Westfield build, Mazda SDV

The rest of the Thursday evening saw work start on the dash. Here it is again in it’s original state:

First job was to cut the hole for the steering column. Fairly easy with a 22mm (I think, might be slightly larger) hole saw.

The dash is supplied oversize, so too tall and too wide. I trimmed it down to vaguely right with a rod saw – then slowly but surely filed it down to the right shape and size. Doing that must have taken an hour and a half but with the dashes not being made anymore, I had to be sure I wasn’t my usual incompetent self. Cycle wings certainly fresh in the memory!

Once I was happy with the shape I marked where the centre of my switches should be (in line with the gear stick), chose a nice height for them and cut out the rectangle for the main bank of switches. The last job was to drill the holes to bolt the dash on. I used 9 holes and fitted rivnuts into the scuttle.

This is how it was left at the end of Thursday. I had 2 hours on Friday afternoon to finish the car off before the MOT at 3 o’clock. I had to finish the dash and drivers side cycle wing. Nothing like cutting it fine.

Did I do it?

Of course I did – but the horn, heated screen and crash pad got ‘de-scoped’. I’ll fit them next week!

The four buttons are to control the functions on the dash. The eagle eyed also won’t notice (because the steering wheel hides it) that I’ve swapped the indicators for a normal switch. I found out on Wednesday that the indicators weren’t working. The control box (self cancelling Westfield unit) was getting 12v but it wasn’t sending it to the switch. Westfield sent me a standard toggle switch and if necessary that will be fine for the IVA. I have to send the control unit back to them.

Rather than drill holes in the inner face of the grill area I followed what most people do and siliconed cable tie mounts inside. The cable ties would then secure the grill and be out of view.

That passenger cycle wing looks more sorry every time I see it!

I’d previously drilled the cycle wing stays and marked the positions on the cycle wings. I then siliconed big head bolts in place.

I then fibreglassed over the top to hold them in.

In hindsight this was wrong. The silicone and fibreglass raise the point where the stays meet the wings and as the bolts are coming in at an angle they no longer line up. I should have done them in pairs. Ah well, maybe I’ll get some carbon wings over the winter and do them this way!

So with two bolts not lining up for toffee, they had to be dug out and holes drilled to use dome headed bolts. This was on Wednesday and I had an MOT booked Friday. Time was certainly against me! Unfortunately digging them out cause a little bit of damage so I made a patented electrical tape plaster.

I finally got around to investigating why the wipers weren’t working. It seemed the motor was getting 12v at the earth feed and this was going through and out of the inputs. This is because in the Mazda SDV build manual it’s how the wiring motor loom is spliced into the Mazda loom.

This is only incorrect if you’re not using the Mazda switch gear. If you’re using aftermarket switches, swap the earth and positive feed around (pins 1 and 4).

With the wiper motor working I clipped the wiper arms/blades on.

Unfortunately they seem to ‘best fit’ on the fillet slightly but this isn’t a problem.

Over the next couple of days I concentrated on fitting the interior. I’d tried to hold this off until the end but I got carried away. It was just the dash fitting left that would get the interior dirty anyway. Mr. Dyson can solve that!

First up, the passenger seat holes had to be drilled. There are already holes in the floor but the sport turbo has different runners which are slightly wider. Two new holes have to be drilled near the originals.

So with the right holes in the floor pan the carpets could be fitted. The rear carpet was first, then the finishing strip then the tunnel carpet. The tunnel carpet had already had the handbrake and gear lever gaitors sewn in thanks to my partner’s mum. Glad I didn’t have to do that! It just needed further trimming for the fuse box and where the rear loom comes through the tunnel.

Then the carpet under the seats. I initially used velcro tape to hold this down like the rest – then when I started running out I realised that wasn’t needed because the seats hold it in. Oops!

And then the footwell carpet.

Lastly the seats and harnesses found their way into the car. Had to tap out the harness bolt holes – would have been nice if Westfield could tap the holes out after powdercoating. Maybe they do, I did rush them on that front after all (picked up the chassis the morning it arrived back from the powdercoaters).

Quite glad I didn’t go for orange piping on the carpets as well now, think it’s just right on the seats only.