Anyone know a good source for OE style cloth covered battery cables?

[buick man]

Looking for a source for either the complete new period correct battery cables (POS & NEG) with the old OE style cloth covered cable or a source for the period correct cloth itself?

Thanks in advance.

[unimogjohn]

Dave, Rhode Island Wiring has them. You have to tell them what style of connector you want and the length of the cable. The cloth holds up well, but does fade in direct sunlight. http://www.riwire.com/

[buick man]

Yes John Thanks. Them and Yesterdays Parts http://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com/ .

Actually what I would really like is to find someone who could make the whole cable up new with the penetrated coated black fabric cover over the rubber cable and all just like the old Delco Packard line of cables with the correct full block head terminals. I do know the 57 Buicks came originally with these, both the covered cables for the Positive and Negative battery terminal cables. The one running down to the starter is a covered cable as well.

I will contact both and see what flies. Looks like Rhode Island has the parts to do them yourself. If so will have to figure out what is coated over the woven coverings?

[1957buickjim]

Hi David,

Yep. They have the material, and I did them myself. Positive, Negative and the starter cable. Also with terminals. The cable covering in not coated, but the woven cloth. Not too hard to do with a micro torch and solder.

I have my originals, but the negative was covered in engine paint, suprisingly enough, and the positive was pretty shredded. I also have a Delco Packard NOS Positive and Negative cable as well, however, when I put them on the car, there was corrosion inside the terminal / wire connection, which provided a poor connection. I will look at them to see what type of coating they have and post some photos for your on the thread.

[buick man]

Hi Jim those pictures would be great: I think you can run a reverse polarity setup much like folks do for getting rust off parts but in reverse and dry. It gets the corrosion out of the cable and inner connectors.

Yeah my original negative cable is sprayed engine color too but the outer coating is in bad shape. The positive cable of course has no engine paint and is in the best of condition only needs the woven cover. Both came with black boots to cover over the block terminal head.

[Paul Falabella]

Can someone show a picture of the original style battery cables? My Roadmaster has generic red and blacks.

[Caballero2]

this was my dry run for a DIY cable.

Dan - '57-76C

[Guest buickvalvenut52]

I bought my set from Bob's. One thing that caught my attention was the rubber insulator on the starter end. Were can I obtain this material?. I read that cars in the early 50's used shrink tube over the end connectors but my wiring harness says otherwise. There a lot thicker and seem closer to the rubber sleeve I just mentioned. I'm going to re do my whole wiring

[buick man]

Paul here are a few photos of my original Buick OEM positive and negative cables:

The positive had a rubber hood over it and it was black not red. It too was original but cracked and crumbled when handled. The ring of what is left of it can be seen in the photos. Hope this helps you out.

Edited May 31, 2014 by buick man (see edit history)