Hi folks! Well, here we are again sharing yet another peek at my seemingly never-ending quest to get my King-T on the road. You know, Jim told me that building a hot rod (even one as easy as my King-T kit) would be a bit more time-consuming than one would think. It's not really difficult mind you, just time-consuming, especially when you factor in such mundane things as trying to make a living and keeping Jim in clean clothes and cooking meals. And though I've found it a bit difficult to consistently set aside garage time like I should, I'm enjoying myself nonetheless-plus I think I'm actually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
As you'll recall, last month I'd worked to get my Superior Glass Works body scuffed and ready for paint. But before Jim squirts it he wanted to get the installation of my Ron Francis wiring harness handled, and that's what we'll take a look at today.
Throughout the assembly there have been a few things that I've enlisted my hubby to lend a hand. Up until this point he's installed the differential, fabricated the exhaust system, and readied the bucket for upholstery (by the way, I just received my interior material from EZ Boy Interiors and I'm psyched, it looks awesome). Now, I'm relying on him to wire the T for me since I know it'd be a heck of a lot faster and less aggravating than having him walk me through it step by step. So, with that said I'm handing over the balance of this installment to him to write while I head to the laundry room to do a few loads of wash-take it away, Jim!
The aftermarket has really made the chore of electrical wiring a much less daunting task over the years by offering a plethora of components and complete kits/harnesses to homebuilders. In Candy's case, she and I decided to wire the King-T using one of the Ron Francis Wiring's Bare Bonz wiring kits. The Bare Bonz system utilizes an eight fuse ten circuit fuse box and a design that's a breeze to install. The instruction sheet supplied with the system is really easy to follow-so easy, in fact, if I'd had the kit in my hands before I told Candy I'd do the wiring I would have kept my mouth shut and let her handle it! Heck, with every wire labeled and the fuse box color-coded with numbered terminals makes the correct connections virtually foolproof! That said, I think a step-by-step installation would end up just being a rehash of Ron Francis' simple to follow instruction sheets, so instead I think I'll show you a bit of what went on but mostly use this opportunity to give you some useful and general wiring tips instead, so here goes.
Wiring-the mere mention of the subject oft times brings a chill to the spines of most do-it-yourself rodders. For many, its part of the sacred trio of chores left to hired guns-paint, upholstery, and wiring. But for those willing to do some research, practice the nearly lost art of reading the instructions, and spend the time and effort required, any of these chores can be (and often are) completed by those of us with at least a modicum of technical know-how.
We've got a good thing going for us when it comes to wiring our beloved vehicles these days. A few smart men and the companies they founded (like Ron Francis, whose system Candy and I used here) offer us access to complete prefabricated wiring harnesses and related components that eliminate much of the headache, guesswork, and time involved in wiring or rewiring a hot rod. That said, we're going to proceed under the assumption that very few will attempt a complete rewiring job without taking advantage of what these companies have to offer, and will attempt the procedure armed with appropriate components and accompanying instructions.
Now comes my end of the deal.