What size (guage) battery cables for my 1950 Plymouth

[Rosco]

I’m sure this has been covered at some time on here but I can’t find the info I need, so I’ll ask again - what size (guage)  battery cables should I be using on my stock Canadian built 1950 Plymouth?  It was brought to my attention at a cruise that I’ve been running with 12 volt cables on the car which were there when I bought the car and I never noticed.  It starts and runs fine,  but will probably start better, especially when warm with the correct cables. Thanks in advance for any help.

Edited August 22, 2019 by Rosco
Duplicate post

[Rosco]

I’m sure this has been covered at some time on here but I can’t find the info I need, so I’ll ask again - what size (guage)  battery cables should I be using on my stock Canadian built 1950 Plymouth?  It was brought to my attention at a cruise that I’ve been running with 12 volt cables on the car which were there when I bought the car and I never noticed.  It starts and runs fine,  but will probably start better, especially when warm with the correct cables. Thanks in advance for any help.

[Plymouthy Adams]

when using the search use quote marks for multiple word entries for tailored returns....let you read and make the call the larger is usually the better but also cost more money...   "battery cable size"

Edited August 22, 2019 by Plymouthy Adams

[Bbdakota]

I used 1/0 from batterycablesUSA. Highly recommend them.

[Young Ed]

1 gauge is OEM but the thicker the better

[keithb7]

1 have been using 1/O. Works well but could be a little stiff for some tight areas. Check your routing. 

Edited August 22, 2019 by keithb7

[Los_Control]

I am a little smaller then wanted, but my local parts store has some pretty decent sized cables for the farmers and heavy equipment.

 

I want 00 or 1.0, I think I have 2.0, but it actually works and off the shelf.

It does work, like your 12 volt cables, you getting by ... if you ever had any starting issues, would be the first thing to be replaced.

 

A quality welding shop, they can make you a set of supreme cables, Welding cables clamped to good battery post clamps ... wont be cheap, probably best you can get.

Unless you can do it yourself, no reason why you cant.

[Dan Hiebert]

I installed 1g in the ol' D24 many years ago that were available in various lengths from Auto Zone, but they don't look original due to clear insulation.  Just put a 30" 1/0 positive cable in the Terraplane that I had made up at the local NAPA, just shy of $18 with required terminals on each end.  Just need to let them know what terminals, how long, etc.  Took the guy about 10 minutes to do it.  It is indeed a tad stiff to work with.

[Sam Buchanan]

These are the 1/0 cables I recently purchased from BatterycablesUSA via the recommendation by @Bbdakota. These cables are high quality, built to your desired length and surprisingly flexible (1045 strands of copper!). I was amazed at how reasonable the cost, all four of my cables were only $39.73......shipped. The car cranks noticible better with these cables than with the old cables.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2019 by Sam Buchanan

[Rosco]

Thanks to everyone for your input.  I discovered that the cable between the solenoid and the starter is (probably) an original cable.  It’s a heavier guage than the other two battery cables that were on the car.  I wasn’t going to remove it, but I’m glad I did - it’s all cracked,  so I’m having a local shop here in St. Catharines make up a set of all three cables in the same guage as that one.  We’ll see how that works out.

[Sam Buchanan]

1 minute ago, Rosco said:

Thanks to everyone for your input.  I discovered that the cable between the solenoid and the starter is (probably) an original cable.  It’s a heavier guage than the other two battery cables that were on the car.  I wasn’t going to remove it, but I’m glad I did - it’s all cracked,  so I’m having a local shop here in St. Catharines make up a set of all three cables in the same guage as that one.  We’ll see how that works out.

 

Get a fourth cable for grounding your battery to the chassis, your headlights will thank you. 

[Rosco]

3 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

Get a fourth cable for grounding your battery to the chassis, your headlights will thank you. 

So am I correct in assuming you have two grounds?  One to the head and one to the frame?

[martybose]

...or you can do what I did a couple of decades ago.  I ordered custom-made 00 cables, and speced the battery ground cable so that the primary lug went to the starter mounting bolt, and had two extra 2 gauge pigtails on the starter end.  One fastened to the frame at a bolted-down lug on the crossmember and the other went to a convenient bolt on the body.  That way there was no chance of an intermittant (or non-existant) ground to any electrical component.  Those cables are still operating perfectly today.

 

Marty

[Sam Buchanan]

56 minutes ago, Rosco said:

So am I correct in assuming you have two grounds?  One to the head and one to the frame?

 

That is correct, may be a belt and suspenders approach but it is a solid way to make sure the accessories are getting a ground instead of depending on the engine ground. I used #2 cable for the chassis ground since it isn't carrying the starter current, just stuff like lights. Look carefully at the photo and you can see the chassis lead going to one of the radiator mount bolts. Don't get confused by the negative ground in my car. 

 

Edited August 23, 2019 by Sam Buchanan

[BobT-47P15]

1.  
2. I used 00 gauge, made up by a local battery store.   I had a third cable made as I use a battery disconnect switch that is
3. mounted on my firewall........I reach below the dash to operate it.   Also have an additional small ground from rear of block to the body.

 

Edited August 23, 2019 by BobT-47P15

[Rosco]

Got my cables back from the shop and installed today.  The shop did a nice job and they work great.  They are 1g because that is what size the original solenoid to starter cable was that I removed.  Again, thanks for all the assistance everyone has provided.

 

Ross