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Who makes the best wirring Harness?
I'm gonna have to run all new wire in the old
1965 Ranchero. I'm gonna need fuse box and
all. I've heard of the ones that have printing
on them and say what each wire is for.
I've done some wirring before but it's not a
strong point of mine. So the easier the better
for me, if you know what I mean.
Is there some one that makes it for your car
to order. thanks Kurt
Everyone here has their favorite, personally i prefer EZ wire, each wire labeled
as you said and easy instructions, I picked 1 up on e-bay couple years ago
pretty cheap
I'm using American Autowire and am very happy with it. For a Ford you will have to wire up every thing new, but that should be no problem. This is the thread here I'm running currently: :http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36690
As well as this one: http://www.clubhotrod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36895
Others like the Ron Francis and Painless kits, but my research for my needs was the American kit. There are others as well but the three mentioned here seem to have the best reviews. And yes, the American wires have the component name as well as an arrow point the direction of current flow about every 4-6 inches
Depends upon your needs. Most major manufacturers have a similar product, just slightly different features. No real answer, because owner preference is key. Some people swear by Painless, others sweat at them. The same is true about Ron Francis, American Autowire, Haywire, Kwik Wire, EZ Wire and so on.
Look at each product and decide for yourself which one meets your needs and budget.:D
Thanks Guy's for the help and replys.
Kurt
Kurt I also went with American Autowire Hwy22 kit. It is made to wire as you go, starting with the igniton, then charging systems, etc. You connect the wires as you go, so no preterminated jangles of wire to deal with. It also includes most of the switches you will need, and a huge fuse block that can be used for just about anything you could desire to put in a car! Some people don't like this kit for the gm style connectors that it uses. The company is really helpfull though. I called them several times and talked with a technician before deciding on them. Their service dept is great and polite and patient. It is sort of wiring for dummies(which is working great for me!:LOL: )
You can also get better prices on Ebay, which is backed by their warranty, by the way. Ez wire kits were much cheaper. I aocilated between Painless and A.AW. and Ron Francis, before narrowing it down. Do a search on this topic, and read everyones thoughts, from about 6 months ago. Good advice all around. Ultimately do as suggested above and search the different companies, look at their online manuals, and it will help zero you in. I'll post how my wiring goes in the fall, once the new engine goes in, but for now I'd defer to some of the guys, who have been there done that!
Ron Francis is sweet but the support stinks. "Leave a message and we'll call you back at our convenience" - give me a break!
Thanks Stovens and gocirino Won't be Ron Francis!! Kurt
I just completed rewiring my 54 with an EZ wire harness. The kit itself is very good but the instructions left something to be desired in certain areas. It could be detailed out a bit better. Fortunately their tech support is quite capable but sometimes difficult to reach as he is probably providing those missing details to other customers. I would use one of theirs again. Can't beat the price.
I also used their sister company Dolphin Gauges and while the product is good the installation instructions had some errors in the color coding and left some details out. Again their tech guy was able to set me straight.
Got to add my .02. I have the Ron Francis Bare Bonz II 18 circuit system with the 4 selectable fuses and I have never had any system or support issues with them.
I went with the RF system because I did not want a system that had the wires pre-wired in to the fuse block. I wanted to be able to pick and choose what wires I wanted to use and not have a bunch of left over wires bundled up under the dash for future use. At the time I bought mine, RF was the only company that gave me that option.
However, if you are re-wiring the complete car and pulling all existing wires, this may not be an issue for you.
Ron Francis did recently sell his company to the Detail Zone. It is however still doing business as Ron Francis Wiring, just under new ownership. How this affects customer support is unknown at this time.
Thanks guy's I'm leaning towards EZ wirring with the sister company Dolphin gages. Starts getting scary when companies start changing hands.
If employees are not sure of thier future alot of time, thier work is affected.
Thanks alot guys! Kurt
Kurt,Quote:
Originally Posted by vara4
Just make sure that a pre wired module panel will work for you. For my '31 A, and trying to hide the wires - it would have been a nightmare beyond what it is since my panel is in a compartment behind the seats. Also - when you spec out what you need, first of all get a panel big enough for any future add-ons and secondly, get all the switches, relays and connectors you need. NAPA or your local parts house wont have a clue as to what you need plus the costs go up, and up and up (ask me how I know that:HMMM: ) and up:CRY: .
Hi Kurt, I used the American Auto wire highway 15 to wire my 1930 Model A roadster. It was high quality, easy to use, and good instructions plus I only used the wires I needed without ending up with a ball of unused wires to attempt to hide. Like Dave (IC2) said make sure you get a panel big enough for any future ad-ons and you will be set! If they only would come out with instant wiring where you mount the box and everything automatically wires itself...with no headaches or mistakes. :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by IC2
Ron Francis has supported the hot rod community for years with big ads in Street scene (NSRA). Also, they have s/n on each fuse block. I have personally called the help line two times. Yes, you have to leave a message but they called me back and answered my questions. I go for the resale value. I have seen Ron Francis in sale ads. tc
I bought the "It's a SNAP" unit because it seemed to match up with the TPI instruments I have. So far the wires are laying on the front seat while I finish up some mechanical installations but the time is drawing near when I have to wire it. Frankly I would really like to see some pictures of in-progress wiring since I really don't know what I am doing regarding the wiring and I usually end up doing things three times while learning. I have mounted the fuse box under the dash over the steering column and all the wires are labled every six inches as well as color coded. Tell where I am wrong. I am planning to use a trickle-charger power supply to set up and check the wiring before connecting the battery. However, I need tips on where to run the wires. At the moment there is a channel inside the body along the inside edge that can be under the carpet so I am thinking to put the wires there, OK? Then the lights to the front will have to be clipped to the frame with those rubber coated clips. I have considered running wires through the frame but it is rectangular tubing and fishing the wires in one hole and out another six feet up the line looks like it is not worth the effort to me. The tech guy at "It's a SNAP" said they are one of the oldest sources of rod wiring and the connectors seem to be of high quality as well as the fuse box. I would appreciate hearing from anyone else who has installed this wiring kit.
Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder
Kurt wrote:No one lost their job when Ron Francis sold his company to The Detail Zone. Matter of fact, Ron is still on the Board of Directors and his wife is still VP for Admin. All of the employees also stayed. The guy who owns the Detail Zone used to work for Ron, before he started his own company. Ron is also still involved in R&D with Wire Works.Quote:
Starts getting scary when companies start changing hands.
If employees are not sure of thier future alot of time, thier work is affected.
The company is stable and still a major player in automotive electrical systems, and will be around for the long haul. There may be reasons not to buy their products, but a change in ownership shouldn't be one of them.
Rebel Wire is who I used....joe
Sometimes a person is better than a thing in cost. If you look around you can probably find a savvy auto electric mechanic that can rewire your car far cheaper than the cost of a harness.
Even in expensive California I found a guy that did my dash forward for $450. The couple wires running to tail lights were still fine. The cheapest Packard harness was $600 and I've seen them for $1300.
Ask people where you are.