Wired By Wilson

[MiniDave]

Anyone familiar with this guy? He does some really cool switch panels - spendy, but way cool! The push buttons use LEDs and you can request whatever symbols and colors you like - you can get aluminum panels, plastic or carbon fiber, all wired with relays. They also do a little less expensive panel with toggle switches, also with LEDs in the ends......

http://www.wiredbywilson.co.uk/products-prices/

They will do the symbols to order so lets see....

I'll need one for the ejection seat, one for lasers, photon torpedos, machine guns.......... ;D

He also does some cool little aux switch panels with USB ports......I'd like one of those, please.

[MPlayle]

I have not heard of that company before, but those do look neat.

I'd be very tempted if doing a project with some degree of customization.

[tmsmini]

He posts a good bit on thehttp://www.theminiforum.co.uk/forums/

[stan360]

I think I need to order the blade fuse panel and maybe the alt. charging loom.....thanks for the info Dave.  I am tempted to upgrade to that push button led switch panel.  Not a classic look at all but  so cool....very spendy too.

[MtyMous]

Interesting. I've already bought those switches and I'm going to be doing something really similar with the dash panel. They use them a lot in kit cars and that's where I got the idea. I do not like the intensity of the switches' LED's. I'll be doing some type of voltage regulation to allow for adjustable or at the very least just dim the LED's. They are extremely bright at night. I wouldn't enjoy driving around with them on my dash.

I do like how clean their setup is, but it's a little pricey. I paid about $150 shipped for all of my switches. Not sure the panel itself is worth another $100 unless they are doing some fancy work with integrating the switches directly into the factory harness. I just doubt they are. You'll probably have to cut and splice just like I'm doing. I don't know if I would honestly recommend running some of these switches like they are from the factory. The OEM was running full power through the switches for things like lights, heater, flashers, etc. I don't like the idea of running the full power through these little switches so I'm going with a relay setup. Just haven't finalized the design yet.

Good find though, Dave. This could end up saving hours of needless work for most.

[MiniDave]

MtyMous, the switches are all set up with relays, and according to Wilson, they are plug and play.....as for the brightness, they are fairly low on the dash, but if they're too bright can you dim them like dash lights with a rheostat?

[MtyMous]

If they are on a relay system, then he's already ahead of the curve. That alone is probably worth the cost difference if it's all plug and play. I might have to consult him on how he did it technically. I'm on TMF, too. Maybe I'll PM him when I get back in the swing of things.

Dave, they are low, but I found even the factory switches a little distracting. I can only imagine these things being in there blaring at my face. I wish I wasn't mid move or I would hook one up and show you. I think one switch could light up the whole interior like some of the modern "ambiance" lights. I can't imagine all of them being on.

Rheostat was my first thought. I'm actually now looking at using a modern headlight switch like what's in my truck. It's got a parking mode, headlight and parking mode, and fog light plus main beam mode. Then it's got a wheel that rolls up and down to dim the dash lights and controls dome light as well as a "cargo" light. Unfortuntely, this is just a rheostat. I'm not positive it will do everything I need it to do, but I think I'm going to try it. It's just way too convenient not to.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I really want some of these, but I can't really justify it. It makes me want to get on installing a potentiometer for the HVAC fan though. And fixing the interior dome light.

[MiniDave]

Here's a pic I found of he toggles labeled, I still like the look of those aluminum pushbuttons tho - they are very cool!

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Off-topic and possibly a little stupid. I'm super confused by the hot/cold on the HVAC. Do I pull or push for heat?

[MiniDave]

Push all the way in for heat, the opposite of what you'd think......

[Merlin]

If those are led lights, you can't use a rheostat. The best option would be to get the autometer led dimmer module from summit or whomever. LED's have to be dimmed using pulse width modulation (PWM). http://www.autometer.com/led-lighting-dimmer.html

[MPlayle]

Actually, the heater push/pull depends on the year and style of control valve.

Most of the valves mounted to the head were push-in for heat.

The later "floating valves" that hung in the middle of a hose off a sandwich plate under the thermostat housing were pull-out for heat.

The cables can be "mix-n-match", though usually the ones with the red/blue arrows were with the later style valves (pull-out for heat).

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Actually, the heater push/pull depends on the year and style of control valve.

Most of the valves mounted to the head were push-in for heat.

The later "floating valves" that hung in the middle of a hose off a sandwich plate under the thermostat housing were pull-out for heat.

The cables can be "mix-n-match", though usually the ones with the red/blue arrows were with the later style valves (pull-out for heat).

Pull for heat it is. (blue/red arrow, middle of hose).

[MtyMous]

If those are led lights, you can't use a rheostat. The best option would be to get the autometer led dimmer module from summit or whomever. LED's have to be dimmed using pulse width modulation (PWM). http://www.autometer.com/led-lighting-dimmer.html

Merlin, I was thinking of using the rheostat to control the PWM and possibly other things. This would allow me to control things like the LED dash, hopefully the lighting on my new gauge cluster I'm putting together, and possible some courtesy lights in the cabin. Not sure what all I want to control yet, but I like the idea of more control in one compact unit.

Guys, I completely brain farted and meant to post my sources for the switches. Not sure what happened. I had a whole post typed up and everything.

http://www.autosparks.co.uk/electrical-components/switches-warning-lights.html
http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/electrical-black-billet-aluminium-switches
http://www.motorspeed.com/Car-Switches/cat/5/sub/42

[John Gervais]

I'd like to add that another source for switches is Holden Vintage & Classic in the UK -

They've got the illuminated switches, but also original-style Lucas-type and my favourite are the professional-grade switches from Apem as seen here:

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproducts.asp?sg=1&pgCode=020&sgName=Electrical&pgName=Switches&agCode=0502&agName=Toggle+Switches&pageno=2

I've also found them at RS Components in the UK. 

Someday I hope to replace the stock rocker switches, but other things have taken priority (job hunting...) - heck, I haven't been to the garage in over a month; I don't even know if I still own a mini...

[Merlin]

Merlin, I was thinking of using the rheostat to control the PWM and possibly other things.

If this is something you would like to do, talk to me as I have a project in mind that would let you take in a 0-12V reference signal from your rheostat and output a PWM signal to do as such.