Author Archives: RussD

Electrical 12: Dash It All!

Previous: Electrical 11: Connections Evolved looked at tools, techniques and wiring for electrical. A few weeks ago I went to dinner in the Imperial. It was dark by the time we left, making this the first time to drive the … Continue reading

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Electrical 11: Connections Evolved

After (finally!) getting the alternator and voltage regulator straightened out in Electrical 10: 2 Bad let’s look at some of the tools and techniques used. My approach to making electrical connections has evolved significantly. This will be familiar to many … Continue reading

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First Imperial Ice Cream Run!

With First Cruise Night! under my belt it was time for the next adventure. One of the classic excuses for driving a classic car is to go get ice cream. Saturday (yesterday) was a beautiful day so she who must … Continue reading

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First Cruise Night!

Despite some of the issues covered in the previous article Electrical 10: 2 Bad the Imperial was drivable – so time to drive it! One of the reasons for getting the Imperial was to participate in car related events like … Continue reading

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Electrical 10: 2 Bad

In the last article Electrical 9: Up Gauging we largely finished upgrading the Imperial wiring. But the story wasn’t done. Bypassing the ammeter leaves no way to know the state of the charging system, so I planned to add a … Continue reading

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Electrical 9: Up Gauging

In Electrical 8: RTFL I fixed a stupid mistake in connecting the new wiring harness, allowing me to get back to things that actually improve the car. I’ve described how much of the original factory wiring is too small and … Continue reading

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Electrical 8: RTFL

After finishing the headlights in Electrical 7: Headlights it was time to track down why the heater blower motor wasn’t working. The symptom was a blown fuse as soon as I pressed any of the heater buttons. No power means … Continue reading

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Doing the (mini) Splits

After much discussion the time came to properly heat and cool the workshop. I’ve spent the last couple of years researching the options and concluded that the best solution was a mini split heat pump. Mini splits are known for … Continue reading

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Cruisin’!

Previously: Electrical 7: Headlights When we last saw the Imperial it was running great on a short test drive. It was now time for a serious drive! I started out slowly, driving around the block while watching the gauges and … Continue reading

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Electrical 7: Headlights

Electrical 6: I Need Power! described the installation of the new fuse/relay box and rough wiring. The next step was to complete the headlight wiring by installing a Weather Pack 4 pin connector on the new wiring harness. I may … Continue reading

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