Been quite awhile since we've had time (and $$$) to work on the car.
Over a year now...

It was a basket case when we bought it and have pretty much repaired/replaced/rebuilt everything on it. Wiring is next...

I have the complete harness for front lights, engine and dash but have nothing to refer to since the car has been in pieces since the day we got it. I bought the new wiring from M&H but need to find a shop or local individual to get it all done.

What is a job worth in market prices to install wiring on a '70? I also made the switch to round-gauges from a sweep and have the correct harness for that dash.

I just don't have the time or knowledge to do a job like this. Obviously, it's important that it be done right and with all the grounding issues and mis-routing I read of, I'd rather have a shop do it right the first time.

Thoughts? Input? Ideas?

-curt

Curt,
Not sure how they charge for elec. work in CA. but where I live (western Pa) it is around 40 to 50 dollars an hour. Take it from me it is best to ask first how they would charge you. Good Luck.

Oh trust me, that's exactly what I would do, but even if it went in terms of an hourly rate, how long doe such a thing take for a professional shop?

I'm more trying to get a feel for what to expect before going out and asking shops. I'll do that too, but folks around these parts always seem to have good comparisons...

just do it yourself. the only way to learn is to do.
when you have problems, there are lots of folks here that are willing to walk you thru it, and some less experienced people that can learn by reading about your problems and how you got thru them.
and, besides, there aint much in the world of cars that is more gratifying than being able to say that you did something yourself.

I understand what you're saying - I've done most of the work myself on the car. At this point, it's a combination of things, but mostly it's a matter of time and battling some burnout.

We've had the car for about 4 years now and in that time I've:

1) Rebuilt the 454 motor completely
2) Replaced the front drums with disks
3) Rebuilt the TH400
4) Replaced the body bushings
5) Done all the body work and helped replace both 1/4's
6) Recovered and re-padded the buckets and rear bench
7) Rebuilt the front suspension

I'm not afraid to do the wiring. The car has been sitting untouched in the garage for about 8 months now while I've been out of work. It looks like I finally am going back to work at the end of the month and I'd really like to just hand it off to someone and say "do it".

We'll see...

If you want anything done right,do it yourself. I in year 5 of my frame off rebuild,yes I get burnt out,yes there has been times where my 67 just sat,but I know that all the work that was done,how it was done,and that it was done pefectly. Try this,work on your car for 1 hour a day,4-6 days a week. Keep in mind what the finished product will be. Do not think of how many steps there will be until your done,just think of how nice your car will be when your done,and then just take it one step at a time.

Been quite awhile since we've had time (and $$$) to work on the car.
Over a year now...

It was a basket case when we bought it and have pretty much repaired/replaced/rebuilt everything on it. Wiring is next...

I have the complete harness for front lights, engine and dash but have nothing to refer to since the car has been in pieces since the day we got it. I bought the new wiring from M&H but need to find a shop or local individual to get it all done.

What is a job worth in market prices to install wiring on a '70? I also made the switch to round-gauges from a sweep and have the correct harness for that dash.

I just don't have the time or knowledge to do a job like this. Obviously, it's important that it be done right and with all the grounding issues and mis-routing I read of, I'd rather have a shop do it right the first time.

Thoughts? Input? Ideas?

-curt

Curt,

Do you have the Assembly manual and wiring diagram? I agree with the others on here. You should really reconsider doing it yourself. The manual should help locate where the looms are placed inside the engine compartment. The dash is pretty self explanitory. Just don't over think how much there is. Take it one wire at a time and I am sure it will take you less time than you think.

One suggestion though. Remove the front seats before putting the dash harness in place.

Good luck, :thumbsup:
~Dork

My guesstimate on installing the front light harness, engine harness, and dash harness would be around 8~12 hours if everything is assembled and in the car. A lot of this work is easier if the motor and dash are out. It's also going to take an inexperienced guy (who isn't a Chevelle expert) longer to do it than someone who's BTDT. Whoever does it will definitely need to have the assembly manual for the car to do the job correctly. JMO
BillL

Divide and conquer - yeah that's pretty much how we got to where we are now. Mainly, I think it's just been one of those deals where I needed to step away for several months. The fact that I have the wiring already probably indicates that cost isn't really the main issue, huh?

So now that I've not touched it is 5 or 6 months, I've had a pretty good break. I even let my TC membership expire ! :eek:

I do have the assembly manual (the old one that has several unreadable pages) but it reads like stereo instructions (!) It has a decent wiring diagram, but same issue with comprehension...

I think my biggest problem is figuring out where ground wires and brackets are located. I'm a certified genius when it comes to copying an old set-up that I can see and touch, but with nothing there, it's a little more challenging. The car is an AC car, but I'm probably not going to restore the old compressor set-up. It only has the suitcase and head unit with 40-yr old vacuum lines anyway. The compressor/brackets and hoses are long-since gone and the cost would probably be better spent on a vintage air setup or something similar down the road a bit.

So what to do with the old A/C controller? And what about all the vacuum lines that go nowhere? And the associated wiring... Figuring out the rubber lines is like following a single spaghetti noodle on your dinner plate full of spaghetti ! Should I pull the controller in favor of a heat only unit? Once the dash is all in and connected, it's pretty much buried up in there, so now is probably the time to make those choices.

I'll try to put in a little more time over the next few weeks and we'll see what happens...

read the books !! the assembly manual has what you need in it :thumbsup: get a pack of post its... so you can sit in the house an tag all the pages that is takes to cover all the different views ;)

becouse even if you had the wire's still in the car ..... after what is it now 40 years ?? how many times has it been apart & not assembled correctly over the years ??

M&H sells quality stuff and it's all plug and play. You don't need to install your harnesses until all of the components that they hook up to are installed. Once that's done, where most all of the connectors need to go will be obvious, either by the size/shape of the connector or the length of the wire run and where the connector winds up. All that you really need is some common sense and the Factory Assembly Manual to show you how to route the wiring. For example, it would be really difficult to not know where the forward lamp harness connector for headlamps, turn signals and side markers belong - it's so obvious. Like previous posters have said, some common sense and a good wiring diagram will go a long way. Why not try it yourself, see how you do and save a bundle of money in the process. If, after giving it your best shot and it doesn't work out, you can still take it somewhere to have it "fixed" and you'll still probably be money ahead because you've done a lot of the work yourself.