Manx Club

Ya know when you start a project......you get all excited with each new milestone. Checking out what you have, what you are going to do, how you are going to do it? Everything's going well and you wonder what it's going to take to slow you down? Well this has me slightly concerned.

Ewwwwwww. That doesn't look real user friendly , does it? Remember, if it all works, DON'T MESS WITH IT!!!! There is always another winter.

Everything works.....but I don't think I can live with that. The tow'd has little room under the dash and the wires are literally bursting out. The frame really needs some paint and the dash needs to be addressed so I hope to take some notes and pictures and then rip it out. Can't be too hard, right?

When I did our buggy, I took 2 weeks and traced and labeled every wire. Any wire I was in doubt of, I took a meter to and traced the curcuit all the way through. Yes, it's a pain, but WELL worth the time. Just go slow, and be patient. The results are a trouble free electrical system, and many hours of pleasurable buggy riding.

Wiring a towd is easier than wiring a buggy, but I would never call wiring easy. I know you have guages and all, but that is ALOT of wires. Good luck and if you get hung up I'll help if I can!

I am afraid I know what you mean, When I brought my Tow'd home a year ago this month I unhooked it from the truck drove it into the garage and within a week it was down to a bare frame (much to my wife's suprise) So a year later and way too much money all I have left is wiring, brake lines and about 50 misc. items. I will have it done by Lone Pine in May one way or the other. Good luck

Rip the old wiring out and start over with new, flexible, uncorroded wire. You will be able to use a fuse panel with fuses you can buy at any gas station, new switches that won't fail when you really need them to work and most of all you will be able to troubleshoot electrical issues because you will know how it's wired. Take care of it now so it will take care of you later.

The good news is a lot of that birds nest is for stuff that is no longer on the buggy. I'll probably take some time and label the terminals before ripping it out. I have never wired a voltage regulator before so that will take some investigation. Besides that, It is just VW gauges, vw locking and ignition column and a VW gauge. I agree, when it is time to rewire, it should be pretty easy with everything in front of me. The real job is going to be cleaning and painting the frame. Not enough rust to be concerned, just enough to make every nut and bolt a PITA.