I have a 1953 ford customline that I’m rewiring. And I’m starting with the tail light and rear end wiring. But I can’t figure out how to get the wire through the car. The old wiring is crusty and won’t budge to pull the new wires through. What would you do? Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Exactly what you said brother. Just gotta fish em through. If you have some poly line that you can pull through first to use on the premade rear harness, but it's never that easy on anything I'm working on lol
I use fiberglass rods . Harbor freight or lowes,mernards etc. Electricians use them. They come in different length and size.
Old electricians use metal snakes! I could never see how the fiberglass snake can work in a real world situation. I guess the younger guys may use them? Anyway, my 52 had the wires going to the rear of the car running along the door sill. The drivers side door sill plate was made to give the wires a sort of conduit space to run through. They followed towards the rear by going through the rear arm rest area of the car and then into the trunk. You may want to take a look under there just for the heck of it. Maybe Ford did a similar thing.
I got my rear side panel out the Out on the drivers side so I can see the channel. From behind the drivers door rearward i got. It’s from the rear of the door forward. Let me take a closer look. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I should have mentioned that I had to remove the screws on the sill plate and then lift it to see the wires running under it.
I went up the a pillar and followed the headliner back on a 53 chevy 210. Muscle cars have flat wiring thats goes under the carpet and seats.
In a 56 they started in the left side of the trunk and went over the wheel tub under the left side window after the wires got almost to the left door they crossed over to the hump behind the kick panel under the rear seat and laid beside at the lower edge. The were wrapped in a fabric style tape with no stickum, there were 2 fold over clips in the 56 Tudor. There are only 4 wires: gas gauge, tail/license, one each stop/turn light. They come up a little right of the throttle pedal.
Forget those wires and run the new wires down the frame like they do in some trucks, if you are having trouble! Bones
On my '54 Customline (basically the same as yours) I have the interior stripped out in preparation for rust repair and a complete rewire. I snapped some pics. Your tail light wiring runs from the tail lights over the driver side rear wheelhouse then into the well below the rear side window...…. It then continues through a rubber gromment and into the rocker panel under the drivers door. It lays in the bottom of the rocker panel..... and exits at the front through a rubber gromment, then goes up and through the side panel into the interior and dash area. To access that front gromment you may have to remove the inner fender panel and possibly even the driver side fender. It's been awhile since I pulled the front clip so not sure. Hope this helps.
That's a little different from the Chevys. Still, it's not impossible. It looks like there is a spot at the center of the door sill where you can access that inner rocker area and help the wiring along. Even an old metal coat hanger can be opened up and used as a snake. Put a small hook on the end and you can work from both ends of the inner rocker to pull new wire in. While doing that, it might be wise to pull more than you need. I always run black wires for my negative and have one going into my trunk. I also ran wires for signals and new fuel gauge. There are a number of reasons to run extras out to the trunk.
I will usually run off some welding wire from the mig machine, make up a very small loop at one end and electrical tape it . Use it like a very tiny fishtape.
And here i thought i was the only one that did that! 25' of flat 4 wiring harness for $15 at the parts house
In my 51 Shoe Box Ford I used a Rebel Wire kit so I got a fuse panel with it. Mounted the fuse panel on the left kick panel up behind the dash and ran the wires up the A pillar back over the top of the doors and down into the trunk. I used an electricians fish tape and had the interior out and the dash so it was easy.
That makes at least three of us. it simplifies things to no end. I'm thinking Evintho has done the headache saving post of the day though. Nice job there.
I cheated and ran mine beside the tunnel. I also ran extra wires for speakers and possibly a trunk popper at a later date. Easier to put them all in one harness and run them at the same time than have to run more wires later after the carpet is in.
...when running wires to the rear of the car, I buy a new dropcord with the correct guage wires and run it to the rear, it's double protected that way...especially if run along the framerail.
Preplan!! When I ran my wires, I did as Bama did, ran them down the side of the tunnel. I laid them over the dynamat, but made a tunnel for them in the 3/8 Jute under carpet mat so there was no lump in the carpet. I also ran an extra 8 (10?) gauge wire back for a power distribution box in the trunk in case I forgot something. Well, the something I forgot was an extra wire for feedback if needed. I later added a power antenae which was an easy hookup at the extra distribution box, but the antennae is signaled up and down from the radio, so I ended up having to fish that wire under the edge of the carpet by the door sill. Sorry, imho, running wires under a car is mickey mouse. get them protected from weather and road trash. Besides all the lights, you may want audio, fuel pump, power antennae, trunk release, FUEL SENDING UNIT, trunk light, etc etc. Additionally, my car is wired as though it was a fiberglass car. Nothing is grounded to the body, so I also have a main grounding wire running back there to a grounding terminal. Sorry, running wires under a car if you don't have to (tranny stuff) is lazy, mickey mouse..whatever you want to call it. Get them protected from weather and road trash.
...how would you run wires to the tailites on a pickup?...without runnin em along the framerail?...all trucks do it that way, always have...I've done em that way for years and never one problem....besides, my idea had the wires double protected...
Make life simple! Get yourself some 7 wire trailer harness and run it inside or along your frame using correct size grommets and leave a little slack where it exits and enters your body. Then maybe a trailer distribution box in your trunk. Makes for easy diagnosing if u have a problem in the future. Lazy? Maybe, but it's weatherproof and u can get it with 2 - 10 gauge wires in the bundle also for dedicated auxiliary power/ground, etc and still have provisions for tail, turn, b/u and fuel level.
There's nothing wrong with running the wire harness along the truck frame, as long as it's well routed and secure. I don't know how else you'd do it. The Mickey Mouse wiring on my '58 Apache...