So it's been a couple weeks and I haven't really accomplished anything lately. Funds are kind of low lately. While I've waited for my bank account to recover I've been doing random things here and there. The roll bar was sent out to be stripped and powdercoated and I should have it back tomorrow. Aside from seats and harnesses that is the last major interior component so I've been working to get everything else put back together.
Since I've removed the rear wiper and cruise control I was left with a couple holes in the instrument cluster surround. There are OEM panels that plug these holes but they're NLA so once again I turned to my sheet of .025" aluminum and made some block-off plates. A little primer and paint later and this is what I've got:
The little rectangular panel blocks off the hole where the rear wiper indicator light was. The roud panel plugs the hole where the knob the controlled the rear wiper was. The last panel is hard to see but it's to the left of the windshield wiper window and that's where the cruise control sat. Doesn't look too bad.
Next I decided to finally finish the center console. The biggest challenge here was finding a way to mount the radio. No in-process pictures here; just the final product:
It's not perfect but it works for me. I ended up assembling everything like three times. The first time I installed the radio upside-down. The second time I wasn't getting any response out of the gauges when I powered them up so I figured I pulled or pinched a wire. I got everything together a third time and the gauges now responded but only one was illuminating. If I turned on the lights then switched on the power they would all light up, but as soon as I turned them off then on again I'd only get one. My battery is only outputting ~9.5V so I'm really hoping that is the cause and not that my gauges have crapped out.
I should have the roll bar in tomorrow so I can finally bolt the interior back together. Then it's back to the engine bay to wrap up some wiring. I want to get the front bumper back on so I can clear up some more space in the garage. I'll never hear the end of it if my wife has to park outside when it's snowing...