WIRING???? what to use????

[skigoose]

H20
Thank you, thats the kind of info that will help me out a lot, where are you located?

[H2Ogbodies]

No problem. I'm in Des Moines, IA. Selecting wiring components always has compromises in terms of cost but it helps knowing specs to help you sort out why some companies cost more than others. This is a case of really getting what you are paying for. If companies only offer low level protection quality wiring, you can assume their markup must be in excess of 60% which is ridiculous. Having somebody build you custom wiring harnesses for your application has some benefits too though-although it'll cost more no matter what in terms of labor, you can choose what type of wiring to use and where. For example, you can specify TXL grade wiring for all underhood components and GTP for all interior cabin wiring. Then there are lots of various non-feed and feed-thru bulkhead mounts for power distribution, various degrees (literally...lol) of fiberglass heat sleeving for plug wires, starter wiring, etc. so it can help workign with somebody who has the tooling (various crimping dies for metri-pac series, packard, etc. and the knowledge to build exactly what you need-but the cost is higher in those circumstances too. So it all comes down to what you really need, and what you can compromise on. It doesn't make sense to NOT spend good money on wiring/components if you have a lot of money invested in your project imo. Anyway, I'm not trying to sell you anything but just wanted to give you some things to think about from the standpoint of a supplier and builder myself. Hope that helps. -Jabin

[skigoose]

Thanks everyone, I pulled the trigger today, and bought the AAW Hwy22 system, I was at long beach auto swap, and got a brand new one tax and shipping for 375.00, think I should be fine doing it myself, with a little help from my pop

[H2Ogbodies]

Awesome! Wiring is fun...good luck with it and post some pics of the progress!

[wmhjr]

You'll be very happy with the AAW stuff. They provide excellent documentation and schematics. Plus, the quality of their components are very good.

Do yourself a favor and MAKE SURE YOU DOCUMENT YOUR INSTALLATION! The Highway kits are intended to have some customization of how they are actually installed. Make clear, legible notes on their schematics as you go and then secure those drawings. Best of all, do what I did and scan them to PDF as a backup. It's amazing how quickly you'll forget a small detail that could be the difference in having to rip up your carpet and tracing, or just being able to tie into or change a circuit where it's already exposed.

Also, take whatever time you think it's going to take to do the wiring - and at least double it. It's not really tough, but it is very time consuming to do it correctly. SOLDER EVERY CONNECTION! Don't depend on crimp connections. Buy tons of zip ties. As you're routing circuits, use them even temporarily to keep stuff together knowing that you're going to cut some off, add circuits, and retie them. And don't be afraid to question a few things in the AAW design. You may need to modify a bit. Their installation is very generic and you may have a few changes. Especially depending on what kinds of switches and relays you may be using. Finally, think about maintenance and access while you're wiring, especially behind the dash. Make sure you allow enough slack in areas so that you can get dash components in and out, etc. If you wire everything too tightly, maintenance down the road can be really tough.

Have fun! It's actually kind of enjoyable once you get going and you'll get a lot of satisfaction knowing that the final product is very well done.

[67CamNKC]

Any pics of the progress?

[skigoose]

Shannon, I posted some current pics in my Charger Progress section on this site, I will be taking some more tommorow, as all my goodies arrived yesterday.Engine, Trans, AlterKtion, Brakes etc......

[ron @ ron francis]

Hi,
I'm Ron Francis and I thought I might clear up a few points.
#1

[ron @ ron francis]

Hi, I'm Ron Francis. I thought I might clear up a few points of interest.
#1 For the gentleman that was not happy with our product, we offer 100% satisfaction.
#2 Ron Francis Wiring uses a hot stamped method of printing the wires. While this is "old school", it also imprints the wire so it will not rub off like other sprayed on methods. Clear clean lettering all the time.
#3 To the gentleman that thinks we are behind the times, he might want to go to www.ronfrancis.com and order a free catalog. Our competitors use that excuse to keep you from checking us out. We offer fuel injection that AAW doesn't, we offer our new ACCESS 24/7 movable fuse box that can literally be brought out into the foot well to check a fuse.
Have you checked out our select a fuses? The ability to change a circuit from a keyed power circuit to battery power by moving the fuse in the slot.
We offer the very best in cooling fan controls, low voltage lights (idiot lights) for one wire alternators and much much more.
We've been making quality parts since 1974. Don't believe all the other suppliers say. It is hard to compete with our products. Factory Five Rracing used to use Painless and AAW for thier harnesses. Ron Francis wiring has been making them exclusively now for quite a few years. If you have a situation with our products, you can contact me directly at [email protected].
When you order wiring from us, we actually ask you questions like what car, what engine, what alternator and distributor and what steering column? You don't have to settle for a box of GM connectors and spahgetti on the shelf. We'll install a heavier power feed for that big alternaotr if you need it. Your steering column will plug in even if it is a Ford product.

Sorry if I'm preaching, I saw a lot of incorrect information I felt needing some attention.
Have a good one,Ron Francis

[esenior]

Another vote for AAW since that is what I went with. I have a smooth firewall and didn't want the fuse block going through a big hole so I installed a highway 22 kit and am running all of my engine wiring through a single port in the center of the firewall. Body wiring will be routed up through the fender wells. I mounted the AAW up high under the dash to make it less visible.



Regarding Ron Francis components...

Don't know much about their fuse blocks, I bought the AAW kit years ago, before I ever came across the RF site. The billet mount plate that allows you to pull the fuse block off the firewall looks pretty slick though.

In reference to point #2 from Ron above, he is correct. Just mocking things up I already have wires where the printing is coming off. Not a big problem for initial install, but I wouldn't rely on the labels being there years from now when you need to do troubleshooting. That's why I am documenting all of my wire colors.

I also recently installed a few of the RF switches (headlight and wiper). They make a pretty slick headlight switch that offers brights on the switch itself (pull it all the way out). This allowed me to eliminate that darn button on the floor. The only drawback, no dimmer function (hear that Ron? opportunity for a new feature!)

[1969CamaroRS]

For those of us without existing labeling (or labeling worn off), what about using some kind of label maker to tag the wires with?

McMaster Carr has something like this:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/117/1956/=bntamv


Just curious what others might have used to tag their wires with, if any.

[Denvervet]

I just used mailing labels.....but it's temporary while I put it all together.

[skigoose]

As for labeling, I am cutting a small section, about 1inch each and gluing them to a 8x10 paper with description next to it, then I will laminate it, and scan the thing into my computer, also taking a lot of hi res pics to keep on file on a CD, Just incase, maybe a little over kill, but...