In a given year, we wire a lot of street rods, classic, custom and muscle cars. I have read on different forums where people post questions about automotive wiring and I try to assist where possible. I even take it a step farther and draw schematics to resolve certain issues that people may have. It is my belief that wiring a vehicle is not something that everyone can do, or even attempt to do.
We correct many vehicles wiring problems where the owner of the vehicle felt that they could do it on their own and end up getting in over their head. What's so hard? You get a box of wire and a set of instructions that anyone can follow, so why are you having such a hard time?. To properly wire a vehicle is not as easy as you think. There are a lot of things that you need to consider before you open the wiring kit.
Familiarize yourself with the contents of the kit:
Open the kit and take a look at the contents. DO NOT open any of the bags or individual packages. Usually the kits are assembled to be installed in a specific order. You will easily become confused if you jump ahead of yourself. Read the instructions to gain an understanding of what you will be doing.
Tools of the trade:
You will need some standard tools to properly install your kit; screw drivers, drill, drill bits and hole saw, etc. In addition to the standard tools, you will also need a good pair of wire strippers and the proper crimpers for the connectors that you will need to crimp.
Mount the fuse panel:
The hardest part of wiring a vehicle for me is determining where to mount the fuse panel. The criteria that I use to get this part right is:
The location of the fuse panel should be out of plain view, but not stuffed up under the dash where you can't get to it. You should be able to change a fuse without breaking your back. Trust me, the older you get, the less flexible you are. I always mount the panel so that I can add a large wire clamp to run the wires thru to keep everything neat. Did I mention that you should run all of your wires neatly? Did you mount your fuse panel? If so, now you should plan how you will run the wires. I know that you are tempted to open that box but you are not ready for that just yet . . . close the box.
How should you run your wires:
How and where you run your wires depends on the vehicle you are wiring. On Model A's, I can usually run the wires down the side kick panels. I use the driver side for engine management, front lighting, and usually rear wiring. The passenger side kick panel is used for the ignition wiring and anything else. How you run the wires is up to you, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
Run your wires neatly:
I use a ton of zip ties because I run a circuit and zip it to the harness. When I run another circuit down the same path, I cut the previous zip tie and install a new one. This helps to keep everything nice and neat. Grommet all holes that the wires will pass through and keep all of your runs away from heat and sharp objects. Try to hide as much of the wiring that you can. Don't hide it so it is impossible to maintain, but don't have wires slung all over the place. Don't run your wires under your carpet where you will have a lot of foot traffic because at some point in time, this will present a problem for you.
We correct many vehicles wiring problems where the owner of the vehicle felt that they could do it on their own and end up getting in over their head. What's so hard? You get a box of wire and a set of instructions that anyone can follow, so why are you having such a hard time?. To properly wire a vehicle is not as easy as you think. There are a lot of things that you need to consider before you open the wiring kit.
Familiarize yourself with the contents of the kit:
Open the kit and take a look at the contents. DO NOT open any of the bags or individual packages. Usually the kits are assembled to be installed in a specific order. You will easily become confused if you jump ahead of yourself. Read the instructions to gain an understanding of what you will be doing.
Tools of the trade:
You will need some standard tools to properly install your kit; screw drivers, drill, drill bits and hole saw, etc. In addition to the standard tools, you will also need a good pair of wire strippers and the proper crimpers for the connectors that you will need to crimp.
Mount the fuse panel:
The hardest part of wiring a vehicle for me is determining where to mount the fuse panel. The criteria that I use to get this part right is:
The location of the fuse panel should be out of plain view, but not stuffed up under the dash where you can't get to it. You should be able to change a fuse without breaking your back. Trust me, the older you get, the less flexible you are. I always mount the panel so that I can add a large wire clamp to run the wires thru to keep everything neat. Did I mention that you should run all of your wires neatly? Did you mount your fuse panel? If so, now you should plan how you will run the wires. I know that you are tempted to open that box but you are not ready for that just yet . . . close the box.
How should you run your wires:
How and where you run your wires depends on the vehicle you are wiring. On Model A's, I can usually run the wires down the side kick panels. I use the driver side for engine management, front lighting, and usually rear wiring. The passenger side kick panel is used for the ignition wiring and anything else. How you run the wires is up to you, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind.
Run your wires neatly:
I use a ton of zip ties because I run a circuit and zip it to the harness. When I run another circuit down the same path, I cut the previous zip tie and install a new one. This helps to keep everything nice and neat. Grommet all holes that the wires will pass through and keep all of your runs away from heat and sharp objects. Try to hide as much of the wiring that you can. Don't hide it so it is impossible to maintain, but don't have wires slung all over the place. Don't run your wires under your carpet where you will have a lot of foot traffic because at some point in time, this will present a problem for you.
At this point you should be ready to start wiring. Follow the instructions in your kit and you should be fine. Don't get discouraged if it seems that the wiring is taking too long. You are not in a race and you don't get bonus points by wiring your vehicle quickly. It takes me a minimum 40-50 hours to fully wire a car from start to finish. I am very particular when I wire a car and you should be to. The last thing that you want is to break down on the road, or worse, have an electrical fire.
Automotive wiring is not for everyone, and I am not suggesting that you should take on this task yourself. There are many things that could go wrong with the installation and I feel that this is one task that should be left to a professional. We flat-rate our wiring labor to help you save money because we feel that you shouldn't be paying anyone hourly to properly wire your vehicle. You really don't want to pay us hourly to wire your car! Just keep one thing in mind, it will cost more for us to troubleshoot and correct a faulty installation than it would for us to completely wire your vehicle.
You should have a better than basic knowledge of automotive wiring before attempting to wire your own vehicle. We want to be the first one that you think of when you think of having your vehicle wired. When you are ready to talk to us about your wiring needs, contact us to discuss your options.
Phone: 856-719-8030
EMAIL: sales@thestreetrodstore.com
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