1965 Wiring Harness Question

[Rick A.]

Folks,

Posting this for a buddy of mine who has a 1965 convertible with a build date of July 16, 1965. The 1965 AIM indicates the wiring harness wires to the starter solenoid should have one purple wire and one black wire with pink stripe going to the connections. What he currently has is one purple wire and one solid red wire going to the solenoid.

He has checked the wires all the way back to the ignition. He has owned the car for over 20 years and is 99.9% certain this is the original harness still in the car.

What he would like to know is that since his car is close to the end of the 1965 build cycle, if perhaps he has a 1966 harness? Could someone with a 1966 AIM verify? Or could someone who has a 1966 check to see what color their wires are?

Thanks for all your help. Rick

[Jack H.]

Re: 1965 Wiring Harness Question

Go to www.wiringharness.com (home of M&H Fabricators) to check out their selection of harness components. They are a GM Licensee and pretty darn faithful when it comes to pulling drawings and researching how to make what when do a reproduction harness. You'll find a number of their '65 harness components come in early/mid/late versions. This indicates there WERE running changes regarding specific color coding of harness wires in 1965--tending to coorborate your friend's discovery!

[John H.]

Re: 1965 Wiring Harness Question

Ignoring the battery cable, he should have FOUR connections at the starter solenoid - At the battery cable stud, a 12-ga. red ('65) or 10-ga. red ('66) main power feed and an 18-ga. ('65) or 20-ga. ('66) black ammeter sensing wire, a 14-ga. purple "start" wire at the "S" terminal, and an 18-ga. black/pink ('65) or 18-ga. pink ('66) coil bypass feed wire to the coil. If there are any less than this, the harness has been altered.

[John H.]

Re: 1965 Wiring Harness Question - Addendum

Wish you could edit here, but you can't

The last wire described above (the coil bypass feed wire) is connected to the "R" terminal on the solenoid.

[Wayne M.]

3 different '65 engine harnesses...

...depending on whether air conditioning, 396 motor, or non-(these 2). Can tell you what I have on Aug 2nd build car, but it's an L78, and may not compare exactly. Let us know which of the 3 harnesses would be applicable.