Wiring Part II

In last week's episode, our intrepid refurbisher found the dash wiring in his beloved 1966 coupe to be completely r@sh*t.

Where would we be without the Interweb?  All the answers are out there, you just got to sort through the rubbish to find them. After much wailing and gnashing of teeth I have uncovered 3 options:

1. Install a new fusebox.  Well, to be honest this isn't really a viable option as many of the dash wires have been changed and it would be a very hard slog to identify what is missing, where it was supposed to go and then replace it.  Too hard for this feeble mind.
2. Install an OEM wire harness. This involves replacement of the entire wiring harness for the car. There are a number of reproduction harnesses made for this specific car and all that's really required is to rip out the old one and then plug in the new. This is probably the easiest option, but also the most expensive with harness kits beginning at $700. I would prefer this option, but my bank account doesn't.
3. Install a universal harness. This is the cheapest option with manufacturers supplying harnesses to fit generic cars and models. These work by supplying the basic wiring inherent in all motor vehicles, e.g. - every car has brake lights, headlamps, turn signals, etc.. It requires a bit of electrical nous as you have to cut the wires to length and attach the appropriate connectors. But with prices starting at $250, this becomes an attractive option for me.

So being a totally cheap b*stard, I'm going with the universal harness.

Note that this option may not be for everyone. As I said, you'll need to be a bit handy with the soldering iron and know the basics of electricity. You'll also need to be very careful, checking and double-checking your wiring prior to powering it up.  I heard a story about some poor bloke who installed a brand new repro instrument cluster and associated wiring only to have it destroyed by fire starting from a short in the wiring... ouch!

And these harnesses are normally colour coded to GM standards, primarily because Ford did not really have colour standards until later in the 60's. So if you plan to enter your car in a concourse event, it would not be the original wire colours. But for me, I'm building a cruise-mobile and could care less what colour my wires are... as long as they conduct electricity reliably.

So I have placed an order with Ez2Wire in America to take delivery of a new Ford universal harness.  I have no doubt this choice will generate oodles of entertaining adventures for myself and my readers, so stay tuned.