Register now to get rid of these ads!

Customs Fishing wires

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Boden, Dec 29, 2019.

  1. Boden
    Joined: Oct 10, 2018
    Posts: 747

    Boden

    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.
     
  2. 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
     
    arkiehotrods likes this.
  3. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    I use fiberglass rods . Harbor freight or lowes,mernards etc. Electricians use them. They come in different length and size.
     
    Nailhead Jason, Boneyard51 and Boden like this.
  4. 52HardTop
    Joined: Jun 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,078

    52HardTop
    Member

    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.
     
    Boneyard51 and Boden like this.

  5. Boden
    Joined: Oct 10, 2018
    Posts: 747

    Boden

    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.
     
    Boneyard51 likes this.
  6. 52HardTop
    Joined: Jun 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,078

    52HardTop
    Member

    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.
     
    Boden and Boneyard51 like this.
  7. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    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.
     
    warhorseracing likes this.
  8. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    You could use trailer wiring kit or something like this. Its listed as chevelle wiring harness. hi210.jpg
     
    catdad49 likes this.
  9. jimmy six
    Joined: Mar 21, 2006
    Posts: 14,802

    jimmy six
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    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.
     
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2019
    alanp561 and town sedan like this.
  10. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    Forget those wires and run the new wires down the frame like they do in some trucks, if you are having trouble!




    Bones
     
  11. Boden
    Joined: Oct 10, 2018
    Posts: 747

    Boden

    Ohhhh. You can do that!?!? I’m gojng to go check that right now!


    Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
     
  12. evintho
    Joined: May 28, 2007
    Posts: 2,363

    evintho
    Member

    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...….

    [​IMG]

    It then continues through a rubber gromment and into the rocker panel under the drivers door.

    [​IMG]

    It lays in the bottom of the rocker panel.....

    [​IMG]

    and exits at the front through a rubber gromment, then goes up and through the side panel into the interior and dash area.

    [​IMG]

    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.
     
    alanp561, bct, catdad49 and 3 others like this.
  13. 52HardTop
    Joined: Jun 21, 2007
    Posts: 1,078

    52HardTop
    Member

    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.
     
  14. morac41
    Joined: Jul 23, 2011
    Posts: 531

    morac41
    Member

    Use a strip of the yellow tongue (6foot long) from flooring
     
    61Cruiser likes this.
  15. grimmfalcon138
    Joined: Jan 14, 2010
    Posts: 164

    grimmfalcon138
    Member
    from az

    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.
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  16. And here i thought i was the only one that did that! 25' of flat 4 wiring harness for $15 at the parts house :D
     
    fastcar1953 likes this.
  17. fastcar1953
    Joined: Oct 23, 2009
    Posts: 3,567

    fastcar1953
    Member

    LOL we think alike. I just saw you used shock tops for tunneling antinnas. I do the same.
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  18. 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.
     
  19. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    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.
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  20. BamaMav
    Joined: Jun 19, 2011
    Posts: 6,711

    BamaMav
    Member
    from Berry, AL

    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.
     
    X-cpe and Texas57 like this.
  21. nochop
    Joined: Nov 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,818

    nochop
    Member
    from norcal

    Light string and a vacuum cleaner
     
  22. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,176

    manyolcars

    I run all my tail light wires over the doors too. I dont want any wires laying on the floors
     
  23. hotrodjack33
    Joined: Aug 19, 2019
    Posts: 4,128

    hotrodjack33
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I've used an air nozzle to blow wires up A pillars and also through Cycle frames.
     
    catdad49 and nochop like this.
  24. ...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.
     
  25. 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.
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
  26. ...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...
     
  27. spanners
    Joined: Feb 24, 2009
    Posts: 2,074

    spanners
    Member

    You don't have to worry about weather or road trash if it only goes around the block once a year.:D
     
    Budget36 likes this.
  28. 41fred207
    Joined: Feb 7, 2011
    Posts: 103

    41fred207
    Member

    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.
     
    Hnstray and d2_willys like this.
  29. Black_Sheep
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 1,446

    Black_Sheep
    Member

    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... 36810078_1720394307998043_3823688450234646528_o.jpg
     
    d2_willys, trollst, X-cpe and 4 others like this.

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.