where is the best place to mount a fuse box on a manx?

froggie

Im building my first buggy and need to know where to mount the fuse box.
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65 one owner bug

funner than a bathtub full of fish hooks!

vincent9993 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:36 pm Post subject:

I mount mine under the dash on an aluminum plate with a pull down:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=399716
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I can offer better advice when you ask where to mount the fuel pump Wink

73SpeedBuggy · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:40 pm Post subject:

Hey Vince, which HID kit are you using and are you happy with it?
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Manxter #39 on a 1971 Pan
Turbo-charged Subaru EJ25D (DOHC)
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3923620/1971-volkswagen-beetle#

-Adam

vincent9993 · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:45 pm Post subject:

EVfun · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:15 pm Post subject:

It depends a lot on how you plan to wire the car. I recommend you do not wire your car predominately behind the dash. It is real hard to work under there as you can't open the car door to easily lay on the floor and look up. I recommend you wire the car across the top of the front firewall with the needed wires going in a bundle up to the dash. With that in mind, I recommend you put the fuse block at the top of the front firewall in a location that is out of the way of the pedals.

I mounted a 1959 Beetle 2 fuse block (headlight fuse block that is mounted by the gas tank in a '59) at the top left part of the firewall, well above and to the left of the high beam switch where my foot wouldn't hit it. I have a simple 12 volt system with one 8 amp fuse going to the ignition switch and from there to the ignition, turn signals and brake lights. The other fuse is 16 amps and has the headlights, tail lights and horn (things that can be turned on with the key off.)

Dale M. · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:35 pm Post subject:

I did all my wiring with hood off.... And put instrument cluster on long umbilical the I can pull out through dash opening (in fiberglass) and actually sit and seat and work on back of instrument cluster... But yes fuses are still on firewall....

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And yes its no fun to "go under" dash once its all complete... Fortunately only 1 blown fuse in almost 10 years....

Dale
_________________
Lives his life vicariously through his own self...
1970 "Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.

All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

EVfun · Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:52 pm Post subject:

That looks very nice Dale. I like the idea of a separate dash cluster so you can pull it out to work on it. After you wired it up in the pictures where you able to put the hood on and then pull the cluster through the opening too? In other words, can you both pull the cluster forward and slip it out from behind the dash?

I did my wiring behind the dash. I won't repeat that whenever I rewire it. The brake pedal makes a terrible head rest!

lostinbaja · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 4:27 am Post subject:

Here is my drop down fuse panel:

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There are more pictures of wiring in these links:

http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/Building-my-orange-Manx?page=1

http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/album224?page=2[/url]
_________________
Jerry...
If it's being towed, it must be a trailer!
The Southside Buggistas - Volkswagen & Kit Car Club
www.southsidebuggistas.com

RIP Morgan

My photos
http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/album92

JamisonWorkshop · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 5:47 am Post subject:

Fuse panel dead center.

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backbone above.

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umbilical cords for dash and hood.

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Dale M. · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 6:50 am Post subject:

BL3Manx · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:54 am Post subject:

I mounted the last one left of where the steering column passes through the body. I can reach it fairly easy from outside the buggy with no gymnastics.

I just used a small one with 6 fuses like this, I only have a VW speedo and 3 switches. Make sure your block uses the ATC/ATO type blade fuses, not the old ceramic ones.

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Gary0302 · Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 8:05 am Post subject:

Dale is right; having disconnects between the hood and the rest of the buggy wiring is a great idea, but it does take planning to get right. During my original build, I decided to take this route, and I am glad that I did. I have had to remove my hood at least twice to either check out or update components.

When I first started considering disconnects, I figured that if I installed floating wiring junction blocks it would be the best way to go. After giving the option more thought, I just decided to use individual quick disconnect blade connectors in most cases. Planning in advance can include the following ideas:

Wiring clusters can be bunched into several groups if needed, depending on where in the dash the components are located.

There may be a time where more than one component shares a wiring color with another separate component (some wires can even look the same similar color, especially in low light). On the dash wiring side, for example, confusion on which wire to connect can be simplified by installing a male blade connector on one wire, and a female blade connector on the other.

There must be more than enough extra slack in the wiring so that the hood can be slightly raised (without putting tension on the wires) in order to get to the disconnects. This slack should drape down below the dash, so that disconnect and reconnect can be easier (we all know what a pain in the butt it is to get under the dash in the first place). After removing the headlight nuts (I have enough slack so that the headlights just can hang out fo the way) and after removing the hood’s mounting bolts, along with removing the mounting screws and hose clamps for my centerfill gas cap, I get up under the dash and carefully cut the WHITE nylon ties (see below). I can then raise up the hood high enough so that I can slide in short 2 x 4 wooden blocks, once on each side of the dash, in between the dash itself and the steering column support. That way I can get to the disconnects much easier.

The wiring clusters up under my dash are all tied together in groups with BLACK nylon ties. When I am tucking away the slack after hood re-install, I use WHITE nylon ties, that way I know that those are the ones I can cut at a later date if I need to remove the hood again.

Also, for those that have dashes where the steering column is inserted in a hole in the combo dash/hood, it may be worth considering to just carefully cut the fiberglass/material just below the hole, so that the dash just slides over the column, as opposed to having to completely remove the column. My Berrien Buggy Nostalgia has a one piece hood and dash, and I made this modification midway through the build process. The steering column notch can be seen in the upper left hand corner of the photo.

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_________________
Gary Holbrook
East Coast Dune Buggies
Coastal North Carolina

"It's a buggy not a space shuttle...." Dale M.

Check out my skydiving, bungee jumping, and dune buggy videos on Youtube

lostinbaja · Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2012 8:26 am Post subject:

Three - 6 terminal Weather-Pak connectors should be all you need to unhook all the wiring between the dash and the rest of the car.
_________________
Jerry...
If it's being towed, it must be a trailer!
The Southside Buggistas - Volkswagen & Kit Car Club
www.southsidebuggistas.com

RIP Morgan

My photos
http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/album92

crashtestdumba$$ · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 2:01 pm Post subject:

[quote="JamisonWorkshop"]Fuse panel dead center.

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backbone above.

exactly what I did on mine. Same fuse panel. I was going to re run the terminated wires through the firewall with isolators. Each hole gets one wire. Its the telco wiring freak coming out...

where the frack is my wire wrapper??

EVfun · Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 5:12 pm Post subject:

The idea of having plugs for all the dash wiring is a good one, but more than I had in mind when I mentioned not wiring behind the dash.

My wiring goes from the left end of the front firewall following the bolts holding the bonnet to the body and then all the way under the dash from the left side to the right side and then to the back high up under the body on the right side. My primary light and switch connections are on spread out under the dash and tied into the larger bundle. This sucks when it comes time to make changes.

When I redo the 12v wiring I will run the wires from the left end of the front firewall up the left side and under the dash to make the connections. Then I will have the wires return the way they came, cross at the top of the firewall to the right side where they can follow the right hand bolts holding the bonnet to the body and meet up with the existing route to the back of the car. This way, I can unscrew the rings for the ignition and light switch and flip those back under the dash. I can pull 5 bulb holders out of the speedometer and let those drop back (better color code those), and finally unplug 3 wires for the turn signal switch and another wire for ground (this time at an easy to get to place, not up on one of the speedometer bolts.) This would allow me to easily pull the wiring harness from behind the dash. Not as easy as a plug, but easy enough. The existing wires would provide length info if I wanted to add something.

vincent9993 · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:42 am Post subject:

joescoolcustoms · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:44 am Post subject:

Tom_Kathleen · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:09 am Post subject:

Vincent - if you have to get under the dash, at least mount the seats so they come out easy so you can lie on the floor and have more room. That is almost as bad as a fuel pump that is hard to get at! LOL Tom
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Manxter #16, 1962 Manx & Kick-Out SS #16 (WIP)
Manx Club, CVA, SCCA & RBC

BL3Manx · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 10:27 am Post subject:

Or do something like this

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lostinbaja · Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2012 4:13 pm Post subject:

Why does everyone put all the electrical on the drivers side of the buggy, along with the steering column and pedals?
All my wiring flips down on the passenger side and is easy to access.
22,000 miles and I have never had to look under the dash.
_________________
Jerry...
If it's being towed, it must be a trailer!
The Southside Buggistas - Volkswagen & Kit Car Club
www.southsidebuggistas.com

RIP Morgan

My photos
http://www.manxgallery.org/gallery/album92

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