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Cloth Covered Wire


cheesy

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Looking under the hood of the DeSoto, it’s obvious that some wire replacement is due. One of the wires to the carb is more electrical tape than insulation. I’m not too sure there’s even any wire in that tape. Anyway, I want to clean up the “repairs” and use cloth covered wire just to keep it looking ‘right’. I’ve done a search on the interwebs and the wire appears available, I’m just wondering who you guys get it from.

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I have used Rhode Island wiring and they have made modifications as per my request.  Here is another fact. They had done a 39 Desoto wire harness and had the wires taped. I showed them and original wiring harness from my 39 desoto that had the loom with blue strikers in the loom covering. They then changed the covering to the correct style witht he braded loom and the blue strikers.

 

The wire that they use is modern wire with plastic covering and then the proper cloth colored covering is then pulled over the plastic wiring. This gives a better wire since the plastic cover prevents oil and water from getting to the inner wire.

 

Good product and great product control.

Rich Hartung

desoto1939@aol.com

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I buy all my cloth wiring supplies from RI Wire.

Just put in one 2 months ago for couple hundred bucks. Great service,,, easy web site too.

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Have used RI Wire for four harnesses over the years. High-quality work. A couple of minor idiosyncratic differences from what was originally in the car (although sometimes hard to tell what's "original") required changing out a couple of connectors. Not the cheapest, but great stuff. 48 DeSoto should be no problem for them. Naragansett Reproductions I bought a bit of stuff from off and on over the years. Lesser quality and attention to detail there but would still recommend. 

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I haven't worked out what all gauges & lengths I will need yet, but plan to use marine grade wire, so that it is tinned copper like the original.  I haven't done more than a bit of experimenting with this idea, but have been looking at fire & heat resistant wire sheath that can be pushed over the plastic-insulated wire (like DeSoto1939 mentioned Rhode Island doing), then coating it with some sort of flexible paint in various colors.  (I would only do this for the wires ahead of the firewall, and maybe other places where it shows, like in the trunk.)  I hadn't known that RIW was doing it that way - good information, and wonder if that cloth sheathing is available some place.    I've looked through all of the info I can find on every site I've seen that offers old-style wiring harnesses, and none mention whether the copper wire they use is tinned or not.  If anyone has had to strip back any of the wires on harnesses they have purchased from these suppliers, they would be able to supply that information.  I could also contact the suppliers directly, and ask, but haven't done that.

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"YnZ's Yesterday's Parts" also carries the cloth covered, vinyl insulated wiring, as well as various period electrical supplies.  Comparative prices to Rhode Island Wiring.  I've ordered from both with no issues, but tend to stick to RIW, mainly because it is a continent closer to me.

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24 minutes ago, chrysleritis said:

The wire from RI Wire and Naragansett is just copper, not tinned. The ends are very professionally done, though. Sounds like you have "way too much spare time". 

Ha Ha.  Yeah, that's what it says, but I got to that post count over a period of 9 years.   Actually, it's just a bit over a year ago that I got my car moved here to Ohio from Oklahoma, where it sat in my Dad's shop since I bought it in 1980.  Worked on it for 2 years, then met my wife, moved away, then out of the country in 85, until 2003.  And I've gotten nearly nothing done on it at all since moving it here, except dream up ideas like this.  The wire seemed fine back in 80 & 81, and I had repaired the harness under the hood, where it was frazzled.  But now it's all dried out for sure.  (I am self-employed, which means I'm fair game for the house projects my wife wants done.  Right now we have the entire main bathroom torn out.  So no, I really don't have "too much time on my hands" as it says...)

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I am doing the same thing to my 47 Plymouth  - replacing some older repairs with correct cloth-covered wire.  I got mine from Harnesses Unlimited.  You can order the length you need in the correct gauge and color for your car.  Their pricing is very reasonable.

Lots of luck on your project.  Let us know how it turns out!

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A good choice for heat resistant wire is wire that uses Teflon insulation.  The wire won't melt even if you hit it with a soldering iron.  A bit more expensive than regular PVC insulated wire and more difficult to strip, but you can tin the ends without melting the insulation.  I'm thinking about using it in my '47. 

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