The heater-A/C unit took some damage in the accident. It is attached to both the firewall, in three points, as well as the inner frame in 4 places. The side impact moved the frame and broke all the firewall mounts and one on the frame itself. I made inner and outer sheet metal reinforcements that were riveted on, sandwiching the original plastic in between.
The unit only just clears the cowl which will make the ducting a bit difficult.
Can now see how the frame bolts into the new mounts I made above the kick panels.
Also the extra ones into the A pillars. They brace the pillars left to right very well now.
All original mounts are used between the firewall, and the frame for the heater-A/C unit and the frame to the lower cowl, upper kick panels, transmission hump and the extras in the A pillars!
While things are getting laid out and still are accessible, I looked at where the wipers can go. There is just no room for them in the cowl area like I suspected.
I could maybe flip it upside down and put the donor unit into the header panel. Have the pivot points come in below the gutter in the middle of the panel above the windscreen.
I would have to cut a lot away to fit it into the header panel and then make a new frame over it to put the strength back. Even sunk all the way the motor would still sit up about 50mm-2" above the header. I checked the roof panel height and it would still clear it though.
The only problem is that the wipers would now park vertically which I don't want. Reversing the polarity only works if the housing is not grounded, so would have to check that to make the motor turn the other way. Some gear boxes have a parking plate that can be turned 180* to alter the park position, otherwise a LHD one would work as they rotate in the opposite direction and are a mirror image of this one. A universal cable driven wiper unit might work but heard they are not as good as a OEM linkage arrangement?
Baby Vader
Grand Wookie Jedi
