Headlight Covers Installed

Well, I finally had a little time to break away from other projects and look at one that has been waiting for months, and tackle the installation of the headlight covers.  There are four painted parts - the "lid", and the "bezel".  The bezel wraps around the headlights themselves, and the "lid" is the plate above them that (when closed) is "flush" to the body lines.

To install them, you first have to get the lids in place.  There are two brackets on each end that pivot, with a lock collar to prevent the lids from sliding back and forth.  You have to get the lids in the right position (both up and down) before you tighten those brackets to the frame.  It's a pain, because those pivot brackets extend beyond the width of the hole that the lids drop into, so it has to be done at an angle, then with pressure to slide them into place.  Once that is done, you tighten the brackets while holding the lid as close to position as possible.  You can't do it with the lids in the closed position, because it doesn't allow you to reach around, hold, and tighten at the same time....  that means it's a lot of guess work.  So.... you install the lids as best you can....

.... only to find the lid doesn't close because it's too far rearward.  So.... loosen all six bolts holding that lid in place, reposition, retighten while pulling the lid forward, and let the lid down slowly....

.... only to find it's sitting too low.  Loosen them, this time pull forward and upward from those pivot points while tightening.  It was still not enough, so I had to measure around the lid to ensure I could get it centered.  Then, I removed the whole lid, then drag out the dremel grinder enlarge the holes so I could put it in (I also enlarged the wholes upward because it was still low.  Put it back in, tightened it down while pulling it forward and raising the back.

Viola!  Then I had to repeat it for the other side.

In the process, I nicked up the paint around the hole.

That means I have to touch it up tomorrow (not quite the same color, but if it's close enough, it's good enough).  I'll let that set for a couple of weeks, before I proceed to do more.  However, it does look good when I stash the bezel into position.

Woohoo!  I still need to finish it off after procuring a set screw for one of the lock collars on the left, and then it's all working on hardware inside to ensure a smooth operation.  Then, I can finally finish the electric headlight conversion!

S10 to Replace Civic

Well, I found a replacement vehicle for the Civic.  I'd prefer to have a small engine for a commuter, but this one has a V6.  It's a Chevy S10 V6 regular cab (a little tight for stuff inside the cab), and a long bed (a bit rare).  It's been working quite well for me.

However, it did cost a little more than the Civic, so it interfered with some of that cost going to headlight unit paint.  Finally saved up a little, and decided I'd better get to the wiring, and started playing with the wiring.

My fear was that I'd connect the batter and melt a wire, causing the whole car to burn to the ground (yeah, I kept a fire extinguisher close by, just in case, even if the odds of it being that bad were so minuscule).  So, I followed the advice of some experts, and threw in a little bit of a procedure for my own sanity.  Here's how I tested the electrical.

Preparation :

1. Put the battery in place.
2. Connect the positive battery cable end (+).
3. Do NOT connect the ground cable yet.  Instead, wire some spare connectors to it that you can connect at will.
4. Disconnect/remove all of the fuses.
5. Obtain a headlight (this step is invaluable, and is the advice I received from some experts).
6. Connect one side of the headlight to the negative (-) battery cable (not the battery).

I ran the first test with no fuses connected/in the vehicle, because I wanted to make sure all was well before proceeding.  I then re-connected one fuse at a time and re-tested, just to ensure each circuit was acceptable.

Actual Test :

1. Connect the negative terminal of the battery (-) to the other terminal of the light.
2. Check the headlight.  If it's on, something is shorted in the circuits that are still connected.  If it's off, you're okay.
3. Turn the key to the accessory/on position (but not start, just in case you don't have fluids/etc) just to ensure things behave as expected, each time checking the headlight.
4. Repeat as necessary for each circuit as you connect fuses.

So, that's what I kept doing.  I'd connect a fuse, and check that circuit.  Everything looked flawless...

... until I finished and decided to get the stupid door glass adjusted.  The power window regulators wouldn't move.  I started with the trusty old volt meter on the wiring.  Checking the whole thing out, I found the power window relay is bad.  Bypassing that to ensure the rest of the wiring was okay and the motors ran, I still couldn't get the motors to turn.  I checked the voltages on the connectors at the motor side, and... I had the right voltage.  It looks like the wiring is fine.  It means that the power window motors aren't so good.  Now I've got to replace the power window motors again (I have done that a couple of times already), and hope it's not a mechanical bind with the regulator.

So... I started out expecting the whole car was going to "blow up" from something being shorted out, and found out the opposite is true - the wiring is great, some components connected to it, not so much.

While I was at it, I decided to try an electrical pop-up headlight conversion.  I had obtained a couple of 1995 Ford Probe headlight motors from a junk yard.  I slapped them up to the battery, and they worked perfectly.  They have about the same throw as the C3 Corvette, so I'm in great shape.  Some others had done this conversion in the past, and I borrowed their process - I cut some brackets, soldered some wires together so that the motors work in tandem (and put heat shrink tubing around that), and bolted them in place.  I still have yet to adjust them (I'll need finished headlights), and I still have yet to finish the circuits, but I'm close.

At this point, here's the list of things to do :

1. Replace power window motors and relay (can only find that through mail order services [sigh]).
2. Adjust door glass
3. Install door mirrors
4. Install door panels
5. Install A/C ducts
6. Install dash panels
7. Get headlight units painted and installed
8. Complete circuit (two diodes and battery wiring) for the pop-up motors
9. Install rear speakers/amplifier
10. Ensure fluids are in the car
11. Actually try to start it

It's amazing that I'm that close - and yet it's taking me so long to get there.  I will continue to work when I can, though.