There are a number of things that you should write down on your list before you open the wiring kit box. Where will you mount the fuse panel, how will you run the wires so they are neat, organized, maintainable, and away from heat and sharp objects.

Although we feel that you should have us wire your car, we know that some of you that are reading this page feel that it is something that you could do. We believe that some of you could wire your own vehicle and there are some that can not. We are trying to help those who feel that the can wire their own vehicle. Just keep in mind that it may cost more for us to correct mistakes and complete and installation, than it would cost for us to do it from start to finish.

I know that you are excited with the new wiring kit that you just picked up, and you can't wait to dig in and get that kit installed. Stop! Close the box and read on . . .

Familiarize yourself with the contents of the kit: Open the kit and take a look at the contents. DO NOT open any of the bags or individual packages. Usually the kits are assembled to be installed in a specific order. You will easily become confused if you jump ahead of yourself. Read the instructions to gain an understanding of what you will be doing.

Tools of the trade: You will need some standard tools to properly install your kit; screw drivers, drill, drill bits and hole saw, etc. In addition to the standard tools, you will also need a good pair of wire strippers and the proper crimpers for the connectors that you will need to crimp.

Nice try, but would you trust these connections ?	This is what your connections SHOULD look like !

Mount the fuse panel: On universal fuse panels, the hardest part of wiring a vehicle for me is determining where to mount the fuse panel. The criteria that I use to get this part right is:

1. The location of the fuse panel should be out of plain view, but not stuffed up under the dash where you can't get to it.
2. You should be able to change a fuse without breaking your back. Trust me, the older you get, the less flexible you are.
3. I always mount the panel so that I can add a large wire clamp to run the wires thru to keep everything neat. Did I mention that you should run all of your wires neatly?

How should you run your wires: How and where you run your wires depends on the vehicle you are wiring. On Model A's, I can usually run the wires down the side kick panels. I use the driver side for engine management, front lighting, and usually rear wiring. The passenger side kick panel is used for the ignition wiring and anything else. If I don't have clear access in the kick panels, I will drill 2 holes in the trans tunnel just below where it meets with the firewall. This is a great place to run the wires if you wish to keep them consealed. I use the left hole for lighting, fan and horn . . . I use the right hole for sending units, alternator, and starter connections. Where you run the wires is up to you, but there are a few things that you should keep in mind.

1. Run your wires neatly. I use a ton of zip ties because I run a circuit and zip it to the harness. When I run another circuit down the same path, I cut the previous zip tie and install a new one. This helps to keep everything nice and neat.
2. Grommet all holes that the wires will pass through and keep all of your runs away from heat and sharp objects.
3. Try to hide as much of the wiring that you can. Don't hide it so it is impossible to maintain, but don't have wires slung all over the place.

At this point you should be ready to start wiring. Follow the instructions in your kit and you should be fine. Don't get discouraged if it seems that the wiring is taking too long. You are not in a race and you don't get bonus points by wiring your vehicle quickly. It takes me a minimum 40-50 hours to fully wire a car from start to finish. I am very particular when I wire a car and you should be to. The last thing that you want is to break down on the road, or worse, have an electrical fire.

This is an example of what your wiring should look like when you are done:

This panel is mounted under the dash where it is not seen, but very easy to get to.

If you feel at this point you are in over your head, give us a call or send us a message.

SPDT (Single Pole / Double Throw) Relay - Form C

This is one of the most widely used relays. Think of this as anything you need to switch and carry a substantual load based on a certain condition, you can do it with this relay.

Right out of the box, this relay has posts 30 & 87a internally connected. When switched, the path changes to posts 30 & 87 and 87a becomes an open circuit.

Switching the relay is accomplished by issuing a ground and 12v on posts 85 and 86.

SPDT Relay Wiring Explained

Looking at your GM turn signal plug could be a little confusing if you don't understand how it works and what the different colored wires are. Here is a breakdown of those wires:

The plug on your column should look something like the above drawing. The thing to remember is that the plug is lettered and it will plug into a female plug that has the same letters. The wires must match up. Here is a list of the letters, colors, and the function.

Ok, so how does the turn signal switch work? Why don't I blow a fuse when I have my turn signal on and I step on the brake?

Alright, maybe you aren't questioning how it works, but I am. I was always the son who took his toys apart to see how they worked. I won't say whether or not they were ever put back together.

How it works - If you were to pull the turn signal switch apart, as I did, you will find contacts attached to each of the colored wires that pertain to the turn/brake lights. If your turn signal is not switched and you step on the brake, the power is supplied to the high side of the 1157 bulb (dual filament bulb) from the brake light switch supplied through the White wire. This happens because the contacts for the rear brake lights (Yellow and Green) are in contact with the White brake contact.

When you switch your turn signal (for this example we will say left turn), the power is supplied by the Purple wire to the Light Blue (left front) wire and the Yellow (left rear) wire because the switching action actually moved contacts inside your column. If you step on the brake, the only light that will get power from the White brake power wire will be the Green right rear. This is because the contact for the left rear was switched to the turn signal power. Easy, right? Now don't you feel better now that you have this great information?