Replacing wiring harness...

[Bruce Amacker]

Yes, the Bug Me videos will help, even though they are not Ghia specific. VW's are wired very similar no matter what the model is.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[69 ghia]

Don't use a wiring harness from a beetle like i did
Its taken my a long time to adjust the harness to fit my 69 ghia!

Good luck.
Johan.

[Stuartzickefoose]

i think i am going to buy a ghia harness, just not sure if im up to the task....even though i will have to anyways
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Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[wademurphy]

Battery is under the seat. Thanks for the advice so far Bruce.

I'll be barrowing an ATV jack and some jack stands tomarrow. Then I can remove the engine. The ATV jack can hold the engine while I rewire the engine compartment. Still have to get the TS and taillight housings bead blasted before I hook up those connections.

This fuse box seems a little shot. I'll post a picture to see if it looks like bead blasting can fix it up.

[Bruce Amacker]

Wade: Here's what I did on my Ghia, and my battery is also under the seat:

I chose to use the surface mount MaxiFuse holder because the inline style was only available in 6 or 8 gauge configuration. I used shrink-tube style crimp connectors and red 10 gauge wire, don't forget a grommet where it passes through the body! You could easily tap the battery positive for your power source but anything near the battery has a tendency to corrode badly, that's why most OEM's tap it from a remote spot like the starter hot stud where I did.

I'm having a hard time finding a single maxifuse holder that's readily available to the public. I bought mine from an industrial supply place called Terminal Supply in Michigan, they have a mobile truck that's loaded with cool electrical supply stuff. http://terminalsupplyco.com/Store/Product.aspx?pc=MAB-1 PN 152900 is the dust cover for this fuseholder. Doug Means is my salesman, he can set you up for about $20 with a credit card. 216-533-0472
Napa and AutoZone don't have them available in surface mount, only inline with 6-8 gauge wire attached (Napa PN BK 7825317 with 6 gauge wire, you'll need reducer splices, or solder them to smaller 10 ga wires).
Ebay has them at a crazy price:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Painless-80101-Fuse...ccessories


You don't need to remove the engine to rewire the engine compartment.

Let me know how you make out.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[wademurphy]

There is this part of the wiring that passes behind the black material covering the back/sides engine compartment. I can't seem to get the wire out by tugging on it and can't remove this black padding with the engine in it seems.

I'll happily hear how to do this the easy way. And those pictures are way helpful Bruce. Thanks.

[Stuartzickefoose]

that padding should come off. there are a bunch of little metal tabs that fold over and hold the pieces in. bend them straight out and it should come off. the engine never touches them, so that shouldnt matter.
_________________
Stuart Zickefoose

2011 Jetta Sportwagen TDi 6 speed manual

206-841-7324
[email protected]

[bunkington]

Bruce -

What kind of material is that on your firewall? That does not look like the stock tarboard, but it does look quite nice.

Peter

[Bruce Amacker]

Wade:
Ditto with what Stuart says, your should be able to "wiggle" the harness free from its location behind the engine and backing. Unfold some of the triangular points that hold it in place, and there may be glue, too. Leave the motor in unless you have other reason to remove it. Another option is to cut the harness and leave what's there hidden until the engine is removed at a later date. My fuse-to-VR wire runs along the bottom of the firewall above the tranny and is screwed in place in a couple of spots with cable clamps. My RR light wires run at the top of the firewall just under the decklid hinges. I think you should be able to make the same runs with the motor in, I did.

Bunk: The material in my engine compartment was put in by the PO, so I don't know where it came from. It's a light density closed cell foam material that was pre-cut, so I'm sure it came from a KG supply house. Contact all of the normal suspects.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[wademurphy]

Next seemlingly large issue...
I've been trying for about half an hour to wiggle the old harness, which is now taped to my new harness, from the back of the car into the spot along the drivers seat. I can't seem to keep it from sticking somewhere. Is there something I'm missing here? Or do I just keep working at it?

[Bruce Amacker]

Your harness runs under the driver's rocker trim (exposed with the trim off) and is only hidden in the LR quarter by the window, right?

Most likely where the two harnesses overlap it is too fat to go through the hole. Use your old harness and duct tape it to a piece of heavy rope to get the rope through the passage, pulling the rope from the drivers area to the engine compartment. Then tape the rope to the new harness in the engine compartment and use the rope to pull it through towards the front. Keep the tape slim to prevent hangups. You could use Windex for a lube, but I don't like soap because it stays forever and is corrosive. IIRC, I started the harness at the back of the car and fed it forward.

Plan B: Remove the quarter panel in the LR of the car and feed it manually. Mine actually went quite quickly, I think I only spent 15-30 minutes getting the harness in place all the way to the front.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[Bones 53]

I used a painless wiring harness. here are a few pics.

[slafa]

Bones, that is sick, OCD, work....will you do mine? Unbelievable
_________________
'63 KG Roadster proj.
1973 Mercury Montego MX Brougham
1977 Dodge Tradesman 200 "shorty" Van
1983 Ford 350 Econoline Ambulance
1997 Mercedes S500 W140
1976 BMW 75/6 bike
various Honda, GMC daily drivers

[sparkleplenty]

Dude...that is clean...Great work...
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'56 European Oval Ragtop-Stock
'56 Karmann Ghia Coupe-Stock
'59 Italian Series I Li150 Lambretta-Stock


"Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime."

"Only when the tide goes out do you discover who is swimming naked."

[lstyles]

Bruce,
Your photos are great but I am a little confused (not surprising really as I am electrically illiterate). I am just finishing up re-wiring my 71 ghia with a new harness. So far so good, but I read your post about adding those two extra fuses which I like. From looking at your post and photos, it seems like you put your fuse between the battery positive and the regulator and then you run your main power from regulator to the fuse box without a fuse. Is that right? You have your battery in under the seat which I was considering doing also. In looking at your photos you show the fuse under seat with both red wires going back toward engine. I don't understand that as one should stay under seat and go to battery and one should go to regulator. Also there is another large red wire there in the picture. What is that? Sorry for my ignorance but I am trying to figure this all out.
Thanks
Lori

[Bruce Amacker]

[RMCLARKSON]

Bones 53

The painless system I was thinking about doing in my 64 ghia. How easy was it to hook up the wires to the stock. By any chance are they the same of did you just connect the wires to wire and and hope that works..


Thanks
Snoopie
64 Ghia
[email protected]

[Bones 53]

it's not bad at all and the support they provide is great, just call them and they are there. I can't say enouhg good stuff about their support. They don't make a vw harness. I used a "universal trunk mounted 12 circut hot rod harness that way the wires were plenty long and the universal kit is very adaptable. There are a few hitches in the column mounted headlight dimmer switch for the late models but not for you since you have a floor mounted dimmer switch and the kit is made for that type. All in all for a 64 it would be cake to install this harness in your car.

[Altema]

[RMCLARKSON]

have any of you had problems when you stop or use the turn signal, that the radio would go off