'66 Sunbeam Minx Project - F20C/6sp/4-link/Discs...

[Frizzle Fry]

Took a little break from metal manipulation this week to play with an idea I've been brewing - gotta just roll with the ADD inspired motivation sometimes...

I converted my OG speedo from manual to electronic.

Took it apart and added the needle actuator from the Acura RSX-S cluster (extra actuator shown at bottom of 1st image):














Surface mounted a jack on the RSX cluster PCB to enable remoting of the actuator:


I found a nylon nut for that upper stand-off after this shot was taken:

[Frizzle Fry]

...and the end-result:




Now the real question: Does it work? I'll find out after a lot more wiring work is done...

and thanks again to my awesome helper

[sleepertruck72]

I hope it works for you Nice work !

[wancosc356]

Wow! U aren't afraid to jump into anything and everything are you? That car is cool and that motor/trans. swap is gonna be sweet. Keep at it and good luck.

[Frizzle Fry]

Thanks gents By the way if my math is right, the indicated speed will be almost exactly 50% of actual with this setup. So I'll have to get the face reprinted to 180 MPH (not that I expect/want it to reach that ) I'll also have some adjustment available via the AEM EMS.

[watahyahknow]

i allways wondered why people DIDNT do that , 9 out of 10 times the gauges bolt up to the facia without adapting
its useful when you put another cluster in the truck like an impala dash

[Frizzle Fry]

More gauge work:

With only three holes in the cluster I had limited options for adding a tach. I also HAD to have speedo, fuel level, H2O temp, and oil pressure. Five gauges in three holes means multi-gauges or cutting additional holes (no).


Since the OG cluster came with a multi, but only used one of three slots I went with that style. It had oil, water, and amps. I needed oil, water, and fuel and happend to get lucky enough to find one on ebay from a MG, Morris, Austin, AC...


The only visible difference from the Sunbeam/Hillman style was the center "button" and needle color. That was easily fixed:




This looks much worse than it is because of the flash.


Now the center cluster hole is freed up for a 52mm tach

Here's what's on the way for that. I'll try to use the Minx bezel and needle. Maybe re-silkscreen too:

[Sub-versive]

Very nice!

[hgs_notes]

I'm sure glad I found this board and then found build threads like yours and LFD's and many others that always have some cool detail or mod that I wouldn't have thought of on my own.

[Britain Smith]

Nice work man...

-Britain

[dammitmitchell]

just another annotation....
show off..
hahahhaa

damnned good work brother

[Frizzle Fry]

Thanks guys. Just been doing some odds and ends. Made an EGR block-off plate last night. Haven't been motivated to grind for 2hrs which is what I need to do next on the driver's side frame mod. Probably get to that this weekend.

[Mil-Spec]

FF you definately got "Mad Skeelz"

Questions about your guage setup:

Are you going to use any other functions of the later model instrument cluster PCB?

Also that PCB was originally mounted in an enclosure with in the dash, how do you plan to mount it in the Minx's dash and you plan to conformally coat it?

And lastly, is the RS-232 connector isolated from the PCB? I see you're using nylon washers on one side but on the other the connector's metal case looks asthough it's sitting directly on the PCB, straddling 2 copper planes as well as several smaller traces. The reason I mention this is that vibration could cause the connector's conductive case to scratch through the solder mask and ultimately causing a short.

Potentially causing you problems and headaches.

[Frizzle Fry]

Hey there Mil-spec. First, Thanks Second, why would anyone switch from Air Force to Navy???

Other functions of the PCB. Yes, I plan to build a board to remote mount many of the indicator LEDs and LCD.

I will mount the PCB high under/behind the dash inside the plastic enclosure. It has fairly flat front/back covers. The front cover includes the Acura gauge faces that no one will see.

The 9-pin DSUB connector (often used for RS-232) mounted to the board is not the one shown in the vice with soldered wires (that's the gauge side). The one on the board has crimped/inserted pins and a plastic section/pin-housing protruding from the back side, which is what comes close to touching the PCB but is actually held off the board by the stand-offs.

I'll get some close-up shots of that for ya.

[Frizzle Fry]

Here you go Mil-spec. What do you think?


Got the 52mm tach and stuffed it in the hole just to see how it looked (tilted back in the hole, not secured):




Looked pretty sweet IMO, but the non-matching bezel and curved glass would bug the crap outa me so...






It took a lot to get that bezel on there, but it was worth it. There is no lense in the pics. I need to have one cut because the fuel gauge lense was too small. I still need to mod the needle to resemble the others and get rid of the dolphin logo.

[jb1016]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

It took a lot to get that bezel on there, but it was worth it. There is no lense in the pics. I need to have one cut because the fuel gauge lense was too small. I still need to mod the needle to resemble the others and get rid of the dolphin logo.

It's the little perfectionist touches like this that keep me hooked on your build threads, FF. The script on the valve cover is a nice touch too.

[Frizzle Fry]

Also got some grinding done.
Before:


After:


...and the most fun area (still need to add the filler strip and grind/smooth the back half)

[Twisted Minis]

Looking awesome.

[Sub-versive]

Originally Posted by Twisted Minis

Looking awesome.

Keep it up!!!

[hgs_notes]

There is an article in this months hot rod about the sunbeam tiger. I found an older article on their web site, but not the current one. Imagine, you could have had a V8!

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicl...ger/index.html

[Frizzle Fry]

Yes, I could have had a V8 ...for far less money too. But then it would just be yet another V8 swap. Believe it or not this little Honda 4-banger, which is basically 1/2 of their formula one V8, makes more power than the Tiger's Ford V8. The tiger's power plant made 164HP and later 200HP. The F20C makes 240HP in factory trim. Yes, low end grunt is lacking compared to the V8 but in a light car with proper gearing the lighter, higher rev'ing F20C will be nuthin but grins in a straight line as well as in the twisties.

[watahyahknow]

dont forget the boatanker weight that you now dont have over the front wheels this little car will actually go around a corner

[GmtGmt]

This is just wrong in so many diffrent ways

you have some amazing fab skills wish i had these skills
this is a very very cool project you have have

[MP&C]

Awesome build with amazing attention to detail..

My nephew has an S2000, that drivetrain in there will make one bad ass daily driver...

[tdave00]

Serious attention to details on those gauges. Great job.