Minion Missile - 1973 Colombian Patrol Project

Builds, refurbishments, restorations, upgrades

Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:34 pm

At first glance, the wiring in the minion looks to be in really good shape.
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Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:38 pm

Fuse Block
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Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:42 pm

Upon closer inspection, this looks to be either an unfinished low budget project.

At a minimum, it needs connectors and not electrical tape:
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There are dead ends everywhere:
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It seems like every wire is either yellow with an orange stripe, or red with a white stripe.. hmmmmm. I'm cheap, but this makes trouble shooting nearly impossible.


So, After looking at this, I decided that the minion deserves better.
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Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:46 pm

I decided to go with the painless performance kit (10102).
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What's really cool about this kit is that the wiring has the intended component laser printed directly onto the wiring. Seems pretty painless to me!
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I got some extra connectors and also decided to replace the engine grounding strap after inspecting the old one:
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Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:49 pm

This is going to take some time to do, but looks like it's pretty do-able for an accountant with virtually no mechanical/electrical skills. This past weekend, a couple of the minions and I fabricated a bracket for under the dash to hold the fuse block. I want it out of the engine compartment and didn't want to use up the glove box. I think there will be enough space, but we'll see how it goes.

Stay tuned for more updates.
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Postby RiverPatrol » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:02 pm

Great project. Definitely keep us posted.
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Postby zed » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:42 pm

mad4hws wrote:This is going to take some time to do, but looks like it's pretty do-able for an accountant with virtually no mechanical/electrical skills. This past weekend, a couple of the minions and I fabricated a bracket for under the dash to hold the fuse block. I want it out of the engine compartment and didn't want to use up the glove box. I think there will be enough space, but we'll see how it goes.

Stay tuned for more updates.


Uh-oh, another accountant on the Forum, I better get back to the Patrol project...we gotta show them engineers and mechanics how us pencil pusher can complete an assignment on time and under budget!
Keith :lol:
1969 Patrol L60
1965 Patrol L60 (parts provider)
1966 PL520
1970 240Z
1990 300ZX (sold 10/04/13)
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Postby mad4hws » Mon Jun 20, 2016 10:08 pm

zed wrote:
mad4hws wrote:This is going to take some time to do, but looks like it's pretty do-able for an accountant with virtually no mechanical/electrical skills. This past weekend, a couple of the minions and I fabricated a bracket for under the dash to hold the fuse block. I want it out of the engine compartment and didn't want to use up the glove box. I think there will be enough space, but we'll see how it goes.

Stay tuned for more updates.


Uh-oh, another accountant on the Forum, I better get back to the Patrol project...we gotta show them engineers and mechanics how us pencil pusher can complete an assignment on time and under budget!
Keith :lol:


I'm completely out of my element on this and not afraid to admit it. I'll gladly accept any advice or criticisms that my mechanic or engineering brethren are willing and able to share! Seriously, this is a great forum and i wouldn't dream of tackling this project without it.

I was planning on starting by labeling everything on the "as is" minion before dismantling. As I look at it though, the standard Painless kit actually looks pretty painless and includes most everything i will need - and even extra. I don't have a radio, air conditioning, electric fan, 3rd brake light just to name a few... Oh, and the heater too... Although I really need to find one of those before winter sets in. Anyway, I guess I better label the existing harness before ripping out, but don't know how much I'll actually rely upon it as it was patched together over time and I actually trust the painless diagram/instruction better. I'm pretty sure an engineer had something to do with that (if it turns out to be an accountant, I'll be asking for my money back!).

Ordering up a few things I think I will need along the way. New connectors from Vintage. Extra wiring, primarily for grounding (not included in the painless kit) and replacement grommets.
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Postby ckhorne » Tue Jun 21, 2016 8:35 am

Probably a good call on replacing that wiring - it's in pretty rough shape!

Have a look at my thread, where I replaced all the wiring in my Patrol - my posts about wiring starts here: http://www.60patrol.com/forum/viewtopic ... 718#p22718

I went with the same Painless harness, and it worked out well. I really recommend the braided sleeves with heat shrink around the ends. Also- don't bother labelling everything you have now - I did that as well, and it ended up being easier to just remove all the existing wiring and follow the painless harness's labelling / diagram. re/bracket- I was able to use the existing bracket and mount in the glove box, but if you want to mount in the engine bay, then you'll want a different bracket. Definitely put the fuse block where you want it first (just don't screw it down) and start running wires. Make *sure* you have a good ground everywhere you go. I added a few grounding straps between panels or other parts around the truck as I went because I kept running into grounding issues. A good tester helps immensely here. Use waterproof connectors for anything serviceable - turn lights, anything in the engine bay, etc.

Feel free to ask questions here - it's been 2 years, but I'm happy to help!
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Postby mad4hws » Tue Jun 21, 2016 11:53 am

thanks CKHorne,
what a great build thread you had. It's sure to be referred to often. I will likely run into some issues, so I appreciate your willingness to reach into your memory banks. Painless also makes braid in various sizes. I ordered that kit too - I can't have this looking a mess when it's all done. I ordered a bunch of extra water proof connectors along with the Vintage connectors someone else on the forum found (have to give credit later). I also ordered a good supply of ground wire, rated to withstand 275 Degrees F in 12 an 14 gauge. Before I rip it out, I want to make sure I have everything I will need to complete the task so I can get the Patrol back on the road quickly.
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