Hello All,
I'm looking to install a complete wiring harness into my 57 2DR BA. I'm leaning towards American Autowire, but even those choices are a bit much ie classic update vs. highway series?? :confused:
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Hello All,
I'm looking to install a complete wiring harness into my 57 2DR BA. I'm leaning towards American Autowire, but even those choices are a bit much ie classic update vs. highway series?? :confused:
I built my own from scratch but my car is more modified than most. Even the AAW classic update kit wouldn't work, and you can't mount it anywhere but on the left kick panel or that vicinity. I have heard it's the best for a Tri5 update harness, if you don't have a bunch of other electronics.
Echo what cnut said. The AAW is good for many, but the more modified your car is the more likely something else will be a good or better choice. If you want to move the location of the fuse panel or much of anything else, a custom harness is better. The AAW has many wires preterminated, so the length makes you put things in the stock locations.
There are some interesting variations available in custom harnessese. Ron Francis has one with the fuse panel on a pigtail, where you can remove it from its mount and bring it closer to you to look at fuse condition, etc. Painless has a harness with extra long wires where you can mount the fuse panel in the trunk.
There are also some very simple, inexpensive harnesses out there for cars without a lot of extra stuff.
I put a painless in mine but I have power window's and decota digital dash,worked well for me and all the upgrades I dune.
http://www.kwikwire.com/kwindex.html
http://www.ronfrancis.com/
http://www.painlessperformance.com/faq.php
http://www.americanautowire.com/
If you consider some 55 Chevy's did not have a fuse box and todays cars have two fuse boxes, I would buy a harness with more than enough circuits for a modified car.
Doiing the AAW in my 55 right now---went with the modified version--most of my upgrades are in or close to stock locations. Won't use all the circuits now,but are available for future use. What crimping tool are you guys using for the wire ends.
Thanks All! I went with the AAW, it arrived last week and it looks very user friendly.
Just installed aaw in a 57 150 wagon was nice to have step by step instructions bought crimping tool online will look to se manufacture but worked great for all crimps and was only 78.00
I have an AAW also nice kit comes with everything. It a bit expensive but its complete.
http://www.americanautowire.com/
Nearly everyone recommended AAW to me when I was looking, but I chose to go with EZ wiring, strickly based on cost. Well, the kit was fine, wires labeled fairly well (in spite of no overall wiring diagram). But let me tell you, their instructions are less than vague. You better be very knowledgeable in wiring prior to starting with these kits and keep their phone number handy.
So far, every thing has worked well upon termination of the wires, but not a kit for the novice.
For those that haven't tackled a project of this magnitude and have money falling out of their pockets, stick with AAW.
Had I known the limited wiring diagrams included with the EZ kit, I would have wired from scratch like many of the others have done.
Good luck...
I guess that "wiring from scratch" means different things to different people, but I can't see that. Some kind of pre-terminated fuse panel seems like a minimum starting place. Is that what "from scratch" means or do you start with a fuse panel with no wires?
That is what I have. You will be happyQuote:
Originally Posted by Tri-Fivefamily
Can't speak for other projects, but mine had most everything missing, so there was no wiring to follow or routing, nothing. So for my project, start from scratch would likely have been a junk yard fuse box with the wires cut about 12" long. Mounting the panel, identifying what each wire did, using the wires/options wanted and running all new wires, connectors and switches....Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick_L
I find it strange you understood ChevyNuts interpretation of "from scratch" without additional explanation...
I used a modular fuse block and built my own fuse panel. I couldn't find anything else that would work the way I wanted it to. I have to install my own contacts and all my own wires, but it's not difficult to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick_L
I'm using the same block as these harnesses from Kwikwire. You can stack them to as large of a block as you want it to be.
http://www.kwikwire.com/wireharnesses.html
http://www.kwikwire.com/images/wire_...Circuit_02.jpg
I once had a '41 Chevy pickup. A previous owner had wired it from scratch. He got a fuse box and wire and put it all together. Everything seemed to have the correct gauge wire, it all worked just fine, it was neatly routed and secured and and I never had any problems.
Oh yea, every single wire in the truck was white. I don't know where the guy got the wire but it was all the same color. It was a challenge to trace the wiring if you wanted to change anything.
You just made me laugh, my brother worker for Carrier for years. He was an electrical controls wizard. I sent him on every complete rewire A/C job that came up. It always worked perfectly when he was done, but all he ever used was black wire.(and never labeled or tagged anything) Felt sorry for future service men that had to trace every wire to figure out what he did. If you would have said it was all black wire, I would have bet it was one of his old trucks!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Tabasco
One of the companies I used to work for built offshore cables. 260 pin connectors, every conductor had black insulation. Not much choice to color code that many conductors. Fortunately more modern technology doesn't require so many separate conductors. A car would be a breeze comparatively. (There were ways of tracing that stuff though.)
I've seen a lot of remarks regarding AAW both pro and con and a few short referrals to Painless and others. I'm looking to install 97 vortec 350 with a 4L60E trans and likely a holley or edelbrock FI system and want to plan on wiring accordingly. Noone seems to complain about the service nor labeling and color coding of the Painless system. I will plan on as many circuits as possible for electric windows and locks etc. What is the feedback on the Painless product and my plan?
All I'm going to say is it wouldn't be my choice. I'm so sold on AAW after trying others, I know my choice. And their customer support is awesome. Good luck.
Here's my take on the wiring harnesses.
AAW includes more components and more terminated conductors. It's best for a nearly stock car.
You'll have to terminate more stuff with the Painless or similar harnesses. That type may make more sense if you move the fuse block to a new location or have a lot of custom stuff.
My experience with AAW customer service is that it's a total waste of time and a phone call to call them!
I have to install a complete in car & under the hood wiring harness in my 57 chevy 210 2dr sedan post to all you Trifive experts out there how much $$$ am I looking at?
Hi 210Chevy,
I had good luck with the AAW kit. I see Summit has them for $575 (free shipping):
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/a...-air/year/1957
Regards, Doug
Hey; guys & gals how much am I looking at for a electrical shop to install a complete wiring harness in my 57 chevy 210 2door sedan post and under hood harness also?
I've been told shops will charge 2000-2500 to wire a complete car. Don't do that. Do it yourself. The AAW kit is great, the instructions are pretty good and their tech support is excellent. I called several times on the first one, and they told me that was normal. I've done 3 or 4 more cars since and haven't had to call at all. You'll love the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
I second Buster's comments. I too wired up my first car (57 chev 9 passenger wagon) probably 10 years ago now, and learned ALOT that has carried forth with me on projects since that one. I used an AAW kit and modified a few things...but overall found the harness, instructions and online help to be excellent.Quote:
You'll love the satisfaction of doing it yourself.
If you have the time and energy, consider doing it yourself. Plan to buy a few special tools (like crimpers) and it take your time "one circuit at a time" until it's finished. Serious gratification comes when you get it in and everything works.
Wiring has never been my favorite activity but the new complete harnesses are plug and play.
I'm doing a AAW in my 55 right now. The most intimidating part is the main harness. All those wires, almost overwhelming. But just do one wire at a time. Pretty soon you will be moving onto the gauge harness.
I didn't buy AAW's crimpers, I got these. They do a great job, you just have to take your time and position the terminal in the jaws and slowly squeeze. For me it works every time. AAW even gives you some extra terminals to practice with. I also bought a hydraulic battery cable crimper. It also works with crimping brake cables.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I had considered the painless kit, but for $75 more from summit the AAW was my choice. Although I don't like their ignition switch they include with the kit. Feels notchy when you turn it, but the harness isn't set up to use the stock switch.
I also did a AAW in my nova last year and it came out very well.
Those crimpers will do the job just fine.
Just go through it one circuit at a time.
Keep distractions to a minimum. (shut off your cell phone when you work on it. Keep the beer in the fridge until done each session.)
Well I don't drink so there's that, but I did get distracted. But, it was working on something else on the 55.
Is that distraction acceptable???
Here is the distraction.
https://thumbs4.imagebam.com/32/1a/bb/MEDRU8N_t.jpg
https://thumbs4.imagebam.com/4d/c9/96/MEDRU8P_t.jpg
https://thumbs4.imagebam.com/9f/78/2e/MEDRU8R_t.jpg
I got the new yoke, crush sleeve, seals, new lock nut in for the 9" and got it put together. It looked like I was going to have t get a new drive shaft made so I put the rear in today to measure and get a new shaft ordered so when I get the wiring done that new shaft would be here.
Well I got extremely lucky. I ordered a long yoke with a 1330 joint and the drive shaft fits perfectly. I shoved the front yoke in all the way and pulled it out 1" and when I got it bolted it it was out 1-1/8" out. Acceptable to me. I just need to make up some brake lines, put some gear oil in in, and order the get the -brake cables made up.
So now that my grommets came in for the wiring I guess I better get back to it.
How much $$$ am I looking at for a pro to install all my wiring in a 57 chevy 210 sedan post? under hood and in car.
Note: I have all wiring Harness with fuse box attached.
Wow! Buster I wish you lived close to me :) Has anyone else ever did this complete wiring? I get lost trying to wire a receiver to listen to music not my good suit lol.
I find car wiring to be pretty straightforward and I think pretty much anyone can do it themselves. Most thing in a car are self-grounding and all you need to do it route power. I looked for a wire harness but nothing I could find came close to what I needed so I made my own. Like other have said, it's gratifying to turn things on and see everything come alive. My neighbor claims DC electrical wiring confuses him for some reason but he's wired his car himself with a pre-made harness. I helped him with a few things like fan wiring and I think you should try it. I think you'd pay a lot to have it installed by a shop, if you could even find someone to do it. Go for it. There's plenty of help here without having to contact the manufacturer.Quote:
Originally Posted by 210Chevy