VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1941 Wiring Harness

Got a quote from YNZ for a new wiring harness for my only convertible. The one I had since 1973 has found a new home in Phonix, AZ,

Over the years I have experienced fires under my dash on the coupe I now have and a precvious 41 Town Sedan.

I have noticed that the wires under the dash of the 41 cabriolet are frayed enough to cause me worry. I'm installing a reasonably sound Wirey Joe on the coupe but don't want to on the cabriolet.

Problem is ” hat the price of a new one from YNZ is in the range between 7 and 8 hundred dollars. I don't know if it has the wires to the license plate light and the tail lights or not.

It it were your and you had over 50k invested in it would you bite the bullet for the YNZ or look for another sound Wirey Joe?

Any other supplier that makes new harnesses will be followed up on on unless you folkes with experitnce tell me that YNZ ia the way to go.

Thanks for reading this and any respinses. I fear fire more than bad brakes.

Best,

Charlie

BTW: I sorta went around my elbow to get to my thumb on this. I hope you don't get lost following the thread.

If I were rewiring a "driver" the Wiry Joe would be just perfect. But if you are restoring a "CONVERTIBLE", and I am doing a 1950, I would bite the bullit, as I have on everything on this car, and go for the best, ie: get the Y&Z harness, you will not regret it.

I would agree with Ray, Y n Z is hard to beat and the old stock wiring harness may have aged beyond a safe to use point.

Dave

I bit the bullet on my '37 and bought a YNZ harness. I am glad I did. My goal was to get a harness that I knew would fit and function correctly with no surprises. It met my expectations.

I would be concerned with the age of the insulation on a Wiry Joe.

I do know that there are companies making new vinyl wire harnesses that will fit older cars. My experience is that they are somewhat generic and require you to cut wires and crimp some terminals for your specific application.

The YnZ comes with the tail light and license plate wire. As long as it is the complete harness. Check to make sure they include the turn signal wiring as it is an add on, as turn signals were not stock.
If I had looked at the wiring under the dash on my 48 sooner, I wouldn't have driven it a mile. It was bare and frayed. Also some electrical tape repairs.

Charlie,

I whole heartedly agree that the Y&Z harness is THE way to go!
Six years ago I bought and installed (by myself) Y&Z’s best passenger car harness (including their turn signal hardware and wiring) for my 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe Coupe. And YES, their harness included all wiring for the tail, license and backup lights.

If I were restoring a convertible I would definitely opt for the Y&Z, and not trust anything less.

Y&Z’s printed instructions are very good*, and their color-coding on their product matched perfectly with the original color coding depicted in the Wiring Diagram on page 283 in the official 1941 Chevrolet Shop Manual.

Your convertible deserves the Y&Z harness.
Here’s wishing you great success.

Roy

*I say “very good” because this is the 1st car I ever restored, and I have never done a complete re-wiring job on a car.

The replies are just what I expected. I am suitably convinced. I'm going to order the YNZ harness.

Seems from the replies that the taillight and such rearward wires come with the harness. Thats good.

Roy: In my initial post I didn't mention that I had already order and received the YNZ harnesses for the trun signal and the reverse polarity switch. I still have them. Thanks for mentioning that.

Best,

Charlie

Follow up,

I have bit the bullet and ordered all the remaining stuff that YnZ has to offer for the 41 Cabriolet. (Already had their turn-signal and reverse polarity wiring harnesses intended for the 41 cabriolet that I just sold but did not go with the car.)

I think I have someone who will install the harnesses but I have to give him my old 93 GMC pickup. Worth about scrap metal prices. I hope the installation goes smooth so that I don't have to perform the worst job on planet earth by doing it myself.

Thanks for all the responses to my thread. It caused me to rethink the issue and make a better, I'm sure, decision.

Best,

Charlie

This will solve a lot of gremlins and make it reliable. If you get someone who has done this before, this is a relatively easy job on a 41 if they are organized. Imagine doing this on a modern car, even if you were 25 and flexible again!