LUVTruck.com

Well the electrical phase of the LUV project is finished.
I had some problems with the blinkers, but thanks to Blue meanie and chasing some ground wires it is all finished now.

im sorry if some of this is confusing.....im at work and working while trying to write all of this.

a little background on what I added/changed.

first part of this "electrical phase" was pulling the entire harness out of the truck and getting rid of everything that I didn't need.
that included all wires going to battery, regulator, air conditioner (even though the truck didn't come with air), smog and miscellaneous wires.
I didn't touch the wires going to the parking lights, brakes, heater or windshield wipers. believe me when I say that there is a pile of useless wiring and wires running back and forth from the battery to the regulator!

I installed relays to activate the following due to the amperage drawn.
high beam, low beam, cooling fan, fuel pump, starter and nitrous. those relays were supplied by 10 gauge power supply and 10 gauge wire going to the accessory itself. all the relays are mounted on the passenger side fenderwell for easy access.

I wanted to have most of the wiring "hidden" underneith the dash for appearance. I kept the original fuseblock because I like it. the wires going to it are run inside the fenderwell.
I installed a new cluster including autometer gauges speedometer, tach and fuel level.
I have oil temp and voltmeter on the A-pillar.
I am in the process of finishing a center console with water temp and oil pressure.
The console also holds switches for digital 6 ignition box, oil temp (for tranny and engine temps), nitrous, fan and fuel pump.
When I get this console finished I will take pictures of the interior and post them.

The battery is going in the rear of the bed. I have a junction block out of a LT1 camaro for all the power to flow to everything. I will be running a GM alternator as well.

hope I didn't confuse everyone! pictures of engine compartment and gauges coming soon!

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03Cobra

hey where did u get the a pillar for the luv? and bring on those pictures we all want to see them.

OK Me next !!!!! I think I'm losing it ! lol I HATE wiring. Did I mention I hate wiring???

I used an A pillar guage pod from an S-10.
I had to cut on it a couple of places to get it to fit though.

husker....one thing that helps TREMENDOUSLY is drawing out a diagram before you even start your wiring. know what you are going to run wire for and what you are going to leave stock.
after you get your diagram drawn all you have to do is run the wire....no sitting there scratching your head while looking at all the wiring.

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03Cobra

oh yeah I was going to wait til I got finished with the center switch panel to take pictures, but since you wanna see them I will take pics tonight and put them on tomorrow.

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03Cobra

ok you can tell by the pictures that I am not finished with the interior or the switchpanel, but you wanted to see pictures so go here to the bottom of the page and pick on each of the 7 picture links.

http://www.angelfire.com/tn2/xr50freekz/luvbuild.htm

the holes below the gauges on the switchpanel are going to be LED's that light up when I flip a designated switch. the rest of the switches are getting the red switchcovers. if you have any questions about anything or want to see better pictures I will take some when I can get the truck outside for more light and take the top off of it.

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03Cobra

Lookin good, i especially like how clean the engine bay looks. Bryan

Thanks bryan
I still have alot of work to do in the engine bay.
I drilled all the spot welds in the harness clips and took almost all of them off. I have to fill those spots in with weld. I have to weld up or patch all the holes for parking brake and wires that went through the firewall. I also have to wait til I get the engine in the truck to terminate the rest of the wires.
it is coming along slooooowly but surely.

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03Cobra

Hats off to you for doing what sounds like "your own wiring kit". I bought a "painless" kit and it was a challenge. Worst part was the emergency blinkers together with the normal blinkers. Spent two days before I got it. And I'm an electrical contractor! Whatever. i like your use of the original dashboard guage 'thing'. I milled out a piece of 1/2" aluminum to fit, mounted the stock screws to mount it, and drilled one large spedo, and four small misc guages. Also blinkers and h beam. My tack will go where your small guages are.
LOOKIN GOOD, man. Thanks for the link to your web page.

looking great man,
i love the big red start button

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I like my steak like I like my women, young, tender and bloody.

All I need is my weed, women, and wine. -Edge City Outlaws

I appreciate the positive comments!
thanks guys!


I like the RED button too! heh heh

I was looking for toggle switches the other day online when I came across some jet cockpit electrical panels. I found a nuclear consent panel I was thinking of mounting for the nitrous.....hehe

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03Cobra

i purchased an ignition/start setup in monroe from a circle track shop. It has a toggle switch that has a flip up cover, and when you want to turn off the ignition, you flip the little red door down. Kinda like what ive seen on airplanes. It came with a rubber button for the starter.
Anyone who gets a ride in my luv digs the pushbutton starter.
Something else electical. the msd "digital 6" has a nitrous retard built in. Didn't you mention nitrous. I'm using it. you can also turn a little "coded" screw on the side to throw off any one who may want to start you ride with out permission! the timing just goes south.
ok, later.

if you look very closely in one of the pictures you can see the Digital 6 in the far right hand corner of the picture. it is mounted under the LUV shelf.
here http://www.angelfire.com/tn2/xr50freekz/luv/gauges4.jpg
I have a friend that runs a Dig 6 I like the options it offers so I got one myself as well as a billet distributor.
I know what starter panel you are talking about. I like those too.
thanks!

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03Cobra

oh man that is looking realy nice! That will be something else when you get it finished! Keep us posted on your progress and good progress it has been so far...

I was reading the querries about where to get certain trim pannels etc,
Just to throw a spanner in everybodys works why not try doing your own custom or reproduction bits.
It's reletively easy by making blanks out of styrene blocks sanded to the desired shape, or rendered calico for flowing effects. Once you get the desired shape use the blank as a plug to do resin castings.

Or if the budget allows, go for raw carbon fibre sheet for that performance look.

There are plenty of resin & catalist products and books on how to use them out there to make your custom bits that look as though they were an original spec option or a race team engineers handywork.

I'm playing with the stuff all the time and I'm just a carsalesman, so go for it,,,,,

"with a mig welder and a slide hammer you can do anything"

Wait... how the heck did you make that instrument cluster piece!? DAMN that is nice work man!!! Wow.....

I got a piece of 12 gauge sheet metal and traced out the shape from the original cluster and cut it out. then I arranged the gauges how I wanted them and inserted them. the same with the l.e.d.s for the blinkers and highbeam. then wired them up.
probably the hardest thing is the wiring. just time consuming.

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03Cobra