Rewireing a 53 Ford

BILL WZOREK

BILL WZOREK

Well-known member
I know this has been asked & answered,But here go's
I want to rewire my 53 Mainline --- So --- who's rewire set do I go with & why ?
This car will be a driver not points car.
I dont need NOS but some thing new with eZ To under stand Instructions
( What you talking about Bill "REAL" men don't need no stinkin Instructions )
It will be a complete rewire job.
I am gathering all my parts a head of time so when it comes into the shop we can keep making progress each & every day.:D:D
Trying to build that very reliable car that I can send Lee (my Wife )
out in and not have to wonder if she remembered her AAA card.
THANKS GUYS
 
Bill,
Glad to hear your working on the 53. Getting all the hard stuff out of the way before your operation.
About this wiring, I have used a painless harness kit and thought it went real well, no problems. The wires are marked every foot or so and it comes with 15 circuits and a nice fuse block with flashers and relays wired in. Their web site :http://www.painlessperformance.com/ . There are others, EZ2wire, Ron Francis, and more, most of them have a tech number to call if you get stuck, be sure of that before you buy. Of course you can always ask the barners for help, take care, Chuck.
 
Rhode Island wire makes the best original stuff but hold on to your wallet because it ain't cheep. www.riwire.com/

Mac's sells original "type" harnesses and they are a little more affordable. They use the cloth covering but the wire has regular insulation underneath. Probably better for the driver. If the 53 Mainline had a modern non cloth covered set up this would be your best bet.

If someone would make up an original type harness using modern insulated wire but keeping the original colors & tracers that would be ideal for the early driver cars but I don't know of anyone that does it currently. If anyone else does, let us know.

Kerby
 
I'd would use Rhode Island wire. I thank you will be satisfied with the instructions and ease of installation. Just be careful with the directional light wiring instructions, they can easily be confusing when showing about 6 or 7 wires and where they go in the steering column. Take you time and read the instruction carefully before you start. Don't waste your money on the inner fender grommets that the headlight and horn wires go through. Make your own. You may need to order some extra bullet connectors. Charles
 
I used E Z wiring harness when I rewired my 55 f100.,so easy to do .I switched to 12 volts ,I know all the pro and cons about switching to 12 volts. I don't know if they make a 6 volt system or not .It was so easy to do a caveman could to it . JMO.
 
Most of the modern universal wire harnesses like painless and others are wired for 12-volt systems. 6-volt systems require a larger gauge wire to function correctly. If you convert an old 6-volter to 12 then the larger size wire is non relevant. 12-volt systems push electrons a lot easier than 6-volt.

If you are also converting the 53 Mainline to 12-volt, then using a universal harness is not a problem as long as it has provisions for all the different systems that you will require. You will have to make your own circuit diagram for your car as you go unless the universal harness manufacturer provides a general diagram with wire color & tracer to go by.

Kerby
 
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Bill;
Which ever system you use be sure to specify 6 volt . FWIW I have used a painless kit for 12volt & was happy with it.
 
Bill
I have used different sources over the years, but I like Tyree Harris product. 804-556-5200. His instructions are great and the stuff fits!!
 
Bill, I've got a Tyree Harris harness in our '53 F-100 Panel Truck, A Dennis Carpenter harness in our '39 CS. a Bob Drake harness in our '51 F-1 and a Rhode Island harness in our '39 Zephyr. Like others have said, Rhode Island makes the best original replacement harness however, for your intended use (a daily driver) I'd go with Tyree Harris for the harness. Have fun.:D Vic
 
Keep in mind that if you are going with the 6 volt setups, the aftermarket kits do not have the size wire needed for a 6 volt system. They are not designed for the extra load the 6 volt system has. Go with a replacement harness from Tyree or Rhode Island as they are designed for 6 volts.
 
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