Register now to get rid of these ads!

Hot Rods Anyone use this wiring harness?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by ShortyLaVen, Jan 13, 2019.

  1. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    Buying anything thats Ultra-Cheapo will get your ass stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. One of the greatest truism's is "you get what you pay for". I don't buy anything made in China by small children.

    Gary
     
  2. mountainman2
    Joined: Sep 16, 2013
    Posts: 336

    mountainman2
    Member

    Wanna bet? ;)
     
    Blue One, swervyjoe, zzford and 2 others like this.
  3. Well maybe the cost has gone up since I bought one. The cheap harnesses are anywhere from 50-90 dollars and I thought the EZ wire and Rebel was about $150 for the smaller one. I wasn't looking for a harness with a lot of circuits since the car I was going to use it in has no electrical accessories other than a radio and heater fan, and I was not even going to wire the radio in.
     
    jimgoetz likes this.
  4. For me, the thing with wiring is that it’s something I’ll do only once to a car. If I’m unhappy with the result, it’s not very likely that I’ll rip it all out and start over. So I’d end up living with a regret.

    I’ve used EZ Wire and Rebel. I’m happy with both.
     
    Fordor Ron and upspirate like this.
  5. low down A
    Joined: Feb 6, 2009
    Posts: 500

    low down A
    Member

    where do you think the computer or phone you used to type this was made.
     
    Fordor Ron likes this.
  6. I used a Kwik Wire harness in my Ford, it was excellent all around. I'd buy one again in a flash.
     
  7. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    I really appreciate all the replies! Like a mentioned a couple times, I'm not really looking for a discussion about what a better harness would be. The last couple of years I have done about 15 or so complete harnesses from a kit, mostly AAW Highway kits and their plug n play Classic Updates, a couple EZs, two of the basic Rebels, a few Pro T Haywires, and even one of the really high end Coach Classics, and they are all great. AAW has been my favorite, and the Rebels I used were great for a budget build. I fully understand that you get what you pay for, which is why I was asking: what do you get for your money with this particular kits?

    The gentleman I mentioned did indeed get back to me with pics and measurements. His kit he got had pretty decent wire, about 15' in lenght on average. He only gave me the diameter for the heater and accessory feeds, which are typically 12 gauge wire in a given harness in my experience. They measured about 0.075", which is between 12 and 13 gauge in AWG. I don't know how exactly they account for the strands squishing together, so I would say that is probably accurate for real world 12AWG wire.

    THAT SAID, I am not in any way convinced that these all come from only one manufacturer. I imagine that, based on accounts I have now gathered from people who actually purchased these kits, most of them out there are probably ok, but some of them are probably "cheaper" than others. I am still planning on ordering one this week (from a retailer in AZ; reasonable shipping time frame and will more than likely stand behind their sale) and will thouroughly dissect it.
     
  8. upspirate
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 2,299

    upspirate
    Member

    Shorty, sounds like you have enough experience to figure out any discrepancies in manufacturing errors, (wires to wrong places in fuse block etc) and vague instructions.
    Only questions in my book is the quality of the insulation as I've seen different temp ratings for engine & non-engine compartments, and proper gauge for the circuit draw.
    I'm sure you will let us know after your experience
     
  9. RDR
    Joined: May 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,480

    RDR
    Member

    Bought a 12 circuit 40 Dollar one for my '50 Fleetline...Was interested in getting just a fuse panel and got the wiring too. Have used EZ Wire before and that was nice to have all circuits printed down each wire..That said this kit has colored wires, all seem to be heavy enough as needed. Doing the wiring now so can't comment yet on the possible melt down all seem to believe may happen. This one has a flasher and a relay on the fuse block. The keyed side seems to ALL be activated by the relay...Key on, relay kicks on,..Not too familiar with this idea, but I suppose IF you had a Chinese Ignition Switch then maybe it would live longer through a relay..? just sayin'..
    I am soldering the terminal ends and connectors..the wire is copper and all seems to be going as planned.
    Can get back later as progress continues if any ones interested.
     
  10. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    That's really interesting about the relay controlling the entire key-on circuit. I've never seen that before, either. Makes sense, I suppose. Good to know that you got copper wire and not plated alloy. I would like to know how the rest of your install goes as you get it finished! I'm ordering mine Friday (payday). Do you have any pics of yours you could post?

    FWIW I am not sure about a total car-destroying meltdown, either. I have seen a lot of really hack wiring jobs, and very deteriorated original wiring in cars I've worked on. I've had some smoke shows but never an actual fire. The most recent was actually in the car I am contemplating using this kit in! And like every other one I've had experience with, it was directly related to something dumb the PO did (actually not the PO in this case, but rather the shop that scammed him. That's a whole 'nother story). I could see how lesser quality components might compound an issue if there were one, though.
     
  11. lostone
    Joined: Oct 13, 2013
    Posts: 2,820

    lostone
    Member
    from kansas

    I'm interested to see what you find out too shorty.

    Please post your findings and pics. I thought about buying one myself to dissect and see if much of it was usable.

    Again I've seen them with u.S. stickers on them also I've seen some around 65.00 that advertise longer wiring for under back seat installs.

    I agree that there are definitely nicer kits out there but are some of them really worth the price they want?
     
  12. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    Just a quick update! I was going to order that harness yesterday, but found out my mother already bought one of these for her '34 truck project from the same vendor I was going to buy from. As I type this, I am at the terminal waiting for my flight to Phoenix, where I will then be heading to Zip Tie Drags with her and her boyfriend in his '67 Nova wagon. Saturday night after the races I will dive into the wiring and take pics of everything. Then Sunday afternoon it's back to the frozen tundra of southeast Minnesota LOL!
     
    Hombre and firstinsteele like this.
  13. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    Now that's a hot rod family!
     
    Hombre likes this.
  14. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    Well, she is the one that messed up and got me into old cars in the first place :D
     
  15. 4EyedTurd
    Joined: Jan 20, 2014
    Posts: 40

    4EyedTurd
    Member
    from Texas

    I’m interested to hear your findings
     
  16. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    Ok!! So I have this import cheapo harness in front of me, and also a Haywire Pro T, which is an actual good quality US made harness that is similar in concept.

    I'll start with labelling:

    Here we have the cheap harness
    IMG_20190120_132431.jpg

    And here is the name brand:
    IMG_20190120_132447.jpg

    The labelling on the cheap one is pretty legible. The printing on the name brand does seem a little better quality, as the cheap one has rubbed off in spots. Another plus of the name brand is the use of white printing on dark colored wire, as apposed to black all around on the other.

    Note that the cheap harness is absolutely NOT color coded as described in the listing, but for your average hot rod I don't think that is crucial. It is worth considering, however.

    Wire quality:

    Here is a comparison shot of the main power feed wires. The one with the white inner later is the name brand harness. I believe this to be GXL, while the cheap one is PVC. The actual wire size looks to be a true 10awg, both are solid copper strand, with the cheap one actually being a higher strand count.
    IMG_20190120_131259.jpg

    Here is some 12AWG from each kit. White is the cheap stuff, blue is name brand. Same story here, looks true to size, but with a different strand count.
    IMG_20190120_131451.jpg

    It took me a little bit to figure out the relay situation, but I finally came to conclusion that it is just there for whatever you want to use it for. It does not supply power to the ignition side if the fuse panel, but rather comes on with the key, being triggered by the keyed power buss in the fuse block and has a power-out that is just labeled as such- "relay out". The fuse panel is wired for constant and ignition power only, with no separate ignition/accessory busses. This would be fine for an old Chevy switch or something like that that doesn't have an accessory position anyways, or run a separate buss for the the ignition side if the switch (I usually only run the coil and gauges on the ignition side anyways).
    IMG_20190120_131717.jpg

    All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to use this harness on a project. Yes, more connectors and terminals are needed to complete the install, but for a lot of vintage components that you might reuse, like switches and lights, you can't use what comes in most kits anyways.

    For my particular case I am indeed repurposing my Haywire kit from another project because the car I am currently working on is a Chevy, and I really want it to have correct GM color coded wiring to make future maintenance easier for the next guy. For a hot rod I would say the cheaper harness is completely viable, and it will indeed get used in the aforementioned '34 truck. Before install, I would trace out everything with a multi meter or Power Probe and write out a color code and diagram for reference, but other than that I think it's great.
     
    oliver westlund and Hombre like this.
  17. upspirate
    Joined: Apr 15, 2012
    Posts: 2,299

    upspirate
    Member

    Thanks for the feedback.
    You know what you are doing and that would make a difference.
    I've wired two vehicles, the first with a Painless, the second with a EZ-wire.
    The painless was , well, painless and easy, and the EZ had me scratching my head at times.
    About 20+ yrs between jobs so not sure if quality of the kit, or my abilities have slipped.
    The kit you used sounds like it would be best left to someone that has done a bunch and knows how to figure it out
     
  18. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    That is true, the cheap Chinese kits do not have any instructions whatsoever, no wiring diagram or layout of the fuse panel, and not every last wire is labeled, so for someone that is doing this in their spare time and doesn't do a lot of electrical it would maybe not be a good buy. I'm fortunate enough to get to do that kind of stuff for a living, and I'm no expert by any means, but I've done it long enough to be able to figure most things out eventually. I have never done a painless kit, but I imagine they are pretty similar to the higher end AAW stuff, in that EVERY LAST DETAIL is already worked out for you and that makes it a very quick and easy install with little "figuring out" involved. Aslo, as others mentioned, your stash of leftovers plays a roll. If you do a lot of wiring you probably have most everything you'd need to complete a very basic kit on hand already, maybe taking up space in the "junk drawer" of your toolbox.
     
    upspirate and oliver westlund like this.
  19. Another advantage of the kit that everything figured out for you is it's easier to troubleshoot or add to later.

    Phil
     
    upspirate likes this.
  20. How about wire lengths? Would you have to splice additional length if you had a larger car, or would it be adequate?
     
  21. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    Does the Chinese stuff smell different while burning?

    Bob
     
  22. it smells like aniseed.
     
  23. or incense! :D
     
    tb33anda3rd likes this.
  24. The37Kid
    Joined: Apr 30, 2004
    Posts: 30,627

    The37Kid
    Member

    That would mask the dead electrocuted rodents until the leather upholstery starts to smolder.
     
    tb33anda3rd likes this.
  25. oliver westlund
    Joined: Dec 19, 2018
    Posts: 2,352

    oliver westlund
    Member

    does anyone just sell a fuse panel thats nice and labled? i would waaaaaaay rather not pay for wire that i will have to splice. i dont want spliced wires. modern fuses would be nice! on ebay they sell packs of wire with tons of color combos in 25 foot lengths and i would so much rather run a solid wire from fuse to component. also if i run the wires myself, as i go i can lay it all out and wrap it in nice old looking cloth wraps to keep "the look"
     
  26. JeffB2
    Joined: Dec 18, 2006
    Posts: 9,484

    JeffB2
    Member
    from Phoenix,AZ

    About those relays and the ignition switches. https://watsons-streetworks.com/a-current-topic/
     
  27. I think Ron Francis Wiring makes a fuse panel called Bare Bones or something similar.
     
    oliver westlund likes this.
  28. ShortyLaVen
    Joined: Oct 13, 2008
    Posts: 680

    ShortyLaVen
    Member

    Man, I was in such a rush to look this thing over before my flight back to Minnesota that I completely forgot to measure wire length!!! I just sent my mom a text to see if she can measure it tonight, and will post back.

    This relay isn't wired to supply power to the ACC side of the fuse panel, but rather gets it's power from it's own fuse on the ACC bus, which in turn gets it's power directly through the ignition switch. I'll draw a quick diagram when I get home from work if it helps anyone out. Different panels from the same supplier may very well be wired differently, too, so who knows if all of these kits are actually the same or not.
     
  29. zzford
    Joined: May 5, 2005
    Posts: 1,823

    zzford
    Member

    READ THE MANUFACTURER'S
    NAME CAREFULLY ! Don't buy a Juan Francis kit!
     
    low down A and 56don like this.
  30. RDR
    Joined: May 30, 2009
    Posts: 1,480

    RDR
    Member

    It took me a little bit to figure out the relay situation, but I finally came to conclusion that it is just there for whatever you want to use it for. It does not supply power to the ignition side if the fuse panel, but rather comes on with the key, being triggered by the keyed power buss in the fuse block and has a power-out that is just labeled as such- "relay out". The fuse panel is wired for constant and ignition power only, with no separate ignition/accessory busses. This would be fine for an old Chevy switch or something like that that doesn't have an accessory position anyways, or run a separate buss

    Shorty,
    After I posted that I got back to the project and retraced the wires on that relay and yes it is exactly like you said...the relay clicks on with the ignition key when the whole keyed side comes on..Kind of strange as no single control on relay, whatever the heck it would be used for. One thing I didn't like was on the cover the fuses are listed and the headlight fuse leads out with a 16ga. wire. I will just change to one of the ACC wires that are 12ga unless I put relays in for the H/L.
    Thanks for your Thread and info for us all
    Randy
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.