Okay guys this isn't for the purist......hmmm, how often have I said that in conjunction with something I've done? I guess I might add this isn't for the faint of heart. But, if you are into personalizations as Donald Healey (and Lin Rose) calls them.... and you are doing a complete rebuild.... then this may interest you.

I was needing a space to put all my electrical components and since I don't like crawling under the dash all that much I was looking for an alternative. This is what I came up with...
Electrical compartment project paper

The compartment holds the fuse panel (23 fuses), relays, radio, amp, fan controller, ECU for the efi, and a few other things. The cool thing is that you can access everything without getting on your back!....I like that.

Cheers,
Steve Thomton
1963 AH BJ7 Works rally replica w/efi

Hello Steve,

With much interest I had read your latest attachment. I can see clearly, that you have done a lot of thinking ( just like the other alterations on your website) to accommodate all components.

I like your website a lot with all the information mentioned.
I'am glad to see that your works rally replica project is that far already.

kind regards

Harry

Steve;
You have way too much time.......... and your wife is a saint!!
Great job and great web site.

Very nicely done. But aren't you going to miss that pit of your stomach feelig when your headlights go out, or your turn signals (if you can call them that)don't work at all because you found that your tie wraps broke and the front wheel wore the insulation of a couple of wires. Surely, you are still going to use those wonderful Lucas bullet connectors. A big Healey without the electrical gremlins...let me think about that for a while.

Very innovative and beautiful workmanship! But where will the tads ride?
Once saw a period Healey ad that referred to the jump seats as a perfect place for the "tads" to ride. Don't hear that word anymore.

Awesome project. I was thinking of something similar for my car. Something that could unplug and unbolt from the car in a few minutes, and the car is back to stock.

Regarding comments:

Jolly (Babakahawa).... Do you know my wife?....she is a saint to have put up with me for 41+ years.
Jon (Roscoe) ..... No bullet connectors!..all weatherpack!!... I guess I just don't have any sense of adventure!
HealeyRick..... I think if the "tads" are riding in the jump seats in today's world you'll find yourself in jail.
Legal Bill..... Yep, 8 bolts will remove it....ahh, but that'll never happen while I own it :-).

Thanks guys,
Steve

Hi Steve,

In case you (and others) haven't seen it and while I don't have anywhere near the level of electronics that you have, I mounted my electrical stuff on a spring loaded, swing down, panel behind the dash in front of the passenger.




I have also turned my useless jump seats into a large "glove box" to hold other "stuff".





Good Job on yours.

Tim

This is absolutely positively awesome... did you ever consider mounting the stuff under the seats - there is a huge amount of space under the rear seats between the tractor seat bottoms and the axle - certainly just having the seats with little gas lifters on them would keep it looking more or less original....

Tim, looks good ... but as you mention, I have quite alot of electrical things so needed more space.

Alan, that's a great idea if someone has just a few things like fuse panel and radio.... but as this picture shows, there really wasn't room below for all the stuff I was wanting. The cannister you see is my fuel filter....the gas shock conversion also took up some under panel space. I should note I trimmed off the long screws after this picture was taken....my this looks tacky :-).





Steve

I've got but two words to say about what you guys have done...wow and wow!

Can I come over an play? I've added some electrical items to my car too; nav, courtesy lights, computer speakers, volume control, etc. I've added inline fuses as I go. You can't see those fuses for their under the dash. But being we... you... are sharing how creative and the meticulous attention to detail that is so impressive, I'd like to share my protection system. Now don't get jealous. It is after all British engineering.

Cheers,
Roger

Steve, thanks for sharing. Great job!

Roger,
Do you actually use both of those fuses :-) ... or is one a back-up?

Really, I've been extremely impressed with your car. I just got my VW cupholder a few days ago (for those that haven't followed it, Roger and Lin did a piece in the Healey Marque in Oct. on this personalization)...and it's a typically over engineered German piece.... oh, and I love over-engineering! I've got the perfect place for it and will share the results when I get it installed. But, you started the thought process....then Lin did the bit for roadster dash. Thanks for all your contributions!

Cheers,
Steve

^That was a very good article! I enjoyed it. Not to take this thread too far off topic, Roger, but what were the speakers you had under the dash? Did you make those boxes, or find them somewhere?

Steve,
As always, a thorough write-up of your work. We all appreciate the care you take to cover all aspects of the project so that one has what is needed to replicate a task if desired.

Having seen this project in person, I can tell you that as good as the photographs are they do not do justice to the craftsmanship. A great plan and wonderful execution.

Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share it with the envious!

Cheers,

Lin

I would like to add an increased fuse junction box to replace the original 2-fuse box. Does anyone have a fuse box replacement that they used to replace the original with? I have a Toyota 5-speed so all of the overdrive stuff, kick-down switch and relay, is gone and there's a little more room for a larger fuse box.
Thanks,
Patrick

Let me piggy back off what Lin said... thorough write-up including photos.
Lin you're a luck guy for seeing it in person!
There's a big difference between showing what you've come up with and sharing the what you've come up with....with a detailed break down how-to including photos.
Great job!
Roger

I don't want to go off topic either, but wanted to reply.
The speakers are by Creative. GigaWorks T20. PC/MP3 stereo speakers.
Some where on the forum I think I wrote about these as an alternative to car speakers?
Roger

When I first made my spring loaded, pull down, electrical panel (picture in previous post), I used the metal end, glass, cartridge fuses.

As part of my current series of mods, I am switching to blade type fuses partly because they are much easier to find to purchase.

I am using fuse blocks similar to THIS -

One for always-on power and one (relay fed) for switched power.

Several companies make blade type fuses that have an LED built into the plastic body so that the LED lights up when the fuse blows giving you an indication of the blown fuse.

Tim

STEVE--

This promises to be an outstanding project showing true out-of-the-box thinking.

If I could make one suggestion: You pretty much know (or think you know)where the project is going whereas we do not and I would find it interesting to be able to view the project in its theoretical totality (even if only via preliminary drawings statements,etc. that might indeed eventually need revisions,etc) and then see it come together.

At the same time we might offer some input whether in the form of questions that just didn't occur to you or whatever--the point being that there is a tremendous collective potential that could be captured here.

I'm just beginning to do some final fitting to the hardtop of my 100 and that will leave room for sound system placement, speaker routing, 3rd brake light placement, etc. etc. I know I would gainn from your thoughts and perhaps just perhaps the vica might be versa.

Just a thought--Michael Oritt

Thanks to all for the codos and additional input on electrical panel issues.

Michael, I'm not exactly sure if when you say "view of the project in it's theoretical totality" whether you are talking about this specific project or the entire project i.e. whole car vision. If it's the entire car then the section on my website under About may be of some help. If it isn't complete enough let me know.

Project vision

If you were speaking of this particular project, the "electrical compartment", then it may be a bit more difficult since this was conceived and built quite a while ago. Usually, the write-ups for my projects are after the fact not while I'm involved with the design and fabrication. I'm sure you are correct that these projects could benefit from the collective thinking of this (BCF) group.... the projects just don't generally come together like that.

Thanks for all the input, I do appreciate it!
Steve