build diary

February 22, 2004:
There's a lot of weight to be saved by thinning out the wiring harness.
This is the wiring to make the headlights pop up, not including relays and motors!
entry 143
A local parts store find - front turn indicators for $2.99 each.
Plastic and super-light too.
entry 144

February 23, 2004:
Well, the ECU wiring is almost done.
It's taking a long time because I am tracing each wire before removing it from the harness. This helps me understand how the original car was wired and also (hopefully) prevents mysterious problems down the road. This is not something you can do on a two-day build but it will be worth it! I'm getting closer from a conceptual standpoint of where everything will go and how I'll wire the car using only half as many fuseboxes as before. I do have some questions about Colorado law, though - do I need running lights or will headlights be okay? Can I register the car without a windshield, and therefore no wipers or squirters? Time to find someone who has been through this.
entry 145

The steering column cutout wasn't in quite the correct place.
The shape of the firewall isn't right either. CMC might have a little tweaking to do on their aluminum panel cutting.
entry 146
A stock Miata battery will not fit in the battery tray.
Granted, the OEM Panasonics are rare these days (this one is 14 years old and still works) but the kit is designed for a Miata donor.
entry 147
A Mazda replacement battery or the popular Wiseco batteries will both fit.
entry 148
The wiring saga continues.
Here is some of the wiring that was removed. Some will be put back in as I'm starting with ECU-related wiring only.
entry 149
There is lots of room to hide wiring and relays on the back of the firewall.
They won't be easily accessible when I'm done, but I'm not expecting a high failure rate. The fusebox is a bit more of a challenge. As you can see, the wiring loom has been heavily simplified.
entry 150
The ECU and the related MAP sensor are mounted to the firewall in the engine bay so that they are easily to reach.
A bit of work will make the ECU case more weather tight - but it's not as if the car will be waterproof anywhere else!
entry 151
The next challenge - fitting some of the stock instruments.
I am not a fan of simply sticking the gauge pod on the dash but these instruments don't really stand alone. I've got an idea...
entry 152

February 24, 2004:
Big news? Well, my ex-Driver DVD showed up so I've been watching Japanese anime with a nice Seven JPE in it.
That got me all inspired so I headed back out to the garage and mocked up a dashboard to continue the development. I'm starting to nail down the placement of various switches, which affects the wiring harness. I'm not just goofing around, really!

I've also found the Colorado road regulations and that's got me rethinking the taillights. They have to be 20" off the ground. That's a bit tricky...
entry 153

The 1.8 coils are now sitting in a 1.6 coil bracket to make it easy to fit them to the engine.
entry 154
Remember my hood clearance problem? Well, with a few extraneous parts of the throttle wheel removed, it's improved.
entry 155
Mocking up the dash to find the right place for the steering column hole.
Now I can sit in the seat and pretend to push imaginary buttons. Sounds childish but it's good for figuring out the layout of things.
entry 156

February 26, 2004:
It really helps being closely involved with the Miata community while doing a project like this.
A car that's undergoing an engine transplant is donating wiring harness parts and a 1.6 automatic throttle body. The latter will bolt up to my intake manifold without any modification and has the better TPS that I need for my 1.8 ECU. A wrecked Miata is donating steering parts to help my modifications and a Texan race car is going to provide some nice clean seats. This is fun.

Back in the garage, the wiring work continues. I've now figured how it's all going to work. I keep forgetting how simple the car will be and that I don't need the same robust wiring as a stock Miata that runs heater fans, wipers, big stereos and electric windows. The interior fuse box will run the entire car along with a few extra relays and the wiring colours will be the same as a Miata to make it easy to troubleshoot. Now it's just a matter of cutting and splicing. Of course I forgot my wiring diagrams at work last night so I had to entertain myself with little things.

One thing that has become obvious is how easy it will be to work on the engine when this car is done. It's very exposed and even has lots of room at the rear of the head. This is good! The transmission will be a different matter, and removing the driveshaft will involve pulling out interior parts. But overall, I think it will be easy to modify and maintain - good for what is essentially a racer.
entry 157

Yup, more wiring.
I am making progress, really.
entry 158

February 27, 2004:
I've started a guestbook for the site.
I'd love to hear from people - I get a lot of email, but here's another way. Ask questions, leave comments, whatever you'd like. I've also added numbers to the photos to make it easy to refer to something in particular.

More wiring. The fusebox is about half done and I'm starting to hook up the relays. A big order has been placed with Del City for switches, circuit breakers, lights and the like. I'm starting to think about the exhaust system as well while I wait for the fuel cell to show up. I also have to run in a Miata with a 2.0 engine and a responsive turbo system this weekend. Sigh. It's rough. Oh, and I've also decided to put my "good" Miata engine in the Seven right from the start. It's a 130+ rwhp engine that is hugely entertaining due to crisp throttle response and high compression.
entry 159

Hidden under the scuttle will be the fusebox (accessible from the driver's footwell, more or less) and all the various relays.
I'll do a slightly neater job of the wiring.
entry 160
I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't want to learn.
Turns out my 1997 coils have a different wiring setup than the 1995 wiring manual I am using to adapt my 1991 wiring harness. I've got it figured out now but it did mean pulling out yet another wiring diagram.
entry 161

March 1, 2004:
Wow.
The guestbook was more popular than I ever could have imagined. Thanks for dropping in, folks! If you asked a question there, I'll answer it in the guestbook itself.

16" of fresh powder at Telluride meant not much Seven work this weekend. I did get a bit more of the wiring done and I stuck some huge rally lights on the car to entertain myself. They're not hooked up - but they could be. Most of the wiring is now done and just waiting for a few connectors and bits to show up. A note about the wiring - the CMC kit is designed to use an unmodified Miata harness. I could have made my life much easier by simply dropping the harness into place, but I've got some unusual plans. That's why all the extra work. To answer a common question - all the manuals I use are the Mazda factory ones.

Parts are starting to come in from various sources. I've been getting all sorts of help from the Miata community. A box of wiring bits and a 1.6 automatic throttle body showed up today. Another Miata friend is sending some aviation circuit breakers to replace my fuse box to make a cleaner installation and a more accessible box - thanks, Mark! My wiring order from Del City will be here on Friday.
entry 162

For those thinking about turbochargers - there's a lot of room in here for one.
entry 163
Before I paint the nose, I'll cut a notch to clear the upper control arm bracket.
It's not much interference, but it's enough to cause problems down the line.
entry 164
Front brake line and mount with the wheels straight.
Longer lines are needed, although apparently the GRM build somehow made it work. I have no idea how.
entry 165
Fish car!
Just for giggles, I mounted a spare set of Hella 4000 rally lights on the Seven. 9.5" in diameter, they're a little big. Doesn't everyone have spares like this sitting around?
entry 166
To most people, this is not the sort of thing to get excited about.
But most people also aren't building their own car.
entry 167
The current state.
Wiring continues - no surprise there.
entry 168
<< | show individual entries | >>