Thread: Frugality.. and cost

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I started working on replacing the wiring in my uncles 48 Ford F-1 pickup.

I guess since he grew up in the age of depression.. he's ... um.... "cost conscious".. aawwwww hell.. he's just cheap!

So he and my buddy Mark have conjured up a plan to re-wire this truck and at the lowest expense possible. They located a pre-wired fusebox for about 85 bucks I think it was.. it ain't terrible, but I wouldn't buy it! Mark said look - the wires are all labeled, of course the printing is so small and faint I need my magnifying glass to see what I think is a word! And the so called directions are just copies of copies of copies that were somewhere back in time misaligned on the dirty copier glass and I guess the copier was low on toner...

So Mark has ripped out the old wires and last night I asked him what he's doing for switches? He said, "what d'ya mean?" and I replied "You DID buy switches right?"

Of course you know he says.. "No! why do we need switches?"

And so it begins... it'll be like building a Rolls Royce on a Yugo budget!

I'll find out what the real cost is to building cheap!

And I've got 4 weeks to deliver! but I was able to clear enough snow and ice so the truck could deliver my heating oil! at 10 degrees outside it took 4 hours to get the shop to 55 degrees inside. Bring back global warming please!

I can't think of a better guy for the job! The Mike & Mark team to "git'r done", and any problem you have later is guaranteed to be because of the cheap parts you bought, not the way the work was done!

The GOOD thing is that unless your uncle's hung a bunch of "stuff" in the truck over the years there're not a lot of circuits to deal with, and not many switches, either. Of course, running new wires and trying to terminate to switches & devices that are pushing 70 years of age (assuming they're original) may be like stepping over a dollar to pick up a dime, but I'm preaching to the choir.

If nothing else, your first installment brought a smile to my face on a cold Saturday morning, and I'll look forward to Chapter 2! I'm sure that Mark took good notes, and made a good diagram of everything he was ripping out, right?

You bring up many good points to consider... Of course - since it's been built in 48 and has had an unknown number of owners - many who have done some very dubious "fixes".. I wanted to strip out the original and see first hand any carnage. And I wasn't disappointed!

Many, many wires were cut and simply left buried in the harness under new layers of tape, and the old cloth coating with the old rubber degrading when ever it's moved.. leaves your hands black and sticky! Another "great find" was the rear lighting "harness" (cough / cough) was simply a flat 4 conductor extension cord! I guess I should be happy it was multistrand wire???

Today I'll drop the gauges and strip out under the dash. I've already started filling up my cart at summit with my choice of switches! oh, and then there's shrink wrap.. and sheething.. and crimp connectors.. and new tape.. and..??..??..??

Someone please remind me where the "inexpensive" part went!

Yo Mike, why don't you give these old boys a ring in your spare time LOL and see what they have to offer your project. My car builder buddy in Minnesota highly recommends them.

Racers Inc.

Em

Good luck with that project as I know it can be a real PITA. In 65 I rewired my 36 one wire at a time and it was great fun. At least the tail light wires were continuous as the ones in my 36 were short pieces twisted together and then taped since the PO had installed 39 lights and didn't know or care much about wiring. When that wiring caught on fire I decided to rewire the whole car and I'm glad I did.
Fusebox, I seem to remember there were maybe 4 fuses since it was bare essentials, no radio or heater. With a pretty hot sbc with dual quads and glass packs who needs a radio and it never gets real cold in So. Cal.

Some of the more "interesting" lessons in life revolve around learning the hard way about the difference between price and value. And we all know some who never seem to learn that lesson.............

Originally Posted by MelloYello

Yo Mike, why don't you give these old boys a ring in your spare time LOL and see what they have to offer your project. My car builder buddy in Minnesota highly recommends them.

Racers Inc.

Em

Thanks Em, but, Mark and my uncle already purchased the fuse box. They just seemingly (or conveniently) forgot about all the switches / sockets / consumables that go along with a wiring job. So Uncle Donald gets a new wiring harness and re-wire job for cheap and I supply the "savings" ...

Gotta' laugh, Mike!

"Yeah, I got a new fuse box and it's pre-wired with marked conductors, so nothing to it, right? Oh, you couldn't use that old switch, needed new sockets for the tail lights, ring lugs, spade connectors, shrink wrap", and on, and on, and on. Then when it's done, "C'mon, we're FAMILY! Family doesn't charge FAMILY, right??" Trouble is that too often there's always one guy in the family who knows how to get things done, and he's the one who works free, fills in all of the missing parts, and then deals with any complaints for years to come (greenfield warranty ).

Maybe you can insist that the F1 is yours in the will? Oh wait, Mark already covered that base? Oh well......

Yeah, I guess I'm always "that guy" in the family.. I would NEVER say a word in complaint to either Mark or especially my uncle!

But.. well..... You all know how it can be! I'll try to keep smiling the whole way through this one! I spent about 2 hours this afternoon identifying each and every wire / fuse / connection / circuit! If anyone was to wire it the way their directions say.... oh my! These "directions" are for some other harness and the copies of the copies called directions have little to do with this harness.

But, it was a "deal" right?!?!?! If they were paying me shop rates then they already would've paid more than if they would've bought a nice one..

:….Some of the more "interesting" lessons in life revolve around learning the hard way about the difference between price and value. And we all know some who never seem to learn that lesson….”

Very well said Bob. 30 years ago I bought a JC Whitney special headlight to taillight harness for a 58 Chevy I was building. It came out of Brazil is I recall correctly. The instructions were a copy of a copy of a mimeographed instruction sheet. Then to top everything off they only used 4 colors of wire (Red Black Yellow and Green). Of course there were no terminals, sockets, fuse box or plugs. That’s when I started just buying spools of wire and building my own harnesses.

I can sympathize Mike. I’m laying out and bench testing a custom gauge cluster for one of my projects right now. By the time all is said and done there are over 30 wires to identify, bundle, solder and connect to a plug. And that’s just the gauge cluster, my other bench is covered with the stereo, CD changer, speakers and battery for the sound system. I enjoy wiring but there was a reason I charged as much as I used to for doing for someone else.


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Thanks Mike! I enjoy wiring as well, but it seems that once again I am subsidizing anothers project. It's a good thing I limit this practice to family. Or, I'd be broke!!

Of course, in the "WILL" the PU goes to you, ?Right? - - - -

Originally Posted by 34_40

Thanks Mike! I enjoy wiring as well, but it seems that once again I am subsidizing anothers project. It's a good thing I limit this practice to family. Or, I'd be broke!!

What about long time "forum family"?? I was hoping you'd find it in your heart to buy yourself a ticket to SoCal sometime in the future and help me wire up my '37 with the "cost conscious" wiring kit I purchased a few years ago.....

Be careful R2.. you just might get what you asked for!

I wouldn't mind hanging out for a couple weeks and twistin' wires with ya.. but you'll have to take me to all those car shows and maybe the hot rod museum.. and then maybe over to the John Force shop...and then maybe over to the coast.. and then maybe over to the...

Originally Posted by 34_40

Be careful R2.. you just might get what you asked for!

I wouldn't mind hanging out for a couple weeks and twistin' wires with ya.. but you'll have to take me to all those car shows and maybe the hot rod museum.. and then maybe over to the John Force shop...and then maybe over to the coast.. and then maybe over to the...

It's a deal!! I'll let you know when to book a flight!!!