Technical 2 weeks off and my 56 needs wiring... what to do?

So I have 2 full weeks off work with nothing to do. I just bought a 56 Chevy G***er and it needs to be wired. it runs fine, but has no wiring for headlights, running lights, brake lights, license plate light dome light or gauge lights. The wiring it has now is simplistic wiring at best.

I have wired my ground up built harleys but never a car... ever! So this is a new experience for me but I am fearless and I have plenty of tools and fabrication experience. When it comes to wiring a car that has little functional electrical I have a lot to learn but for once I have both time, money and the want to do it myself (a great combo).

The car has factory wiring (cobbled together) under the dash (not being used) and the dash is basically a tach, power toggle, starter ****on and oil pressure and water temp gauge.

So I am looking for advice. Do I buy a kit? What kit? Do I gut every wire on the car? Keep what works, etc. ?

Like I said.... I have two full weeks with nothing to do, sowhat not wire my new project. See the pic below to show how basic it is right now and again, it starts, runs, stops, etc.

No need to get all critical.... I bought it this way, now its time to correct all the potential problems.

 

I would buy a kit and get after it. You will get lots of suggestions on what kit to buy. I am familiar with painless kits and like them. My favorite is the American Autowire kit.

 

I really like the American Autowire kit.... but seems like I have lots of options. I just need the basics... its a bare bones car. I won't run a stereo, heater, ac, powersteering, etc. just need start, run, all lights, etc. Any advice?

 

If you are not electrical savvy, I would just get a factory replacement harness from the Car and Truck shop of Orange,
America Auto Wire is good and I just bought one for my 64 El Camino. But I had my nephew install it because ypu have to put all together. Install the connectors, tape the wires, splice some wires
Thats why I say, you're not electrical savvy, go with a factory replacement harness. Plug and you're done.

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I want to ditch ALL the wiring in the car and start clean.... its how I build my harleys so its how I want my car to be. I want to know what every wire does and why. So I am strongly considering a Painless kit or American Autowire kit. I want to, and will, gut the car of every single wire while on my vacation. Maybe that's step one.

 

Get a small Rebel wire kit and have fun driving the car the rest of the 12 days .

Get the 8 circuit:
http://rebelwire.com/rebel-wire-products.php?cat=Wire Kits

 

Good luck, I admire anyone who understands that stuff.

Bob

 

Gut it and start over, too many variables with retaining some of the old, cobbled together wiring and integrating it with a new kit, in my opinion. I've used and liked the universal style American Autowire kits, but have some experience with the Painless ones. I would lean towards a vehicle specific kit from either company for a car like a '56. the time saved and ease of installation will be worth paying a little more when your not having to stop and source terminals halfway through it, or try and troubleshoot if its something you hooked up wrong or an intermittent issue with the old wiring. I usually cut the pigtails off of any lights incase they will be needed, as the universal kits might not have the right provisions for specific lights

 

Call painless help line and same for American autowire. Ask them for a recommendation and then shop for the best price. I have used both companies and they are both good.
Speedway sells a basic wiring kit good quality and reasonable price.

 

i always liked the Ron Francis kits. some of the cheap "factory style" replacement harnesses are such a mess you will have to fool with them to get them right.
i am amazed about "two weeks with nothing to do". i was 9 years old the last time that happened to me.

 

The factory reproduction harness comes in multiple sections which can be purchased as a complete set or pieces. Since you are going bare bones, you don't need to purchase the heater, clock, or radio sections. Then you won't have a big pile of wires the serve no purpose. The factory terminals and connectors are still available, so you can make or modify the harness to your needs.

 

I agree with the heap, you can buy headlight/taillight, etc harnesses separate. Danchuck, Cl***ic Chevy International, Ole 55 will have 'em.
I wired my whole car in a weekend
The wires came with factory looking grommets to p*** through the quarters and fenders, very happy with it

Sent from my SM-G930V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I used to make enlarged prints of wiring diagrams and blow ups of sections ...
Get the kids narrow kolor markers out and kolor code each wire on the paper...
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/electrical/wiring/

 

I’d advise if your going to buy an aftermarket kit type that before getting started, you count the number of circuits you will need for your particular application.
Then remove the excess wiring from each bundle.
There nothing worse than trying to stuff and route unused wires that will never be used. I would add a few extra in case you need them later. Rarely does that happen.

 

I like using the kits instead of doing it all by scratch myself because each wire is labeled or marked where it goes every few inches. No longer have to remember or look at a diagram to determine what color wire went where especially a few years later when you are trying to troubleshoot a problem that arises from usage and I tend to use and abuse my toys overtime.

 

Thats for sure. The satisfaction once it,s all done will stay with you for years. The headaches just a few days. ( for novices )

 

Shouldn't be a big leap from wiring a H-D to wiring a bare bones drag car.


Sent from my LG-TP450 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

You have some good advice above. The only thing I will add is that all the kits are only supplying the positive side of the circuit. Make sure that every component has a good ground to the frame, the frame is grounded, the body is grounded, the motor is grounded etc. That is the other half of the circuit. More electrical problems come from poor grounds than anything else. Good Luck.

 

Bare bones drag car, build your own. Two weeks, minimal circuits, weight reduction, go faster.

 

Wired my Buick with a Kwik Wire kit. I would buy one again, all wires marked and numbered. You can buy a kit with just the number of circuits that you need. I had no problems and everything worked first time.

 

I really liked the Centech kit I got for my Comet. They were great to deal with and it was pretty straight forward.

 

start with a 8 circuit kit....about $ 50.00

 

If it is really just going to be a simple race car type wiring job, I would buy a cheap roadster wiring kit with minimal circuits.
I used an EZwire on my 56, I don't have power anything on it so I had to eliminate a lot of wires. I used a Rebel kit in my 32 and found it better but my favorite was the American Autowire I used in my 34 truck because it came with switches and everything since my truck had nothing.
The kits make it so much faster and easier since you get the fuse block already wired and the wires color coded and labeled.

 

I have been building hot rods for the last 50 years and started by making up my own components,I have also used most of the wiring kits that are available.

About 8 years ago I bought my first American Auto Wire kit and since that time I have used 3 more myself and helped install 4 more.

The really beauty of this kit is the detailed instructions and the fact that everything you need is in that box,everything! HRP

 

i dont like harnesses cause you end up with a bunch of wiring you dont need. buy a 6 or 8 circuit fuse box a bunch of 12 and 14 ga wire and go at it. theres even a book called how to wire a hot rod i think its like 15 bucks go for it .

 

I used the Rebel kit on my 31 it worked good, he is a vendor on the Hamb, reasonable price.

 

$50?! From who?

 

We could talk about it for two weeks, then time would be up

 

I bought a Rebel 9+2 kit ,but I'm an ELECTRONIC tech by trade.I put it in my 56 Ford

 

I've used American Autowire in two cars. A 67 Nova and 37 Ford. Good instructions, All wires marked where they go, Fuse block wired. Great product, I would definitely use again.