VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Wiring Harness

Hello Again Guys,
I've received some parts but have yet to install them until I get the time.
I would like to replace the entire wiring harness on the car. Most of it is original. I'd like to replace it with the new style that has the original type fabric outer surface but modern insulation beneath. Kanter gave me a price of $675.00. It sounds high but I'm not sure. Anyone know the fair price range and a good source for an entire wiring harness for a 1940 Chevy Special Deluxe (all original).
Thanks!
Mike

Kanter is a reseller. The harnesses are made by either YNZ <CLICK> or Rhode Island Wiring <CLICK>. Both sell harnesses themselves without going through a reseller. Both are expensive since they are basically made to order and made by hand. When I bought for my '38 I compared prices between the two and YNZ was a tad less expensive. That may or may not be true today so do your due diligence.

The $675 price tag is pretty much the average I've seen floating around. I've seen 250-500 foot rolls being sold for far less...it all depends on how much time & patience you have to wire the entire car from scratch. The pre-cut ones already have all the end connectors, etc.

Being that I was an electronics tech for many years, I probably would remove the original harness without cutting too much, and re-create the harness on a bench or floor since I still have to do all the labor of removing & installing anyway, and it won't be that much more time to create the harness.

If I weren't that experienced with wiring, I would get the pre made harness and get it over with.

Great - thanks for the info and link.

I used a YnZ in my 48 Coupe. In 2012 it was around $650 with good fuse they recommended. Only thing I would do different is call them and ask them to add turn signal wiring if you are going to have turn signals.

Hi Mike,

I'm a Rhode Island man. I installed a new harness about 7 years ago. Easy to follow directions, very durable and professional looking (I have little electrical aptitude). My new harness has taken more of a beating than most because I have disconnected parts of it as I have done restoration work. It has been typical that winters would find the engine compartment wiring all wound up and in a bag fastened to the top of the driver's side firewall. I never installed the wiring from the dash to the tail lights because I didn't want to remove the fabric on my ceiling (In 41 that was the route taken to get wire to the trunk area. If you don't want to remove part of it you could modify your harness and run it under your flooring material?) I took out all my wiring two years ago to restore my body and am now beginning to reinstall it.

The first thing I noticed was how bright my lights looked after my original installation. Of course a lot had to do with cleaning all the terminals the wires were attached to. In Florida, with your humidity, your wire could be real compromised.

MY original rational for rewiring besides seeing cracked, insulation and bare wires was the rational how much did I value the car? Other concerns were: would it bother me if it broke down, did it matter that my tail lights shorted out sometimes, what would I think if poor wiring caused a fire? The condition of your wiring should be pretty high up on your list of safety concerns.

This topic has been discussed before try doing a search of past posts to get more good input. Use the Keyword Search Term "Harness" It will give you a couple hundred responses back to 2014. Change the Date Range to work your way back several years. Be bold and limit the search by choosing the 37-42 Forum on the left side of the search screen.

Good luck, Mike

P.S. Where in Florida are you? A lot of VCCA guys winter there or are residents. I will be in Winterhaven Feb 9-26. I might need "a little" unsupervised time.

Hey thanks for the info. I didn't realize the wiring to the rear ran through the headliner. My rear lights work great so I can leave that alone for now. I see Chevys of the 40s have wiring harnesses in sections so I might go that route and take it one harness at a time.
I'm way down in S. Florida about 3 hours from Orlando - but have a great time! Tons to do in Orlando especially if you have kids.

Hi Mike,

All the companies sell their harnesses in sections or for individual applications like horn, radio, headlights, parking lights, rear brakes, rear license plate, etc. Chevs of the 40's might not be selling the quality you get from Rhode Island, etc. Ask them who their supplier is before making your investment. Check the web sites of the various companies.

Good luck, Mike

Chevs of the 40's is a reseller of Y n Z. Top quality stuff! At least they were the last time I ask.

YNZ is the top stuff.

Great info.

Thanks guys!

Mike

As previously mentioned, Rhode Island Wiring offers all of the supplies necessary so you can build your own harness just like the original. RI also offers a separate braiding service for those harnesses that were originally braided. If you have an old harness to use as a pattern and can solder on terminals, it's fairly easy to replicate your old harness. When ordering the wire, the color and thread tracer patterns can be found on the wiring diagram for the vehicle you are working on. Completed harnesses can be sent to RI for braiding to make them look like the factory harness. It's a fun project at about half the cost. According to RI, the harness to the rear of my 41 was not braided, just wrapped in friction tape.