Okay just a thought here. I consider myself to be "electrically challenged", so i read a lot of posts in an attempt to learn. With the increase usage of add ons and accessories these days it adds additional stresses and drains on the original electrical system. The original electrical systems and wiring on our 30+ year old cars are marginal at best by todays standards. We try to compensate using higher output altenators and relays to reduce those drains.

I like others have added on various accessories, some for saftey and other for convenience. I feel the it to be a good idea to add additional safe power sources to compliment or compensate for the original electrical system. A lot of the added on accessories require a swithched ignition source. The majority of us use the ignition terminal on the original fuse block. This can be unsightly at best and most likely dangerous(overload).

That being said, I've been thinking and wondering. Since relays use/need a minute amount of power to be activated(switched) from the iginition side wouldn't it be best to add an additional supplemental ignition switched fuse/distibution block that would recieve it's power through a realy? This supplemental fuse/distribution block relay would get it's main power from the battery/bus bar yet recieve it's switch on power from the ignition terminal at the original fuse block. Next would be sizing the relay and power feed wire. One 100a relay to power a 100a supplemental fuse/distribution block or two 70a relays supplying two, lesser amp rated, seperate fuse distribution blocks? I think I've stated my idea clearly(at least to me) but maybe not.

Electrical guru's or those much more knowledgable than I, what do you think? Your input in great detail(:D couldn't resist) would be appreciated. J/K on the great detail if the sarcasm was missed. TIA Pete

Pete your idea would work, but how much electrical load are you planning to add to your car? You could save a bunch of money by finding an under hood load center out of a late model GM truck in a junk yard. They are full of relays and fuses, have a nice cover on them and best of all would be pretty cheap to buy.

I've just about got mine finished, pretty much how you describe. I could email or post pics of what I did when
I git 'er done. I won't have time to finish it till Wed./Thurs. if you're interested.

Jim, I'd be interested in pics of what you've done. Thanks.

The original system works fine for a couple add-ons, but being designed 35+ years ago it will hit it's limits really quick once you start stacking on a bunch of power hungry accessories, and using high power relays off a single switched source would be the simplist way to acheive that.

Give me till Thursday and I'll post a new thread with pics or a link to pics and a brief explanation of how I wired it.

Philip, Thanks for the advice. Like I stated being "electrically challenged" I was just thinking/asking in an attempt to learn and figure stuff out. A mechanic friend gave me two small fuse/distribution blocks from some junk cars he scrapped. I've thought about using them but aren't exactly sure how to and this inquiry is a step in learning process for me. What surprises me is that the small wire sizes used on the blocks given to me. The size of phone wire or smaller. These small wire come from the relays on the block and some go from one relay to another relay. Of course the supply wire to the block is about a 6 gauge wire.

Jim that would be great. I as well as other "electrically challenged" TCer's may learn something from this thread.

Thanks Pete

Aliong the same lines, take a look at the relay & fuse box in a Neon. It has a lot of cube relays and ATO fuses and looks pretty nice, too.

Ok, got it posted.

See thread "Added fuse panel with pics"

Hope you find this helpful.:waving:

Pete,

What you describe is really the proper way to do it and is pretty much an exact description of the Painless Performance CirKit products. The only area where you may be going off a bit is in the power levels. Most of the accessories you might put in the cabin are not that big a power consumer with perhaps the exception of big wattage stereo stuff. The big stuff you would want to supply and fuse seperately anyways.

Now up under the hood can be another matter entirely. Here I personally favor the power distribution box setups in modern cars. My own favorites include the Ford box used in Taurus and Explorer. This box gets you more 30A+ Maxi fuses than you could ever use plus enough relays to cover almost all your creative accessory additions. All in one box.

I have seen a similiar box in some of the late Jeep vehicles as well.