[Jazzbass]

Who's the dummy you might ask? Well, friends, that would be your's truly. Here's the main fuse panel for the 944 that is in my garage right now:



This is what the main fuse panel of an 84 944 looks like when you're in the process of ripping the damn thing out of the car.

The back story: I told TD I'd help remove some unused wires in his engine compartment. Then we got in there and saw what there was - an absolute f**king mess. Stuff like this:



and this:



and this (sorry for the lack of focus, my DSLR doesn't have live preview):



In that last picture, you can clearly see the problem with the gauges is the red wire .

So, after seeing that mess, we decided douse the car in gasoline, light it on fire and collect the insurance money. Seriously, we figured this thing was kind of screwed, since there's about 8 million wires going into the main fuse panel, half of them have been cut up and spliced, and things were just a mess.

Then, I decided to read the factory electrical manual a bit more closely - up until now I'd just been using it for the basic schematic. Turns out the factory diagrams are quite simply some of the best diagrams I've ever seen for a car. Not only do they give you the schematic of the system, but also the wire colors, routing, wire gauge, connector locations and pin out. Basically they tell you where every single wire should be.

With this info, we started fresh and decided to rewire the car. This is actually not too bad because:

1. the DME and engine management wiring are almost completely segregated from the rest of the harness. The only real exception is the DME relay. We don't have to touch 80% of the engine wiring. Good times.

2. This is a race car so 80% of the other electrical systems (power windows, locks, sunroof, turn signals, lights, etc) have been removed.

So, I've gone in and designed a new fuse/relay panel and system switch panel with the goal of being easily accessible, simple, and reliable. This means:

• All new connectors. Most of what I'm using is either WeatherPack or MetriPack pro quality, weather sealed connectors. Not the kind of stuff you can typically get at the local auto parts store. None of the yellow/blue/red crimp on crap that vibrates and falls off.
• A lot of new wiring
• ATC type fuses in a new fuse block
• No in-line splices - all connections to a terminal block or connector

It should be a fun project. I already have the new system designed and a wiring diagram drawn up using Visio. All I need are a few more connectors (be here tomorrow) and time to rewire.

Oh yeah, while we're in their we're replacing the worlds ugliest gauge panel with something a little blingy-er:

[VaSteve]

Cool. Glad to have been there for the beginning. I'd love to see the final product.

[Gator_86_951]

I think this project would be great for one of those posters that has a single word. I think ambition is fitting!

I agree that the factory wiring diagrams are very very good.

[Eli]

Crap Chris, thought you were done. Good chance I'll see the car in your garage next time I'm in town...
Maybe I can trailer the "S" up we can do the re-wire side by side

[BlackTalon]

<tick tock> <tick tock>Y'all gonna be done anytime soon?

Looks like a complete f'ing nightmare! Good luck with it!

[Andy Clements]

WOW! First of all....I must commend Chris for his devotion to this project seeing as how it is a 944 and I'm sure he gets stomach pains even thinking about working on a FEWC.....and secondly it's TD after all!!!

That is an ambitious project no matter who you are....and I'm REALLY glad YOU are the one helping TD with that electrical abortion. I've spent enough time on my head perched up under the dash of a '44 to know that it is NOT fun and there is a nest of confusion even when it wasn't completely F*&%ED by the DPO.

Is that the NEW roll cage? Or the old one that is getting replaced?.....Who decided to weld plates to the floor pan??? Looking forward to seeing the DASH2 in action! Sooo.....is it going to be ready by March?

Nice work.

[TD in DC]

Yes, I am very thankful to Chris for helping get my wiring fixed (I am also thankful to those who helped that first day).

Saturday night at about 12:30 am was the low point. I was just nearly ready to junk the car and give up the track stuff . . . at least for now.

Sunday was much better, and now I am hopeful.

Chris really is going above and beyond the call.

That is the old cage, which Chris now finally knows well enough to understand why I swear everytime I get in or out of the car.

[Jazzbass]

Well, things aren't going too bad. The work itself isn't bad if you've spent time reading schematics and are comfortable with them (I am). BTW, the factory location of the 944 fuse box simply proves that Porsche engineers are sadistic. Put a roll cage in and wow what a PITFA.

Like I said though, this is much easier than a wholesale rewire of a normal car because most of the systems are removed and most of the stuff in the dash is gone. Lots of access. As for the first picture of the factory fuse box - the only thing I'm keeping in all of that is the DME relay. Everything else is being removed. In fact, the main fuse box is already out. Most of the past month has been planning, parts acquisition and design. In a project like this, the design phase is 70% of the work and is the real hard part. With a good design on paper, the "crimping the wire" part of the project is pretty simple and straight forward.

Updates will follow as they occur. The new wiring diagrams are almost done. I'm going to fab up the new fuse panel tonight or tomorrow. The wiring itself should be a one day job considering I've done all of the planning in advance. I have a lot of incentive to get this heap out of my garage ASAP - suspension parts for my car have started to trickle in.

[Trak Ratt]

Wow, awesome job! I know this project "crept" to where it is now, but still ARE YOU OUT OF YOU FORKING MIND?

[Jase007]

TD:

Why don't you stop f-ing around with that cage and "milwaukee" out the door bars [leave the A pillar], remove steering wheel and seat ... get the job done and get it to Piper ????

OR,

Leave the cage alone, milwaukee an access panel that is the entire driver's footwell area from front of seat to pedal cluster. Jack it up and access whatever the fuch you want in there ????

Just some thoughts.

*nice work Chris.