The Key to Saving Money

It has been rare in this project for something to cost less than expected.

Since the first day when I was just looking at vans.  When I tried to start the engine that first time, I realized there was an ignition key problem.  After I bought it and a few weeks of driving, I had it’s tricks down.   By jiggling or very careful maneuvering I could get it to turn, if not right away usually within less fifteen seconds.  …Usually…   A few times it took longer.  Those were nervous times.  Fixing it, I figured, would require changing out the ignition slug in the steering column.   I don’t do that greasy hand work I hire it done and I just haven’t felt like I had the money.   A little bit of research told me it was at least a two hundred dollar job.   …But I had a laundry list of fixes as well so knew it could expand to five hundred or more pretty easy.

Still though I was worried.  I knew someday no amount of jiggling was going to fix it and I would be stranded. I knew also, given my luck, it would be a day it was super hot and muggy, on a black parking lot and that I had The Wife with me.

So I continued to research.  One thing kept popping up.  Not that it was the ignition slug as I thought but instead it was a worn key instead.  That seemed really implausible but by coincidence, I was walking by a key shop on my way to lunch this day and so I stopped in to talk to them.  I described the problem to the guy behind the counter and asked him what he felt the odds were a new key could fix my problem.  He said “Eh, about 90%”

Well thems bettin’ odds. I went for it.  Four hours and forty seven dollars later I was sliding a new key into the ignition.  It worked like a charm.  Wow!   $200 saved!   I can say that because I needed a spare key anyway.  

This past weekend it was raining all weekend.  I took the opportunity to have a look at the mess of wires in the floor to ceiling shelf.   If you remember, when I am building I leave the wires long.  I like having the flexibility of being able to mount something in some new location if the original one didn’t work out because of a plan change.   Once a certain tipping point is achieved though, things have to start to lock in.  Once I get enough things permanently mounted, I go back through and shorten up the wires.   Is it more work?  Sure it is.  You are essentially wiring the van twice with doing all the work of loosening wires from switches and cutting.   When I am doing the final wiring I am also using spade lugs on all the wires.  Soldering them onto the wire in the case of the solid core mainlines going back to the main fuse panel.

The before photo

I added a couple of buss bars, one positive and the other negative.   This allows me to build a sturdier, less trouble prone, wiring setup than if I had just used wire nuts.  I also joined the wire into bundles and zip tied them.   As a group I could then make the nylon wire loops I put around the wires and screw into the wood of the floor to ceiling shelf, more efficient.   And darn it, it just looks prettier with all those square corners and straight lines in the wire.  

When I am all done with this I will put some 3/4 blocks in a few various spots as spacers.   Then I will put 1/8” plywood over the whole mess, attached with some screws in case I need to get back in there again.   …I hope I never have to get back in there again…