Hello looking for some ideas how to run the wires on my fenderless highboy roadster, from the firewall to the headlights. Im trying to hide most of it out of sight, if someone would post some pictures that would be great. Thanks.
Why? We all know that cars require wiring to get everything working. I strongly suspect that "we" didn't try to hide the wiring back in the day, (30's-'50's). So, I say celebrate it.....don't try to hide it, just clean it up, apply an over- wrap of friction tape, and drive! Roger
Braid them if in groups of 3....6 or 9. Did them in groups of 6 on a bike and they lay nice and flat. I'm with GT on this one........suppose to be there, why hide it.
Some people put the wiring inside the rails to hide it, I don't. I run it on the inside of the frame rail and clamp it down there. They make some nice asphalt/oldie type wire covering that makes it look like it did in the old days, and that looks nicer than the new corrugated plastic loom that is sold today. Don
I hide them in plain sight..... I wrap them in a cloth "tape" and use quality loom holders to attach them to the frame. Sure you can still see the harness, but i've never had anyone mention that fact, only how they liked the clean look. I know, didnt really asnwer your question of hiding them...sorry. Tony
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/hidden-wiring-on-a-hot-rod.110180/ Black shrink tubing..................exposed.
I often don't get it,when guys say just be sloopy cuz it's how it was done<big bull shit. I've always had repect for real hotrod builders,those that had pride enough in there stuff to make it look good as it ran! The others are just beater builders{if it an't shiny it an't done. Take the time to hide your wires and make stuff look like it was thought out,not just bolted together,but smoothed and shined. Some wires just need to show a little,but make them neat and clean,I put my headlight wires inside my frame in 1959 when I first built my hotrod,I updated to a onewire alt a few years ago,I still drive it,so its always getting something refreshed.
You could try to design and build to the best of your ability and not bad mouth someone else because they chose to do something their way. I use mig welding wire to fish wire or whatever thru wherever and tie another piece to the end when pulling wires, so that I still have a pull wire just in case I need it. When the job is done, I remove the extra pull wires. Learned this the hard way. Buy a good selection of grommets and use them according to the bundle size of the wires or wires with slip/shrink tubing going thru them. The grommet size will determine drill size for a proper fit.
I too went with the asphalt loom and friction tape. Got all I needed from the Brillman Co. They are mainly a tractor restoration place but have a lot of great stuff for cars.
Channel frame or boxed frame? what kind of lights? Will the wires come in throught the mount bolt or the back of the light? Its all in te details. Plan it out and keep it clean. Always remember "Its ok to be a copy cat if you copy the right cat"
The old, tight black spiral wraps are good looking and era appropriate. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anyone that sells it. The spiral wrap you get now days (from Home Depot, etc.) is loosey goosey and not particularly quality looking. I find the old stuff at swap meets from time to time.
I don't agree that if the wires aren't hidden they're sloppy. I'll bet you're plug wires are driving you nutz...........especially with that firewall reflection.
I have a old channeled RPU built in 1959-60 in the Boston area.... At first I thought the original builder ran the wires in clear plastic tubing, from the frame-rail up to each light,.... ... but after pulling it out of the bucket, it was the old red see-through gas line that had bleached out by the sun. I had to smile when I saw that red hose.
Sorry your failed to read what I posted,you read it with your own way per idea that I didn't mean as you though. That happens,could be my bad writing also. I said nothing about hiding all wires,was only talking about headlight as OP. The point of "sloopy" was just that few were that way.
The spiral wrap or asphalt tubes work great and look vintage. The vintage cloth covered wires with not much covering them also has a great look. I'm not for hiding stuff on an open wheeled car, it's a machine and all the workings are out there for all to see, just make things tidy and clean. Hey Dana, I mean no disrespect but I have something to say. You post on a regular basis that if a car isn't shiny then it's not done or cool? Again, you make this post on a regular basis, we get it, you like shiny paint, so do I and many others, but not all of us are the same. We all have different likes, if we all liked the same thing the world would be boring. Here are some of the comments you have made in the last year or so, these are your words, Heavily chopped cars are only cool to the stupid Cowl steering looks like the builder had no idea what he was doing, and it will have terrible bump steer Cars with primer or satin paint show that the owner/builder are lazy and dont care. Folks with less than perfect interior, the same, they dont care People with primer or patina that think their car is cool, it's not You are calling alot of members here names, myself included. Again we all have opinions, but one can use tact when giving them, or dont give it at all.
Taking things out of contex can always sound harder then it was said at the time,hopefully some may get the real meaning of how I say things,I am gilty of writing poorly,but I do put down what I feel about some things,but they are only my thinking,not rules at all. Sorry you took so much of your time up, doing that. You should know I enjoy reading your info as well for its other ideas an out look,wish I was a better writer with out ever afending anyone. So take my input with a grain of salt from a very old hotrodder. Nuts n bolts all fun.
For a fenderless car I'd run inside the channel or thru the frame ( if boxed ) from the firewall to the grill shell. Unless you build custom headlight stanchions, which are hollow or have a wiring channel through them, you are limited to the conduit like used on Model A s. To reduce chafing inside the conduit I use shrink from a electrical place; it is very tough.
Years ago a friend of mine ran electrical conduit inside the frame rail complete with the proper boxes on each end to run his wires though before he welded in the boxing plates. The car wasn't a high zoot street rod but just a nice hot rod that he didn't want a lot of clutter on. On either end the wires ran through a grommet that he had in the cover plates for the boxes. He was one of those guys who always figured out how to keep things simple and that was pretty simple.
Wether it's exposed or hidden. Keep it neat and tidy. Something that looks planned out and executed well always looks better than something that looks like an afterthought. I saw a car builder one time that had both fuel lines and a tube for the wiring welded to brackets that bolted onto the frame. He had welded nuts on to the frame for the mounting bolts. Looked very clean and easy to use.
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