57 wire question

[Bruce B.]

The new replacement engine wiring harness for my early 57 (#809) 250HP FI automatic trans car has a dark blue wire running from the temp sending unit to the temp gauge. My old harness has a 20 gauge orange wire for the temp wire. When I checked the wiring diagram in the Corvette Service Guide and the big diagram that I usually refer to, the temp wire is specified as 20 gauge orange.I can't read the diagram in my AIM since it is pretty poor quality.
Does anyone have an opinion as to what is "correct".

[William C.]

Re: 57 wire question

Per the wiring harness print, last revised in 1963, dark blue would be correct. There was a change in the drawint I cannot fully make out, but it was made in 56 so would have been in place for a '57 car.

[Joseph T.]

57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57's

Bruce / Bill

When I had the Nassau/Daytona car on display at the Bloomington Special Collection 2 years ago. The owner of Lectric Limited asked if he could study the wiring harness on this unrestored early '57 fuelie # 775.

It was really funny as he was jumpimg up and down like a kid when he saw the orange temp gauge wire...telling me that it was a rare original from early production that was later changed to Blue. He also asked if I ever decided to replace the wiring in the car..that he would like to copy the original in #775 so he could offer a correct early version for sale in his selection of wiring harness's.

So Bruce..my suggestion would be either to leave what you have or replace it with the a new one of the same color and gauge.. Its special!

Bruce..sounds like both our cars were made the same week or day!

Joe

[Mike M.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

vin 1093, a 250 hp powerglide i'm currently restoring has the blue wire to the temp sending unit. i've owned the old girl since 1969.mike

[Joseph T.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

Mike..I don't know what VIN # marks the change from the orange to the blue wire in early production...maybe somewhere between 775 a known orange wire and your #1093 blue wire...

I believe Ken Kayser has the blueprints that show the change.

Below is a picture of the original orange wire on #775. A One owner car for 46 years back to May 1958 when the car was retired and sold by GM.

Bruce has the classic issue..of whether to change his wire to the only existing reproduction and normally accepted color..or to stay with or make a matching replacement to what his car has.

I always lean toward leaving a car the way it is especially if I believe it is original..rather than conform to some average opinion...but in the end..Bruce is certainly doing the right thing..replacing a dangerously old wiring harness.

Joe

[Mike M.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

joe: i agree with you- if i had Bruce's 57 and felt the orange wire original, i'd strip the blue lectric limited wire out and replace it with orange. mike

[Mike M.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

PS for Bruce: waht's the color on the plastic clip on the orange wire that snaps on the temp sending unit? may help nail down the answer to your question. mike

[Mike M.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

another PS i just thought of: what's the O.D. of the temp sender wire's loom? mike

[Joseph T.]

Re: 57 orange temp wire..is for real! in early 57'

Mike

I remember having a discussion at Bloomington with Kayser, Mike Hunt, the guy from Lectric limited ( I have brain fade on his name..but you know it Im sure ) etc..about the orange wire being part of an existing passenger car set up or something to that extent when production began. However the topic was so mundane..my little mind could not absorb its relative importance.

I just know what I see in front of me and there is little to no reason to believe the one in my car was ever changed.

Bill..remember these early cars were built in November 1956.

In the big picture of life ..the color of the wire is meaningless...except to a few old farts with nothing better to argue about.

Joe

[Edward L.]

Re: 57 wire question

#256 and #268 (1957)

Both have orange temp. sending wire.

[Joseph T.]

Re: 57 wire question..Thanks

Ed..thanks for that information. It is a small but obvious detail not currently available in reproduction..that I know of.

Do you know what horsepower engines #256 and #268 were born with?

Will you be at Bloomington this year? There should be a great selection of 57's to see.

I hear that John Neas will debut the Bark Henry #114 race car, Bill Connell will debut the Bill Howe plant pick up airbox car, Kevin Hussey may or will debut the Bob Mouat car and much more. I plan to bring the Nassau/Daytona car...in its still unrestored condition..just for balance and I may bring the unrestored Eb Rose Corvette Black Widow engine and very early T-10.

Should be a great time to see some fascinating cars...and memorabilia...for the 50TH anniversary of the '57. I hope someone does a video.

Joe

[Bruce B.]

Re: 57 wire question..Thanks

JOE, MIKE AND BILL C. AND ALL OTHERS;
THANKS FOR THE INPUT.
THE OLD CLIP AT THE TEMP SENDER IS BLACK. THE WIRE LOOM MATERIAL IS SLIGHTLY LESS THEN 1/4 INCH IN DIAMETER.
I SPOKE TO A FEW WIRE HARNESS MANUFACTURERS AND THEY USE THE LATEST PRINT WHICH DOES CALL FOR A BLUE 18 GAUGE WIRE AS OPPOSED TO THE ORANGE 20 GAUGE WHICH WAS ON MY CAR.
THE NEW HARNESS I HAVE WAS MADE BY M & H IN CALIFORNIA AND THEY ARE GOING TO SUBSTITUTE THE ORANGE WIRE FOR THE BLUE ONE WHICH I AM HAVING DONE. THEY HAVE A 1956 PRINT INDICATING THE ORANGE COLOR. THEY ALSO HAVE LATER PRINTS, AS NOTED BY BILL CLUPPER WHICH SHOW A BLUE WIRE BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO REVISION DATE.
THANKS FOR THE HELP.
BRUCE B

[William C.]

Re: 57 wire question..Thanks

Found a better copy I could actually read the date of change on, it was 8/22/56 for the blueprint, typically this would have been a running change at St louis, and it would take some time to get into production at Packard Electric, (the wiring builder) depending on the number of orange cut wires in inventory so it would not be unusual for early cars to use the '56 configuration with no part number change to the harness.

[Joseph T.]

Re: 57 wire question..Thanks

Bill..great stuff..is this info in the 56/57 judging guide?

Joe

[William C.]

Re: 57 wire question..Thanks

I would suggest you contact the '56-57 team leader with that question, I learned more than I ever know about the subject just researching your question, and from the responses of the early build owners on this discussion.