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constructing wiring harness from scratch

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  • constructing wiring harness from scratch

    The plan: race car with essentials to be street legal and retain power windows.

    All other systems will be removed. I'm trying to decide if I should cut up the factory wiring harness and remove the fat or start from scratch.

    Another thing to consider, the wiring and body were originally 86n/a auto but the drivetrain is being swapped to 87T manual.


    I'm leaning towards starting from scratch for a few reasons.
    *starting at square one helps me personally so I'm not stuck in the middle of someone elses design.
    *car is getting a repaint and no interior. The wiring will be exposed and 20 year old wiring will look like shit on new white paint.
    *I'd like to add some little things, like quick connects on the door harness so I don't have to unthread the wiring to remove the door and replace pop ups with generic fixed units

    These are just preferences though. For strictly practicality and performance what would you recommend?

    Who here has experience with extensivly modifying the wiring or creating their own?

    I wrap my paper weights in glitter.

  • #2
    ...

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    • #3
      If he is going to the basics, there are kits on summit and stuff with different colored wires, fuse boxes, etc.

      Terrible idea putting those wheels on...

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      • #4
        I see what you mean about the color problem. Paint pens from a hobby store are cheap and wire in bulk would be cheaper. Mark the wire with colored stripes.

        I skimmed through summit's catalog and it's not a financial option at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion.

        Cost effective and practical are the primary goals for the build. I may need to just simplify the factory harness so I've printed out the circuit diagram in the FSM to look over.

        Any other suggestions?

        I wrap my paper weights in glitter.

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        • #5
          Run some sweet ground straps

          Terrible idea putting those wheels on...

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          • #6
            Wait a minute? are you running the stock or similar ECU? if not then screw all that and do and new harness with what ever you are running. if so then just cut the wires you dont need in the harness back a little bit and keep the ones you do need. No point in trying to remove the wires you dont need. Thats like emptying your pockets so you weigh less. However, cut them back a little to avoid confusion.
            85 Z31 6.0 LSX turbo 766whp/792wtq
            04 GTO, LS6, big cam, porting, N20... underway for summertime daily driver.

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            • #7
              Perhaps I am missing something here but why would you need to replace the stock wiring to meet your objective? Tap into what you need to for your stated objectives and call it a day. Hacking the various wiring harnesses could end up in a lot of issues you didn't intend on dealing with.
              Just stand back and throw money.
              Performance costs money.
              Reliable performance costs more.

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              • #8
                I completely stripped my stock wiring harness out. I bet there is easily 50 pounds in wiring there.

                I ran the basics i need to run a car. I have the engine harness which includes crank sensor, tps, coolant temp, knock, and mass air flow. There are a couple other sensors in there that are not important to running the car.

                I have wiring for the fuel pump, headlights, turn signals, tail lights and brake lights. Reverse lights also work as well. The headlight motors also work.

                I have no heating or air conditioning. I use Autometer gauges. I retained power windows, power locks and the solinoids that pop my door latches (shaved doors).

                Other then that there isnt much else needed. I wasnt to worried about wiring colors as if you are only running the bare minumum there are very few wires left in the car. Also if you cut your stock harness out you can take any wires you may want to use from that as they have the tracer on them.
                ""You gota watch out in this weather. Its when them white boys with their turbos come out to play" Mr. Rimpson - UTI Instructor, refering to a slightly damp 50 degree day.

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                • #9
                  so... You got any pictures?

                  Terrible idea putting those wheels on...

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                  • #10
                    i did that to my toyota i swapped my supra motor into. let me tell you it was a pain. everything worked right after i did it. but my truck didn't have power anything. so i removed all that stock wiring for cruise and power windows. i came out with 20#.

                    i think theres an easier way to cut fat. go on a diet. if your set on doing it fine. otherwise leave it alone. it took me a week of very careful wire tracing, and removal of the entire dash. which is about 100 times easier on the truck then the 300zx.

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                    • #11
                      I have a big pile of wires that wouldn't resemble much of anything. My car is getting media blasted right now (crushed walnut shells are an awesome thing) because I found alot of bondo and such on the car from some previous body work.

                      After it gets back from being blasted and I get it into paint (Pearl white again) then I'll start reassembling everything.

                      Unless you want to see a picture of a big mess of wireloom with some connectors on it. In which case Ill run out and take some pictures. I also have most of my diagrams saved showing how everything is wired.
                      ""You gota watch out in this weather. Its when them white boys with their turbos come out to play" Mr. Rimpson - UTI Instructor, refering to a slightly damp 50 degree day.

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                      • #12
                        the goal is simplicity not only functionally, but visibly.

                        The drivetrain is stock 87T for now so yes, stock ECU.

                        go on a diet? I weigh 120 at 5'6" and can eat 5000 calories a day without gaining weight...

                        GotFast?...if you could post or email me the wiring diagrams I'd really appreciate it. Of all the things I'm working on, the wiring is the most daunting...not that it should be, but oh well.
                        Attached Files

                        I wrap my paper weights in glitter.

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                        • #13
                          personally, i wouldnt go as far as removing all the wiring and starting from scratch. thats alot of time and work that i can put into something else.

                          I go more along with what "satan" says. For the wires and connectors that you are not using, just cut them back to the harness, secure to the harness the couple of inches you left behind with some electrical tape so that they don't short out on anything, and call it a day.
                          [strike:ff0tp92h]1984 300ZXT[/strike:ff0tp92h]
                          [strike:ff0tp92h]1986 300ZX 2x2 NA2T[/strike:ff0tp92h]
                          2000 Porsche Boxster
                          2007 Toyota Yaris

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                          • #14
                            well, if your going through the trouble of cutting the plugs off. just trace them back and start cutting. thats what i did. it takes awhile. but if thats what you want go for it. no one will see what you have done anyway. its all hidden anyway.

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                            • #15
                              see page EL-189 and EL-190 in the FSM :wink:
                              Attached Files

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