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Does anyone know what the factory wires were like on the 51, 327? Was it cloth covered wire? If so what color and did it have a tracer? Were they bradded copper? What were the ends like? Did the ends at the distributer cap have rubber caps? Were the plug ends straight or were they 90 degrees? Did they have rubber boots?

Can't seem to find this out any other way. Thanks

Here are a couple of photos out of the "Know the 24th Series" training manual. Maybe someone can fill in the missing details on tracer and composition question.

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This place has a catalog and some wire sets & detail pieces for other engines of the era.rjlautofasteners.com/ Maybe they have some ideas on whice wire would be correct or a set they already make would match.

Thanks Howard, I'll check them out. Bob

Here's another source of info and materials that many in the hobby have used.

brillman.com/store/

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Thanks Owen, I'll check that out also. I did go to the first suggested site and saw plug wire that was yellow with, I think, a red tracer that looked interesting. I know that the yellow plug wires would be incorrect but they would look great on the engine. My problem, as you probably know, is the fact that I berate anyone who wants to modify anything from absolute stock and here I go thinking about putting on the wrong wires just because I think it would be pretty.

What do you think? How can I justify this to myself?

Yellow/red ignition wires? What comes next - iridescent distributor cap, chrome coil cover? How about chrome-plated horns and faux chrome conduit wrap for the wiring harness?

Just joking, you know me - a dyed-in-the-wool purist. I had several arguements over the years about the legitimacy of the silver/gray high tension wires in my 34 but finally uncovered the substantiation thanks to a chance encounter at Hershey last year.

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What do you think? How can I justify this to myself?


Because it's your car and you like how they look.

Any questions, you could always spin a "what if" scenario about yellow wires being all that was available somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Car was stranded, wires were needed, the yellow was installed, worked well. Being a common item used on other cars at the time, would an owner back then have changed a perfectly working item again just because they were not black.

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Great ideas Owen. I like the chrome wrap for the wires.

Don't worry I will use black for the plug wires.

Another source might be to contact Narragansett Reproductions . I have used them to re-do my wiring harness on my 51 200 to the original copper with cloth covered just like it came out of the factory. They would know I would think. They can be reached at info@narragansettreproductions.com.They do great work