Rear Defogger Switch

One of the options my car did NOT come from the factory with was the rear defogger.  It sold for $27.  It involves a dash mounted hi/low/off switch, a blower mounted under the rear parcel shelf and ductwork that supplies air from the passenger compartment through the blower up onto the rear window.

I found the switch a few months ago.  I haven't bought the blower or the ductwork yet.  I think the rear parcel shelf may need to be modified or replaced to accommodate the blower.

Today I installed the switch.  I'm on a mission to get the car drivable again.  That means the dash has to go back in.  And the switch needs to go in first.  I figured this was a simple enough task to get done in a few hours today.

I was discouraged at first since there was no knockout in the instrument cluster to accommodate the switch.  So I hesitantly cut into the aluminum with my trusty Dewalt drill and jigsaw.  Some careful filing produced the hole for the switch.

I'll save the wiring for later when I have the blower.  Just glad to get even the little things done.

Windshield Washer Bottle

Last week while wrestling with some vacuum lines under the hood, I noticed that the windshield washer bottle was empty.  So I filled it to the brim.  It promptly poured out the bottom of the car.  Damn.

Two easy access bolts released the bottle.  It had a massive crack on the outboard side, not the side exposed to the engine heat.  Go figure.  Some knucklehead before me had tried to patch the crack with tape.  No way that was going to work.  The crack was about 4 inches long and a 1/2 inch wide.

I'd heard that these bottles were difficult to find.  But after an evening on ebay.com, caddydaddy.com and a few other sites I use for parts, I found not one.

Plan B.  Stopped by Pepboys and picked up a fiberglass repair kit.  The kit included the fiberglass cloth, resin, a stir stick and a plastic pan to mix the resin with some hardener.  Easy enough.

Two layers of fiberglass later and I was VERY happy with the repair.  The resin even cured to a color very similar to 44 year old washer bottle plastic.  I filled the bottle and let it sit on the counter overnight.  Unfortunately, it seemed to weep a bit, although I couldn't really tell from where.

Two more larger layers of fiberglass later and another overnight soak.  Zero leakage.

Overall, a very easy repair.  If the crack wasn't as large as it was, I don't think you'd be able to even see the patch.  I'm very happy.

Now to clear the fumes from the house before she gets home.

Back on Track...Hopefully

I'm embarrased to say I don't think I've even started the Eldo this calendar year.  That's just horrible.

So today I spent a little time in the garage with her.  I was afraid she wouldn't even start.  But after about ten seconds of cranking she fired right up.  I let her run on fast idle for about 30 minutes.

In that time, I checked all the tires, vital fluids, trunk latch, seat motors, antenna motor and headlight doors.  The power windows are out of commision until I rewire the driver's door.  The power door locks are half installed.  The dash is still on the roof.  The trunk is filled with parts, not the least of which include two very rare black leather buckets and the matching console.  Oh, do I have big plans.

For the first time I connected the A/C compressor solenoid wire and tested the operation of the compressor.  I've always knows the A/C didn't work properly, but hadn't even begun to worry about it.  At least the compressor turns freely with no noticable or objectionable noises.  The Freon charge could be completely flat, or worse.  A project for another day...

Next weekend I'm going to tackle the rewiring tasks.  It's not a very difficult task.  But it sure is tedious and time consuming.

I promise to write more often.

I need to get this car on the road!