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With some help I stripped the interior of my ‘71 coupe. What I face now is installing the recovered original right and left dash boards and center console with all the gauges and lights. Most wires were originally tagged but this project has been sitting so long and my help wasn’t so diligent when attaching the tags or making notes - many tags didn’t stick.
I’m on a budget and I really don’t want to spend the nearly $600 on a new wire harness, not unless it would surely save my *** for re assembly or time.
I’m not a big fan of doing my own electrical work, especially when I must deal with tight space, painful working positions and the high heat (oh, not forgetting getting everything correct with all the lights in their right spots).
Will a new harness be easier? If so, please explain.
With the help of your assembly installation manual and the factory corvette service manual wiring diagrams, figuring out where all of those wires go isnt as daunting of a task as it may seem. Do you need a new wire harness? If the insulation isnt cracked, and most connectors are in good shape, no you dont need a new harness. I reused all of my harness, but have replaced portions of it with new wire, fusible link, alternator harness etc, mostly engine compartment wiring. But you must have the tools. The books I mentioned.
Last edited by Sunstroked; Jul 3, 2018 at 03:04 AM.
I have done this many times and believe me, using your existing harness is MUCH easier.
The systems on your car are not that complicated. First thing, go to eBay and buy this model and year specific wiring diagram: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-70-197...ss!92262!US!-1
It's only $17.95, it's large and laminated, very easy to read and follow and the best part, it's color-keyed to match your original harness so there's no confusion.
I buy one for every collector car I get. It's the best thing you can buy for under $20.
You'll find reconnecting that harness is a lot less formidable than it looks.
Good Luck, Greg
And removing all the old wiring and installing all new AT LEAST TWICE is a PITA. Cuz it is guaraneffingteed you will have something go the wrong way and several things be too short!!
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I agree since I HAD to replace alot of wiring in my 68. If it isnt cracked, brittle or bare, go with what youve got, you know it will fit correctly. Although the replacements I got from lectric limited fit pretty well, its worth it to save some money for something else you definitely willl need to replace. I have a Wiring diagram from Doc Rebuild that shows the actual connectors, if you buy from them its easier to call and buy it on the phone than going through the website but it doesnt show the wiring like a schematic. I also have a schematic from lectric limited but it can be hard to trace as its not color coded like the ebay one . The ebay looks good too although I dont have one yet but will soon.
Thank you all very much, you gave me the re-charge I need to get in there and get it done.
None of the wires are bare or the covering damaged in any way, I just worry about the twenty something light sockets, many with the same color wire just the length maybe different. I don’t want to go for reassembly and have to tug on a short wire and screw up something or it’s behind the wrong gauge. I’ve been trying to get this done but everyone knows I need it or it’s worthless so I get outrageous labor prices.
My plans are to donate this car for charity, but I can’t while it’s a “project” and at the risk of sounding selfish, I’ve been donating so much lately I need the write-off come tax time.
Last edited by Z06LMB; Jul 4, 2018 at 05:00 AM.
Reason: spelling errors
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
the back of the dash gauge is labelled so you get them in the right spot. The orange wires are all just illumination and the specific bulbs are a different color. My dash even tells you which color wire goes where. The gauge cluster is the same but you may need have only one or 2 different sockets for seat belts or door ajar, which ever your model has. The hard part is getting it laced behind the tack and speedo so the dash can go back in, thats a different question
Z06, Rescue Rogers is spot on with his comment on labeling. One of the few things the General really thought out well back then. Every socket hole on the center cluster and the speedo/tach cluster is stamped with the color of the wire that fits each one so it's impossible to mix them up.
I just reassembled the harness in my '73 yesterday. I wish I'd taken a couple of pics for you.
Here's a tip to make the speedo/tach housing easier to install: I added an extra speed nut to one of the dash speaker studs above the steering column so I could affix a zip tie to it. Then I used this this zip tie to hold the main harness up in place rather than have it sagging down behind the cluster which makes install very difficult. This made install a breeze with nothing in the way. You probably know this already but also, be sure to pull the two bolts under the steering column so it will drop down an extra inch or two before installing the speedo/tach housing.
Good Luck
the Fuse block is the deciding factor, it is the main component on the cabin electrical harness, if your fuse clips are clean and solid,,
keep it remove it, disassemble the fuse block cover and inspect back side of fuse block, if clean keep it.
I use scrubbing bubbles and scrub down the complete harness.
Inspect for cut, corroded, or burnt connectors, replace any bad connectors. I suggest solder connections.
the individual whole wire can be replaced if needed into fuseblock.
Reinstall Harness.
Use what’s there or new?
