I mentioned in my book "22 cars and a boat" that everyone should have a list.
Fell free to name your list anything that motivates you to consider the list. Bucket list is a possible name.
In late 2021, I was considering myself a happy man. There were no hanging items on my bucket list....except maybe one.
Yep. You guessed it. Perhaps a vintage Rolls Royce might be beckoning. The road gremlins came at me one more time with
the ultimate challenge, an excessively complex motor vehicle never intended to be worked on, with no spare parts and little documentation.
So, it took about 20 minutes to source a staggeringly beautiful example outside Chicago. A 1979 Silver Shadow II
with original paint in a humorous two-tone that is unpretentious yet eye-catching.
The seller (DreamCarChicago) said it was a nice example. It wasn't perfect - needed a few things but fundamentally sound.
Perfect marketing speak. But who cares? It's the journey, right?
Deal done! See how pretty? Roslyn was in love at first sight.
Looks good. Too bad nothing works. This is going to take some creative engineering and fearlessness. Better roll up our sleaves and see what cards are really being dealt to our shop. In the end, there's no question that this will be Rex's Roller, like no other Roller. I'm making it up as I go, which is my power alley, in my mind at least.
Example 1. The dash.
Why is wiring such a common weak link in vintage cars? Just cut it out and toss it as far as you can. That's a workable solution. Forget about replacing the radio and compact cassette. Just start over, brother. Stand by. Videos tell the story. (coming soon).
Let me back up.
Here's a pic of the original radio setup.
Unfortunately, the radio didn't work, the cassette didn't work, no dash lights, no interior lights, no horn, no cig lighters. Is this one big problem or myriad little problems or a mix of both?! ha. Let's get crackin. After deciding that clean screens with maps and audio streaming were the way to go, there were some "adjustments" necessary.
This little video summarizes the process. Listen closely to a craftsman at work. "Do you know what you're doing?Voila. An after shot. And...drum roll.... most everything works!
The screens are reflecting the seat leather. I'll take a shot of the screens lit with Hill Billy rock music and a map of that long lonesome road to infinity next chance I get.