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I'm finally getting some wrench time on the '37 I've had for a few years now, and first order of business is connecting the wiring harness that came with the car. The original harness was cut out of the car and a new (repop) harness was provided with it. The "new" harness looks to be an accurate recreation of the old, right down to the cloth wrapping on the wires and bundle.

What I can't figure out is the #1 wire (red, ~10ga) that is supposed to go to the starter (I think). I've downloaded and reviewed the wiring diagrams from the online service manuals and still can't quite make it out.

Attached is a picture of the red wire with the flag terminal crimped on the end (exactly as it was when I received it). (Please ignore the white tags. I put these on temporarily for my own sanity.) I think it goes to the same lug that the battery (-) wire connects to, but the flag terminal is WAY too small to fit over the stud. Where the hell am I supposed to connect this? Is the flag terminal too small, and it's supposed to go on the starter stud?

Any help here would be appreciated.

Also, I'd like to replace the points and condenser just for good measure, considering the car has been sitting in storage for (I'm guessing) about 30 years and hasn't been run in that long. Any recommendations on good places to get parts like that?

Lastly, how would one replace the coil if in fact it needs to be replaced? There's a semi-rigid steel-wrapped wire running from the back of the ignition switch to the back of the coil. Nothing I've ever encountered before. If the coil needs to be replaced, do I need to replace the ignition switch along with it? If so, that seems very odd, but hoping someone here may know.

Again, any and all help (especially if you can provide any pictures of your '37 wiring) would be very much appreciated.

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#1 red is the main feed for the car and goes between the battery terminal on the solenoid and the ammeter. The terminal hole does look to be too small and you may need to change the terminal or drill it out. If you are using the factory diagrams out of service manuals you may find the AEA diagrams available at the PAC site a bit easier to follow.packardclub.org/wiring/1937wiring-6cyl-115C.JPG Those diagrams show colors but not the numbers or wire gauges.

I don't know which coil you have -- most likely Delco or Autolite -- but the base of the coil where the armored cable is fastened will remove. One coil has some tabs which need to be straightened to release the cup and cable and the other has a twist off bottom. Under the cup you will find a screw terminal where you can disconnect the wire from the ign switch. You might check with Flackmaster, Kanter, or Max Merritt for NOS coils but they are likely to be expensive. Here is an earlier post showing the two coil bases. The coil and cups shown are used on the later Clippers where the coil mounts to the firewall but I believe the base and cups will have a similar retaining method on your coil which if I remember correctly, mounts on the engine.

An IC-7 universal 6v coil from Napa has been used by many as an alternative to the NOS coils but you will need to figure out your own method of mounting the coil and securing the cup and armored cable and bringing the wire to the HV end of the coil since nothing will be available for securing the cup on the universal coils.

For the points and condenser you might check out the Packard Parts X-Ref you can access from the left menu. There is a listing of CS777A points and an RR174 condenser from Napa fitting some 37s but I don't know if those are for Autolite or Delco distributors.

Autolite coil. 4 tabs on the base plate will separate the coil from the ignition cable, one screw to disconnect the hot lead.

Your battery cable looks awfully thin. Is that an auto parts store buy? Looks like a 12v cable, and you're going to want to replace that with a much thicker 6v. I suggest a 00-gauge, but I suppose a 0-gauge would work.

My 115C came with Delco electrical equipment. I believe the 120s were Autolite equipped.

Here's my '37

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