Ever wire a car?

[86RAG]

Been working on doing the wiring in my 47 Olds with a Painless Wiring kit. I did all the dash wiring, as well as redoing the gauges for 12 volt use, on my bench in the cellar over the winter. Got that done and mounted the dash back into the car. I left pigtails for all the dash wiring so I could hook it all up to the fuse panel once it was back in the car. I figured it would be easier to do it that way as laying on my back trying to do it in the car would kill me!. It's taking me days just to get that done. Most of it on my back, good thing I did the dash on the bench! Then running and taping the rest of the interior harnesses and getting them in to place. It's not too bad running the harnesses, but taping them up isn't a lot of fun. I've gotten the interior done, and the run to the trunk for tail lights and such, and ran the engine section through the firewall, but that's about as much as I can do for now. At least til I get the front sheet metal on. All the exterior lights won't go in til I paint the whole car.

Just a couple pics to show the progress:

Last one is what the dash looked like when I started with it.

[Strats-N-Vettes]

Universal kit, or specific year/make/model kit?

[Aerovette]

I'm probably going to need to do this for my Charger. I'm going to make a nail-board layout of the existing harness and make a new harness so I can put it in like the factory.

[Strats-N-Vettes]

Originally Posted by aerovette

I'm probably going to need to do this for my Charger. I'm going to make a nail-board layout of the existing harness and make a new harness so I can put it in like the factory.

You ???

[Bill]

Ever wire a car?

Only when somebody really pisses me off.




Oh. Oh. You meant actually wir....um, just nevermind.

[Rodnok1]

Looks good and yes I've done a few. Under the dash the bad one especially on the back. I make long run to goto back of the car then cut and put ends on after routing the wires so the clips and connectors don't make it harder. Also i add grounds by the lights that mfg use the housings for grounds. Requires new sockets or a jumper wire from housing but it's worth it.
Good luck.

[99 pewtercoupe]

Originally Posted by aerovette

I'm probably going to need to do this for my Charger. I'm going to make a nail-board layout of the existing harness and make a new harness so I can put it in like the factory.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

Oh no you di'int!

:breathe:

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by Strats-N-Vettes

Universal kit, or specific year/make/model kit?

Universal 21 circuit kit. Which is more than I'll use, but felt it was better to go larger and not need it, than the other way around

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by aerovette

I'm probably going to need to do this for my Charger. I'm going to make a nail-board layout of the existing harness and make a new harness so I can put it in like the factory.

Yeah, the existing harness in mine came out in pieces!

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Looks good and yes I've done a few. Under the dash the bad one especially on the back. I make long run to goto back of the car then cut and put ends on after routing the wires so the clips and connectors don't make it harder. Also i add grounds by the lights that mfg use the housings for grounds. Requires new sockets or a jumper wire from housing but it's worth it.
Good luck.

Yup, that kit has enough wire for the back end that I could wire a trailer on it too! I am going to coil up the extra and terminate it nice and clean when the lights go in. And ya can't have too many grounds

All the terminals I'm using are non insulated and then I go over them with adhesive lined heat shrink. I hate using insulated terminals, ugly as sin

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by bill_daniels

Only when somebody really pisses me off.




Oh. Oh. You meant actually wir....um, just nevermind.

[Datawiz]

The extent of GWiz and my wiring expertise is to swap the entire wire harness from her 96 to her 94 to support the ODBII vs. ODB1 incompatibility.

Doing what you do is not in my wheelhouse.

[zeek]

Back in the 70's when I was building hot rods, I had to make my own wire harness. So much easier now with the painless and knock off wire harness that are all color coded and labeled. Im running a Speed way universal harness for my '32 Ford Cabriolet. Let's see some pics of your '47 Olds....

[Rodnok1]

Originally Posted by 86RAG

Yup, that kit has enough wire for the back end that I could wire a trailer on it too! I am going to coil up the extra and terminate it nice and clean when the lights go in. And ya can't have too many grounds

All the terminals I'm using are non insulated and then I go over them with adhesive lined heat shrink. I hate using insulated terminals, ugly as sin

Are you soldering the connections on?
I switched to weatherpak style connections for any new installs even on older cars. Wish we had those way back as wiring sucks when everything is exposed and corrodes.
I have scotch lock nightmares regularly from trailer fixing.

[Grey Ghost]

Yep, 1965 Corvette.

The original somehow grounded out and about burned the car to the ground. It filled the interior with smoke in a matter on minutes. If I had been going fast, nowhere to turn off to from the road I was on, etc...it would have been bad.

Old wiring wasn't meant to last very long.

Good job!

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by Rodnok1

Are you soldering the connections on?
I switched to weatherpak style connections for any new installs even on older cars. Wish we had those way back as wiring sucks when everything is exposed and corrodes.
I have scotch lock nightmares regularly from trailer fixing.

No soldering terminals, crimp and heat shrink only

Edit: using packard 56 terminals where needed, like on ignition switch, light switch, and wiper switch.

[Rikki Z-06]

Originally Posted by Strats-N-Vettes

You ???

[86RAG]

Originally Posted by datawiz

The extent of GWiz and my wiring expertise is to swap the entire wire harness from her 96 to her 94 to support the ODBII vs. ODB1 incompatibility.

Doing what you do is not in my wheelhouse.

It wouldn't have been in mine, if not for a kit like Painless with all the wires color coded and marked about every foot!

[The_Dude]

Did you ask @aerovette to help?