Features Homemade Wiring

Not a tube. Actually a copper plate about a inch wide by six inches grounded to the engine. Plate is drilled and tapped for No. 10 screws, can see a few heads showing. Just a convenient source of a good ground connection.

 

Seems that very few guys knew that Jeep columns were made by GM. They had the illuminated quadrant with tilt mechanism on the column which GM used only on the vans. But it also had the ignition switch on the column which vans did not have. So it's a GM-made column configuration that GM never used themselves. Got mine in the 1980s. Surely hard to find now.

 

Just some, more of a power out source is all.

 

A simple wiring harness made up from left over wiring kits. I am glad they give you so much extra wire. I used breakers on my fuel pump , electric fan and water pump drive motor.

 

I might as well sell my car now, had no idea there was that much wire. Bob

 

If you are overwhelmed at the thought of wiring, just buy a kit. Everything is labeled and pretty much idiot proof. I prefer to wire my cars from scratch but I went with a kit this last time because the fuse blocks have become a lot smaller now and I don't have a lot of room under the dash.

Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I give up, that Canuck wiring photo did it. It is in the classifieds. Merry Christmas.

Bob

 

diaagram isn't really any different from the ones posted by ct1932ford or squirrel, just draw with a different kind of pencil. Had the tools to do it and liked the idea of placing components in their approximate location and the wires routed the way I was planning to run them.

 

To qualify this---I'm cheap so I also used leftover elevator wiring. It's really high quality, fine strands, and super flexible. When the elevator wire ran out a guy gave me 3 or 4 hundred pounds of white 16g high quality wire. To make different color codes I would clamp one end in the vise and spray one side with one of the many spray bombs I had hoarded. Vinyl wire takes paint great and leaves no sticky residue. When I ran out of "two tone" wire I clamped a washer in the vise and would drag freshly painted but not wet wire against one side of the washer to give a main color with a white tracer.

 

Thanks. Chrystal clear example that it is light years over my comprehension and fear level. Bob

 

For many years,on builds,I'd get wiring out of a junked car along with a fuse box. When conv. vans got junked,they often had extra fuse box added/that was very handy for hot rods,being small an only 6 to 8 fuse. Now I just buy a kit****{nothing like it was around in the in 1950 n 60s,plus likely I'd of still gone for the free stuff in the woods were a car had been junked.

 

I'm one that doesn't display wiring anywhere. That said thinking I would be a head of the game cost wise I used a late model OEM fuse panel in my 56 and converted it into a Painless style set up. In the end after purchasing all correct color and gauge wire and terminals the cost was equal if not more than a new set up.

 

Canuck, I like your wiring system. I guess because I use those double post strips also. It makes trouble shooting a breeze. I do this on my trailers, also. Depending on the trailer, I some times put two on them, one in front and one in back. I also put them in a weather proof box. I like your crimps and heat shrink . Makes the job look good!










Bones

 

Terminal strip in the trunk, 3 on the kick panel and a small one on each side of the rad for the keadlights, so the wires could be disconnected to remove lights if necessary. Makes it easier to service and troubleshoot, cost is minimal. Also had a disconnect to bypass the tach, wiring to the ignition went thru the sender so thought if there was a problem with the sender the car would be dead.

 

The first "kit" I used had enough wire left over to do my '32 pick-up. Just had to buy a fuse panel.

 

southcross2631, you get my vote.

Ben

 

Woo hoo Christmas lights!

Tail lights

 

I got started wiring cars from seeing pictures of nice electrical panels with their terminal blocks, fuse panels,and relays all nicely tied in harness. Just loved the look. Saw how the ignition, accessory and battery power circuits were hooked up with buss bars and figured out how to do it. List all the components ahead of the firewall and figure out how many wires to run there, list all the components going back of the firewall and number how many wires go there, and you are off and running. If you think a wire isn't big enough, run a bigger wire. Use black wire for ground. Use red wire for unfused hot wires. Orange wire for hot fused circuits and white for the return path after the switch. Get a bunch of different colored wires for the rest and select one that looks pretty for the next circuit and so on until you are done.

 

I know about 15 years back on Cup cars they would take the wiring harness and chuck it up in a drill and twist it , I don't know if they still do that today or not.

 

That’s what I did

 

I wired my Willys wit the harness from a 1956 junkyard Olds I got the rear end from. Was going to use the tranny too but it was the dual coupler but a friend traded it for a '54 Dual Range Hydro so came out ok. This was about 1964 so there wasn't the variety of kits available and I was a very poor high schooler.

I used the Olds tubular fuse block and ran all the circuits to a terminal block and circuits to devices from there. Tried to stick with GM color scheme as much as possible. Used a lot of the Olds wire for hook up so my system is 65 yrs old car is +25 yrs old on the current build so is due for a tear-down and rebuild. Will use an Easy harness then.

System is behind this aluminum panel held close by racy Dzus fasteners on a piano hinge.


This is the '56 Olds fuse block. wires all go to the terminal strip in the dash.


Pretty messy but I have a comprehensive hand drawn diagram that is surprisingly useful. Staying with GM colors was the key. Some of the wires are pretty stiff after 65 yrs.

 

Bob, just get to the point that all the car needs is wiring and friends are here to help. Just get there!

 

The project just doesn't make me happy, that schematic on black from Canada just put the last nail in the coffin. The Model T Bobtail has me excited, treated myself to a few needed parts, Super nice originals. I'm 69 today, looking forward to a project I could have running some day. Steelback is getting stuffed in the corner, maybe the grandkids will do something when I'm gone. Bob

 

Happy Birthday Bob. Get to work!

 

That is really neat how it’s all behind the panel like that I haven’t really seen that much. SO COOL

 

Makes it really easy to troubleshoot too.

 

That would freak me out too!

 

Saved me a bunch of money stopping now. Bob

 

Guys, it’s real simple! Just don’t try to look at all of it at one time! Most things are simple, once you understand, that you only take one step at a time!
To make a tail light work, you run a wire from the battery to a switch, then to the tail light! That’s it! The diagram just shows all of the circuits at once! No one can see it all at once! Like the 1000 mile journey is just like the 100 ft journey....... one step at a time!

If you think that’s complicated, you should see a Firetruck wiring diagram!






Bones

 

Now I know why Pinto's blew up like they did. No fuse.