September 29th, 2009 • by David Zatz
Just letting you know that I’m getting something done on the relay and headlight install. I tried to work on it last weekend but didn’t get much done for the rain. but yesterday I got the additional wiring built and ready to wrap into the harness, as well as getting the circuit breaker mounted and the location for the relays figured out so all that’s left to do is mount them once I get the final two wires for them out of the factory harness. I am deviating from the kit in one area, I used a circuit breaker instead of the fuse holders, seems like a better idea to me considering the importance of headlights.
I’m doing part of it like he mentioned in the article about hiding the wiring and components for a classic car install, the relays are going to be in sight but for the most part the new wires are going to be in the stock harness. It requires some unwrapping and rewrapping, but it’s not impossible to do it that way. I practiced on the battery cable install so I would have some knowledge of what I was doing so the headlight harness will look right. I thought I had this all planned out but it’s looking as if I’m going to have to figure out some splices on the ground for the rest of the factory lights, as they all splice into the headlight ground at the back of the bulb. I’ll work up a solution once I get the factory wiring unwrapped and can see for sure exactly what the best way to work it is. It’s been a real treat building a wiring harness with all new wire and terminal ends. Usually half the time I’m working on wiring is spent scavenging old harnesses for appropriate lengths of the right size and color wires and trying to get the old Packard connectors apart without destroying them. Maybe sometimes I’m just too cheap.
I’m not going to be able to get before and after light meter readings as I can’t seem to get my schedule to match up with my nieces to be able to use her camera and expertise, but I did get volt drop readings (posted in the projects forum) before I started and some pictures with my camera on a freshly paved and painted dark stretch of road south of town, and will do the same afterward. If all goes as planned I should have it finished up in the next two evenings after work.
It’s looking at this point that I’m going to have to go back to over the road trucking soon as working locally isn’t getting all the bills paid, and finishing this project and the article is high on my list of things to get done before I leave. Will send the article and pictures when I get done.
I also got the relay the other day to hook the DRLs up so they are only on when the car is in gear, I’ll try to get that done so the article can be updated. It should be fairly simple, the hardest part is running a wire into the car from the park/neutral switch, every thing else I need to tap into is easily accessible under the dash.
We recently received this dispatch in from Richard Henley, who recently ran an article on installing daytime running lights and who is now rewiring and replacing his headlights in accordance with instructions from known lighting expert Daniel Stern.
I got the additional wiring built and ready to wrap into the harness, as well as getting the circuit breaker mounted and the location for the relays figured out so all that’s left to do is mount them once I get the final two wires for them out of the factory harness.
I’m doing part of it like Dan mentioned in the article, about hiding the wiring and components for a classic car install, the relays are going to be in sight but for the most part the new wires are going to be in the stock harness. It requires some unwrapping and rewrapping, but it’s not impossible to do it that way. I practiced on the battery cable install so I would have some knowledge of what I was doing so the headlight harness will look right.
I thought I had this all planned out but it’s looking as if I’m going to have to figure out some splices on the ground for the rest of the factory lights, as they all splice into the headlight ground at the back of the bulb. I’ll work up a solution once I get the factory wiring unwrapped and can see for sure exactly what the best way to work it is. It’s been a real treat building a wiring harness with all new wire and terminal ends. Usually half the time I’m working on wiring is spent scavenging old harnesses for appropriate lengths of the right size and color wires and trying to get the old connectors apart without destroying them.
I did get volt drop readings before I started and some pictures with my camera on a freshly paved and painted dark stretch of road south of town, and will do the same afterward. If all goes as planned I should have it finished up in the next two evenings after work.
I also got the relay the other day to hook the DRLs up so they are only on when the car is in gear, I’ll try to get that done so the article can be updated. It should be fairly simple, the hardest part is running a wire into the car from the park/neutral switch, every thing else I need to tap into is easily accessible under the dash.
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