1953 Chevy Truck Ron Francis Wiring Kit Upgrade - Wired Science

These items can be picked up at any electric supply house.

when it comes to wiring the truck, one can start anywhere desired. Sam began with the column. Using the correct plug for Sam's Chevy van column, which was sent with the kit by verifying what column is going to be used when ordering, Sam wired the harness to the plug. Making this step easy is a converter chart in the Ron Francis instructions (shown in the background).

Next, the alternator was wired. Because Sam did his research on the Ron Francis Web site, he ordered the right stuff--so things like the alternator plugged right in.

For the alternator wires, he decided to run them along the valve cover using a spiral loom and two clamps to protect and hold the wires in place. The large red wire needed a terminal installed.

Another tip: When passing wires through the firewall pass them with the help of an assistant. It will prevent you from scoring or damaging the wires.

Sam decided to order one of Ron's new-and-improved headlight switches for this project, because the stock unit from the '50s wasn't going to cut it. The headlight kit comes with the proper plug already wired up so it just pushes right on.

However, you do have to push a little detent button to remove the handle/plunger. It's a good idea to figure out what ires need to exit the cab, what wires stay inside--and then separate them. Once again, Ron Francis has made the kit clean and easy by labeling each wire in the kit, instead of using hte guess and check method.

Along with a new headlight switch, a new 1-inch ignition switch was also ordered from Ron Francis.

When installing the switch, the ends are already crimped, so all we had to do was install them into the plug housing per the instructions and attach the switch to the dash.

Another area of interest was the neutral safety switch, which the kit comes prepared to handle. In Sam's cse, the pencil points to the neutral safety side of the switch, the other two prongs are for reverse lights he won't need for this truck. The Ron Francis terminals were preinstalled, so he just slid them into the plastic plug housing and attached them to the switch. Because these wires will go to the panel, they were cut down a bit and readied for install.

Even all the planning in the world can sometimes lead astray. For instance, the thought of a new dimmer switch was completely lost when we ordered the kit from Ron, which meant a trip to the local AutoZone. After we got back, all that was left to do was plug the switch in and run the wires up to the panel.

At this point, wires needed to be run to each corner of the truck for headlights, turn signals, taillights, and to the other vitals on the truck. Although all are different components, it's pretty much the same story, different chapter. By running the labeled wire to the proper component and plugging it into the fuse panel, the job is handled. Another good thing about the Express Kit is it allows for creature comforts--such as power windows, door locks, alarms, etc.--that will come in handy later on in the build. As a side note: When wiring all these components, Sam likes to run wires in the reverse order--meaning from each point of focus to the fuse panel, instead of vice versa. However, either method is OK; it's just a matter of preference.