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Redoing electrics on a 1964 Riviera


Intronaut

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Hi guys! The newbie here again!

My Riviera has decades of homemade wiring done to it, so I will have dig in an go through all wiring. 
Add to this that my fusebox is really corroded and some previous owner has been bypassing it instead of fixing it. 

Most of the work that needs to be done is between the battery and firewall so to speak.  I have fixed the wiring to the back so that everything is working. 
What should I remove to get the best access to the wiring in both sides of the firewall? Should I remove the instrumentcluster again, or maybe the dash?
 

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1 hour ago, Intronaut said:

Hi guys! The newbie here again!

My Riviera has decades of homemade wiring done to it, so I will have dig in an go through all wiring. 
Add to this that my fusebox is really corroded and some previous owner has been bypassing it instead of fixing it. 

Most of the work that needs to be done is between the battery and firewall so to speak.  I have fixed the wiring to the back so that everything is working. 
What should I remove to get the best access to the wiring in both sides of the firewall? Should I remove the instrumentcluster again, or maybe the dash?
 

 

Hey, newbie here too, so just a warning....but I ended up removing my entire center console and dash on my newly acquired 63 since I was planning on sanding the inside. So for me, everything was moving anyways. But I will say that in the process of rewiring now and seeing where it all comes and goes, besides the manual and laminated wiring schematic, it sure gives you confidence and piece of mind knowing where everything is and done right (or at least screwed up by the only person that matters lol).

 

Just an opinion from a mechanically declined individual...But for the trouble of removing dash and console and what have you, seems really worth it to get in as close as possible.

 

Jeremy

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And here I'd always preached that the higher-line cars didn't get subjected to wiring buggery like Chevys and Pontiacs did...🙁

 

Depending how bad that wiring is hacked, and how much disassembly you'll have to do to make the repairs, you might want to look into a new reproduction wiring harness if it's available.

 

I'll be the first to tell you I'm suspicious of any automotive wiring repair I didn't do myself, because I've seen too many bubba fixes in my time. Strip, GOOD QUALITY crimp terminals, solder, and heat shrink tube- NOT scalp, twist, and wirenut. Thin electrical tape properly wrapped is OK to cover a splice or crimp in absence of heat shrink.

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13 hours ago, rocketraider said:

...you might want to look into a new reproduction wiring harness if it's available.

At least the engine compartment harness, if that's where 90% of the 'hackery' is contained.

https://www.ynzyesterdaysparts.com/home/wire-harness-catalogs/1917-1974-antique-classic-foreign-domestic-wire-harnesses/buick/

 

image.png.4ce20b295bec0ed43ade9c7b5ce60094.png

 

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14 hours ago, rocketraider said:

And here I'd always preached that the higher-line cars didn't get subjected to wiring buggery like Chevys and Pontiacs did...🙁

I have done a lot of wiring repairs and I can tell the high end cars by looking at the fender.

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Hi again!
Thx for all the replies! 

So, I spent a whole night in the garage, going through what's been done. 
Thankfully, the mess wasn't that severe. Most of it is restored, and everything works perfectly. 

One thing though. 
My washer switch fell apart under disassembly. I got all parts, but I can still rotate it 360 degrees. I feel the clicks and the switch works. But shouldn't there be stops at both ends?

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5 hours ago, EmTee said:

At least the engine compartment harness, if that's where 90% of the 'hackery' is contained.

For anyone dealing with significant under dash harness patch jobs, two places to inspect.

  1. Ignition Switch Connector meltdown
  2. Fuse Block Contact Corrosion (handling the fuseblock excessively will wear off etchings)

A third area for 63s (64s as well?) is not so much deterioration but is best left untouched. That is the firewall bulkhead connector and impossible Grommet. If the harness has to be removed, capture an image prior to disengaging each individual contact and leave the Bulkhead plug in-place. (last image)

 

Again for excessively hatched harnesses, if a reproduced harness can be purchased, that would be best. Packard Electric fuse block clips can be sourced as are Series 56 connectors but, only for common wire - 18 AWG. Heavier gauge wire, double crimps and fuse block headers slow the project down to a crawl. Most fabricators require re-use of the fuse block, a show stopper if you don't have one.

image.png.6224f9b94f8573f0e05d35cf56283185.png

image.png.5f949ad28c81547ee0134fdd89ddc2d9.png

image.png.4e78f0c3b47050ad08e289d11b4dc0f0.png

 

 

Edited by XframeFX (see edit history)
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