automotive frustration. Now with moar dash removal. Wiring hardness cut by wind or critter. Also huge unit for air and heat is shattered, so whole dash must come out. Just for a frame of reference There are this many screws in only the dash

 

Wow, better you than me. lol

 

The saga continues.... todays update... Wiring harness swap

So I discovered that I have killed the 2003 "d3" donor wiring harness for the engine bay. I wrapped it in such a way that the wind of travel 2 hours, and a winter with a tarp over it caused the harness to get cut.
Then I discovered all of the wiring harness inside was cut to install a remote starter, and a tracking M2M transponder with 3 antennas. I don't want to know why this crap is on my body, it's got to go.

as a result I determined that the whole wiring harness inside and out must be swapped. Lucky me. I printed the FSM pages and went to get breakfast this morning and RTFM ( read the flippin manual).

 

Dash spaghetti monster

Oh yeah, then I get into the cab and discover that heater/airconditioning unit is cracked, probably from the accident the "d3" donor was in. So this has to be swapped too. Enjoy the Durango spaghetti monster.

I was able to get the whole wiring harness swapped and run out front. And the swapped inside dash harness screwed in and ready to be installed.Then the last two parts arrived.....

sound deadener and sound and heat blanket for the firewall. https://www.b-quiet.com

 

Sound barrier and heat barriers installed

first off if you need sound and heat barrier, please go to http://www.b-quiet.com. There products work at room temp, no heat gun required. The additional heat blanket ( rubber covered foam), you use spray adhesive. I found that 3M 77 is adequate to hold the firewall and sides up once placed.

I was able to get the wiring harnesses inside and out swapped, the aircon/heat unit swapped, the dash installed, and ready to hook up.

 

Steering wheel ready to go in once I get all the plugs plugged. Put the seat in cause I had it around.

dash prepped and ready to install with 2001 wiring harness. Boo. I won't be able to add the remote disc changer. ( was in the 2003 radio, have wire, harness doesn't match ).

heat and secondary barrier installed.

 

- Dash in check
-steering wheel in check Had to swap bracket for shift cable, cause I am using the 2003 shift cable. it fits, but had another switch of some kind on the shifter cable that my 2001 wiring harness doesn't have. AND since I swapped out the bracket on the other end at the transmission to the 2003 bracket, I am fully committed to making this work. other wise swapping that bracket on transmission is going to be a bitch now with that body in the way...now.
rear hatch latch changed, check
rear door handle fixed, check.
all interior plastic parts cleaned, check
windshield ordered, check.
carpet getting the baking soda and babypowder treatment, a day in the sun, then a vacuum and re-install .. no time for pictures. lots more coming in my next 3 days off.

 

Have you thought about posting a video of the moment you start it for the first time? would be great to see that moment after all the work you have devoted yourself to. You can always edit out all the profanity if there is an issue.

 

Steering wheel, interior trim and rest of head/sound shield installed

just wanted to see a seat in there. won't be using this one. I have not so ripped up.

carpet installed. INTERIOR completely installed. Just need seats

finding all the white guide pins and getting the clips centered and pushed down before putting whole side cover in.

Rolled up carpet, took to front and unrolled into position

All sound deadener installed

Dash complete, steering wheel kick panel installed, Steering wheel cover installed.

starting to install over wheel wheels.

steering wheel installed.

 

Windshield installed.

Looking at building this area out with MINI-itx computer hooked to ODBII data port for live info.

found this $1 stuck near right rear C-pillar duct .

got new windshield installed today.

 

Two weeks of updates.

Got the interior completed. Did not install the console as I have other plans. I don' t like the headliner, the air/heat in the back with all the controls in ceiling, and further since whom ever owned this must have been a stripper ( ceiling of liner still smells of cheap perfume). I am going to go air conditioning delete until I can get all the parts to put it back on. I want a new condensor, o-rings, dryer, and expansion valve. All that can wait. I have all these ( 4 ) pipes going to back. I am going to try ( again) to get them off intact, or just leave them there. it's a mess.

So I threw a battery in the truck and tried to start it. All the lights and buzzers horn flashers were going off. It was freaking out. had to remove the key and battery.

I realized that since everything was 2001, I needed to swap the airbag module and the CTM back to the 2001 versions, which were the only two parts back on the black beast body, except an hour away at my parents.

 

Getting the front clip on and ready

front clip on

had to drill a hole to match the fender. I covered it with new and old metal.

test fit for the 5th time, and to use a 12 ton bottle jack in the end to line it up. donor body off 1/4" in two directions.

Hard to believe you can dump parts out and I can call out what they are, just by looking at them

last new fender!

Here you can see on the donor body how the hood perch was twisted and bent. I decided to drive back out to parents and use the saws all to cut them off the 2001 body. I got one of the two hood hinges cause the right side was very bent.. Well once I got the hood on, I now know the left one is twisted as well. Going to have to get that off the 2001 before I wreck it.

so gradually I worked through getting the fenders on. Because people are theives, I bought fender clips m8-1.25 clips supposed to be three in there I needed, someone ganked one.

 

CTM and air bag module swap

so after work i met my father with the parts, I had to remove the dash for the x3 time. In order to get the bottom four bolts out. I was able to do it all around that horrible center support pillar using every tool I had in the book. Took two nights after work to get this all swapped. In the process I located the 2001 radio antenna cable and installed that. I still can't find the 2001 antenna mount. The ctm, and airbag modules are all tied to the key, immobilizer and computer.

took forever to figure out what this was. This is the little switch that rides on your rear hatch lock. don't break it. You can super glue or use hot glue to put it back together.

 

Clip installed got it to start, took her for a spin.

Had another full two day struggle getting the parking brake cables installed correctly. I broke two of the sway bar bolts. Which means the only way to get them out is with a torch, which means I have to drop the tank again. since once is literally 1" from the tank. I also had to do the drums x4 times till I got it right. I had the parking brake cable on the right side in backwards and that was one of the rebuilds. Then I ended up stealing the parking brake adjuster on my '99 Durango and restored that. Once I got that all sorted out I bled the brakes. I used a vacuum bleeder on the back ends Until i got fluid, the human assistance pushing the brake pedal to get the last of the air out. no lights and they brake like a charm. Took her out for a few miles. Going to have to swap to 2001 cluster so mileage is correct.

I have the 'privileged' of getting two inspections. Once from certified mechanic stating that the vehicle is safe ( $40) and one from the local sherriff for $100, then I can get it registered with the new vin it will receive and get plates. I hope to get this done this week. Time to haul some wood!

 

Great news !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did your spin reveal anything you want check out ??

 

today I took it to the licensed repair shot for an inspection. When I pulled out of driveway, the rear shackle broke, as well as the band around the rr leaf springs. All parts I was going to replace later, which is now.

I didn't have the fender liners in, which I must have, and the two of 4 broken bolts on my sway bar were an issue too. I just told them to quote me tomorrow.

GAh. This truck is sucking the life out of me... I love it, but man. I gotta go work some OT>

 

Rear shackles, downlinks, shocks

parts for yesterday's repair flurry. Every little detail has to be fixed in order for the vehicle to be considered safe.

Including making sure screws are in the license plate light.
After backing out of driveway and the rear shackle broke, on the way to have an inspection. I ended up bringing the truck back home.I purchased Shocks, downlinks, and shackles. I have to tackle fixing two broken sway bar bolts. Last night I used a torch and melted the broken bolt and nut that was welded to the sway bar perch on top of the axle. I used a hydraulic jack between the frame and the leaf spring to pries the two apart to get the old one out, it was shattered on both sides. I had been soaking all the rear bolts/nuts with Kano kroil penetrant many times over the past two years in preparation for having to do this. It tool about 5 minutes to get 3 bolts out and another two hours to get one out. Murphy's law I guess.

I will still have to drop the tank, yet again, melt out the broken bolt and nut on the front side sway bar perch next to the tank, in order to fix the swaybar, and attach the RR parking brake cable to the sway bar bolts. It's almost going to be a new truck when I get finished. It's raining today so no cutting wood and no working on truck.

 

View attachment 79105 parts for yesterday's repair flurry. Every little detail has to be fixed in order for the vehicle to be considered safe.
View attachment 79097 Including making sure screws are in the license plate light.
After backing out of driveway and the rear shackle broke, on the way to have an inspection. I ended up bringing the truck back home.I purchased Shocks, downlinks, and shackles. I have to tackle fixing two broken sway bar bolts. Last night I used a torch and melted the broken bolt and nut that was welded to the sway bar perch on top of the axle. I used a hydraulic jack between the frame and the leaf spring to pries the two apart to get the old one out, it was shattered on both sides. I had been soaking all the rear bolts/nuts with Kano kroil penetrant many times over the past two years in preparation for having to do this. It tool about 5 minutes to get 3 bolts out and another two hours to get one out. Murphy's law I guess.

View attachment 79033 View attachment 79041 View attachment 79049
I will still have to drop the tank, yet again, melt out the broken bolt and nut on the front side sway bar perch next to the tank, in order to fix the swaybar, and attach the RR parking brake cable to the sway bar bolts. It's almost going to be a new truck when I get finished. It's raining today so no cutting wood and no working on truck.

This thread really makes me appreciate living in an area where rust isn't an issue.

 

rust is a harsh mistress

In other news, I don't need no stinkin air conditioning.

Deleted air this morning in the rain.

 

Soooooooooo close!!!! After the hours upon hours of work I know it must be making you nuts to have been so close to inspection only to have to turn around and head back home for more work.

 

Getting closer, but still, a list.



Just under 1900 hours of work including this past week. I still have to:

• get antenna and hook up radio
• remove gas tank ( again)
• torch off busted sway bar bolt and nut on axle perch
• rebolt sway with parking brake cable back to axle
• re-bleed the whole system, again
• drill holes for aux water pump in right front fender. New one didn't have them. I have it velco'd in right now.
• add proper screws to license plate light
• install wheel liners
• swap drivers door switch bezel with nonbroken one
• finish installing other downlink and shock
• Get seats to work electrically and install rear bolts on both seats. Need them to work to move forward.
• set ride height again
• get alignment, possibly swap rims to chrome rims with current tires at same time.

Especially after doing the air conditioning delete, I can't wait to have time to even clean and detail the engine compartment, let alone drive it.
Maybe this week. I had good talk with the local sherrifs office about what receipts they want. They said they would make copies he needed, since I am paying $100 for the inspection.

Too bad it's still raining. We have received more than 2" in the past two days.

 

What are your plans once you finally finish? Will it be a daily driver or just a "fun" vehicle?

 

Haul all the things.
wood, metal from rebuild, cab, doors, hatch.

 

Passed first inspection. Welcome to the Bureaucracy.

I passed my certified mechanic inspection.($40) My vehicle is now officially rebuilt in a "workman like" manner. I have called to have the Sheriff to inspect the paperwork and parts next. ( $100)

 

How did the inspection go??

 

Second inspection from an officer. red tape. welcome to the borg

-Update. :

Pile of paperwork to feed the red tape bureaucracy!

Here's the rule book from State of Michigan that is "driving" all the things I am doing to get the vehicle on the road. SOS - Assembled Vehicles
After two weeks of chasing a local Sheriff's deputy over the phone, ( he was on vacation), I called the other MI police officer for Ingham county and was able to get an appointment for inspection this past Monday. Ironcially the officer was leaving and this was his last form he had for the inspection, and the last one he would be doing.

I brought "blue on black" to the police station in Mason, MI, I went inside and we we over all the paperwork showing
Motor Vehicle Engine, Transmission, Body Parts (doors, front and rear clips), Frame including axles. Where they came from with receipts or proof of ownership ( title, sign off notes from police, sales note from private seller). I had to have a TR13a form stating how the build was done, who did it, where, and where all parts listed above came from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/tr-13a_18951_7.pdf.
After showing all of these, we actually parked the vehicle in a one stall inspection garage inside the Mason police station. We went through the whole safety inspection on the TR54 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/TR-54_38480_7.pdf

When we got done the longest wait was because the way that my reassembly was done is the opposite that most rebuilds are done. Meaning that this officer typically sees the vehicle you want restore fixed from parts of a donor vehicle, but the VIN doesn't change. Because the body from the 2003 donor vehicle was placed on the 2001 chassis, even though I am techincally rebuilding the 2001, the VIN now is for the 2003. Further, stay with me here, ALL internal wiring is 2001 including the cluster and the ECU, both ( someone correct me here I'm assuming) tied to the VIN, and recording the mileage. ( I already proved that you can put the 2003 cluster in and get the old miles from the 2003 to show in the cluster, however the ECU was still incrementing the 2001 mileage later when I put the 2001 cluster back in). So anyways, he called the person at the state of Michigan in charge of the whole assembled vehicle program. In the end as long as I have all the paper work for the parts ( listed above), then when I go to the Sec of state later today, I will present all of the documents and apply for a new VIN#. Then the hardest bitter pill to swallow, the only thing in bold letters:

When all documents are in order and the title application is processed, allow 8 to 10 weeks for
processing the new title and the special vehicle identification number. During this time, a license
plate or temporary permit is not allowed.

So I get to wait another 8-10 WEEKS before I can use my vehicle AND I have to keep insurance on it.

The plan right now is, I have a quote for:

dustless blasting hood: $100
Painting hood, fenders, front and back bumper covers: $650

If I bring the parts to them. So I will be quickly fixing up my 99 durango (yep, I own 5 vehicles) and selling it or parting it out to get it out of my garage, I will place "blue on black" in there, take the front clip off, and get it all painted, while I am waiting for the red tape to clear.

 

Good lord! BORG? HAAaha I love that!! But it sounds like they've 'assimilated' with the Ferrengi there.

Dude --- You need to move to Florida! JK.. They can get pretty weird here too when it comes to "recommissioning" autos, from what I heard. I haven't personally dealt with that chain of "Vogons" since the 80's, but it was tough even then.

She will be worth it in the end. I saw a Sweeeeet first-gen on the local roads yesterday. I wanted to snap a pic with my phone, but had to concentrate on my driving due to a couple jackholes in towing trucks (trying to drum up business, no doubt). I do have video of it and the jackholes from the dashcams though.

 

It is horrible that it may take over 2 months to just do a "paperwork" function. I look forward to seeing pics of it when you finally get it painted and get street legal status.