Sounds sorta like what happened to me a few years back. Actually it was due
to a previous owner's pathetic wiring job. A key dangling on a key chain
grounded to something and bzzzzzt. there goes the old wiring harness up in
smoke.
(I think my brother has a picture of the PO's wiring job on his web page if
anyone is bored: http://fbox.vt.edu:10021/J/jtilton/scottstr.html
My experience is very similar to Greg Petrolati's, the new harness didn't
quite fit right. It was for a later TR-4, but it also had bad quality (lots
of leads came up about 2-3 inches short of their destination, and there were
some wires in there that were missing or just plain old didn't belong
(particularly in the horn and fuse block areas)
We eventually got it to work somehow.
The key point here is eventually. I stalled on the installation, let it sit
for mos or even years before finishing the job. By the time I figured out
just what a lemon of a harness I had, it was too late to return it. I was
pissed!
I have since then seen other new harnesses, and they look to be much better
quality. The owners said they had none of the same problems I had, so I
guess the quality of them has gone up in recent years.
It really wasn't that tough, tedious yes, time consuming yes again. But
after you do it, you will feel good about your car, and you will feel like
you truly know it well. TR-4's don't have complicated electric diagrams.
Hope your spitfire is no worse.
Good luck
Scott Tilton
In Richmond Virginia
|