I guess time to make new wiring harness?

[Luckyz02]

I am having wires degrade on me since I brought my baby from Colorado to Florida all the wires are crumbling. What should I do? Make a new wiring harness or buy one for my 74'?

I need some help my car keep losing juice bad wires and shorts all over the car. tried redoing connectors but the wires are too brittle I need Ideas please.

thanks,

Jeremy

[penth2o]

I was curious myself about the Tii's harnes when I do the resto.

I have another project vehicle that all parts have been NLA for years.

We had a group buy with a company in Ca. built to spec. Every wire in the car was made.

Even designed in extra for mods like dual carbs, stereo, fanfare horns & such if needed.

I just looked on Max or Realoem & it looks like the front is available for $500 or so and the back is NLA. This doesn't include other subsets needed.

The group buy we did was every wire in the car for $495.

Maybe we should do a group buy or maybe others will chime in as to what they have done in the past.

I know I wouldn't do a resto and leave 30 year old wiring in it.

I'll get serious when the time comes but I'm interested what others have done to date.

It is complicated and a big undertaking to do it correct along with diagrams and instruction book as well as all the connectors/grommets and shrink tube. Just the instruction book alone requires you actually do it step by step so there is no confusion but it is every wire in the car and well worth the $500.

Can you say bright lights.

nt

[jerry]

i've refurbished about 4 harnesses so far in my lifetime. by far, the most damage occurs in the engine bay. the two prime suspects are the lines from the alternator to regulator and the other line along the firewall to the distributer/coil. i typically scavenge wire from a spare harness and try to match up the correct color too. check the lines from battery to fuse box.

in one instance, i did not have enough length of blue/green for a complete splice so i took another more abundant color and made up the difference. i made sure the terminus ended with the appropriate color combo.

look under the fuse box for melted ends, then follow the wire back. unwrap the engine bay wires and clean the wires with electrical cleaner. inspect for any evidence of wear-through on the plastic coating. i've seen small patches of corrosion due to small punctures of the plastic coating.

having said all this, i am still fighting a short in my backup lights on my current project.

i apply liquid tape to each splice then cover in heat-shrink plastic tube, then finally, rewrap the harness, typically with cloth friction tape.

[ohtwo]

you can use the harness from a vw bug at $120

[jgerock]

You can use the parts to make an '02 harness, but I would rather spend the money on a correct one than trying to come up with one from the VW.

I put a new front harness in my VW after my old original wires crumbled apart.

[peteinjp]

I pulled the entire harness and unwrapped it to find the bulk of the wiring and insulation to be in very good condition. I replaced many of the terminals and covers as well as any length of wire that was in rough shape. I added larger gauge wire for my high beams and upgraded a few other things ( made it easier to add electronics such as a/f ratio meter etc.) I got all the correct color coded wires, corect terminals, ground cable flat briad.... at

http://www.riwire.com/

A very old school shop that makes cloth braid wiring for old cars with shoelace weaving machines- on the original machines. In fact i told the guy I had a 73 2002 and he said "oh- a new car" ( in 1999)

But for $500 to have a nice new harness would be pretty cool.....

I'm bet you could find a used harness on the wanted board the funds are tight.

[karlusmagnus]

Did anything come of this potential group buy on new harness?

Thanks,

Karl.