Topic: 1966 dash harness replacement tips and best repro

[Hipo giddyup]

Hi all. Finally having to replace the under dash harness due to wiring issues. Any tips/ lessons learned on doing this Any one have opinions on who makes the best repro harness? Thanks for a reply!!

This will be for my 1966 Metuchen coupe, automatic, no AC.
Bill

[jwc66k]

Lay the new harness out. I put a blanket on my hood with the new harness going where it would wind up. That's to get twists and bends out. Use the 66 Mustang Electrical Assembly Manual a lot. Remove the heater, the glove box, ash tray, radio, speakers, console, and seats. Have in place the windshield wiper motor, courtesy lights, LH vent, pedals.
I used a coat hanger to pull wired across, twist ties to hold sections in place. Blue painters tape might work too.
Jim

[Hipo giddyup]

Thanks Jim, good pointers. Did you use a repro harness, good used, or NOS? Curious if anyone has used the dash harness from Alloy Metal. I have been pleased with their other harness'.

[jwc66k]

Did you use a repro harness, good used, or NOS?

Mine was NOS. It was at least 25 years ago when they were "cheap". Sometime in the past, the original harness was modified to add a stereo - in several different places (I detest amateurs that cut and splice). The wrapping tape was almost non-existent. I removed the old harness, "repaired" the several splices, re-wrapped with 3M non-adhesive tape (a sample roll, it's good to know sales reps), and installed it in another 66 that was in worse shame than mine. There's a "trick" to getting the connectors out their holes in the firewall, and it escapes me right now (I will not pull one to "remember" the trick).
Jim   

[J_Speegle]

............Curious if anyone has used the dash harness from Alloy Metal. I have been pleased with their other harness'.

Have for later cars. Sometimes they had the wires inserted in the firewall incorrectly (only a couple) haven't heard any reports of this recently on the boards. Overall would use them again if I needed to. Might want to PM Coralsnake here on the site

[midlife]

Mine was NOS. It was at least 25 years ago when they were "cheap". Sometime in the past, the original harness was modified to add a stereo - in several different places (I detest amateurs that cut and splice). The wrapping tape was almost non-existent. I removed the old harness, "repaired" the several splices, re-wrapped with 3M non-adhesive tape (a sample roll, it's good to know sales reps), and installed it in another 66 that was in worse shame than mine. There's a "trick" to getting the connectors out their holes in the firewall, and it escapes me right now (I will not pull one to "remember" the trick).
Jim

The trick is to use channel locks to depress the tabs top and bottom on one side by squeezingf, push the connector/metal tab in, then go to the other side and depress those two tabs and do the same. 

[jwc66k]

The trick is to use channel locks -

I knew the trick was to use channel locks, I didn't want the rest of the procedure to be a problem. Thanks. Glad to see you are "up and about".
Jim

[rrenz]

For what its worth I've replaced every harness on my car EXCEPT the under dash with alloy metal products. Been very pleased with them.