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Project Manx Giveaway Part 5
Getting Wired
March, 2009
By VW Trends Staff
Photography by VW Trends Staff
When we last saw the VW Trends Project: Meyers Manx giveaway car, it was at Steve's Buggy Service, in El Cajon, Calif. Steve had called us to let us know that he had been a busy man, and that the bolted-on body was ready for wiring. He had mounted the body, attached the roll bar and was wondering what we wanted him to do next. We were very fortunate in making the acquaintance of Allen Johnston, one of the owners of Thunder Works, in Santee, Calif. We had originally anticipated just using one of the commonly available buggy wiring harnesses, and there is nothing wrong with them. But, when Allen volunteered to make us a scratch-built, custom wiring harness for the Manx, we thought, well, why not? Our Meyers Manx giveaway winner deserves the best we can give him, and Thunder Works is the best, so let's go for it! So, Steve Widdowson towed the Manx over to Thunder Works, and wiring guru Chris Freeman went to work. A word about Thunder Wiring--they don't just wire buggies. They can wire anything and are equipped to do anything to anything, whether it be a high-buck Street Rod, a Vintage 100-point restoration, a GPS system in a new S.U.V., a complete re-wire of a mega-dollar, off-road race truck; you name it; they can do it. Stereos. Battery charging system upgrades. Security systems. Custom design and fabrication. Mobile electronics truck, for we-come-to-you wiring jobs. You get the idea. These are just a few of the things I saw going on in the course of the two days Chris took to give us a wiring harness to be proud of.  |  When we towed the Buggy to...  When we towed the Buggy to Thunder Works, this is what Chris had to start with. He immediately went to work on the engine area, getting everything ready for the initial fire-up of the engine. |  Chris relies extensively on...  Chris relies extensively on vinyl sheathing and shrink-wrap tubing to make a permanent, weather-proof connection. |  These little hangers are epoxied...  These little hangers are epoxied to the body, and make it a simple affair to attach some of the different wiring looms to the body to keep them out of harm's way. |  Once Chris has all the wiring...  Once Chris has all the wiring ready to go from the engine and taillights forward to the dashboard area, he wraps the harness with the vinyl sheathing and begins to fish it through the round tubular braces. |  Chris uses a standard Thunder...  Chris uses a standard Thunder Works harness diagram, that always uses the same color, whether it is for our Manx, a re-wire of an off-road racer or a boat. That way, he knows in an instant what that blue wire with the white stripe is for without having to write the diagram. He has done this so many times, he has the colors memorized! |  The voltage regulator was...  The voltage regulator was mounted behind the driver, where it can be accessed easily, if need be. |  There is a lot of test fitting,...  There is a lot of test fitting, then crimping, or soldering, and then heat shrink tubing use to make a custom harness such as this one. If you are adventurous, you could do this at home, but I suggest that you have a fundamental understanding of automotive wiring systems and all the proper tools and materials, before you tackle a job such as this. |  |  Next, we move to the front...  Next, we move to the front of the car, where the horn, front turn signals and headlights are wired up and run to their respective switches. Added were several extra wires for additional accessories. |  Chris made a custom fuse box...  Chris made a custom fuse box for the Meyers Manx. As I said, these guys are professionals; they do the job right the first time. |  Another nice touch is the...  Another nice touch is the Weatherguard connectors used between the main harness and the dash, so removal of the dashboard, if it ever becomes necessary, will be able to be done with ease. |
Chris now attends to the speedometer,... Chris now attends to the speedometer, so that the oil pressure light, charge light, turn signal indicator, fuel gauge, high beam indicator, and illumination will work properly. The speedometer is also wired using a connector, so that just the speedo can be taken out, if it ever becomes necessary.
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