Wiring Harness - YNZ or Rhode Island Wiring?

[Dan O]

I need to replace dashboard forward on my 1949 Buick Roadmaster, at least, as mine are crumbly and suspect.  I see YNZ sells an entire front harness for $1500 or so these days.  Looks very nice as I would expect fot that price.  Rhode Island sells the harness in sections separately (or maybe all together - have not inquired).  But how do the two products compare in quality and fit?  A friend said he had heard there were two companies doing this work - one great, one shoddy.  He just threw that out as a warning as he did not know names anymore.

 

So, opinions?  Advice?

[Bhigdog]

I can only comment on RI. The harnesses they supplied were spot on and the installation guides idiot proof. On one harness I thought they had made a mistake and called them on it. They very politely said I was mistaken and the harness was as the original should be. Turns out they were correct as proved by looking at some unrestored cars. I highly recommend them...........Bob

[49_buick_super]

I'll offer my endorsement of Rhode Island Wiring.  The restoration of my 49 Super has a complete RI reproduction harness from headlights to the tail lights.  Their product is well documented when you receive it.  I found no errors.  All the connectors were period correct and everything worked well under the dash.  They use modern wiring over which they weave the correct fabric wire covering.  Even the fabric tracers were perfectly executed.  You will not be disappointed if you select them to provide replacement wiring for your 49 Roadmaster.  PM me and I can send you some photos of what it looks like installed in my 49 Super.

 

Dan

[Bill Stoneberg]

I used YNZ on my 1950 Wagon. They took the old harness and made a copy of it as they did not have one. I was very happy with it and the folks there are very nice.

Period correct looking wire with wire tags on them and a instruction sheet.

 

One thing to make sure of, is that the harness you select has the correct ends on them. One company I tried would make you unsolder and resolder your connectors on. YNZ has the correct connectors, but I do not know about Rhode Island, they were not the company who did that.

 

Edited August 20, 2016 by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)

[ply33]

I've heard nothing but good things about Rhode Island. And I have had good experiences with Harnesses Unlimited and with YnZ's. So I wonder about the "heard there were two companies doing this work - one great, one shoddy" as I know of three and hadn't heard a bad thing (other than price) about any of them.

[Dan O]

2 hours ago, ply33 said:

I've heard nothing but good things about Rhode Island. And I have had good experiences with Harnesses Unlimited and with YnZ's. So I wonder about the "heard there were two companies doing this work - one great, one shoddy" as I know of three and hadn't heard a bad thing (other than price) about any of them.

It was offhand advice from a man who gave up the hobby years ago - I think the complaint was that the connectors were wrong now that I think about it - like Bill Stoneberg states above.

[Janousek]

I've use Harnesses Unlimted and YNZ.  I save a few bucks and us Harnesses Unlimited when I can.  Happy with both.   I've had YNZ build a 59' Cadillac Limo harness from the original that was spot on.  Those are plastic wires though.  Not cloth woven but the woven ones for a couple 356 Porchse's were perfect.  

[NTX5467]

Sometimes, buying wiring harnesses is like buying upholstery fabric.  Two can "look the same" but not be exactly the same.  Many years ago when there were fewer companies doing wiring harnesses than now, a customer had gotten one for a '56 Chevy (his customer).  He had "bad things to say about it.  I asked what was different and he showed me . . . the total wire diameter was less than OEM (thinner insulation) and a little smaller conductor wire diameter (possibly "single strand" rather than "multi-strand"?).  To many, it would be accurate, but if you knew what OEM wiring looked like (especially the 1980s-era OEM wiring looked like from GM, the difference was VERY evident.  He sent it back and went with the other alternative (which cost more at that time).  This was in the 1980s, so things could have changed much since then with that particular company.  This was also in the time before the Painless Wiring company came into being (the original people were using GM-Packard wiring and connectors for street rod vehicles, which made them OEM-level components, something generally not always done in that market segment at that time).

 

Which ever company does the harness, ask if the materials they use are "Period-correct OEM-level" items.  Possibly with some sort of workmanship warranty AND (as 5563 noted a good while back) their "return policy".

 

Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

NTX5467

[John_Mereness]

I generally buy from Rhode Island - always very pleased with results too

[jeff53]

I know R.I. has been around since  late 70s early 80's. ( I still have a cat. from back then- I think). Several years ago my wife and I visited R.I. unannounced. I was vac. close and thought I would just go see the place. Sometimes that says a lot.  1st I surprised my wife actually wanted to see the place also- she has no interest in cars.  When we got there I was expecting the "cold shoulder". Man was I wrong.--

     Now picture our unannounced visit during lunch time.  I only expected to ask a few questions then be told to come back. The receptionist, went a got a fellow named Mark ( I think)- not a salesperson- but a guy that actually did the work... He showed both of us around -then we actually went to his work bench. He took the time to explain everything in detail. and mean detail. another person was making a harness on a loom. he even showed me what diagram they would use for my car. If I remember correctly--- there was the original version of harnesses mage with the correct cloth type and there was the less expensive version ( req. plastic coated auto wire). He also pointed out they carry almost all- if not ALL the correct sockets etc.  and you could order with no accessories or with ALL.  The plant wasn't very big and very nicely placed  ( hidden kind of)...  The visit being unannounced and the way we were treated- Please keep in mind- we weren't sales people, we weren't owners of several antique cars, we had never purchased a product from them and we didn't own another factory--ALL we were were a couple of retired factory rats ( not office workers) interested in their wiring for my "48 Pontiac.- makes it a hands down company I would buy my complete harness from-- when my monies right.

[Fr. Buick]

I have had good luck with YNZ, both for a '50 Super harness and odds and ends for my '54.  Very helpful people.

[Dynaflash8]

I recommend Harnesses Unlimited.

 

[chistech]

The discussion of a shoddy company I believe comes from two different wire companies in RI that were owned by relatives. One is RI Wiring and the other might have been Narragansett wiring (I’m not sure of the name). One relative passed away and only RIW remains. Not sure if the talk was family squabble inspired.

 

i have restored quite a few cars now using harnesses from RIW and YNZ. When it came to my Olds, I couldn’t use RIW as they didn’t have a harness for a 32’. They offered to make one from my old harness but it was in too bad of shape to use as a pattern. I went with my only option, YNZ and also ordered the electronic directionals wired into the harness. They quoted me $130 more than RIW would have charged me. Their delivery date kept getting pushed back and it took a few months longer than promised. I received the harness which was well made, but incorrect colored wires were used in places. My harness differed in colors to my friends which was made about 4-5 years prior by YNZ. Some wires were way too long and the headlight wires, barely long enough. The thing that bothered me the most is the Olds harness has metal twist lock connectors at the cowl to chassis area to aid in body removal if ever needed. These GM specific connectors are available and used by RIW on their GM harnesses as they are OEM correct. in place of the original style twist locks, YNZ used modern crimped on bullet connectors with a Bakelite union. After spending $830 I was not happy that I had to go to RIW to get the OEM twist locks, cut the bullet connectors off, and solder in the twist locks. The RIW directions/schematics/color coding is also much better. Just my opinion based on my experiences. I might get flagged as we’re not supposed to comment on suppliers who might or do advertise here but people need to know because the question was asked. I did call up and complain about the bullet connectors and was told that’s what we use!