My 76' and I

[1_Car_Guy]

Entry 27: 8/13/2025

More progress: I got in my new steering wheel and horn assembly. I had to modify the horn cap (I had to shorten it on each peg by 3/8 of an inch to allow enough travel of the horn button). I also had to add two washers between the horn cap and steering shaft in order to aid in horn button travel. Without those modification the horn was sitting right up against the formula adaptor. I also finished painting the trunk pan and laid sound deadening.

I then turned my attention to the dash. I first patched a cut near where the radio resides that resulted from when someone tried to steal the stereo in the mid 1980s. I then did a deep clean with magic erasers with diluted pure simple green on the dashpad and aero bezel. Wow was there a lot of old Amor All absorbed in to that dashpad! I then painstakingly went through each switch with a combination of DeoxIT, and 400 grit sandpaper on each terminal. I also used clear plastic polish on the factory gauge crystals and did a general clean on everything before final assembly.

For a moment I was going to purchase Dakota gauges but I absolutely hate the look of LED lights. They are too modern and emotionless and look strange to me.

Instead, I salvaged each connection from the original harness (incase for some reason American Autowire doesn't supply those once I get the new harness). I also purchased a SW Trans. temp. gauge and SW Oil Temp. gauge. I bought an EGT gauge from Westach and kept my dad's SW Vacuum gauge around from 1972. It's a shame I couldn'tr find everything I wanted with the same bezel color (black with silver ring).

I made a radio delete panel from 16 gauge aluminum and a switch panel that mounts where the climate control used to be. Both switches on the switch panel are rated at 50 amps (one will override the electric fans and the other, the fuel pump). Each switch has an incandescent blue light that will illuminate when the switch is on. The other blue light will light if oil pressure dips below 15 psi.

The final blue light (nearest the oil temp gauge) will illuminate if oil temp gets above 190 degrees. I kept the red firebird and moved him down to the radio delete panel.

I also got all the exterior lights back on the car. I need to order up the truck lock so I can get the trunk back on the car, all hood latch hardware, new splash shields (since the ones I restored are for a 78 and not correct). I will also get the glove box back in there and probably call that good until next spring.

Then, it's Ls7 and T56 time.