pkelley3700 Posted January 7, 2021 Report Posted January 7, 2021 Good day everyone. I am new to this site and have found it to be very informative. I have searched the site for a while and could not locate the answer to my question. I am in the process of a frame off restoration of a 1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe. This project is about 95% complete, however she has been neglected for a number of decades. There is extensive rust and decay, but it is worth saving. I want to keep everything as original as possible including the 6 volt system. The question I pose is; would buying a complete wire harness be a good move or making my own? Also, where would I find a proper harness? I plan on installing one ought battery cables, but not sure what gauge to use for the rest. Thank you all. Quote
Sniper Posted January 7, 2021 Report Posted January 7, 2021 There is a company that makes the wiring harness that looks original. Which is probably what I would do on a resto. I also believe they can supply the proper looking wire for anything you may have added. It's under the links directory at the top of this page. http://www.riwire.com/ 3 Quote
Dodgeb4ya Posted January 7, 2021 Report Posted January 7, 2021 RI is a great choice...I have installed several in 1946-52 MoPars. Better than Y&Z....weak connector and labeling issues. 4 Quote
Backbeat Posted January 7, 2021 Report Posted January 7, 2021 I got my complete harenes from Rhode Island wiring service too. Top quality! 2 Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 7, 2021 Author Report Posted January 7, 2021 Thank you for the quick responses. I was looking over the Rhode Island website and see there are quite a few options. Any advice on which harness to purchase? Quote
Dodgeb4ya Posted January 8, 2021 Report Posted January 8, 2021 Be careful to note where the horn relay is located.. Early or late model p15's have the horn relay mounted in different places...in front of the radiator drivers side and or drivers side inner fender panel...requires a different harness. I don't remember if RI lists more than one production model change...call them and ask questions before ordering. Do you still have your old harness to compare old to new? Anyway RI instructions are good and clear...and the factory wiring diagram is a must too. Quote
Eneto-55 Posted January 8, 2021 Report Posted January 8, 2021 1 hour ago, Dodgeb4ya said: Be careful to note where the horn relay is located.. Early or late model p15's have the horn relay mounted in different places...in front of the radiator drivers side and or drivers side inner fender panel...requires a different harness. My 46 has it in front of the radiator, in the center (right next to the horns). Quote
Dodgeb4ya Posted January 8, 2021 Report Posted January 8, 2021 A sample out of a 2005 RI harness catalog P15...early/ late changes in harness options depending on serial#. Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 8, 2021 Author Report Posted January 8, 2021 Great information! I appreciate the assistance. The wire harness is mostly there, but missing in some places where someone has cut and removed pieces. Quote
Dan Hiebert Posted January 8, 2021 Report Posted January 8, 2021 Don't be timid about giving the folks at Rhode Island Wiring a call. They will go over your requirements with you to recommend what best serves your needs. They will even advise if something you may be looking at is not the right product. I've been getting wiring for our Terraplane from them. They are very helpful. Although it may appear daunting, the wiring harnesses of these cars are fairly easy to deal with, even if you have missing sections. Routing may be in question if you don't have where it originally went, but that's where we come in ?. 2 Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 8, 2021 Author Report Posted January 8, 2021 (edited) Thank you. I will get in touch with them. This is one of those projects where I would like to keep as original as possible. Judging by the responses here, Rhode Island is the way to go. Edited January 8, 2021 by pkelley3700 Quote
P4coupe Posted January 9, 2021 Report Posted January 9, 2021 I did RI for my 37cpe . To make life easier. Take the wiring Dia to Office Depot and have a copy printed up so you can read it 6 ft away. Size of print varies with age. Quote
Marcel Backs Posted January 10, 2021 Report Posted January 10, 2021 RI is also the company I got my 1940 D14 wiring harness from. It is a top quality product with great care taken to original appearance with higher quality than original equipment. I am presently very close to installation and it should go pretty good considering the detailed documentation that comes with it. I installed the headlight pigtails already and you have to preserve and install the flange that is used to fasten the wiring to the headlight bucket if you have the spiralled cover that goes over the wiring. I remember getting the harness for my 39 chev from JC Whitney about 40 years ago and not one short yet! Wiring is one of the best things to replace on any one of these old cars since the shellac coated textile insulation on the old stuff has the same flammability as BBQ starter. All the best on your restoration! Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 10, 2021 Author Report Posted January 10, 2021 I appreciate it. Marcel Backs! Thanks for sharing your experience. I will keep open flames away from the harness lol. Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 10, 2021 Author Report Posted January 10, 2021 On 1/8/2021 at 9:15 PM, P4coupe said: I did RI for my 37cpe . To make life easier. Take the wiring Dia to Office Depot and have a copy printed up so you can read it 6 ft away. Size of print varies with age. Thats a great idea! Quote
RobertKB Posted January 10, 2021 Report Posted January 10, 2021 I used YnZ for three cars and had no problems. For your purposes, a wiring harness for RI or YnZ is the way to go. Hopefully, you have not installed your headliner yet as some of the wiring is covered by it and would likely be impossible to install with it in place. Good luck with the project. Quote
pkelley3700 Posted January 10, 2021 Author Report Posted January 10, 2021 Thankfully no, I have not replaced the headliner. I like putting a plan together and do projects in phases. Interior is usually at the end of that list lol. Thanks for the advice. I have seen a lot of wiring run through the floor on some rebuilds. Quote
Conn47D24 Posted January 12, 2021 Report Posted January 12, 2021 RI for sure. Excellent company. The detailed charts they provide will be invaluable to your build. Quote
MarcDeSoto Posted January 14, 2021 Report Posted January 14, 2021 I already have a wiring harness for my 48 DeSoto bus. coupe. Is there a way I could get those detailed charts that RI provides, or scanned copies? All I have is the factory wiring schematic. Quote
P4coupe Posted January 14, 2021 Report Posted January 14, 2021 Not that I know of, but you can try. But having the wiring schematic you are miles ahead of the game. Go to office depot and have it printed. several copies, large over 40 (AGE) print. multiple sheets if needed. Be sure you seal the joints where harnesses come together with self sealing tape. RI breaks it down into sections, So should you and make notes. Lots of notes. Quote
49WINDS Posted January 15, 2021 Report Posted January 15, 2021 I have also been eyeing all the wiring choices on RI's website, and they have a great selection for sure! The interior wiring on my 49 is still in decent shape for it's age, but a lot of the wiring under the hood is down to bare wires in some places. My next project is to rebuild the carb and replace the harness going between it and the transmission as I know it's already been very poorly spliced in a few spots. I've been contemplating trying to order the color and period correct wire from them to make my own replacement versus spending over $200 on a pre-made one from them. I know several of you have made your own harnesses so would you say that it's cheaper and hopefully worth the effort? I'm not looking to keep everything exactly stock, but I would like to at least try to make it look as close as possible. Quote
Marcel Backs Posted January 15, 2021 Report Posted January 15, 2021 The wire and correct connectors will probably cost you as much as the pre-made wiring. Turning a bunch of individual wires into a harness is time intensive if you want to have it look good. The pre made harnesses also use the same colour codes as original wiring. This pays off later on when you have to trace circuits while doing electrical troubleshooting. My best wishes M 1 Quote
49WINDS Posted January 15, 2021 Report Posted January 15, 2021 1 hour ago, Marcel Backs said: The wire and correct connectors will probably cost you as much as the pre-made wiring. Turning a bunch of individual wires into a harness is time intensive if you want to have it look good. The pre made harnesses also use the same colour codes as original wiring. This pays off later on when you have to trace circuits while doing electrical troubleshooting. My best wishes M Thanks Marcel, I guess I hadn't looked into it enough to price every single part I needed but I had thought it might be cheaper. You make a good point about having it done right and looking good, I'm willing to pay a little extra to have a quality job rather than be disappointed with the results of trying it myself. Quote
Marcel Backs Posted January 15, 2021 Report Posted January 15, 2021 hey 49 I lived in Golden CO and had the time of my life in the rockies! The folks at RI have the wiring down to an art form and you can't go wrong. They also sell individual components. I will soon be contacting them for wire and fittings to install signal lights on my D 14. all the best M Quote
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