Wiring… Why can’t they just make a reproduction harness

[Isaiah Estrada]

Oh boy! The part I was dreading the most, I’m now face to face with wiring

Since my old bulkhead connector was absolutely garbage (sabotaged by a really BAD ammeter bypass) I just bought a new one.

Starting off with the engine wiring, then I’ll move onto the headlights and wiper motor. I do have a new harness for the headlights that plugs into the original harness with relays to be able to use modern halogen and LED’s.

For sitting as long as it has, I’m actually really impressed by how much of the original harness is there and in tact and not all crunchy and gross. Behind the tape it looks brand new. Going to try and incorporate as much of the good harness as I can and just replace whatever isn’t usable I guess. Learning as I go along. Thankfully a while back @Big_John helped me understand wiring diagrams in the FSM so I’ve been studying the engine compartment section pretty religiously. In hindsight it’s not too bad, it just stresses me out thinking about it though .

Also have LOTS of pics of where the original harness went!

Poor girl has come a loooong way.

A side note, based off many suggestions I went and got an Edelbrock heat resistant spacer to help prevent fuel from boiling in the carb when the engine gets hot. Haven’t driven the car (obviously) but figured it’s nice and cheap enough to have that extra assurance once she hits the road!

 

[HOT FURY]

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE PATIENCE, I DID THE SAME ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND REWIRED THE WHOLE CAR. LUCKILY THEY HAVE AN ENGINE HARNESS YOU CAN GET AT LEAST AND YOU'LL LOVE THE HEADLIGHT ONE PLUS NO MORE WORRYING ABOUT MELTING TERMINALS AT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH LIKE I DISCOVERED WHEN DOING MINE. ITS BEEN AMAZING HOW MUCH BETTER EVERYTHING HAS RUN SINCE!

 

[Gerald Morris]

Wiring these old rods really IS mighty easy, which is one reason why I love them! ALL phases of contruction of a mid 1960s Mopar C body are just the simplest, most reliable and mechanically elegant design I've ever encountered in any and every American appliance I've ever owned and operated. THIS is why I will never in my life part from them. I've owned cars from the Golden Age of Detroit Iron made by all pf the Big Three, as well as an International TravellAll, and let me tell you, MOPAR IS BEST, @*$#%! THE REST!

OK, I'm planning to install my headlight relay harness in the near future, being completely happy with it, after I solder up this little low pass filter for my tachometer, I need to better ground the body of this car everywhere. I had a bonding jumper run from the battery to the rear bumper on Mathilda, and will do the same for Gertrude this weekend. It helps. Often, current must pass across rusted junctions of steel and iron otherwise, making all sorts of resistance. You should do the same with yours, making sure to bond each and every major section of the body to this jumper. It needn't be huge; #12 or 10 AWG does very nicely for this, and it can be bare or insulated, solid or stranded. What you need above all though is CONTINUITY! Make the jumper from ONE length of wire, and attach all your bonding connections to THAT. This allows current from any and every part of the car to pass over at least ONE GOOD PATH, of minimal resistance. MUCH flickering, gauge jumping , audio static et cetera can be eliminated by this simple expedient.

 

[69PHOENIX]

G'Day,
Nice Article, Good Pics, BUT You Left Out the Important Stuff!
Where Did You Buy the Bulkhead Connector & The "New Harness for the headlights that plugs into the original harness with relays to be able to use modern halogen and LED’s."
AND How Much?
All This Sort of Stuff Helps Us Fellas Out Here to Battle On With Our Beasties.
Thanks For You Efforts, They are Appreciated But Keep in Mind What is Easily Available in the States May Not be so Beyond the Pale!
Kind Regards, Tony.M
P.S.
If You Don't Understand that Last Comment, Look It Up! LOL.

 

[Gerald Morris]

G'Day,
Nice Article, Good Pics, BUT You Left Out the Important Stuff!
Where Did You Buy the Bulkhead Connector & The "New Harness for the headlights that plugs into the original harness with relays to be able to use modern halogen and LED’s."
AND How Much?
All This Sort of Stuff Helps Us Fellas Out Here to Battle On With Our Beasties.
Thanks For You Efforts, They are Appreciated But Keep in Mind What is Easily Available in the States May Not be so Beyond the Pale!
Kind Regards, Tony.M
P.S.
If You Don't Understand that Last Comment, Look It Up! LOL.

Bro, you're better off making your stuff from local materials as much as possible, but the bulkhead connector can be had off eBay here:

Mopar 66-74 Charger GTX Dart Coronet Firewall Bulkhead Connector A/B/C-Body-NEW | eBay

or here:

https://www.classicindustries.com/p...U-bLkQW8BDT9iJkTMMWjsL2PiWKglKDIPAe4EEXvG2Y7M

Classic Industries has some Good ****, and I reckon you can get it in Down Under w/o TOOOO stiff a tariff. Y'all ain't that far beyond the Pale.

 

[Trace 300 Hurst]

EvansWiring.com : Product Catalog

 

[69PHOENIX]

Gerald Morris!
Thanks for the Info!
As My Old DA used to Say Whenever I Done Something Good.
"Your Bloods Worth Bottling Even If It's Only For Rat Poison!"
Kind Regards Tony.M

 

[Gerald Morris]

Ur welcome! Your DA's saying applies to moi better than most Featherless Bipeds too. Not mosquitoes, cooties, chiggers, fleas or other bloodsucking arthropods will touch my hide, due to the qualities of what flows beneath. It's a hereditary blessing from my Auld Mawmaw, who also liked her paragoric or othersuch medicine regularlike, as do I. Sundry flower squeezins can help a body stay above ground LONGER, so long as one isn't fool enough to do something to put one down under all at once......

 

[69PHOENIX]

Oh Dear!
I've Been Living Here for the Last 70ty odd Years. LOL
Not Much Hope for Me.
Regards Tony.M

 

[david hill]

Go to this website The Electrical Depot. They keep in stock Packard 440 wire terminals both male and female for most of our Mopar needs they also stock common electrical plastic connectors commonly used on C bodies. For bulkhead connections and connectors you will probably have to use eBay as a source as they are available out there just a little hard to find. PM me if you have any problems.

 

[Gerald Morris]

Go to this website The Electrical Depot. They keep in stock Packard 440 wire terminals both male and female for most of our Mopar needs they also stock common electrical plastic connectors commonly used on C bodies. For bulkhead connections and connectors you will probably have to use eBay as a source as they are available out there just a little hard to find. PM me if you have any problems.

Much obliged there David! I just checked E. D. out there, and they look good, seeing how they vend 3M Scotchlok products. I use ONLY Scotchloks when twisting a joint, and be sure, MY JOINTS ARE TWISTED! Thus my Masters instructed me long ago, as an ignorant apprentice, and the Lesson stuck.

I use a local store for as much of my wiring accoutrements as possible. They have a surplus wing, where I can find Ancient Treasures too, though I can't indulge this urge often as I would like. Had to miss out on Geiger counters this past year. Well, I won't be converting Gertrude to nuclear just yet anyway....