Electrical Quandry 1967 Coupe

[sburkey1967]

Hello all,

I am at a stage where I need to get some electrical work done to hook up everything and finally start the car. Problem is, I am definitely no wiring guy.

I tried to keep everything stock, wiring wise in the under dash harness. The car has been been stripped down to the metal and rebuilt from the ground up. Problem is, I upgraded a few things.

I went with LED tail lights
Switched to an electric fuel pump due to the serpentine setup and where the power steering pump mounted on the 351W. I had a 351W turnkey engine built for it.
Relocated the battery to the trunk
Dual 12" electric fans
Alternator with one wire hook up
Sanden A/C compressor (car originally had A/C, but obviously not the Sanden system)

All of which I am sure to most electrical guys, is a simple matter of hooking up. My fear, is I hook up something wrong and fry what I have spent too much money on.

Any suggestions besides just paying somebody a ton of money to do it for me? I am definitely currently at a stand still with the summer rapidly approaching.

 

[sburkey1967]

I knew it when I asked it, how do you answer a question like that? Pretty much get an electrical schematic book and try and figure it out, or pay somebody to do it. lol I just figured I would ask and hoped somebody might have a line on a website or good gauge for electrical wiring of those types of components in mustangs. Anywho, I will still leave it up and hope somebody has a gauge of somekind besides "suck it up and pay somebody, bonehead!"

 

[NasaGT]

I'll give you my 2 cents since no one has chimed in yet. I vote for do it yourself.

You've got alot of items to hook up, the key is to do one thing at a time. Make sure you understand the circuit you're putting together before you start wiring, and test it when you think its done. Do that and take your time and you won't fry anything. Most automotive wiring is pretty simple - once you understand a few basic concepts you'll be fine. And you can always post up what you are about to do on here, and if you're on the wrong path someone will help you out.

Before you start make sure you don't have any loose wires from disconnected circuits that might contact the body or other wires.

Here's the order I would work on it: Start with the battery to starter solenoid circuit. If you can understand and wire this circuit, then you'll be fine. Next add the electric fuel pump. Then add the alternator. Then electric fans. The rest in any order. Ideally you'll be able to start the car after fuel pump is wired. You wouldn't want to run it very long until the alternator is hooked up.

Thats all I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there will be more/better feedback from others. :SNSign:

 

[Rusty67]

I wouldn't run the electric fuel pump without an inertia shutoff switch wired into it. For your initialy setup and trouble shooting you can leave it out and add it later, but once you are driving the car around all the time, you need one for safety reasons.

As far as doing it yourself, I think you should pick up a how to book on auto electrical and read it. Also, I'd spend some money on some bulk wire, connectors and a nice pair of strippers and crimpers. Then I'd build test circuits that aren't mounted in the car. Build a circuit without a relay and then build the same one with a relay and test them to make sure they work. Once you can understand simple circuits and simple circuits with relays you are moer then 1/2 way there. Most of the circuits in these cars are fairly straight forward.

The aftermarket parts like the LED tail lights and the AC setup should come with instructions. Once you understand the basics, these instructions will not be quite so intimidating.

 

[sburkey1967]

Thank you very much for the advice, I will definitely get online and see about a basic wiring book for cars as well as setting up the test circuits you are testing. I have a wiring buddy, that can probably point me in the right direction on that as well. I just didn't want to occupy too much of his time.

I think I have been getting a little overwhelmed with thinking of it as a whole, instead of just attacking one thing at a time and going from there. The AC I didn't get anything from the engine manufacturer, but I am sure I can find something online, but ya, the other items did come with documentaiton, but definitely over my head. lol So the book idea I will definitely take and then look at that documenation again and see if it is still intimidating. lol Thanks again.