I love wiring projects. I spent New Years 2010 at the TA Truckstop in Dallas, TX rewiring my tractor/trailer from the back of the sleeper to the taillights of my trailer. I've gone on to do other large projects since, but that one was special.
If you're weird, then I am too. I rewired my whole 71 truck from nocte to tip with no real previous experience. I watched your shows since I was a kid among the others on Power Nation. I was so surprised at how older vehicles were so simple. All the wires were neatly tucked and hidden for the most past and it was so easy once I started. My philosophy is: you might as well start somewhere. With that mentality you just grab something, work it to completion, then move on. Before you know it, it's almost done and your bewildered by the progress you've made.
What can’t you do? Geez man. That’s insane. Your knowledge and comprehension of how everything works is absolutely mind blowing. I seriously, seriously applaud you for what you do.
I have learned so much from you! And I've always wanted to thank you, and comment on your show, And the many things that i enjoy about it, Your words are few but just enough to inform the listener of what he needs to hear, I've got a real attention span, that does not do well with a bunch of jibber jabber. so you are so great at this, i can take in what you say and really put it in my small hard drive already near full of useful information. LOL, I enjoy your humor, its spot on and not to much,. I could go on and on but you get it , You are one of the most talented fabricator I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot, so please keep up the great work. Your awesome dude. and thanks again.
Moneys in the detail with wiring install, did a 18 ckt painless into my 49 willys wagon, it's all in there, tucked up under dash, fuseblock on custom bracket near e brake handle, 5 piece guage kit, aux switch pannel in glove box, unused ckts coiled up in kick pannels, I used Mag Daddy clips thru out, very clean install. All of my stuff worked first time. I went overboard with the ground ckt, heads wired together, then to block, block to frame, frame to body and neg bat to starter mount. Running pro flo fuel injection, error on safe side with grounds when doing FI.
I used to be scared of wiring. Once I did a couple of engine swaps and really broke it down, as Ian started the video with, it really isn't bad at all. One circuit at a time.
12v Wiring is by far my favorite thing to do, whether that be diagnostics or aftermarket parts. Once you know what your looking for the circuit will tell you where to look. Something as simple as re-wiring a 7-way junction box with cut to length wires is extremely soothing.
I discovered a cheap trick, use a dab of super glue on your electrical tape to keep it from coming off in a month! I wrap my loom etc. then cut tape to length, dab super glue to sticky on tape and press together. Works really well!
@@BigTireGarage Whaaat? You did that fancy graphics montage that starts at 1:25? You're skillful with a welder and a mouse LOL. How do you find the time?
Love this build, I am doing a similar 53 pickup with the R2.8. I am an automotive electrical engineer and I stay very far away from weatherpack connections. They are terrible connection points and hardly ever seal properly and when you have vibration they get worse. I prefer using Deutsch who was bought out by TE Connectivity. Very available and it is the connector bulkhead to the firewall supplied by Cummins. Little more expensive but way better connection and reliability for years to come.
Appreciate the feedback, but these are only connections for the reverse lights, rock lights, and ARB compressor all items that will not cause me any issues when driving if they fail. I have used these exact connections on many rigs with no failures to date so fingers crossed that continues.
@@TooBrokeToWheel So how is bluetooth going to help you on a car? Brake lights, turn signal, ect., are still going to need power, right? How do you blue tooth power to all the lights without wire?
It IS easy! Key is to study and learn HOW it all works together, then it's just connecting it together. It gets hard / impossible when you tell yourself it is! There is endless references to read and watch to learn how, stop telling yourself you can't.
@@BigTireGarage Good plan! As long as I can look back and laugh at my skill level a year ago I can feel good about where I'm at today. I'm so thankful for resources like your channel that facilitate that growth!
You are not alone. I'm weird as well (enjoy wiring). The secret is: don't lie to yourself about how long it will take. Make a very generous guess, then at least double it! While it is very relaxing. It is also very time consuming. It looks so simple, right? Wrong. A proper, high quality wiring job takes A LOT of time.
I can never afford to do this. Iv always done my own work but iv always been scared of the electric. Iv always had to find a vehicle that it was ok and fix everything around it. Is nice to know there’s always something there.. 🍻👍
I bought a S-10 with a fried wiring harness...all the grounds were melted even up the steering column..the problem was the battery cable going to the starter wore through at the motor mount heat shield and shorted to ground..I pulled out the harness and had it all out on the basement floor . After the bad wires were replaced it fired right up..good times..
Wiring is one of my favorite steps. Of you're going to use a label maker, they make a heat shrink label that that you can print directly onto it and then shrink it to the wire.
Great video back in 1970 I had a 49 & 50 willys wagon one with a 6 flat head & 4 flat head . So one question what Power Probe were you using I would like to get one for my Son for his 49 f1 truck project so he can wire his own truck and maybe his 58 type 1 bug. Thanks I'm glad I came across your site. Love your Willys
Yes you are correct that "technically" the electron flow is from negative to positive, but when dealing with 12 volt automotive electronics we always refer to flow of current from the positive to the negative. It is similar to how we refer to "heat transfer" as the AC cooling the inside of the car and not the actual thermal dynamic flow of heat transferring to the cold evaporator.
what labelmaker are you using? And after doing as many as you have I guess its easy, but 1st time... thanks for the way you present it thought, does make it easier to understand.
beautiful work. excellent video! but, I was wondering about you handled splitting up the wiring between body and chassis. I was wanting to do the same thing because my skill level is infinitely lower, I want to wait to paint until after everything is together and working. so... You said you were splitting the body and chassis harness, but you pulled the wires directly through the firewall. What product do you like and is the most user-friendly?
I noticed ( I went to Rusty's Offroad in Alabama) on the Aluminum LJ you built YEARS back and on this you mount the electronics on the tranny hump. I gotta ask if there is a reason for this instead of the normal locations? I have followed your build and like your thought process so i was interested in the process for this. Thanks, look forward to more content.
You must remember to Measure twice cut once I can remember wiring my 66 Chevelle Malibu lights it was all about cutting wires 2 to 3 times and it was still to short. Ha ha ok Raising my glass cheers
What's up with the two different headlights? Still trying to decide on direction? Fun build. My Willys wagon is getting closer too. I went with JW Speaker headlights with heat since I'm in a cold area.
@@BigTireGarage You said you were splitting the body and chassis harness, but you pulled the wires directly through the firewall. I assume you're going back and adding the firewall plugs/bulkheads in unless I'm missing something? What product do you like and is the most user friendly?
Building a 51 willys wagon and I like the way your build is coming out going to copy some of your body mods but I’m going to run a gas engine and I’m building my frame from scratch
So I'm really just trying to custom wire a k1500 91 and just need front and back lights together on a switch and fuse fuel pump and ignition on a switch and fuse and run a carb setup
Seems odd to see electric parking brakes but a foot operated dimmer switch. That’s cool. I wonder how many people that will ever see the completed wagon won’t have a clue how to turn on the high beams.
@@BigTireGarage Certainly were. As was the plunger bulb for windshield washer fluid but that’s dating myself. Although the old Ford C Cabs I used to drive at Superior Propane still had both right up to the last year they built them in ‘89.
But does this help on say a 2003 Infiniti g35 that has canbus system and nats where everything has to talk or it won’t fire. These shows always focus on certain swaps but their not focus on all swaps.
My only complaint is that it isn't actually from scratch. It is a wiring harness. Just saying. But I would love to know how to build a chassis harness.
I bought a painless wire kit for my Old Ford project. I bought the unterminated kit. I found the copper sire had corrosion under the insulation and mostly the kit was unusable. I called the Painful customer service and the talking head said it was all my fault. He said they sourced their wire from American distributors, but the supplier may have been getting their stock from China. So, I am left with a wired car that has an intermittent system. I will be cutting it all out and changing to AMERICAN AUTOWIRE or RON FRANCIS. My favored local car store has stopped selling PP wire because of many customer complaints, like mine.
Wiring my first complete car this winter. 76 MG that was vandalized and hacked and harness is beyond repair with random connections not connected..it runs and the dome light works..nothing else. And being from the prince of darkness and 46 years old..no thanks. Thought about a replacement harness but a custom one is cheaper and well, custom. Original harness had no relays and only 6 circuits. One circuit at a time.
The hardest part for me was convincing customers why the price of wiring a car is so high, but then I've also had to rewire customer cars after a poorer quality was installed, essentialy costing the customer dubble.
you are weird... LOL took me an entire afternoon to wire up my lockers into my jeep. I don't do it all that often so it is a little harder than other things
Hope you guys are enjoying this build, it is getting very close to the end and I cannot wait to have it finished....but building it is so fun.
Super enjoying this build!
Dam.... she’s looking good 🤙
Hey Ian, are you aware of the tekton tools youtube channel using your videos?
th-cam.com/video/9RHUDaOhX9E/w-d-xo.html
Setting up my Big Barn Garage . Love the idea I see from your Big Tire Garage. Like the show.
Sick rig, love IT !
Great to see the dimmer on the floor. Right where it should be.
Love floor dimmer
I love wiring projects. I spent New Years 2010 at the TA Truckstop in Dallas, TX rewiring my tractor/trailer from the back of the sleeper to the taillights of my trailer. I've gone on to do other large projects since, but that one was special.
If you're weird, then I am too. I rewired my whole 71 truck from nocte to tip with no real previous experience. I watched your shows since I was a kid among the others on Power Nation. I was so surprised at how older vehicles were so simple. All the wires were neatly tucked and hidden for the most past and it was so easy once I started. My philosophy is: you might as well start somewhere. With that mentality you just grab something, work it to completion, then move on. Before you know it, it's almost done and your bewildered by the progress you've made.
What can’t you do? Geez man. That’s insane. Your knowledge and comprehension of how everything works is absolutely mind blowing. I seriously, seriously applaud you for what you do.
Thanks for watching and I have made sure that I can always do most parts of a vehicle build.
That was a really interesting segment. Shows that using the proper tools and materials, it isn't that difficult. Thanks Ian.
Glad you enjoyed it
I have learned so much from you! And I've always wanted to thank you, and comment on your show, And the many things that i enjoy about it, Your words are few but just enough to inform the listener of what he needs to hear, I've got a real attention span, that does not do well with a bunch of jibber jabber. so you are so great at this, i can take in what you say and really put it in my small hard drive already near full of useful information. LOL, I enjoy your humor, its spot on and not to much,. I could go on and on but you get it , You are one of the most talented fabricator I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot, so please keep up the great work. Your awesome dude. and thanks again.
Moneys in the detail with wiring install, did a 18 ckt painless into my 49 willys wagon, it's all in there, tucked up under dash, fuseblock on custom bracket near e brake handle, 5 piece guage kit, aux switch pannel in glove box, unused ckts coiled up in kick pannels, I used Mag Daddy clips thru out, very clean install. All of my stuff worked first time. I went overboard with the ground ckt, heads wired together, then to block, block to frame, frame to body and neg bat to starter mount. Running pro flo fuel injection, error on safe side with grounds when doing FI.
I do like the Mag Daddy clips
I used to be scared of wiring. Once I did a couple of engine swaps and really broke it down, as Ian started the video with, it really isn't bad at all. One circuit at a time.
12v Wiring is by far my favorite thing to do, whether that be diagnostics or aftermarket parts. Once you know what your looking for the circuit will tell you where to look. Something as simple as re-wiring a 7-way junction box with cut to length wires is extremely soothing.
Couldn't agree more!
That vintage air system you're installing is kickass. You will enjoy it, keep a heavy coat in the truck 😁
I discovered a cheap trick, use a dab of super glue on your electrical tape to keep it from coming off in a month! I wrap my loom etc. then cut tape to length, dab super glue to sticky on tape and press together. Works really well!
That intro was amazing. Kudos to who ever put that together.
That would be me
@@BigTireGarage Whaaat? You did that fancy graphics montage that starts at 1:25? You're skillful with a welder and a mouse LOL. How do you find the time?
Love this build, I am doing a similar 53 pickup with the R2.8. I am an automotive electrical engineer and I stay very far away from weatherpack connections. They are terrible connection points and hardly ever seal properly and when you have vibration they get worse. I prefer using Deutsch who was bought out by TE Connectivity. Very available and it is the connector bulkhead to the firewall supplied by Cummins. Little more expensive but way better connection and reliability for years to come.
Appreciate the feedback, but these are only connections for the reverse lights, rock lights, and ARB compressor all items that will not cause me any issues when driving if they fail. I have used these exact connections on many rigs with no failures to date so fingers crossed that continues.
Deutsch connectors are used a lot in the marine industry .
nothing like knowing EXACTLY how your vehicle works.
Its a stomp switch!!! great for aftermarket lighting too.
Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge.
“Wiring is easy” - hahahahah, I don’t know you were a comedian also! 😂
Hard part is trying to figure out what you did wrong.
@@bradmaas6875 that’s the easy part. What I did wrong was trying to do wiring.
No shit. Fuck wiring. Nothing worse. I wish everything was bluetooth.
@@TooBrokeToWheel So how is bluetooth going to help you on a car? Brake lights, turn signal, ect., are still going to need power, right? How do you blue tooth power to all the lights without wire?
It IS easy! Key is to study and learn HOW it all works together, then it's just connecting it together. It gets hard / impossible when you tell yourself it is! There is endless references to read and watch to learn how, stop telling yourself you can't.
Everything is easy if you know how. Unfortunately, I don't...
Really enjoying and learning a lot from this build!
Never stop learning that is what I say
@@BigTireGarage Good plan! As long as I can look back and laugh at my skill level a year ago I can feel good about where I'm at today. I'm so thankful for resources like your channel that facilitate that growth!
You are not alone. I'm weird as well (enjoy wiring). The secret is: don't lie to yourself about how long it will take. Make a very generous guess, then at least double it! While it is very relaxing. It is also very time consuming. It looks so simple, right? Wrong. A proper, high quality wiring job takes A LOT of time.
This was an easy 2 weeks of full time 10 hour days to get it all done....and I still have a few odds and ends to take care of
I think like you...I wanna custom wire my car to make things simple and clean!
i find it completely relaxing too one of my favorite things to do is wiring . but i feel the same when ime block sanding body work too. yep i'm weird
very helpful for my upcoming rewire on my 79 Jeep J20!
Glad it helped
I'm concerned for your liver =) Nice work!! Can't wait to hear the lil beast! I am thinking about swaping in the 2.8R into my 79 F150 on 37"
Go for it!
Nothing like a good glass of bourbon! The liver is evil and must be punished!
Yeah buddy, painless kits are the bomb and so easy
Well worth the money
I can never afford to do this. Iv always done my own work but iv always been scared of the electric. Iv always had to find a vehicle that it was ok and fix everything around it. Is nice to know there’s always something there.. 🍻👍
Decent Canadian content 👍
Cheers fellow whiskey man good job
I bought a S-10 with a fried wiring harness...all the grounds were melted even up the steering column..the problem was the battery cable going to the starter wore through at the motor mount heat shield and shorted to ground..I pulled out the harness and had it all out on the basement floor . After the bad wires were replaced it fired right up..good times..
Awesome, Good to hear
Wiring is one of my favorite steps. Of you're going to use a label maker, they make a heat shrink label that that you can print directly onto it and then shrink it to the wire.
Cool. Any more info on that?
WHAT!!!! I want that
@@BigTireGarage maybe they are these? www.dymo.com/en-US/ind-heat-shrink-tube-1-2-in
And then put clear heat shrink over top of the label. It helps it last a little longer.
Great video back in 1970 I had a 49 & 50 willys wagon one with a 6 flat head & 4 flat head . So one question what Power Probe were you using I would like to get one for my Son for his 49 f1 truck project so he can wire his own truck and maybe his 58 type 1 bug. Thanks I'm glad I came across your site. Love your Willys
Great job. It's looking good 👍👍🇨🇱
Glad you like it
Looking forward to this!
Bottom of the door. 2:45
I'm not trolling but I remember my Chevelle restoration. It drove me nutz to remember welds that weren't sanded back.
This is not a restoration.....
Love your content!! Thank you
Thanks for watching!
In a DC circuit current flows from the negative terminal through the car through the load and back to the positive terminal.
Yes you are correct that "technically" the electron flow is from negative to positive, but when dealing with 12 volt automotive electronics we always refer to flow of current from the positive to the negative. It is similar to how we refer to "heat transfer" as the AC cooling the inside of the car and not the actual thermal dynamic flow of heat transferring to the cold evaporator.
what labelmaker are you using? And after doing as many as you have I guess its easy, but 1st time... thanks for the way you present it thought, does make it easier to understand.
beautiful work. excellent video! but, I was wondering about you handled splitting up the wiring between body and chassis. I was wanting to do the same thing because my skill level is infinitely lower, I want to wait to paint until after everything is together and working. so... You said you were splitting the body and chassis harness, but you pulled the wires directly through the firewall. What product do you like and is the most user-friendly?
Looks great!
Thanks!
I noticed ( I went to Rusty's Offroad in Alabama) on the Aluminum LJ you built YEARS back and on this you mount the electronics on the tranny hump. I gotta ask if there is a reason for this instead of the normal locations? I have followed your build and like your thought process so i was interested in the process for this. Thanks, look forward to more content.
You must remember to Measure twice cut once I can remember wiring my 66 Chevelle Malibu lights it was all about cutting wires 2 to 3 times and it was still to short. Ha ha ok Raising my glass cheers
@ BIG TIRE GARAGE , what is the scoop on the electric E-Brake?? That's pretty interesting!!
HotRod guys use them all the time.....look up E Stop for a name brand version
www.johnnylawmotors.com/catalog/brake-parts/emergency-brakes/floor-mount-emergency-brakes/ASCPB01/power-remote-mount-emergency-brake-kit
Dimmer on floor, I had a 69 Chrysler 300 with 2 on the floor one dimmer ,one put radio in search mode on radio, miss that sometimes
Hi. Any idea how to check the full electric wiring for Audi A6 2.8L. Thanks.
"And honestly, I kind of like wiring. I find it relaxing. Maybe I'm weird." Yes Ian, you are weird. VERY freaking weird. :-)
ha ha
What's up with the two different headlights? Still trying to decide on direction? Fun build. My Willys wagon is getting closer too. I went with JW Speaker headlights with heat since I'm in a cold area.
Just didn't swap the new one in before we shot it
Excellent build. What did you use for the firewall plugs and pass-through?
it is a grommet that comes with the Painless Harness
@@BigTireGarage You said you were splitting the body and chassis harness, but you pulled the wires directly through the firewall. I assume you're going back and adding the firewall plugs/bulkheads in unless I'm missing something? What product do you like and is the most user friendly?
Building a 51 willys wagon and I like the way your build is coming out going to copy some of your body mods but I’m going to run a gas engine and I’m building my frame from scratch
Nice...I think with a few subtle changes the wagon can look soooooo good
@@BigTireGarage i really like the TJ hood and grille and your front fenders
You should put anti-corrosion paste on every connection.
So I'm really just trying to custom wire a k1500 91 and just need front and back lights together on a switch and fuse fuel pump and ignition on a switch and fuse and run a carb setup
That is gravy, wire it up like a race car....relay for the fuel pump.....circuit breaker for the headlights.
How many recycables do i have to return to get all that stuff on the table?
quite a few...building a car is not cheap
Seems odd to see electric parking brakes but a foot operated dimmer switch.
That’s cool.
I wonder how many people that will ever see the completed wagon won’t have a clue how to turn on the high beams.
Foot dimmers used to be the norm.....
@@BigTireGarage
Certainly were. As was the plunger bulb for windshield washer fluid but that’s dating myself. Although the old Ford C Cabs I used to drive at Superior Propane still had both right up to the last year they built them in ‘89.
What’s the load tester? Link?
Nice more modern grill did you build a custom hood? Im thinking you did. I have a 50 willys pickup to build soon.
Yes I did, I pieced together a chopped up TJ hood with some custom pieces of sheet metal
Easy to with a beer
Do you plan to modify the motor later for more power?
I don't think so, I know that a few people have had additional tuning done on the R2.8 but I want to try it "right out of the box" first
Did I see you used a door solenoid for E brake??
why did you choose yellow top battery
But does this help on say a 2003 Infiniti g35 that has canbus system and nats where everything has to talk or it won’t fire. These shows always focus on certain swaps but their not focus on all swaps.
If I was to make a video to cover wiring every form of vehicle...it would be 200 hrs long
please tell me this rig is gonna be at the TN jeep invasion this year 🙏🏼🙏🏼
How much would it cost to do all of this?
10:39 what specific crimping tool...
And power probe tool...
I think you are referring to the weatherpac connector tool that and the powerprobe is a great tool. You can find them online
@@BigTireGarage
Yup, crimping tool and the power probe. Is the crimping tool specifically for bare terminals...
Oh sorry! thought this was on IEDs lol!
My only complaint is that it isn't actually from scratch. It is a wiring harness. Just saying. But I would love to know how to build a chassis harness.
did i just came to the late 90s early 2000s???
I bought a painless wire kit for my Old Ford project. I bought the unterminated kit. I found the copper sire had corrosion under the insulation and mostly the kit was unusable. I called the Painful customer service and the talking head said it was all my fault. He said they sourced their wire from American distributors, but the supplier may have been getting their stock from China. So, I am left with a wired car that has an intermittent system. I will be cutting it all out and changing to AMERICAN AUTOWIRE or RON FRANCIS. My favored local car store has stopped selling PP wire because of many customer complaints, like mine.
Dude! What brand of sunglasses are those? They look pretty rad.
Heatwave
@@BigTireGarage awesome thanks!
So multi-part series ? Lol.
What brand headlights are you running?
Got them on Amazon...let me find you the link for them
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CCGC8SQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@BigTireGarage cool....thanks!
Wiring my first complete car this winter. 76 MG that was vandalized and hacked and harness is beyond repair with random connections not connected..it runs and the dome light works..nothing else. And being from the prince of darkness and 46 years old..no thanks.
Thought about a replacement harness but a custom one is cheaper and well, custom. Original harness had no relays and only 6 circuits.
One circuit at a time.
👍💯
The hardest part for me was convincing customers why the price of wiring a car is so high, but then I've also had to rewire customer cars after a poorer quality was installed, essentialy costing the customer dubble.
There was a time when technology was expensive and labor was cheap.....that is the opposite now
👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
*Wiring is intimidating if you don't understand the theory behind it...*
Definitely weird 😁
You mean how to buy a wiring kit and Install it
Theos dad
you are weird... LOL took me an entire afternoon to wire up my lockers into my jeep. I don't do it all that often so it is a little harder than other things
Well this was two weeks straight of 8 hour days to make sure the wiring was right.
@@BigTireGarage yeah a set of lockers doesn't compare to an entire rig. I can't wait to see the rest of this series. Keep up the great work
Try wiring a locomotive.
It’s no different. One wire at a time.
Please don't use this jk grill. Something comanche from the early 70s would be styling 👍
Too late and it is actually a narrowed TJ Grill
@@BigTireGarage ooh. 👍🇨🇦
The part of a project I hate...