wiring help for an 81
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Joined: Jul 2014
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wiring help for an 81
Hi Guys,
New to the forum, and learning a lot from all of your collected experience.
Recently purchased 2 1981's, one for wife and one for myself. Her's is cosmetically fine, but we've bought another engine to put in it after we rebuild it.
Mine, on the other hand is a freaking Bubba story if there ever was one!
Still sanding it, after removing the front bumper, honeycomb bar, and impact bar. PO said he hit a bird...... HA, my A$$. Must've been a freaking ostrich. OK, nuf said about him..
Just this week, I've taken off the door panels, out came the whole interior, and what I'm left with is a bunch of spaghetti for wiring. I see no heater blower or cage, the only instrument that worked was the gas gauge, an aftermarket radio was in, the antenna wasn't even plugged up, what a mess.
I've just gotten a wiring diagram from this site, thank you Papawana, and I'm trying to make sense out of things that are totally out of my wheelhouse of expertise.
I have two large purple wires twisted with a purple and white wire, which I'm assuming all goes to the nuetral safety switch??????
I've taken out the center console, and the instrument cluster, removed the circuit board, which I can see why only one gauge was working. The opening where the plug goes in had all the copper contacts out of alignment, and probably not making good contact and may be the reason the gauges controlled by them caused them not to work, and none of the bulbs work. In a nutshell.......... a mess? Where do I start?
Should I get a new circuit board first, put the battery back in and see what works and what doesn't? Or, should I just send the whole instrument cluster to Willcox and let them sort it out.
I obviously am not concerned about keeping the car original. I want to get the bumpers replaced with truFlex ones, a new hood, new mirrored T-tops, new carpet, new seats, a new paint job, and all my gauges working, and, in general, have something to sport around in and go to Friday night car show.
I want to do as much work on it as I can, and keep me from watching too much TV. This is my 6th Vette, but I've never torn one completely down like this.
I might be in over my head with this wiring thing..... of course this came up after the door removal, and all that that entails.
New to the forum, and learning a lot from all of your collected experience.
Recently purchased 2 1981's, one for wife and one for myself. Her's is cosmetically fine, but we've bought another engine to put in it after we rebuild it.
Mine, on the other hand is a freaking Bubba story if there ever was one!
Still sanding it, after removing the front bumper, honeycomb bar, and impact bar. PO said he hit a bird...... HA, my A$$. Must've been a freaking ostrich. OK, nuf said about him..
Just this week, I've taken off the door panels, out came the whole interior, and what I'm left with is a bunch of spaghetti for wiring. I see no heater blower or cage, the only instrument that worked was the gas gauge, an aftermarket radio was in, the antenna wasn't even plugged up, what a mess.
I've just gotten a wiring diagram from this site, thank you Papawana, and I'm trying to make sense out of things that are totally out of my wheelhouse of expertise.
I have two large purple wires twisted with a purple and white wire, which I'm assuming all goes to the nuetral safety switch??????
I've taken out the center console, and the instrument cluster, removed the circuit board, which I can see why only one gauge was working. The opening where the plug goes in had all the copper contacts out of alignment, and probably not making good contact and may be the reason the gauges controlled by them caused them not to work, and none of the bulbs work. In a nutshell.......... a mess? Where do I start?
Should I get a new circuit board first, put the battery back in and see what works and what doesn't? Or, should I just send the whole instrument cluster to Willcox and let them sort it out.
I obviously am not concerned about keeping the car original. I want to get the bumpers replaced with truFlex ones, a new hood, new mirrored T-tops, new carpet, new seats, a new paint job, and all my gauges working, and, in general, have something to sport around in and go to Friday night car show.
I want to do as much work on it as I can, and keep me from watching too much TV. This is my 6th Vette, but I've never torn one completely down like this.
I might be in over my head with this wiring thing..... of course this came up after the door removal, and all that that entails.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,754
From: Charlotte NC
BOY...where do I start.
QUESTION 1: Are you wanting to do this yourself and willing to learn 'things'...and NOW make them a part of your 'wheelhouse'??? If you answer is NO...the get ready to spend a lot of $$$.
If you answer was YES...then here is another question.
QUESTION 2: Are you a victim of today's current technology that will plot your course and give you directions when you go on a trip and you do not have to pull out a map and m find it yourself????
WELL...have you in the past, found your own path on a map and got to where you wanted to go??? IF you answered YES....then a wiring diagram is NO DIFFERENT.
SO...if you can follow circuits...and have some basic tools...MAINLY a VOLT/OHMMETER...you can do a very majority of testing and wiring issues. The learning curve will be is you understanding how current flows and what it is doing....which is NOT that hard if it is something that you WANT TO DO.
TRUST ME...I HATED....I mean I REALLY HATED electrical stuff way back in the day. NOW .....I LOVE IT. Either is works and it is RIGHT...or it doesn't. Nothing to be afraid of...not writing that you are.
I will be willing to spend time to help you and I am sure that many other forum members will be willing also. SO...if you want to do this ...it can be done. But...you are either ALL IN....or not at all. No half-way crap. The reason being...I have had more Corvettes come into my shop that were so butchered that is was a wonder it did not catch on fire. I am not into 'half-way' repairing your Corvette or ANY Corvette. So CORRECTLY repairing any all all wiring will up to you. Most people find the easy way out...and choose not to solder and shrink-wrap repairs. REMEMBER...I do this for a living and I do not have the time to do a repair twice...especially when I had the time to do it CORRECT the first time. SO I do it CORRECTLY the FIRST time. Regardless of the added hassle in some scenarios. It is what it is.
AS for the issue with your circuit board copper fingers...I would get them straight and then carefully connect the connector to the gauge cluster and see what happens. Usually...if you do not see a burnt spot in the circuit board...they are fine. But when you power it up...you need to watch it and make sure you do not see it beginning to melt .
As for sending the gauges out for repair if needed...that 'bridge' can be crossed when needed.
Not that this matters...but I would not install the true-flex bumper covers. I am 'old school' and have been installing rigid bumper covers long before this 'new' type of bumper came out. I did ONE and will never do another. But that is just me. I am NOT impressed with them.
DUB
QUESTION 1: Are you wanting to do this yourself and willing to learn 'things'...and NOW make them a part of your 'wheelhouse'??? If you answer is NO...the get ready to spend a lot of $$$.
If you answer was YES...then here is another question.
QUESTION 2: Are you a victim of today's current technology that will plot your course and give you directions when you go on a trip and you do not have to pull out a map and m find it yourself????
WELL...have you in the past, found your own path on a map and got to where you wanted to go??? IF you answered YES....then a wiring diagram is NO DIFFERENT.
SO...if you can follow circuits...and have some basic tools...MAINLY a VOLT/OHMMETER...you can do a very majority of testing and wiring issues. The learning curve will be is you understanding how current flows and what it is doing....which is NOT that hard if it is something that you WANT TO DO.
TRUST ME...I HATED....I mean I REALLY HATED electrical stuff way back in the day. NOW .....I LOVE IT. Either is works and it is RIGHT...or it doesn't. Nothing to be afraid of...not writing that you are.
I will be willing to spend time to help you and I am sure that many other forum members will be willing also. SO...if you want to do this ...it can be done. But...you are either ALL IN....or not at all. No half-way crap. The reason being...I have had more Corvettes come into my shop that were so butchered that is was a wonder it did not catch on fire. I am not into 'half-way' repairing your Corvette or ANY Corvette. So CORRECTLY repairing any all all wiring will up to you. Most people find the easy way out...and choose not to solder and shrink-wrap repairs. REMEMBER...I do this for a living and I do not have the time to do a repair twice...especially when I had the time to do it CORRECT the first time. SO I do it CORRECTLY the FIRST time. Regardless of the added hassle in some scenarios. It is what it is.
AS for the issue with your circuit board copper fingers...I would get them straight and then carefully connect the connector to the gauge cluster and see what happens. Usually...if you do not see a burnt spot in the circuit board...they are fine. But when you power it up...you need to watch it and make sure you do not see it beginning to melt .
As for sending the gauges out for repair if needed...that 'bridge' can be crossed when needed.
Not that this matters...but I would not install the true-flex bumper covers. I am 'old school' and have been installing rigid bumper covers long before this 'new' type of bumper came out. I did ONE and will never do another. But that is just me. I am NOT impressed with them.
DUB
