1st round gauge/dash mock-up. Just got the speedo/tach in from speedhut. At first look, I really like the product. At first I thought the yellow tach was like wearing a Ferrari track suit, but I can see it actually shows up much better than the black. The dash will be refined as I go along. Gauge layout is how I like it so far- switches will be below aux gauges, and I'm considering covering the dash in alcantara. Right now it's just black painted plywood. I also have an a/f gauge that I'll likely put down and left of the speedo.
The real challenge is how to finish the edges of the gauge panel and keep the dash shelf while having it look finished.
Also, this gauge setup doesn't really match up with the wood steering wheel so I may look into a momo prototipo, competition, or Monte Carlo.
edit- the dash will sit lower so the tach and speedo tops aren't obscured. 
Trudging with varying motivational levels as I near the last mile.
painted the roll bar.
installed windshield/mirrors.
mocked rear panel.
mocked center console.
mocked air dam.
maybe tomorrow the "roll" keeps up and I'll blast out the final dash and console and paint em up.
Got a dash worked up that I sorta dig. Could get around how to finish the sides of the full parcel shelf so my thought is to just leave an open glovebox.
So what the hell do you use as a cover material? Leather? Vinyl? Alcantara? Carbon fiber cloth?
I'm not really sure if they let you on track with wood? I'm totally naive to these sort of rules. Also not sure the wood motif will be too busy but I'll see if I can't scare up a decent piece of maple ply and just cut a new dash out of it. There is so much black on the car that doing a black dash and rear panel is attractive to me.
Getting some progress. That faux leatherette E36 M3 I got is just fantastic. It is nice and matte, feels really nice in hand and looks great covering the panels. I'm about ready to start in with the wiring with maybe another day sorting the dash and console.
You are really doing an excellent job finishing this thing off. I'm taking notes for how you are doing it for when I get to that part on the more streetification of mine
Still in wiring hell. Huge mental block. It's funny how as a 27 year old I plowed through this sort of thing without hesitation. As a 47 year old I end up walking in mental circles to try to do it right. Pictures of todays work to follow to hold me accountable to progress.
Teh E36 M3 said:
Still in wiring hell. Huge mental block. It's funny how as a 27 year old I plowed through this sort of thing without hesitation. As a 47 year old I end up walking in mental circles to try to do it right. Pictures of todays work to follow to hold me accountable to progress.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Keep on keeping on!
God. Even today. With a promise to the world. All I got done was getting the bulkhead fittings for the O2 sensor and the micro squirt harness. 
so, there's that. It's wasn't trivial but it certainly failed to meet my minimum goal. There is always tomorrow.
oh. I also pulled power from the alternator/starter circuit to a bus bar for the relays for headlights, horn, fan, and fuel pumps. And also the motogadget m unit.
Amongst other things, that sound system should rock! Keep up the good work.
Also, the blue just keeps looking better as things are added. With the black wheels, etc, I'm feeling a black steering wheel, black grill, etc. And when I say black, that includes carbon fiber. Whatever you decide, looking great.
In reply to wheelsmithy (Joe-with-an-L) :
I'm trying to decide what to play the first time I pull out of the driveway. Leaning toward throwback Led Zeppelin. Shane smith and the saints "fire in the ocean" is so f'ing good on this stereo though.
edit: nice. I found another way to waste a E36 M3load of time not doing wiring.
Engine wiring made some progress yesterday but now at another mental block- Mazda 2.0 mzr has a three wire cam and three wire crank sensor. Are these hall or vr? My previous research that I now cannot find said they were vr, but most stuff on the internet indicates three wire is hall. Also, anyone know which wire goes where on these? Big thanks in advance.
They're hall. The crank sensor that came on my 2.5 required a 12v supply voltage to work vs 5v, fyi.
Thank you! Not what I wanted to hear but at least something to go off. Any idea of which wire goes where?
Found something on the haltec site that should do the trick.
That's what I originally used, and then realized it needed the 12v vs 5v after some searching when I wasn't getting good crank signal.
The rest of the info on the haltech site was helpful, though, including the pin-outs for sensors.
I can take a screen grab of my megasquirt trigger settings tomorrow and drop it here, too.
Ooh. That would be excellent! Also thanks for the heads up on the 12v. I'll go with that.
No prob! I had some help from a fellow rally builder/racer sharing their working ms3 tune for their own 2.5 forzda, so happy to pay it forward!
Dash looks amazing. Please continue.
Hey ralleah- did you have to put an external pull-up resistor in the circuit for the hall sensors or are these internally pulled up? The micro squirt instructions say to do this unless already done but I don't know how to check. 
It's been a bit. Wiring hell is nearly complete. Another day of tidying up under dash and below hood and we are ready to finish the exhaust and rig up the cooling system and try to start on micro squirt. So far, everything works.
I hope to have more positive updates forthcoming. The long delay has been mental block more than anything. Wiring is very logic based but when you can only do a day or two at a time, the mental blocks pile up. And when you are trying to do a good vice adequate job it takes longer still. And it will still wind up merely adequate I fear.
In reply to Teh E36 M3 :
Sorry, missed this last time! I believe it's internal. I think there's a way to test the sensor, but can't recall it.
