Ok, I got the cab to this point...



You can see the gauges all hanging down, and I want to rewire everything. I know there are posts out there about the wiring harnesses available, and I read so many of them that I confused myself.

So I thought I'd simply ask this... if I'm keeping my F3 6 volt positive ground, and not adding any fancy stuff - just restoring it as a runaround in nice weather truck , what harness would you recommend? And yes, cost is an issue.

Thanks

 

If the truck is stock, you really don't need a harness kit. A house like Rhode Island Wiring is one source for wire/connectors. Get a complete wiring diagram - including turn signals - and be patient.

 

Personally, before installing all the wiring and dash parts, I'd take the cab one step further and finish painting the interior. You'll have a cleaner job when finished without overspray on everything, (and it will be everywhere) and you'll be really done when you're done.

That said, the typical 12v wiring harness won't work for you if you're staying with 6v. The wires are too small to handle the additional amps that 6v systems need. If you're staying all stock, there are many outlets for the stock replacement harness that will be simple to install and basically be plug and play.

 

Thanks for the suggestion on the painting. That sounds like a good idea. I'm just anxious to start putting it back together - need some patience!!

 

Good point about the 6-volt vs. 12-volt wire sizes. I've been looking at the EZ-wire, Rebel, etc. harnesses. And, quite frankly, those kits are not very much cheaper than the NOS-looking wiring harnesses that the vendors sell.

Just so that I can compare, who makes and sells the original appearing harness that has the modern plastic covered wires underneath the fabric overlay?

 

Just doing a quick google search, these guys popped up. You might give them a try. I know there are others but names escape me right now, and they didn't come up in my quick search.

WIRING HARNESSES - EXACT REPRODUCTIONS

Or these guys...

http://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com/

 

nice work so far, that'll be a truck to be proud of.

 

The Early Ford resto fanatics swear by these guys --- NOT cheap!!
Rhode Island Wiring Service Inc.

Doesn't look like Lectric Limited does any of our trucks; a shame because their website makes them sound like a good outfit.

 

I have been very satisfied with RIW. Was able to nearly match the original wire code scheme that made the rewire and subsequent trouble shooting a breeze. All the materials (wire/connectors, and some wire loom) and shipping were less that $130 for the cloth insulation style.

Doc, they also sell the harnesses in the original style.

 

So is that a PVC coated wire with a cloth overlay? Or is that a truly original type with just the cloth insulation over the wire?

There used to be a guy on ebay that sold the harnesses that had modern pvc coated wires with overlaying cloth covers. I'm definitely not interested in going that direction, but when you start looking at these universal systems, and these custom ones are within 50-75 dollars (and already correctly color coded with the proper length wiring, etc.), you can't help but investigate it further. Even if it's just to cut down on the amount of work involved if nothing else for the difference in price.

 

One other thing to look for is pure copper wiring. Some vendors are using copper-clad aluminum (CCA) because of the cost of copper. CCA has 150% the resistivity of pure copper. As you go to heavier gauges (like for 6v) the incentive is stronger to use the cheaper stuff.

 

Shane

They have several options, one is PVC coated copper wire with the cloth overlay - I went with this.

DW

 

The (Hot Rod Company) do Google search , sells lacquered cloth braided over modern plastic insulated primary wire 18 gauge - 10 gauge in rolls or 10 foot lengths . Good quality made in USA but not cheap .

 

You can also go what I did recently. I wanted to completely rewire the 51. However, my head almost exploded when I started researching all if the various wiring harness needed to rewire the entire truck. I made a phone call to Chuck of Chuck's Trucks and he put together THE entire wiring package for my 51 Panel. He even had certain Panel specific harnesses that no one else makes. Chuck is about the same price as DC and very well worth the price.

 

I used the Speedway wiring harness on my 52. The price was in line with Rebel which was my other choice. Although not for the truck it was a good universal harness to use, more circuits than I needed but they are there if the need arises. I did this as well as a 6 to 12 upgrade. I took my time and it all went well. I purchased a booklet
"The Official 12 Volt Conversion Guide" by Randy Rundle that was a big help.