle washer was cut of 1/4” wide plywood that fit tightly in the canister and placed it on the switch secured with double nuts.

New Pump Switch

Washer Pump Modification

Power comes from a switched terminal on the ignition switch, and is connected to the new red wiring through an in-line fuse holder. From the other side of the switch, a new red wire carries power to the white wire on the pump. The “negative“ side – black wire – of the pump is grounded at the mounting bracket.

The pump was secured to the left side of the firewall and the appropriate hoses were connected to the water supply tank, the pump and the two jets.

Pump on Firewall

Now it is Electric!

Valve Chatter

Tag Archives: Washer Pump

Dash and Custom Wiring Harness – Part 2

Bugeye Interior Personalizations

Windscreen Washer

Dash Fascia and Gauges

Electric Windscreen Washer Pump

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