Re: 51Packard's....51 Packard
Posted by Charles On 2010/10/28 20:44:08
10-28-10
It has been windy and cold keeping me from working on the car. My "winter" project was going to be to make my own wiring harness. Since it has been cold outside and I still have the "bug" to work on the car, I brought the harness inside and started to unwrap it.
I am quickly realizing that to make my own harness is going to be a lot of work. It is not what I was expecting. I originally removed the harness because so many people say how bad their wires are. The wires don't look bad at all, at least the ones that were covered by the tape. The ones that were exposed in the engine compartment are toast. The ones under the dash are faded, but I only see one that is cracked from being sharply bent. The switches look pretty clean too.
Here is my question...what should I do with the harness? I could buy a new 6v universal harness for $250 (probably the best option, but I don't want to spend that much), keep plugging away and replace all of the wires making my own harness (seems like a pain), or just replace the wires at the exposed ends and retape the harness? I'm kind of leaning in that direction. I'm hoping to get advice from those that have done that and are sorry they did, or what others have done. I was also toying with the idea of cutting out the good part of the wires that will be covered up with tape and replacing them with modern wire. I would then use the wire taken from the middle and put them on the ends, giving me a factory look once the harness is taped up again. No one will know what is under the tape. It would be more work, and I am not sure it is worth it, given how little of the harness is really visible and the old wire deteriorating quicker in the elements. Of course, the wire ends would be easy to replace in the future from the harness. What are your thoughts?
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It has been windy and cold keeping me from working on the car. My "winter" project was going to be to make my own wiring harness. Since it has been cold outside and I still have the "bug" to work on the car, I brought the harness inside and started to unwrap it.
I am quickly realizing that to make my own harness is going to be a lot of work. It is not what I was expecting. I originally removed the harness because so many people say how bad their wires are. The wires don't look bad at all, at least the ones that were covered by the tape. The ones that were exposed in the engine compartment are toast. The ones under the dash are faded, but I only see one that is cracked from being sharply bent. The switches look pretty clean too.
Here is my question...what should I do with the harness? I could buy a new 6v universal harness for $250 (probably the best option, but I don't want to spend that much), keep plugging away and replace all of the wires making my own harness (seems like a pain), or just replace the wires at the exposed ends and retape the harness? I'm kind of leaning in that direction. I'm hoping to get advice from those that have done that and are sorry they did, or what others have done. I was also toying with the idea of cutting out the good part of the wires that will be covered up with tape and replacing them with modern wire. I would then use the wire taken from the middle and put them on the ends, giving me a factory look once the harness is taped up again. No one will know what is under the tape. It would be more work, and I am not sure it is worth it, given how little of the harness is really visible and the old wire deteriorating quicker in the elements. Of course, the wire ends would be easy to replace in the future from the harness. What are your thoughts?
Attach file:
(94.16 KB)
(69.89 KB)
(85.42 KB)
(80.02 KB)
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