Mystery Wire From Dash Loom Terminated On Tunnel Side??

[Mbwa-kali]

Stripped out interior for full retrim and on pulling back the scrim foam came across a black insulated wire (circa 5amp gauge) terminated via a rivet into the tunnel wall on the driver side roughly opposite to the door hinge ....see pic where I've put a drill bit to mark the rivet hole.The wire comes out of the dash wiring loom. Pretty sure this is from the original factory build. Had the body off a couple of months ago and replaced all the engine bay and tunnel heat shield so drilled out the original rivets including the one that was on this wire so it fell away when the scrim was lifted. The wire was simply riveted on the tunnel with nothing connected to it on either side. Is it possible this is intended to provide an earth/grounding to the aluminium coated heat shield in the engine bay as seems no other obvious reason for going to this much trouble to isolate a redundant wire?

[Steve_D]

Never seen that before.
Many TVR have a light weight expanded aluminium glued to the bulkhead under the carpet which I have always thought to be to provide a screen against electrical interferance although I have also never seen that earthed which it would need to be for it to work.

Steve

[Mbwa-kali]

Thanks Steve_D. Yes, I know the thin braid cable you mention as have one of those as well which is on the passenger side of the dash and seems to route into the front wing/wheel arch area somewhere. Not tried to see how/where the braid is terminated but have removed all the scrim from the passenger side and got the fuse board and battery box (which I've rebuilt and made a lid for) out and not come across it. This black wire has left a trace line in the adhesive under the scrim so I'm as sure as I can be it's factory. Easy to rivet it back in place.

[x 7usc]

I found exactly the same wire while restoring my 94 Chim, couldn't see a reason for it at all, i think i actually tucked it up behind the dash, it was a while ago. the car is at the trimmers now so i can't check, almost 100% sure its pointless though

[Hedgehopper]

Could it be an aerial wire for a tracker or radio perhaps?

Edited by Hedgehopper on Wednesday 13th October 21:29

[Mbwa-kali]

Thanks X7usc; very helpful to know I'm not alone! I'm going to check with some former TVR factory trimmers to see if they know. Thanks Hedgehopper; doesn't strike me as a tracker aerial.... did TVR factory fit them? It disappears into the main dash loom so haven't tried to split it out and trace it but no tracker fitted. It wasn't doing any obvious harm so I'll most likely put it back as it was.