Mopowers' 66 Dart Build

I certainly will. I just have to finish cleaning up the trunk before riveting on the package tray and firewall for good.

I may also replace my current 20gal fuel cell with a 15gal model. The 20 gallon cell is obnoxiously large.

Do you have any photos of your switch/battery install? Or trunk photos in general? I'm trying to figure out a logical place to mount a CD relay, Ford solenoid, circuit breaker, etc.

I use a 4 pole Moroso disconnect for use with an alternator, saves a lot of hassle since you eliminate having to use a CD solenoid in the alternator output line to prevent keeping power alive to the dash after the switch is thrown. Most garden-variety disconnect switches aren't rated to have much current going through the secondary poles hence the need for a high-amp rated CD solenoid.

It's not in this picture but the starter relay will be attached to a little bracket that will bolt to the back of the wheel well where the jack goes. I actually am using a starter solenoid from a Jeep application since it has a provision for a neutral safety switch though it looks almost identical to the Ford one. There's a small ground lug on the back of the Jeep one that the NSS attaches to. That also helps to clean up the wiring. It's a Standard Parts one but I forget the number.

The lever is 3/8" aluminum bar stock. I heated it up with a torch and bent around a makeshift jig in my vise. One end was tapped for the handle stud on the outside and the other for the rod end by the switch.

This was a mockup I did before painting the trunk.
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I also really wanted to avoid drilling a hole in my nice, pristine rear panel so I used this little space between the license plate and bumper for the lever to go through. It's not visible but the lever is supported by a little bracket I welded to the floor right behind the panel. The lever will get trimmed so it does not stick out too far. It only requires an inch or two of linear travel to activate the switch.
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First coat of color. Note the switch bracket painted to match.


This is what the disconnect switch used to look like. The photo is during mockup so it was not complete. Plus, it actually is wired backwards here, the Ford solenoid power 'in' is on the left. Note that it's a regular "Ford" starter solenoid (bottom) without the extra ground lug. The CD solenoid is mounted above it. The switch was outside under the bumper.

With this setup I was using a "normal" 4 pole cutoff switch. The secondary lugs on that switch were not rated to handle a lot of current which is why you need the high-amp CD solenoid. This was NOT easy to figure out because the solenoids needed to be wired in such a way that one would power the other while being controlled by both the key and the switch downstream when necessary. It worked but I never liked it, too complex.

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Hope that all Makes sense?

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