Wiring |
By Frank Colgoni |
This article will outline what was used to wire the
car and various in-progress photos. The car was expertly wired by John Edwards
of Dream Machines.
The main component was a Highway 15 kit from American Autowire
supplemented by a series of other American Autowire products such
as courtesy light kits, door jamb switches, relays, master disconnect,
battery feed stud, indicator LED's, light delay module, weather pac
connectors, gauge disconnect kit, etc. Terrific quality materials. |
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Some features of the Highway 15 kit:
- G-10 Composite Panel Base
- Nylon 6/6 Panel Components
- GXL/XLPE GM Color Coded Wire
- Easy to Read Wire Labeling
- Self-Locking Screw Clamp Interface
- Gauge Cluster Disconnect
- 8-Gauge Alternator Feed
- 175 Amp Mega-Fuse Protection
- Ignition, Headlight, and Dimmer Switches Included
- Full Color, Step-by-Step Instructions
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The heart of the matter - the Highway 15 panel that has been mounted
in the upper right hand corner of the under-dash area. Left of it
is the Vintage Air flow control valve. |
A row of relays in the passenger upper kick panel area.. |
An important wiring detail: Dream Machines relocated the exit position
for the steering column wires from the mid column position to the
bottom of the column at the firewall to provide a clean column look. |
Even a "simple" wiring project involves a lot of wires and
connections. John recommends plannning your installation, working
methodically, making notes, reading all available literature, following
instructions and getting help when necessary. |
A battery cable feed stud in the passenger-side floor in the upper
left corner. A ground feed stud was subsequently added. |
The light blue device to the left of the relays is a courtesy light
delay control. |
Highbeam control switch to the left of the column. It's high enough as to not interfere with left foot positioning. |
In the centre of the photo is a common grounding plate. |
In the upper centre is a front passenger side under dash courtesy light. The arrow points to the door activated switch that triggers the lights. |
The top arrow points to the headlight switch (right side of the steering column). The bottom arrow points to the heater fan/valve control switch. Both of these are hidden with the dash installed. |
The arrow indicates the 175 amp "Mega Fuse" box. |
Moving to the trunk, the battery is located just behind the bulkhead between the cabin and trunk. A cleaned-up photo follows. |
Directly above the battery is the master disconnect switch. The right arrow indicates one of two trunk courtesy lights (these were subsequently replaced by trunk side panel lights). The left arrow indicates the courtesy light switch which is activated by the trunk hinge. |
Rear license plate lighting is provided by LED light bolts. |
This closeup details wire sleeve that was used by Dream Machines in the wiring process. This sleeve material was used in various diameters to consolidate/protect wire bundles. This also yields an incredibly neat completed job. |
Front headlight/turrn signal wiring in wire sleeve. In a subsequent step, the bundle was clipped to the inside of the frame rail. Note: turn signals are part of the headlight assembly.
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You can see sleeved wires going to the highbeam switch and, on the right, going down toward the floor towards the rear of the vehicle. |
The left arrow indicates a wire sleeve passing through a grommet at the base of the firewall carrying engine wires. Hiding behind the wires (right arrow) are 90 deg. heater hose fittings through the firewall. |
Back in the trunk everything is tidied up. The battery is fastened down to a battery tray that is supported at the rear by the body reinforcing steel and in the front by a sling that is secured to the trunk floor crossmembers. |
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Next Up - Body / Paint |
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