Started with wanting to remove the air bag harness, then I moved the fuse box to the glove box, then the relays, and then the other fuse box. The fuse/relay box in the engine compartment was moved to the inner RF fender. Along with purge valve and I am making a tiny charcoal canister to shove in there. Just for smog reasons with CA. I want all that just in case I ever get pulled over. Still lots of work to do. Making progress.

Crappy iPhone and cell phone pics...sorry

 

Hope you car runs when you're done.

 

Lifting the MX5? (looks at box in first picture)

 

so you have to take off the fender to change a fuse?

 

oh no.
im sure you feel that you are capable, but that looks scary. no grommets means 3000km before you are redoing it.

and i would never mount a fuse box, ignitor, etc in the fender.


i do admire however how you mounted the fuse box and the ignitor... most people just let it flop.

 

The last thing I would want is to have to remove my fender to just either check / or change a fuse.

 

That area of the fender does get wet, you may want to consider that. Also don't forget grommets and loom.

 

It gets VERY wet. I made some splashes to follow the contour of the fender and attached using the hidden bolt near the door. Needed these after removing liners and driving through torrential rain one time and a lot of water came in through the front of the doors.

 

The car is a summer time only car, but the inner fenders will be going back in. So I am hoping it stays relatively dry in there. I have grommets, I have yet to install them cause I still have some more wires to feed in and out of the holes. I have been wondering if I should stick it all back in a loom. Still debating that.

The fender comes off pretty easy and I have never had a fuse blow out of that fuse box (fingers crossed). Everything works so far, the only thing I havent been able to check is if the car will actually run. But I think it will fire right up. All the lights, turn signals, wipers, fuel pump, etc are all working. ECU and ignitor have power, and the motor cranks. But I'll see when I get my head back.

The box had axles in it, just what the guy shipped them in.

 

You're a retard and I banged your GF.

 

I've since cut the front hidden bolts to allow for quicker removal of the fenders. Bumper does not have to be loosened while removing now. Just a slip on at that area.

 

Summer car only or not, I would definitely never mount a fuse block inside the fender. Let alone the fact that IF a fuse does blow, you'll have to remove the fender just to get to it. Easy or not, its not as easy as popping the hood. Esp if it happens away from home on the side of the road in bumblefuck.

Lots of work to skip out on looms and grommets as well. Good initiative, but not the best idea IMHO.

 

The week after I said my car would never see water again, I had to drive in snow. Then, it rained on the way home from the dyno.

And I have a DD so this was just **** luck.

 

Whats so great about looms if they arent wrapped all the way with tape? They just let any and everything in them. I pulled the loom off of the COPs harness that I bought second hand to discover oil, grit, and water all in it. And grommets take a whole 2 seconds to install. Like I said, I am waiting until I know I am finished pulling wires through to put them in.

The biggest problem I see is if I get into an accident. But if thats the case I dont really care, it can all be fixed unless the car is totalled. And living in Northern CA I dont get any snow and when its summer its summer. No rain, just hot dry days.

 

If you don't want to loom, you could just take it one step further and strip the insulation off the wires to save weight.

 

its gonna get wet in there....maybe if you seal the fuse box better and wrap the ignitor in something you'll be ok. Your engine bay will LOOK amazing though.

 

I wrap anything I loom with tape. No point in putting the wires in a loom without sealing it up. Grommets do only take a minute to push in, but your likely to rub without them.

To me, the whole wires getting wet talk isn't as big of an issue as having to take a fender off if you pop a fuse. At the same time though, you never know when you'll end up getting wet. Even if your not planning for it.

I'm not saying that it wont look **** when its done, but I think its a risky move putting it behind the fender like that.

 

Looms. In the least, they provide strain relief and abrasion protection.

Norcal. Superior in every way to SOCAL. Speaking of which I will be in Santa Clara all next week.

LOL that's a great idea.

Seriously, if you don't want to loom you could always just fill the fender with Great Stuff expandable foam so all your wires stay in place. Or silicone caulk

 

You can't seal that stuff up either- condensation pwns u. One of the reasons that stuff is in the engine bay is for the heat.

 

for the amount of work a wire tuck consists of, why would you do it without grommets, wire loom, or tie downs, and why would you make it MORE difficult to access when (yes when) something goes wrong?