Wiring Problems

[smokem777]

Ive been ok with having a rats nest under my dash. Recently the car cut out on me while driving home. No headlights or taillights, no fuel pump, no radio. However my interior lights still worked. I decided to save myself the headache and just decided to rewire the entire car front to back. Painless has numerous kits from my car (69 camaro) which do i go with????? im not looking to have power windows and heated seats or anything like that. but the 12 circuit wiring harnesses all seem to run the same set of accesorys but why the $100-$200 price difference? has anybody had any success with painless? any info would be helpful. i miss my baby and want her back on the road :mad:

[GregWeld]

If you're not SUPER familiar with wiring.... find a pro shop and have them do it. Wiring an entire car is fairly straight forward IF you know what you're doing.... if you don't - then it's very frustrating and I've known guys that have tried and their car never ran again.

It requires stripping out most of the interior and dash components to do RIGHT...

Ron Francis probably makes the best wiring on the market - having said that I just wired a complete car using Painless and it was just fine.

[smokem777]

Im an ASE certified technician. but this is gonna be the first time ive ever tackled a wiring job as intense as an entire car though. The more i read the painless manuals for the harnesses im looking at the more comfortable i feel.

[GregWeld]

Okay --- you're at least mechanical.... then you can do it.

[smokem777]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: thanks for the encouraging words

[carbuff]

Take a look at the AAW sets as well. And unless the cost difference is too high, look at the Classic Retrofit kit (I think that's what it is called). Those are designed to be a more direct fit rather than you having to figure out all the wiring yourself.

Good luck! :cheers:

[GregWeld]

Yeah -- and I misstated the company I used for the Camaro -- I used American Auto Wire (AAW) not Painless.

I think I used their Highway 22 kit with a trunk mount extension kit. Nice stuff.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

I would go with the AAW also. The PL stuff is nice but a bit over priced for as "general" as it is.

Another tip for a fellow (ask someone else) certified gear head. Even if you are replacing your harness, take notes of routing, mark and or label the old one as it is coming out. You'll be thankful you did when you start putting your new one in weeks from now. Also match it up when you get the new one. Keep length, connector and hold down locations in mind when you are looking at the two.

[smokem777]

Thanks guys!!! I've never even looked into AAW. Has anybody had any success completely hiding the harness from view? I know the stock one (with random spliced additions over the years) that I have was extremely noticeable! I'm hoping for no visible wires when I open the hood, trunk or any inside obviously.

[GregWeld]

My '56 Nomad engine bay....


http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Inglese%20Intake/IMG_1021.jpg




My Brother in Laws 69 Camaro engine bay....




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/file-2.jpg




My '32 Ford engine bay....





http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/1932%20Ford/DSC_7953.jpg




Very few wires showing -- it can be done -- but it takes a lot of planning... the '32 and '56 are fuel injected so there are even more wires to hide!

[smokem777]

Wow! Amazing looking cars!! The camaros engine bay is exactly what I'm trying to accomplish with mine.

[brownz]

AAW thats what I did even though I had to modify it A LOT it made it better in the end. I used a 70-73 camaro kit for my 79.

[GregWeld]

Wow! Amazing looking cars!! The camaros engine bay is exactly what I'm trying to accomplish with mine.



To do that -- I used an American Autowire Highway 22 kit - and their Trunk extension kit -- mounted the fuse box on a rack I built in the trunk behind the rear seat... ran the wires up the tranny hump under the carpet and pad (cut out). Really cleans up the under dash as well as the engine bay. But it takes a lot of work... IMHO it's worth doing it RIGHT -- rather than never being happy with the work.



The rack mounted in the trunk:



http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/file-10.jpg






Under the dash:




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/file-12.jpg






Laying the run nice and neat:




http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/file-77.jpg






Back of the custom dash:






http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/file-92.jpg

[smokem777]

i have the same amp and it appears my roll cage is ran the same way through the rear of the car. :) i just pulled all my carpet and interior and the way you ran it sounds exactly how i was planning on running it. Its very helpful to see it in pics though! still cant get over how clean it is! def using this as an example and motivation!

[GregWeld]

Note the battery is up on the "hump" --- because of that -- and just for general service reasons -- I made the "rack" hinge on the bottom -- and then just is blind fastened to tabs on the roll bar. Easy to undo and drop it down and slide out or service the battery.

In this car it is all hidden behind a carpeted panel.... and there is also a battery cutoff switch - hidden - and I ran a 15 amp fuse across the switch to keep battery power to the radio etc - but of course that won't let it be started.

I grounded the battery to the roll bar... since it is all welded into the body etc. Nice and short and sweet. Ran the + to a connection point up forward and then jumped off that across to the starter. Gives me a nice clean point to get + from. I use a Marine Stainless steel "post" that also has a dozen smaller terminals for taps.

[GregWeld]

I used a MARINE "thru hull" to run the + battery "thru" the floor. That way you can disconnect the thing from the underside of the car without ripping out the back seat etc.

I had to make a "patch" because the previous "builder" (a f'n joke) had three holes drilled in this area - and just ran the + AND - cable thru the floor -- sharp edges and all.... and had these two giant cables all the way forward. It was obvious they didn't understand electricity!

I ran out of RED shrink tube in this size - thus it's black - which is a no no - but ASSume anyone getting this far into the car - will be able to see what was done. The underside of the car IS RED shrink! I use black welding cable for it's oil and grease resistance -- and it's super fine copper strands.





http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad33/gregweld/Rudys%20Camaro/IMG_1733.jpg

[smokem777]

Also very interested in if anybody has done H.I.D conversion?

[468Camaro]

Note the battery is up on the "hump" --- because of that -- and just for general service reasons -- I made the "rack" hinge on the bottom -- and then just is blind fastened to tabs on the roll bar. Easy to undo and drop it down and slide out or service the battery.

In this car it is all hidden behind a carpeted panel.... and there is also a battery cutoff switch - hidden - and I ran a 15 amp fuse across the switch to keep battery power to the radio etc - but of course that won't let it be started.

I grounded the battery to the roll bar... since it is all welded into the body etc. Nice and short and sweet. Ran the + to a connection point up forward and then jumped off that across to the starter. Gives me a nice clean point to get + from. I use a Marine Stainless steel "post" that also has a dozen smaller terminals for taps.

Great idea ! Ive been lookin for a plan like this to do mine..