Has anyone used this kit from eBay? Are there any better options? http://m.ebay.com/itm/Early-Ford-Po...alarm-popper-hot-rod-/151808140887?nav=SEARCH
sorry for the double post. You can see in the second pic the back-up pull cable i added in case of solenoid failure/ dead battery, etc. Also, once you get your cable lengths set, replace that hokey cable ferrell with a crimp type. That screw just won't hold.
I did but you should add these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/151027276883?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Could you have mounted the latch down on the tail panel and put the striker on the hood?In otherwords reversed it .
Well, maybe, but then you wouldn't have anything protruding down to poke into your skull when you raise your head too soon. I'm ***uming that question was addressed to me since i'm the only one that posted pics. Originally I had hopes of containing the solenoid inside the trunk lid, but there wasn't quite enough room, and it actually isn't as promenent as it looks in the pics, because the trunk lid doesn't raise up very high. Additionally, eventually my trunk will be upholstered, hiding much of that. Also, if it were reversed, then you'd have the latch sticking up into the trunk access area.
Hey Tex What's all involved in installing that unit? Difficult? I've never used one of those things, but seems like it might be a good idea. Thanks jim
Some of the "how difficult.." answer will be determined by your application. If you are decking your car, then you need to come up with something to replace the key actuated release. Two choices...manual pull cable or the electric solenoid we're talking about here. If you want to spend bigger bucks, you could go with remote activated electric. I opted for the solenoid because I figured routing wiring to a convinient place for the switch was alot easier than routing a cable. That depends on your build. I just wanted the ****on in the back seat area where I could reach it without having to actually get in the back seat area. My back seat folds down, so I additionally ran a manual cable as a backup. That release cable can be reached by folding the seat down...it's there if needed, but not in a location I'd want to have to use on a regular basis. As far as the mechanical portion of the install...it's pretty self explanitory looking at the pics EXCEPT>>>what you can't see is a little wheel/pully I made up to get the soenoid's cable 90* after it entered the inside of the decklid thru the hole I had drilled. Look at the pic..you will see two hex bolt heads...those are for that pulley. You can't have the cable rubbing against the sheetmetal edge of the hole. At the local hardware stores, I found a few cable pully/guides that were premade, but were all too large. I made my own by using a screen door roller, probably less than 1" dia with a small dia groove. I just used two 1 x 1 right angle brackets and a shoulder screw, and sandwiched the pulley between. While your at the hardware store, pick up some 1/16 crimping ferrels to replace the screw type supplied with the kit. They'll be found in the cable and chain area.
Wiring is just a simple ground, and a power supply fed thru the momentery type switch. For reference only... I couldn't use the supplied switch because the panel I was mounting the switch on was too thick, and the supplied switch wouldn't accomodate it. I found a hd starter switch with a long threaded mounting shaft at Advanced Auto. When I wired my car, I had previously installed a fused power supply distribution box in the trunk in case I needed to add stuff down the road, so my wiring supply did not have to come from the front ch***is panel. I included a pic of that panel, as I think I remember you discussing rewiring your car. That distribution box is VW Jetta. I've used three of them in my system to keep things neat. The red wire exiting the top is the 15 amp fused wire for the solenoid ****on. The switch on the right, btw, is a Ford oem inertia switch for the fuel pump. The computer also uses it to shut down the fuel pump if needed. The pic shows fishing the wires thru to the ****on location. Probably alot more info than you wanted.