Thread: Wiring Harness

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I am in the process of redoing my 70 Chevelle it is going to need completely rewired, I was wanting to get some ideas what is the best wiring harness to go with?

American Autowire has OEM Restoration kits that are model specific - 1970-1972 Chevrolet Chevelle | American Autowire I'd go with something like that, or one from another supplier that's specific for your Chevelle, but they're not cheap! Summit lists another one, too. The reason for the OEM model is to get plugs for your year specific connections, like under dash, under hood, head & tail light connections, etc.

I use one from Speedway, has twenty circuits and all the good features of the big name wire harnesses, even comes with GM column connectors, headlight switch, etc.....but at about 1/2 the price.....

My choice was not cheap, but I wanted the ability to pull the Fuse Box down to be able to look at the Fuses with my older eyes-

I am really happy with the quality, and the Instructions were very good-anyway, here is the one I bought (not that there aren't a bunch of other good Brands out there)-

AC-66 GM Powered ACCESS 24/7 Wiring System-Ron Francis Wiring

I have heard good things about American Autowire too-

You might want to check these guys out also. http://www.racersrods.com/ They were formerly Enos Custom Components.
My buddy in Minnesota that used to wire Street Rods for a living swears by them.

Em

I have used American Autowire and a handful of others that aren't worth mentioning. American Autowire has been hands down the best... In fact I tossed a Ron Francis kit in the trash in favor of the HWY 22 kit from AA.

The OEM American Autowire kit that Roger linked to is pretty inpressive.....they use GM color scheme and the OEM connectors are a real plus....and the kit is cheap at $579. Splicing into existing connectors is a hack job, crimping with amp pliers is a hack job. Their instructions are good, all someone has to do is to follow them. Nice piece

Originally Posted by robot

The OEM American Autowire kit that Roger linked to is pretty inpressive.....they use GM color scheme and the OEM connectors are a real plus....and the kit is cheap at $579. Splicing into existing connectors is a hack job, crimping with amp pliers is a hack job. Their instructions are good, all someone has to do is to follow them. Nice piece

Same part under 500 bucks
http://m.summitracing.com/parts/aww-510105

Originally Posted by elanum01

I am in the process of redoing my 70 Chevelle it is going to need completely rewired, I was wanting to get some ideas what is the best wiring harness to go with?

Must ask what is it that makes you think a complete rewire is in order? 70 Chevelle I would think has a decent quality of wire and is repairable.

To be clear what I mean by repair, is soldered joints/terminal ends, shrink tubing and like wire colors in the circuits.

OP, You don't mention what kind of car it is (stock, racer, show car, etc.) Just that it needs to be rewired. Do you want a harness that will appear to be stock or a custom one? As rspears mentioned the reason to get a stock one would be that it should have the period correct connectors, appear as stock wiring and hopefully follow the factory wiring diagram.

A custom wiring harness will have you pulling individual wires to each circuit such as tail lights, alternator and all other electrical items. Some of these kits are better than others and vary in price. I went this way with a Ron Francis kit which was excellent. Each wire had the circuit (brake lights, coil, tach, etc.) imprinted on the insulator and great instructions which made it very easy to use. Either way you go I would suggest you stick with a name brand that has someone you can actually talk to for questions.

Good luck.

The car is completely gutted, dash and all is gone, and it was sitting in a salvage yard field since 74. Trying to make it as simple as I can on myself. I know it will be timely.

Originally Posted by elanum01

The car is completely gutted, dash and all is gone, and it was sitting in a salvage yard field since 74. Trying to make it as simple as I can on myself. I know it will be timely.

We all neglected to welcome you to the forum, so Welcome!

Since it's gutted you can make a decision on your wiring harness based on how you plan to go on your build. If you're going to go with after market gauges and accessories like HVAC & lighting then using a generic wiring harness from a reputable supplier makes sense. If you're going to go with OEM replacement parts, like from Year One or other NOS suppliers, then you're going to want an OEM style harness that costs a little more. On the generics you've got lots of choices, and guys will recommend what they've been happy with like Speedway's, Summit's house brand, Haywire, American Autowire, EZ Wire, Ron Francis, and on, and on... Hope you've got a good shop to work in, as it's gonna get cold in NE pretty quick!

Originally Posted by elanum01

The car is completely gutted, dash and all is gone, and it was sitting in a salvage yard field since 74. Trying to make it as simple as I can on myself. I know it will be timely.

In that case I would go with a kit that offered blade fuses since they are much easier to deal with than glass fuses.