Considering what a good wiring kit cost and what shops charge I would think your going to be out between 700 and a grand. There are a lot of good kits with excellent instructions,,you can rewire it yourself in a couple of weekends even if you have never wire a car in the past. HRP
Do it yourself, like these guys said, with a good kit you'll be done in a couple of weekends. The conversion from 6 to 12 volt is easy if you're starting from scratch. That way you have a real good knowledge of how things work and can fix any problems that could come up in the future. I did my roadster in about 3 evenings and a couple of Saturdays. I used a Rebel 9+3 kit from Tugmaster here on the HAMB. Very easy to follow instructions. I made all my own plugs to terminate at the dash so I can unplug everything and take the dash out if I have to and then just plug it all back together. Makes it real clean.
I've used several EZ wire kits with good results. the kit says 8 hours. my experience says figure on 12--but wiring is NOT my strong suit. multipy that by your local shop's rate plus the cost of the kit.
Yep, these guys are spot on. A couple weekends and you'll be done! I used the 9+3 kit on my '54 as well and it's much easier than you'd expect. I did the same thing as oldschool66, made a plug for the dash wires. Makes it clean and simple!
Wiring scares a lot of people but is really not all that hard to do. You just have to understand the basics and take your time. The new kits make it a job most car lovers can do on their own, especially the kits with great instructions. Simply start at the battery and work forward from there. Don
DIY!!!! I rewired my 53 ford in a day and a half. With a speedway 12 circuit kit. Super simple really CTS!
Call Ron Francis WIREWORKS Do it yourself. The way there instructions are you can't screw it up. Heck I have done several and they worked when I was done. Walter
Ditto on the DIY ,, really is simple, I've done several myself, plugs and terminal strips are good along with the grommets Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Unless your 6v wire is toast most of it can be used with 12 volts. Converted my Wagon using most of the old wire, changing all the obvious. Even wired in some relays for lights etc. Contact me if you want. Bob
You should consider doing it yourself. Most nice wiring kits are labeled pretty nicely. These older cars are extremely easy to wire because they really don't have that many circuits. I always build my own wiring harness as in I just finished my 52 Ford Victoria. Where you can run into issues with an after market kit is if you decide to change from generator to alternator. use internal regulated alternators,change to after market gauges, add AC,etc. Any deviation from stock can throw in a curve with an after market wiring harness. Most of them are designed for stock application. If you plan on many changes, then the only real way is to custom build your own harness---if that makes you uncomfortable, you'll probably need to consult with a shop. Mike
I found rewiring my truck both rewarding and enjoyable. These universal wiring kits make it so easy. Definitely have a crack at it.
A 12 volt test light or multi-meter is also very useful to check the circuits as you go along. Once you've completed the install you'll be an expert on the car!
I'd rather wire one from scratch than try to troubleshoot and fix gremlins in old wiring. Buy a good quality kit, do it yourself, following the kit instructions, step by step, one circuit at a time. A '54 Ford does not require a complex electrical system. Buy a kit with more circuits than you think you will need, makes it easier if you want to add accessories later.
Just rewired my 57 buick , no problem . All the new kits are easy and each wire tells you where it goes , lay out your wires to location and do one at a time . Good lucl and have some fun .
lots of good advice from other posts....maybe you should wire it yourself with a good kit with a little help from somebody who has done wiring before...once you get stated its real easy...Good luck
Like everyone said. Just keep the distraction down to a minimum and preplan you routing. Kits are great. Once you get into it you'll be fine.
There is a little book called "how to wire your hot rod" , it is from a series of how to books that kinda look like it is drawn in a cartoon style . it costs about $10 and explains everything in nice simple diagrams. invest the money and try it yourself . i did and i have now wired 2 cars and it was an enjoyable project
Does anyone have some websites with international shipping for these wiring kits? I only found electrical spare parts and basic wiring material at big shops ( like jcw/rockauto) Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
There are a lot of wiring kits available,,some are extremely simple with just the basic wiring to the more complete kits that include everything you will need. I have wired a lot of cars over the past 40 years or so and used most kits that are on the market....to date my wiring kit of choice is the American Auto Wire. HRP
You can try Rhode Island Wiring and have them send it to me and I will ship it to you. I don't mind shipping worldwide.
I wouldn't follow all the advice on here, mainly the call Ron Francis one! I'm sure they sell a fine product but WAY over priced and not as user friendly as other kits IMHO. We used EZ wire in the past and Rebel for the last dozen or so here in the shop, been real happy with the Rebel. I like their 9+3 kit, works out well for most of the cars we build, we don't normally have a bunch of bells and whisles on our builds but do sometime need another couple circuts. For years I had a phobia about wiring and would farm it out to a electrical engineer friend, he moved and I was forced to start doing it myself. These kits make it so easy it's now one of my favorite thing to do on a build.
I have wired a lot of cars over the past 40 years or so and used most kits that are on the market....to date my wiring kit of choice is the American Auto Wire. HRP[/QUOTE] Same here, Easy wire, Rebel wire,and Painless are all good but American Autowire makes kits that are a little more expensive but well worth every extra dime. Alot more components included and they make kits specific to different cars with engine swaps and steering column swaps etc. also most switches and plugs are included where the universal kits don't provide them. you still need shrink tubing,Pclamps, Zip ties and split conveluted armor as well as some connectors here and there. But most importantly get a good quality crimper and check you connectors after crimping by pulling on them. If it pulls out recrimp. Also star washers wherever you can use them especially on grounds. BUCKD
I don't have anything new to add. I'm with these guys. Do it yourself. I hate wiring. I don't believe in electrical stuff. It scares the hell out of me. I've done half a dozen cars and trucks now. It still scares me. But just take your time. One wire at a time. It's really not to bad.
I do them for $800 and it includes the 12 circuit wiring harness..We also sell wiring kits and will send them anywhere in the universe!!
do it yourself , in one weekend I redid a car ( 12 hours) . no problem , the hardest part was laying out the loom and figuring out were to run the wires and the applying the connectors , so do your layout locations before pulling the loom out of the box , if you use a painless harness , take some asprin because who wrote the tech manual sucks . its written right to left instead of left to right and confuses people and they double up info . and no schematic either . but the looms are bunched in the areas they go to .
Arkas , sometimes if you contact the manufactuer direct they can supply a list of distributors that do customs bonded shipping or place where you can buy there products , in your area . sometimes they will ship direct from there plant .
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