1952-59 Ford Rewiring 1956 Victoria

I have started the process of rewiring my 56 Victoria. I was never aware the factory ran the wiring to the rear for the tail lights and turn signals and brake lights overhead. I am not taking out the original headliner. Has anyone rewired their car and how did you route the wiring to the rear? Can you use these wires, connect the new wires and pull them overhead to the rear?

 

Wow. I am no help, but just learned something. I would have never guessed they ran those wires overhead.

 

Maybe it is hardtops only. They enter the cowl about the middle of the windshield.

 

Since you're running all new wires, can't you run them down low, through the rocker panel and up over the rear wheelwell into the trunk area? That's how I ran my '54 wiring.
Then just remove your old wires from under the headliner.

 

That does look like a good alternative. I would have to take the car a good bit further apart to do that. Yours does look good. My car was a nice complete car until I decided to change to a 5 speed and replace the dash that someone had cut up for a modern radio.

 

Removing the sill plate, rear seat and drivers side rear door panel will give you complete access all the way to the trunk.

 

on my 54, I ran all the rear wires under the carpet next to the front seat. Did have to make a small hole in the back seat riser to bring them into the rear.

 

I think i will run under the carpet also. I just was surprised how Ford ran it.

I do like what evintho did.

 

I have used a flat 4 conductor cable made for wiring trailers in the past. Very easy to lay flat on the floor then cover with aluminum tape like used for sealing furnace ducting. 4 wires gives you tail light, turn signals, and backup lights if you have them. You can get 20 foot rolls very reasonable at almost any auto parts store.

 

an old speedo inner cable is great for feeding wire into blind panels or pillars

 

On my '59 the wires ran along the transmission tunnel. I did the same thing with the new harness.

 

There were only 5 wires to the rear of the car. If all the original folding clips are there it makes it easier. They were in a protected loom.
If your ever planning on a rear shelf speaker this would be the time to add the wires, 2 for each one if your a sound guy. The center dome light went the left A pillar.
A laminated color wiring diagram from Cl***iccarwiring.com is really good for all this.

 

Thanks Jimmy six. I still have the Town &Country radio from my 56 I had in 1966. My friend that had a radio shop fixed it for me last year. I am going I am going to use it in the front but I am going to use a bluetooth adapter and amp and put those in the package tray.

 

The old loom gets a little gooey when old. There is some new plastic (not the split stuff but wrap around) but I taped mine with Scotch 33 black and laid mine in the stock spot.
I had a friend convert my stock radio to AM-FM-Bluetooth and use it mostly for my I-phone and listening to Sirius oldies radio. My hearing is ****ty with tinnitus so a front speaker is all I need but the radio has the capability to do just about anything. The wiring is taped up on top of it.

 

On my 55 Ford ( HotRodReverend.com/blog ) I wished I had followed this advice since there are some electrical items I want to add. However, this will mean dis***embling the interior and running wires after the fact. Of course, this can be done but I do not relish tearing into things again. It would have been much easier to run a few extra wires just to have the circuits available to wire to relays and switches in the future.

 

I wired a 57 Ford I had many years ago and ran extra wires to the rear for speakers and also for an amplifier if I ever wanted to add one. Drove the car for a couple years and never added a stereo, just used the stock AM radio. Someone I worked with wanted the car really bad and I had my eye on a Falcon Sprint I wanted so sold the 57 and bought the Falcon. About a month later went over to the co-workers house to see all the extra wires laying on the ground with the explanation "it had all these extra wires that didn't go anywhere, weren't even connected to anything" so my good idea was his bad idea. Once I explained what the wires were for he had an Oh **** expression! Oh well, wasn't my car anymore, right? Yeah, till I bought it back a year later!

 

I started making Masking tape flag labels when I added something extra. I was told to by my dad.
As I add things to my 56 now I attach the wiring, color and size to the laminated schematic I bought.