[Jacques Reed]

Hi Tony,

Glad to help.

Here's hoping it all goes well. One of the reasons I made the diagram is to prevent just that- an electrical fire. This is especially true when I didn't like the grounded Battery indicator in the Maintenance manual schematic. It just didn't seem right. Using the actual later dash wiring and checking against the later diagram and numbers I am 99.99% certain it is correct. Still, in the name of accuracy I am always glad to be corrected if needed.

I have in my notes that there was one exception in practice when I traced the lines. Wire No 21 went from the Circuit breaker to the ignition switch, instead of from the regulator B to the ignition switch. It is the same thing in any event from a circuit point of view. Wire No.37 accomplishes this.

I had a death defying experience 25 years ago when I got my first Blitz off the car carrier at my home (the one with the jury rigged wiring).

No fuel tanks were connected so a 4 Lt fuel can sat beside the engine (uncovered) plumbed into the fuel pump with a hose. I connected the battery and switched on the ignition switch which was dangling loose under the dash and hit the start button. Engine started OK but I soon smelt burning plastic and looked down to see a bit of house wiring glowing red just beside the fuel can. As I couldn't see the loose ignition switch in the dim light I had a quick choice to make: run like hell and watch it, and a few other cars and the truck go up in smoke or rip the wire off to break the connection.

I chose the second and it worked but I had a few burns to the insides of my fingers which took a long time to heal.

Morals of the story: Don't trust 75 year old wiring and especially if it has been dodgied up.

Also: avoid jury rigged fuel tanks. If you want to read a good example of that, read about the 1995 disastrous attempt to salvage a rare B-29 named "Kee Bird" from the Greenland ice. A priceless WW2 aircraft was lost because of just that.

Cheers,