How many of you guys do your own Hot Rod wiring?

Those guys that go at it with no kit? or pre made harness, what is your plan of attack?

Those guys that buy a Harness and have at it , what are your ideas on how to install?

This will be for a Hot Rod, Model A type.


Do you wait until the car is complete in its assembly ,and find ways to route the harness?
Or do you wire up the chassis and feed it into the body once you assemble it to the chassis?

any pictures of how yours was done? or how you like to install them.

 

I have used kits and mainly made my own, but I think a bare bones is the easier home spun and a power everything, a kit is the ticket. I like to mount all my panels, switches, before final paint but the actual wiring I normally do after. The 7Ps (Pre Proper Planning Prevent Piss Poor Performance!) apply here, think way ahead of wire size, connectors, loom cover, anchor points, alternator mounting and clocking, battery location. If you plan ahead, it will come out great and trouble free. I think the most overlooked thing is to be sure to include fuseable links near the primary power source for a safe system and to advoid the thermo nuclear melt downs!

 

i use the simple universal 12 circuit wiring harness that you can get for $100 with free shipping.its just very simple, no BS and just has the basics and leaves you with a few accessory possibilities. i always wait till the car is complete to run wires...just much easier to me to hide. and there's nothing more annoying to me then working around a bunch of wires.

 

I wire my own, buy a fuse box kit, i pretty much use the g m color codes since i am familiar wth them, model a does not need a complex ckt, draw it out on paper first. I like to separate headlights-tailights fuse wise , that way i know i will at least have one or another if there is a problem, decide what you neeed hot always and what you need hot with key on. I do mine after assembly

 

oldguard is right...highly recommend fuses. they will save your ass. saved mine countless. just cheap insurance.

 

I use a kit. The wires are marked and the price IMHO is as good as rounding up everything to start. My own stuff I use Rebel here on the HAMB. On the tri 's I do for others I get them to get the American Auto Wire kit for the tri 5's. That's just me.

 

Don't be tempted to take short cuts and use all the same wire, to save money. I did that on the last car I wired up. It was cool when doing it, as I used a central fuse box, fuse for every circuit etc, so I knew it was good and solid and long term, but three months later I wanted to add some extra electrical stuff and it was a real pain trying to work out which wire went where in the harness.

Next car I built I invested in a proper Painless type wiring kit, with every wire a different colour, and marked along its length. That was good, but for the price (when shipped to the UK) it was very basic.

Mind you, to buy the seperate rolls of wire in different colours would have cost more than the kit anyway. Plus add on the fuse boxes, relays etc.

I never installed it, sold the car unfinished, but whilst I was building it I kept in the back of my head where I was going to route the wires, and I glassed a length of 1" PVC under the floor so all wires could go from the engine bay/dashboard area through to the trunk without getting in the way of anything. Side lights, stop lights, turn signals, license plate, trunk light, reversing lights, fuel level wire, whatever other crap you have to run back there..

 

I just completed my first ground-up complete wiring project on my 55 Chevy truck. I'm a moron when it comes to wiring, so I ordered a Rebel Wire kit right here on the HAMB. I installed it after paint and after everything was bolted up. It took me 3 Saturdays (off and on, between running errands, etc) to completely install it, and I'm proud to say that everything worked on the first try. *The only hitch was that I forgot to ground 2 gauges, my own stupidity......remember, I'm a wiring moron . But after I fixed that minor issue, everything worked perfectly. If I can do it, anyone can. I think this is a testament to how well these pre-fabbed kits are put together. They make wiring an easy task. Just take your time and plan out the wiring routes, and use lots of grommets!

 

i personally cant stand the multi colored wires with all the labels on them. much rather buy the old school glass fuse blocks, a spool of cloth wire, wire ends, and heat shrink and solder and heat shrink it all. get some wax cotton craft string and wrap it around it one way and then back the next aircraft style. or run it through that black cloth/tar loom.

im insane though.

 

Vonn Ill be in touch I might have a diagram ,

 

I use a Rebel wire kit, try to do the install with body on frame and painted, not upholstered. Engine in or out doesn't matter much. Always buy a bigger kit (more circuits) than you need, so have room to expand later. Also, don't forget to run redundant grounds, especially in a 'glass car.

I also recommend a Ford inertia switch, in case of accident it shuts off the electric fuel pump. (I just saw that burning Vicky video 5 mins ago).

I always run the wires encased in heat shrink, looks neater and offers protection. Actually, here in the land of packrats, my '50 Burb has undercar wiring inside flexible metal conduit along the frame.

I have pics of several customer's cars I've done, but it's kinda hard to get good shots in tight spaces. I stay busy via word of mouth!

 

My only advice after fixing a lot of other peoples OT vehicles and wiring my own is learn how to solder/heat shrink. NEVER use a "scotch lock" or anything like that.
Butt connectors are ok if you buy the good ones that are designed to heat shrink around the wires.
I have used fuse boxes out of OEM cars and they work good, but I think the kits sure are convenient, and you usually end up with a bunch of extra wire for another project...
Kurt

 

I did my own and had a go with an EZ Wiring kit. It was easy.

Broke up the forward, dash, ign and rear sections and did one section at a time before progressing to the next.

I HATE wiring and you know what? Looking back it wa one of the most enjoyable aspects of my build.

Oh, and saving a shitload helped me buy a blower. And everything still works as it should !!

So get a kit and have a go.....measure twice, crimp, solder, heat shrink....repeat....

Rat

 

I've used an American Auto Wire kit twice. I wired our roadster after paint and powder coat, during final assembly and that made things easier to get at. Right now I'm in the middle of re-wiring our '47 Mercury and doing a fully assembled, full body car is physically more difficult just because you have to feed wires over, under, around, and through.

The big advantage to using a kit, at least for me, is the excellent diagrams that come with it. Combined with color coded, printed wire, it's hard to screw it up.

Use good quality crimpers, solder and shrink tubing where appropriate, and lots of zip ties to keep things neat and organized. Take your time and it will go pretty easily.

 

Thanks John, I will compare it with the one i have,

and keep the ideas coming..pictures too if ya got em.

would you suggest mounting the fuse panel and branching out from that point?

 

Here you go... This is about as tradional as it gets... Ya' might want to add a fuse panel, a circuit for a windshield wiper, heater/defroster, another for some tunes... and oh yea, mabe you'll want some turn signals, an electric fuel pump, A/C or whatever... I found this here on the H.A.M.B.

 

On a simple hot rod, I build my own harness. No sense in having 27 extra circuits that you don't even use under the dash. I think rebel makes a kit that's 9 circuits or something, but that's still about 6 more circuits than I usually need!

On my latest roadster, I bought a glass cartridge 4 circuit fuse block, a fusible link, and a bunch of cloth-covered wire from Mac's. The car only has ignition, charging, starting, and lights. I wired the whole thing in an afternoon and it only cost me about $55 or so. I copied those individual circuits from old ford schematics and wired them up one at a time.

Chopt top kid has the right idea! There's also a basic hot rod wiring harness diagram in the Bishop Tardel book...

 

Seriously- check out the cost of buying the needed wire in the appropriate gauges and colors (as well as a fuse block) and compare it to the cost of a kit. Unless you've got a really cheap source or stuff lying around, the kit usually turns out to be cheaper. That's what I found.

 

I make it up as I go along.
Example; When I mount the ammeter, then it's time to run wires to it. When I mount the alternator it's appropriate to slave in the connections from that component. Tail lights in place........... etc., etc.

 

I always have used Afforable wiring panels and the wire kit also, my first 2 or 3 jobs I did from scratch but by the time I bought all the different wire colors I found it easier and cheaper to buy from Affordable, if you ever have a problem he is just a phone call away. I've looked at several other panels and there are a lot of good ones out there. Take your pick! I always make certain I mount everything and start at the panel, I also break it down in steps on paper, Engine, front end, lights horn etc, them the rear harness and I do the dash/ interior last, just me..Good luck

 

i spent 1/2 an hour and pulled the fuse block and harness out of a donor p/u....cut the wiper section off and installed it in my car.....not rocket surgery

 

My plan is to get this car as complete in its "necessary running gear" even if the final paint and interior are not in the budget for this year, but i want to be able to drive it. and have my electrical system up and useable.
I know that there will come a day where the body fenders and most of the car will be taken back apart at some time for final paint , body work and interior.

 

I've probably rewired 15-20 cars so far, and always use a kit. It's funny, because right before I do it, on a few of mine, I have been tempted to take the plunge and make my own, but with redoing our house (ie electricals) and becoming familiar with various supply houses, wiring itself is expensive, and that leaves you with one color, unmarked wire to hunt through, or as well stated above, pull your hair out when trying to diagnose or add on to. Not worth it IMO.

I want to try Rebel in the near future, but I am so used to the EZ kits I can do a car (with no interior and with drivetrain in) in a few hours. Im one of those guys who goes to the restaraunt and orders the same thing every time, so Im aprehensive of change.

 

I make my own looms, that way i can split the right nd left headlight/turn signal stuff and run them thru the respective frame rails so they don't cross-over under the radiator. Rear lights can be done that way too. Street rods often need a relay center and i make and mount them twards the rear nearest the battery, they are often as complicated as a new buick what with remote doors, electric windows, gadgets evrywhere even motorized license plates that remain hidden until the engine is running.
I use the TechFlex hi-temp loom material (it has the white tracer). I'll lay the entire car out on a sheet of plywood, for instance, if i am making the front harness i'll measure how far apart the headlights are and run a 2 1/2" drywall screw in about 1/2"; locate the fan, put a screw; locate the horn, put a screw; figure your rounting and add screws; locate the firewall. I use standard gm colorcode ( somethimes it is hard to get proper color wires - dk green, lt green etc) and run my wires to the screws with plenty to terminate with, tape the ends, slide the loom over the harness and tape the exposed loom ends to keep it from unraveling and put a small tyewrap on the tagend of the tape.
I deal with a number of automotive electrical suppliers and american autowire will sell you the individual pieces that make up a light socket so that you can makeup a weathertite harness straight to your lamps without splice.
To do your dash, lay your gages on the plywood and trace them, do the screw thing for the terminals and run your wires just like for the headlight harness; same with engine bay; cabin lights etc.
The real key to doing this is to record the wireing where each wire has an identity. I make a sheet like a double entry record recording the terminations. This is the sheet that tells you what wire, color, gage etc goes into each loom. It pays to stick an extra wire in there too.
Sound complicated? Yes it is. Efficient, you bet. There is nothing worse that troubleshooting a poorly wireing job, especially when you just finished doing it and it don't work.

 

My two cents: Use a kit, follow the directions, use common sense, and test things BEFORE you get it all finalized and you will be fine. Get yourself a multimeter and one of those little LED circuit checkers and you won't have any problems. When I wired my '53 Chevy with power windows, power seat, A/C, etc., etc. I had never done ANY wiring on ANY car and it came out great. Years later everything is still working with no blown fuses.
(Had one very minor problem last year with a circuit breaker that turned out to be from my headlights drawing too much current - solved that by installing sealed beams and that was that.)

 

I wired my 29 roadster myself, with help from guys here on the hamb. It's really pretty easy, group your wires, like for the rear harness I ran 1 wire for the two tail lights, 1 for the liscense plate, and one each for the turn signals, one for the fuel pump. Leave plenty of wire to terminate at the locations and extra wire at the fuse box. Same thing with the front harness, and for the charging harness. The dash I wired on the bench and left the wires long to reach thier goal when the dash was installed. I have a GM column ( 73 Pont. Ventura ) and they are really nice for the turn sigs and flashers and brake lights etc. The book How to do electrical systems, Most everything about auto electrical systems is great it's by Skip Readio.

 

I wired my car with an EZ Wire 21 circuit kit. I have the fuse block hanging from a bracket above the steering column. I really enjoyed working with their kit.
29 Tudor, SBC, alternator, stereo system, electric SW gauges.

 

For every bike I have built I have made my own harness, I draw it out on paper and use different color wire and label the drawing. For my truck I got a Rebel kit but I am waiting for the winter to put it in.

 

well im lucky im not completely green on the wiring deal, Ive done motorcycles, and flatbed trailers and wiring repairs..I had to do some re-work on the 53 chevy;s wiring..but that was easy , just to re-do old suff

Just wondering if there are special situations when dealing with Hot Rods, to be aware of. And how some of you have attacked the issues.

A lot of good info guys keep it coming.
someone out there is wiring up their hot rod and has pictures, great tech thread?

Its always the guys that have done this a time or two that have found neat ways to make it work out great, its the little things that can make shit like this enjoyable, and have a finished look to it

 

Since I'm an old fart- I've wired both ways.
I've bought spools of wire & glass fuse panels & wired from scratch in the past but today I use kits. It's easier & faster to use a kit & my back isn't what it used to be.
I've never been a fan of exposed wiring so I try & hide most of it. In the engine area- I don't want to see a rainbow of wires so I cover the wires w/ a nylon black braid & heat shrink on the ends. There's a few kits on the market that use cloth covered wire but it's still a rainbow of colors. WTF? I'm not a fan of the generic GM pre-terminated kits like Rebel & the others. I like to make my own terminations at the fuse panel & all the extra circuits that I'm not using now can stay in the box instead of coiled up under the dash. I've used Ron Francis kits in all my cars over the years but this year, I re-wired my roadster w/ a highway kit from AAW.
None of the kits are perfect IMO- I wish they offered a kit that wasn't dummied down w/ colors & had the option of all black wiring.
I like to pre-plan the wiring during a build- in some cases, I need to weld in a studded plate for the panel during the build process.