After finally working out the connections for the dash from the cockpit harness and then finishing all the engine bay stuff and rear lights I connected the battery for the first time.

Big moment and although there were no bangs fizzing or smoke there was an immediate problem. Even with the key out there was power being fed into the dash instruments. Bugger! A phone call to Dave Brookes and we went through all the column switch connections and there wasn't an issue here. Scratching my head I phones Martin from ECS (Dax loom supplier) and we managed to at least narrow the problem down to a single circuit. After methodical checking of the instrument wiring I found the issue which turned out be the fuel gauge wiring. Somehow id managed to get the live and feed wires the wrong way round and the live was then back feeding the instruments. Switched them and all was well. Thank goodness for that!

Everything works (that is wired in). Switched the heater on and got covered in fibreglass dust! Also discovered the parking ramp for the wiper motor needs reversing.....

Turned over the engine and again all good. Getting closer to first start!

Updates!

Been a while since I updated the blog...... Not that there has been a lack of progress on the car however.

Coolant system all plumbed in. I modified the lower stainless pipe from Dax by shortening it by about 3 inches. This then allowed the pipe to run over the cross-member instead of below it as per the manual. Given the lack of ground clearance i didn't want it dangling below the chassis. Fortuitously this was made easier as Dax had given me the wrong part - again by supplying a DeDion pipe instead of an IRS.

For any who are scratching their head about this as I was, the pipe run goes:

Upper - Thermo housing into about 6 inch rubber straight pipe into straight stainless (Dax Supplied) which i shortened by about 8 inches. Then runs into 45 Degree bend, straight joiner and into a straight reducer onto the rad (38 to 35mm).

Lower - 90 Degree elbow from water pump outlet into shortened Dax stainless lower pipe and finally into 90 degree reducer to rad.

Fan thermostat also wired in.

I picked up my Exhausts and Headers from Dave Brooks in April and have one side fitted(the more difficult drivers die due to the brake servo restricting access). Loom is now in including middle and rear sections but I still need to fix it down properly. All connections with the exception of the column stalks are done from the engine bay through to the boot including the instruments.

Servo heat shield and shielding for the brake line that runs under the drivers side header completed.

Heater fitted (this was a total pita!). Still have run the ducting although it is attached to the heater itself.

Ballast resistor, ignition coil and distributor are all in and wired up.

Front and rear lights are now all wired in.

Instruments fitted to dash in-lay and wired.

Still a long list of jobs to do but progress is progress!

Engine In!

After a failed first attempt - a standard engine crane doesn't have a long enough arm (by about 3 feet!) a second crane was hired. The use of an acroprop between the two of them was employed with the engine suspended in the middle. The car was the pushed forward and the cranes lowered accordingly. Very stressful but we got there in the end! Massive thanks to Dad, Russell, Matt, Harry and Andrew for all your help.

Point to note...... Don't spellcheck your blog and fix said problems as it throws out the time line - hence the below post is out of sync!

Lesson learned Jimbo!

Handbrake and other little jobs.....

Bolted in the handbrake and connected it up. Needs some adjustment caliper end but all working as should. I went for the original XJS handbrake as I prefer it to the DAX drilled version. It's also about a third off the price!

Clutch Master cylinder now in place along with pedal box final fitment. I've ordered a brake flaring tool to change the union on the rear brake line to an M12. On reflection I've also ordered a brand new master cylinder to go with the new servo - can't put a price on safety and all that! Reservoir is now bolted in place so final fitment of the lines and hoses will be done soon. I've then got to make a heat shield and bleed the brakes.

Steering Column

Another adventure into the land of "ah this doesn't seem to fit!". In Dax's defence their original design for the 427 was to use a Mk1 Sierra column, as it stands these are now about as easy to find as the perverbial rocking horse sh@t and I have the column from a later model which is an adjustable unit.

I met up recently with a top bloke by the name of Peter Jones. Pete is an active member of the UK Cobra club and has been building these cars for years. Like me he eventually got pissed off with dealing with poor quality, Ill-fitting components from the manufacturer and designed a number of his own along with replicating and improving on other original items. One such bit is the bracket that holds the column to the scuttle hoop. The original Dax item is a woefully thin mild steel affair that frankly you can bend with your hands. Pete's version is nearly 3mm thick stainless and looks like it will survive being sat on by a rhino! Sold!

First issue with the column is that being adjustable it is thicker around the outside than the non adjustable one. This means that the bracket is not wide enough when the bolts are in to clear. Some swearing and later calmer ingenuity resulted in the adaption of the brackets that bolt onto the column. By welding on the horns you can see in the picture the bolts now sit below the column and allow the whole assembly to be fitted. Quite pleased with this one and got to do some welding too!

Trial fitted rear lights. I dont like the huge Lucas 691/2's so went for the smaller glass 488 lamps and i'm pleased with the result. I'll still need the larger ones at the front to get around the IVA issue of the lights having to be at a set height though.

Windscreen is now bolted in......

Finally after spending an age labelling up the loom i ve started to get the front part run. Ive run the entire length in the engine bay through convoluted tubing/conduit for added protection and P clipped the whole thing to the underneath of the bonnet recess. The result is pleasingly hidden and out of site with only the drop outs for the alternator etc being visible which you can just see bottom left of the above photo. The rivets in the bonnet recess will then be covered by the rubber supports for the bonnet.

Relays where mounted on a suitably thick piece of ally and then bolted to the scuttle hoop. Ive also cut the hole in the bulkhead for the fuse box which is then accessible from the engine bay.

Now that the front loom is in I can get the engine in - Happy days!