Custom Wiring Harnesses (Part 2)

[ZHadMan]

Little did I ever realize that my initial thread would grow to 5 pages! Member involvement is what it is all about!

There has been some talk about 'improving' the original wiring and since the subject has come up I've been giving it some additional thought. I agree that there could be some improvements to the wiring harness, but to what extent? Simple changes, like additional grounds, better wire, fewer contacts/resistance points, new fuse boxes (using automotive blade fuses)...etc., are easy enough to accomplish. They would require little (if any) modifications necessary on the part of the installer/purchaser. That was, and still is, my goal for this project.

Other changes, like routing everything through relays, would require a more extensive look at, and overhaul of, the electrical system as a whole (IMHO). I feel, that at this point, changes of this magnitude are beyond the scope of my endeavor. At this time I would like to keep my product simple so that it can be plugged into anyone's car with relative ease.

Perhaps in the future, after I have the harnesses up and running, I can integrate larger scale changes into the system. I already have a few fuse box 'blanks' on the way and I'm working on an alternative to the $200 unit offered by MSA.

Please feel free to offer improvement suggestions. There is a wealth of knowledge in this forum that I will not disregard. Meanwhile... keep tinkering!

Best regards,

Keith H.

[frank13]

Ok ZHadMan, yeah your right to much too soon. What about if the members that have the most experience with this electrical Voodoo offer up suggestions on the best ways to get rid of these problems, including maitenance of the bulb contacts. Any problem areas that tend to short out at certain point on the Z etc. Then see if ZHadMan con put in improvements in the original harness that we can all do with add on connecters or other splice in type updates. Such as taking the high current out of the cab if possible with out too much fuss or kacking uo the OEM harness. Better connecters at the outer reaches of the Z's wiring. Etc., etc. Let's see what happens. :devious:

[gema]

I have only one request, and that is that an easy to read and comprehend wiring diagram is provided. It'd be a shame to try and wire a stereo or whatnot and not have a clue which wires to tap. I just can't wait...really! I'm not driving it till I put new wires in, because I can't stand the erratic electrical problems, haha.

[ZHadMan]

Originally posted by gema

I have only one request, and that is that an easy to read and comprehend wiring diagram is provided.

Already in the works! I'm working on a more user-friendly version to include with the harness. I love AutoCad! Making things so simple!

[TomoHawk]

If you can make such a nice drawing, do you think you could sent it to the Painless people, and they could make up a few?

I think they could do just about the whole thing, but the connection to the engine ECU? You'd need to change the lighting connectors.

There HAS to be a company out there that will make up a wiring harness to your specs, especially if you order so many units.

[ZHadMan]

Why would I order from Painless when I can make them myself?

[TomoHawk]

I was thinking of the alternative to having a single person make them. IMO, a commercial company would be more able to make wiring harnesses in quantity, but would probably cost more than someone who does it for (fun)., either singly, or in quantity.

It's your call on that.

[ZHadMan]

I see your point. Unfortunately I don't think a company like Painless would produce a specific harness for the Z. They would probably just tell us to use their 'generic' harness. MSA might be interested, but the cost would more than likely be very high. Just look at thier $200 fuse box.

[TomoHawk]

Originally posted by ZHadMan

cost would more than likely be very high.

ust to play the Devil's advocate, do you think we could put this proposal to a company or two to see how much they would charge? It might give you or anybody else interested an idea of how might to charge for such a thing.

I would be interested in developing the jigs for this as I have some experience in making short wiring harnesses used in small airplanes. Only thing is we don't all live near enough to each other.

Maybe that guy on TV (Matt Lesko?) could get us some gov't. money to meet somewhere for a month to do this?

:cheeky:

[Bambikiller240]

The only real hope for this project to fly is for someone with knowledge and a passion for the job to do it. (ZHadMan)

I doubt there is enough demand for any business to get involved, especially considering the many differences between the wiring for various years of Z. Look at how long it took MSA to come up with the fuse box and the EXTREME cost of it. Look at this thread, some people want exact OEM, others want this improvement, or THAT improvement. This year, or THAT year, etc. It isn't like one harness is going to satisfy all people, or even "many" people.

IMHO this is a situation that is best handled by someone with the skills and passion for the job. Once it has been created, the person MAY have a chance to present the finished product(s) to a company that may consider purchasing the rights to manufacture for resale, but the volumn of sales that can be expected for any given year of Zcar is (I believe) so low that prices will be prohibitive if a "for profit" company gets involved.

My $.02

Carl

PS: I applaud ZHadMan for his willingness to tackle such a job!

[hls30.com]

Lots and lots of great ideas, valuable opinions and talented people!

I think the right pieces are already here.

What about dividing the project up and parting out pieces to members, that way it gets finished faster, and everybody who is interested can get their hands dirty! "Member involvement is what it is all about!" Tell me how I can help.

If that goes over well, then we need to come up with some standard answers to make certian the harness parts from all over the place uniform.

BTW, One other thing I plan to do is use 5% silver solder on all of the crimp terminals.

Will

[gema]

I'll help in any way I can...if my working for Nissan can be of any use (perhaps I can access old diagrams and such), please don't hesitate to ask!