I just got off the phone with a guy who quoted me $2200 to wire my car. Mechanicals don't scare me but electrics are another thing. I'm going with a Rebel Wire bare bones 8 circuit harness .He said about 30 hours to do it right. Is this reasonable or should I try it myself?
You should try it yourself. Wiring a T bucket is not very difficult. Does the Rebel Wire harness come with a wiring diagram and instructions? If you don't go getting ideas of your own it will be a piece of cake. Just follow the instructions to install the wiring. Leave the ends of the wires hanging, when the wiring is all in go back and connect the wires one by one. It helps to look at the circuits in their simplest form. In other words, if you are wiring up the headlights look at the headlight circuit only. Or break it down even farther and look at one headlight at a time. If you get stuck, leave that circuit alone and go do something else. When you are done if there are a few things you still can't figure out, call Rebel's hot line or email them, or ask here. A T bucket is about the simplest thing there is. Lights, horn, engine, gauges, that's about it. With a ready made wiring harness it should not take 30 hours. You can save yourself almost 2 grand and maybe learn something as well.
Wow. I guess I should open an auto electric shop. Wiring is easy work....and easy money too apparently.
30 hours ,what is he making his own wire.Do it yourself with the schematics offered above.If you ever have a problem youll know the locations of everything.
I think you should try to do it yourself. I wired my 1950 Pontiac about 4 years ago using a rebel kit and did it in 2 days. I took my time and soldered the connections as well. $2200 seems steep to me, but that's just my opinion. I wire patrol cars on the side and charge less than $500 labor to fully equip one of those in two days. That's with them supplying the materials. Did you mention to the electrical shop that you have a kit which has wires which are labeled every 6 inches or so? It's pretty straight forward. Plus the rebel support is great from what I hear.
For anyone interested. It's been on the tbucketeers website for years. Notice how it's divided into sections. Do a section at a time and POOF! You're done. http://tbucketeers.com/threads/wiring-diagrams-for-a-gm-system.5996/
As some of the others have stated, a T- Bucket is one of the easiest things to wire. I realize this might be your first attempt, so finding a pre built harness might be the way to go. I have gone to the local R.V. store and purchased a 6 or 8 circuit fuse panel. Then just pick up some wiring and start stringin' stuff. Local salvage yards will sometimes let you strip wires from junk cars for nothing. (at least in my area) Vans and S U V's have very long harness sections that you can cut out. I realize that most people wouldn't bother to do this, but I've wired cars for less than $50. Relays are plentiful there too, along with bulbs, weatherpak connectors, fuses, and all kinds of crap.If you are using a production vehicles steering column you can get away with using two tail lights. But if you're using a scratch built column, the turn signals can get tricky. It can be done with some turn signal units, but most builders use small separate lights. In any event, give it a shot, you'll learn something, and surprise yourself in the process. On top of it all, look at the money you'll save.
If your using a Rebel Wire kit, (if the wires had braille on them ) Ray Charles could do it in less than 2 days. Do it yerself , It's simple, just read the wires and connect. T-Bucket shouldn't take more than 8 -10 hrs, even with a couple beer breaks.
My first wire job was last year in a 64 chevy truck ... I used a 12 circuit from speed way. It was so easy to read and hook up. Spent less than $200 with kit and a little extra stuff. Do it your self and save money for things you really need. Just my opinion. Good luck. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Brain surgery is easy if you have done it once or twice. That being said so is auto wiring. Things that are important to be rember is if your car is fiberglass you will have to run ground wires along with component wires. Your wire kit will be a great way to go. There tech support is top notch. Are there any car clubs in your town? Contact them and ask for help. Also how about Jr collage or adult education /autoshop. Last but not least high school auto shop for help. Good luck it's not brain surgery. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
It may be the fact that I had eight years of parochial school education, and Sister Mary Steinmetz didn't understand electricty, but I was tought ZERO on the topic. Is there a fifty grade or lower textbook on the topic that might shed some light on the topic? Bob
You will have no big problems doing it yourself. Follow their instructions. Most times we make it way harder than it is. Have good crimp tools and a good wire stripper. As said before do one thing at a time. Their is a lot of help on here and Rebel will answer your questions. Do not have a bunch of helpers when your working. Go slow and do it the way that you want it.
I like that book "How to wire a street rod" ...paperback, orange cover. Easy to find easy to read. CHEAP Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Wiring a T-bucket is a good project to cut your teeth on. T-bucket, Model A, 32, whatever, circuits are circuits, and using a premade harness with fusebox and marked wires with good illustrated instructions is something most any high school kid, girl or boy, could do in 30 freaking hours. Somebody has seen you coming, don't let them walk away with your wallet, do the job yourself.
Damn, I'm still using the wiring diagrams Bud Lang drew up in the early seventies or so that were in every Peterson Publications "special" throughout the seventies. Go for it using the kit, and you will have an easy time and learn enough to not only feel good about your skills next time, but enough to trouble shoot and figure stuff out if you have a problem in the mean time. I will also say, don't put a time limit on what you are doing, either. Just attack it one circuit at a time and really take your time to make things look nice and clean. Nothing worse than grotty looking wiring hanging all over an otherwise nicely detailed car. There is a fellow H.A.M.B.er that started a thread on basic wiring and how to do stuff about a month and a half ago, and I want to say his screen name is Crazy Steve, but don't hold me too it. Search it out and start learning...
Last year I used a Haywire kit to rewire my 54 f100. I took me 4 houres and it all worked as it should. They have a kit just for t buckets. I plan to buy one for my 27 coupe. They are about the same price as others. If you catch them on sale, they are cheaper. They can build a system for all options you might want. They are great people to deal with. Its great for me cause they are only 10 miles from my house. And if you ever have any questions, they are always ready to help (but you won't need it). www.haywireinc.com.
Between this book and the HAMB I built a wiring harness from scratch in just a couple days for my RPU. It seems a little intimidating at first if you have never done it, but take your time and youll get it. I drew out a diagram as I did it to referance later, in pencil to make adjustments. But if you already have a harness should be much eaiser.
I'll do it for you for $2100 and even fly out there ! The price he quoted you is WAY out of line. Don
I wired my truck last week, from scratch. It took longer to decide where and to mount the fuse panel, voltage regulator, starter solenoid, horn, switches, gauges, etc., than it did to wire them.
Almost 50 years ago, I did the wiring in my 39 Chevy. I was about 18 years old. I used a wiring diagram for a 64 impala and went to the parts house to buy my wire strip/crimp tool and connecters and same gauge and color wire in the diagram. It was not that easy but it did work. The hard part was tape wrapping all of the wires to make everything look good. Wish to Hell that Rebel had been around in 1966... You can do this... Go For It !!! Jeff
$2200 !!!??? That's $75 hr. x his "30 hours". With the kit, he should be able to do a T Bucket in less than a day's labor. He's way out of line and bottom fishing. I was in the same boat as "33". At about 17 or 18 in the 70's, I wired my 55 Chevy from scratch following the wiring diagram in the 55 shop manual.
I just wired a 51 Plymouth suburban wagon with a rebel 6 volt kit took me a little more than 8 hrs and I only charge 45$ an hour. Just do it ,follow the directions . Do one circuit at a time . You will find it is not so bad when you break it down .
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