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I recently purchased a 1955 F100. The body in good shape and after I rebuild the carbs, I think the engine will be in good shape. The truck has a GM 12V one wire alternator and all the wires under the hood are wire loomed. When I looked at the truck to buy it, I was thinking there would be some wiring fixed that needed to be done because the brake lights and turn signals didn't work. Well this weekend I looked under the dash for the first time and boy was I shocked to see a bunch of wire (still live with 12V on them) that the insulation had melted off. I quickly disconnected the battery and did some more investigating. I only saw one fuse, it was attached to the head light switch. I started removing the wires from the wire loom under the hood and was not happy with what I found. Not only was there no fuseable link in the alternator to starter solenoid/battery run, but the wire has a twist and tape splice. Looking further, all the wiring is very stiff and old. At this point I'm thinking it is best to just replace it all.
That leads me to my question. What wiring harness kit have you guys used and do you recommend it? Also where did you buy it from? Thanks
Last edited by FirstF100; Mar 18, 2021 at 10:07 AM.
Reason: Added photo of truck
The type of harness you use will depend on what you want. If you want to go original, I've not done that so I will leave that for others.
If you want to go modern, I'm a fan of Painless or EZWire. Painless cost a little more, but has better instructions, and a few more extras, (connectors, etc.) EZWire is good quality for someone that has a little more experience and a good supply of their own extra parts. Both have pretty good support. Personally, I use EZWIre and purchase directly from them.
Beware of the really cheap kits from places like eBay. You get what you pay for.
My advice is, whether you stay original or not, don't rip out the old harness all at once. Tear out a little bit then replace with new. That way you'll know where the harness should go.
I wanted something that appeared original and was custom made to fit my application. I went with Narragansett Reproductions out of Rhode Island. There is another company in RI that also sells original style wiring. It's called Rhode Island Wiring. Two brothers apparently started a company that ended up splitting into two competing organizations. I think RI Wiring might be the bigger of the two. They have much more exposure on the internet.
My wiring project involved more drama then I would have liked, but bottom line, I'm happy with the wiring Narragansett Reproductions provided. If you are interested in the drama, it starts at post 444 of my thread dealing with Holley 1904 carburators.
I bought a universal Painless fuse box and did my own wiring harness on my '55. Very easy and simple to do and it was a lot cheaper than buying a complete kit.
I installed a Painless 28 circuit universal harness in my 1956 F100. It's has more circuits than I currently need, power windows, power door locks, electric fuel pump, etc. Painless also makes a 21 circuit universal harness. I'm happy with the quality. I also used the non-adhesive wire wrap tape to cover it, Summit Racing carries it in both vinyl and the old school cloth looking type.
I used a kit from American Auto wire. Comes with everything needed. Each wire is labled and very good instruction. You can pul them up online and check them out.
Rather than just shop for price, find out what you're paying for. Make sure whatever brand you choose they use an SAE approved, automotive cross-linked polyethylene wire, typically known as TXL or GXL. Some of the cheaper kits will use inferior wire with a low temp melting point insulation, and the buyer has no idea what he's getting. I've seen some where the insulation would melt from the heat gun before the shrink wrap would seal around the connection.
Rather than just shop for price, find out what you're paying for. Make sure whatever brand you choose they use an SAE approved, automotive cross-linked polyethylene wire, typically known as TXL or GXL. Some of the cheaper kits will use inferior wire with a low temp melting point insulation, and the buyer has no idea what he's getting.
This is the best advice of the thread. The electrical, steering, and brake systems are so important. If you don't get a good wiring kit, or good DIY components, you could be chasing electrical gremlins for months or even years. A worst case would be an electrical fire.
So I ended up going with a Painless Performance 21-circuit universal harnesses. For various reasons, I'm just now getting around to pulling the old wires out and installing the new harness.
My question is for those that have installed a harness with a fuse block in their mid fifty F100. Did you reuse the factory headlight switch or get a new one without a built-in circuit breaker? If you replaced it, what did you use, and where did you get it? I have found '56 oem style replacement switches but the required shaft/***** seem to be out of stock (I need a 12V switch).
Also, does anyone know how to tell the difference between a '55 6V switch and a '56 12V switch? I wondering which one was in my truck. Thanks.
I ended up using the stock 6v switch in my 55. The new 12v switch was a POS. It works fine with the 12v system. I dont know how to tell the difference by looking at it though.
I also used the same Painless kit.
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