Sure, it's a ' Chevy we're using as an example here, but for rewiring any customized classic truck from the ground up, no matter if it's a Ford, Dodge, Studebaker, International, or whatever, the basics are the same. Regardless of brand, the idea is to replace a stock wiring harness that was never designed to handle the demands of modern-day luxury accessories with one that was, or to eliminate a potentially dangerous situation. By potentially dangerous, we mean continuing to utilize a brittle 50-year-old wiring harness that can short-out and burn a truck down to the ground in an instant. Another guaranteed fire starter is the amperage gauge found as standard equipment in most vintage trucks. That big, ugly wire hooked to the amp gauge that looks like a garden hose can turn bright cherry red and catch on fire if you give it a chance. Instead, the best solution is to include a voltmeter in your gauge cluster. In addition to being able to wire any make of classic truck with a Keep It Clean wire panel system, another bonus is keeping the cost down. For a base level kit, Keep It Clean has the Ultra Basic 10-fuse panel fuse wire system for around $175. This basic kit will work real good for replacing a 6-volt negative or positive ground system and converting it to a modern 12-volt negative ground system. The kit we chose to install in the '66 is a Keep It Clean Deluxe 38-terminal, 15 panel ultra-small wiring system that retails for about half of what most application-specific kits do. We went this route because we know we are going to install air conditioning right away, and there's a good chance power everything, including power windows plus a sound system before we're done. In the following three pages we've given a quick introductory article to give you an idea of where to start. Trust us, following these preparatory steps will save you a lot of grief in the process, and in the end provide you with an electrical system that won't let you down. In next month's edition we'll have six more pages to keep things moving, and it's hard to say in what month's issue this series will end because as you'll soon see, we found out that one thing leads to another when it comes to fixing up an old truck.
The very first thing to do...
The very first thing to do was to disconnect the battery. As a funny side note, my neighbor was working on his late-model Dodge truck at the same time I was writing this story, and fried $650 worth of electrical parts because he didn't disconnect the battery first.
If your main harness body...
If your main harness body plug has green oxidation on the copper wires like on our '66, you need to rewire your truck. You'll know it's too late when your firewall is on fire.
This pile of spliced-in electrical...
This pile of spliced-in electrical spaghetti is typical for an old truck, and if you have anything like it, you need to rewire your truck. We'll be installing an internally-regulated one-wire Powermaster alternator and wiring the Keep It Clean 15-panel system to eliminate every part of this externally-regulated mess.
When installing a new chassis...
When installing a new chassis (wiring) harness it's a good idea to note where the factory routed the wires. This is the plug for the turn-signal/parking light harness.
As a point to refer back to,...
As a point to refer back to, we used duct tape and a Sharpie to make labels indicating what the plugs/wires were for, and how they were routed. The factory hid the turn-signal/parking light wires under this hood brace.
A lot of starting problems...
A lot of starting problems can be traced to an improper (weak) ground. When the '66 is rewired there will be a ground cable from the battery to the engine block, and a ground from the engine block to the frame.
To avoid future splicing additional...
To avoid future splicing additional connections in, or having to reroute the chassis harness, it is best to decide in advance how the truck will be equipped. Considerations must be made for where things (relays, accessories, regulators) will be placed. The stock heater is ugly and it wants to die.
With the heater removed we...
With the heater removed we can clean up the firewall, and gain better access to the engine to service it, or make future modifications. Not to spill the beans, but look to future issues of CCT to see how wild and pretty this little 327 will end up.
Removing anything that restricts...
Removing anything that restricts access or vision will make routing the wiring harness a lot easier. This is also a good time to consider any future modifications.
Planning ahead saves money....
Planning ahead saves money. Instead of wasting a new re-pop glovebox because we found we needed more clearance, we knew ahead that Classic Auto Air's A/C Perfect Fit system included this special glovebox insert.
Speaking of Classic Auto Air,...
Speaking of Classic Auto Air, this photo shows the entire Perfect Fit unit will slip under the dashboard. Before the A/C is installed, the wiring harness will go in. This is also good time to look real close for rust damage to the inner firewall.
In the spirit of less weight...
In the spirit of less weight and looking a lot cleaner under the hood we are going to give Performance Distributors new super compact Dyna-Batt a try. We could hide it just about anywhere, but if we need to go to a bigger battery it will be best to be able to use the same location (no wiring changes needed).