1949 Super Sedanette Wiring and Dash Restoration

Lessons learned:

1. I would build the new harness referencing the schematic only and not the old harness.

2. Run each length of wire from origin to destination in the car before cutting and attaching terminals, marking the branch points in the car.

3. Run a check on each switch to understand how the switch terminals are connected in the "on" position. This will help understand the current flow in the schematic and also verify proper functioning of the switch.

4. When laying out the wire runs, it is not necessary to follow the turns of the harness - lay it out straight. The harness will bend with no problem.

5. Commit to getting the job done in a short amount of time - get everything set up and block out the time.

6. I would not bother removing the dash. I removed mine because I wanted to refinish it.

With preparation, making up a new (engine/instrument) harness should not take more than a good day's work. For my car, there were less than 30 runs. As long as you have the tools set up, the process of routing, cutting and attaching terminals and labels can be done in 15 minutes for each run. The entire job can be done in a few days after studying the schematic and the layout of the harness in the car.

Wow. I have redone the underdash wiring and paint on my old '58 Edsel Citation when I was a younger man and it was not easy. I appreciate you doing all this illustration on the Roadmaster - I have been contemplating it for my 76S. Now, seeing what you have gone thru, I will gladly pay for a new repro harness!

For the first time since March, I got the 49 back on the road:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]274979[/ATTACH]

What a great story! And an excellent thread!!! Nice work on the car, and this piece too.

49Massah - I recommend buying a professional harness. The only reason that I did this was to see if I could. But, if you are looking to avoid strenuous work, a professional harness won't help unless you have a professional install it. It depends entirely on what your priorities are.

John D, thanks for the kind words! BTW, I enjoyed the story in the Bugle about your trip to buy the Electra on the way to Portland. Great story, especially getting your friend's wheel bearing fixed.

Geoff

Thank you. Cindy Livingston deserves the credit for the Bugle presentation. I just wrote the blog on this forum. And I was awful glad I did not have phone service in the middle of the desert, to post what I actually wrote when the car first broke down.

Wow - great job! I will definitely buy a ready-made harness.

49Massah, regarding the cost of a quality professional harness, I'll pass an old Truth on to you: "The bitter taste of low quality lingers long after the sweet taste of low price."

Geoff, I just got a lot of gauges to refurbish. I read you cleaned the glass with hot water. But what would you recommend for cleaning the metal parts? Some of these inner rings are golden, some are silver. I thought there were maybe two sorts of gauges (difference between Super and Roadmaster) but it seems those golden are just filthy...

Wilf,

I can only speak to the gauges in my car. The plastic face plates that surround the actual gauge faces (which are black with gold dots) did not need to be cleaned. I do not remember anything about the face plates (the surrounds) that would have a problem with warm water and a little clear (dish) soap. I do not recommend cleaning the actual black gauge face behind the needle. I was thinking that I could "restore" the lustre of the gold dots, but saw no progress with a damp cloth and stopped before doing any damage.

Post some pictures of your gauges and I'll see if we are talking about the same thing.

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

I have disassembled the least best gauge to test clean it. I've tried cleaning the aluminum ring that has a yellow coating (maybe a discolored clear coat?). I've tried cleaning it with all kinds of stuff but the yellowish layer is hard to remove. I've tried dish soap, vinegar, spirit, turpentine et cetera to no avail. Here some pics of the disassembled gauge:

Mockup after polishing with tooth paste (seemed to work quite good):

Wilf,

I did not have much of the yellowing, so I don't know the answer. Did you try acetone on the aluminum? If so, stay away from the black paint! I agree that the yellowing is probably a discoloration of some clear coating used to preserve the polished finish on the aluminum. Obviously, all you can do with the plastic parts is wash them with dish soap.

Geoff