Anyhow you can see here I got the batteries in their respective positions, and the best news is that the ones in the back battery box I built actually FIT! You can do all the measuring you want, and still feel reasonably confident that you did the measuring correctly. But until it's time to put the pieces together, it seems like anything could go wrong.
I am replacing all of the light bulbs since I am also switching over to 12volts, as it was originally a 6 volt system. So I replaced the headlights, and while I was at it I swapped out the old headlight rings for new ones and installed the "eyebrows" just cuz. Makes the car look stoned. Or sleepy. Looked as if the parking lights in the headlight housing had not been used in years, as the connecting wires to them had been cut and wrapped up. So put in new parking lights and hooked them up. Also had to get new headlight springs, as the old ones had rusted so much, they didn't have much spring left in them. These are more like clips that work with a spring like action to hold the sealed bulbs in place, and also the assembly to the headlight ring. Also added new rubber seals from body to headlight.
Then went through the process of replacing the rubber seals and bulbs for the front turn signal indicator lights. These little deals are more involved than you would think. Not just a seal, but under the signal the seal holds the wire that connects the light inside a rubber tube that seals to the chassis. So I had to remove the light assembly (no easy feet, lots of rust and had to break two nuts off of the screws, drill out the screws and install new ones) then rethread the old wire (after cutting off the spade connector), and install a new new spade connector on it in order to attach it back to the assembly. Just more time consuming than I expected. The seals on the back turn signal lights look a lot easier since there is no rubber hose portion to it. I pulled off the passenger side back signal housing today only to find that the bold holding it in is rusted and stripped from the top. Looks like more extra work, but I'll save that for after xmas.
Below are all of the cables I finished making today that will connect the batteries. I have the front battery connectors installed, just need to get the back seat box batteries connected, and then connect the packs to the system. After double checking my wiring of course.
Happy holidays.
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