Hello, can anyone share their experiences with purchasing wiring harnesses. I know I need at least the underhood harness. should I replace all the harensses inthe car or is this not necessary? Where is the best place to buy a harness that is both dependable and the closest repro of the original parts (BB67 TI)? Any shared experiences appreciated.... Tony
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Re: wiring harness help
Hi Tony: I replaced all the harnesses in my 69 last year and used entirely Lectric Limited products, they replicated the originals perfectly and the company will answer any questions you may have while doing the work, (within reason of course) My dash harness looked very bad from underneath, however when actually removed I found that the only area that needed some attention was the radio area where several previous owners did some unpleasent things in a poor fashion, all of which could have been easily repaired. Look carefully before you leap, check the insulation for heat damage and the simple effects of age, dry, hard and stiff. Look for splices and replaced connectors, it really depends upon the previous owners care and attention to detail combined with the milage the car has traveled. As you know Big Blocks get rather warm and the longer they are warm the more the wiring suffers. Good Luck. -
Re: wiring harness help
Hi Tony: I replaced all the harnesses in my 69 last year and used entirely Lectric Limited products, they replicated the originals perfectly and the company will answer any questions you may have while doing the work, (within reason of course) My dash harness looked very bad from underneath, however when actually removed I found that the only area that needed some attention was the radio area where several previous owners did some unpleasent things in a poor fashion, all of which could have been easily repaired. Look carefully before you leap, check the insulation for heat damage and the simple effects of age, dry, hard and stiff. Look for splices and replaced connectors, it really depends upon the previous owners care and attention to detail combined with the milage the car has traveled. As you know Big Blocks get rather warm and the longer they are warm the more the wiring suffers. Good Luck.Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
Jerry, I'm glad you had good luck with Lectric's products. My experience(s) haven't been that satisfactory. Crimp connections sloopy/loose, cut-to-fit insulation not sized properly, Etc. Put a replacement instrument panely main harness on my '71 and I've pulled the dash three times to repair shorts/opens which has cost much more than the original harness from Lectric....
A general word on 'shotgunning' electrical wiring. Original post was from mid-year owner. Many items on original harness (E.g. plug-in lamp sockets) have been 'updated' over time and are implemented via current day technology (molded plastic sockets vs. stamped metal sockets to further the example). So, you just might find you lose some originality in wholesale swap out.
On the other side of the ledger, original harness may well have been opened, repaired/modified, and re-wrapped so you can't trust what looks OK/original. PLUS, contacts then were typically tin plate vs. gold plate and don't age very gracefully (oxidation/corrosion). You can make 'funnies' happen when you pop open original interconnect points and don't clean them nicely before re-connect. Also, there's a limit to how much protective plate material you can 'buff' before you're into the underlying metal.
So, there's no 'correct' answer to the original post. Depends on each situation on a case by case basis. There are good things and bad to weigh when using 'correct/original' reproduction wiring harness components....Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
Jerry, I'm glad you had good luck with Lectric's products. My experience(s) haven't been that satisfactory. Crimp connections sloopy/loose, cut-to-fit insulation not sized properly, Etc. Put a replacement instrument panely main harness on my '71 and I've pulled the dash three times to repair shorts/opens which has cost much more than the original harness from Lectric....
A general word on 'shotgunning' electrical wiring. Original post was from mid-year owner. Many items on original harness (E.g. plug-in lamp sockets) have been 'updated' over time and are implemented via current day technology (molded plastic sockets vs. stamped metal sockets to further the example). So, you just might find you lose some originality in wholesale swap out.
On the other side of the ledger, original harness may well have been opened, repaired/modified, and re-wrapped so you can't trust what looks OK/original. PLUS, contacts then were typically tin plate vs. gold plate and don't age very gracefully (oxidation/corrosion). You can make 'funnies' happen when you pop open original interconnect points and don't clean them nicely before re-connect. Also, there's a limit to how much protective plate material you can 'buff' before you're into the underlying metal.
So, there's no 'correct' answer to the original post. Depends on each situation on a case by case basis. There are good things and bad to weigh when using 'correct/original' reproduction wiring harness components....Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
Tony----
As far as I know, there are only two firms that currently manufacture reproduction wiring harnesses. One is Lectric Limited which Jerry has already mentioned. The other is M&H Electrical Fabricators of Santa Fe Springs, CA. If there are others, I'm not aware of them. I have no information as to quality, etc. since I've never purchased or examined one.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: wiring harness help
Tony----
As far as I know, there are only two firms that currently manufacture reproduction wiring harnesses. One is Lectric Limited which Jerry has already mentioned. The other is M&H Electrical Fabricators of Santa Fe Springs, CA. If there are others, I'm not aware of them. I have no information as to quality, etc. since I've never purchased or examined one.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: wiring harness help
I've had excellent results with harnesses from "Factory Fit". As far as I can tell (I've replaced engine, lamp and others on about a dozen mid-series cars) they are completely authentic and made very well. Factory Fit is also known as M. Parker. Tel 609-933-0350 or www.factoryfit.com This company does GM harnesses exclusively. I agree with others, underdash harnesses are frequently only in need of repair or attention. Unless the fuse box is corroded, I personally lean towards keeping it as-is.Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
I've had excellent results with harnesses from "Factory Fit". As far as I can tell (I've replaced engine, lamp and others on about a dozen mid-series cars) they are completely authentic and made very well. Factory Fit is also known as M. Parker. Tel 609-933-0350 or www.factoryfit.com This company does GM harnesses exclusively. I agree with others, underdash harnesses are frequently only in need of repair or attention. Unless the fuse box is corroded, I personally lean towards keeping it as-is.Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
Tony, I have alway prefered to restore the original harness when ever possible. The repros are sometimes the only option when the originals are burned up or butchered. The first thing I always notice about repros is the wire insulation color for blue and green are distinctly different from originals. This on the judging field is a couple of points. However this may not be of concern if not judging your car. On the plus side It is a minimum of 15 hours less work by not restoring a SINGLE section of corvette harness, more for the entire car, and even more for late models. Disassembling each connector and replacing the contacts, striping and crimping is time consuming. Even more if ya get 'em back in the wrong sockets. I always keep a junk harness around to match up to. Tarn X works good to remove 30 years of corrosion from the original Faston connectors with a little scrub work using wifes's tooth brush. (just kidding) Let us know if ya need more help restoring your harness.Comment
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Re: wiring harness help
Tony, I have alway prefered to restore the original harness when ever possible. The repros are sometimes the only option when the originals are burned up or butchered. The first thing I always notice about repros is the wire insulation color for blue and green are distinctly different from originals. This on the judging field is a couple of points. However this may not be of concern if not judging your car. On the plus side It is a minimum of 15 hours less work by not restoring a SINGLE section of corvette harness, more for the entire car, and even more for late models. Disassembling each connector and replacing the contacts, striping and crimping is time consuming. Even more if ya get 'em back in the wrong sockets. I always keep a junk harness around to match up to. Tarn X works good to remove 30 years of corrosion from the original Faston connectors with a little scrub work using wifes's tooth brush. (just kidding) Let us know if ya need more help restoring your harness.Comment
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