All the Right Connections

By Ron CeridonoPhotography by Tate Radford & Brian Brennan

here was a time, many years ago, when rewiring a hot rod meant patching up a dilapidated wiring harness with scraps of wire and handfuls of butt connectors. The results were seldom satisfactory—trouble-prone at best and a fire hazard at worst. Today, a better and safer alternative is a complete wiring system like those available from American Autowire (AAW) in their Universal, Factory Fit Original Reproduction, and Classic Update series kits.

As the name implies, the Universal Series of harnesses are for custom applications and are available with various circuits. AAW suggests deciding on a “wish list” of electrical system accessories planned when choosing a wiring harness, always keeping in mind you may want to add some accessories later, so plan accordingly. It’s better to have a circuit that isn’t used right away than to need one later and not have it.

Another consideration when choosing a universal harness is the style of fuse block provided. Some kits have wires connected to the fuse panel, and all the connections are made at the loads or devices being powered. Other types of panels, such as the Highway 22 Plus harness we chose, have the wires terminated at the load. They are then cut to length and attached to the fuse block.

AAW’s Highway 22 Plus harness has various features that make it extremely popular. The fuse panel has a built-in flasher to support LED turn signals and a backup light feed. There is a pre-installed 20-amp relay that can be easily changed to function as either a keyed 12V or ground-triggered item; the 20-amp wiper circuit will support all aftermarket wiper systems, and the A/C-heat fuse in the accessory circuit to eliminate draw from the blower motor while the vehicle is being started.

To make installation easy, full-color, tabloid-sized, step-by-step instructions are included.

Installing any wiring harness takes time and patience. Pay particular attention to ensuring all connections are clean and tight to avoid corrosion that can cause unwanted resistance. AAW points out that the main cause of most automotive electrical problems is a bad ground. Never rely on the negative battery cable connected to the engine as the only ground. Ground the engine to the chassis and the body to the chassis.

Virtually every part of Colin and Sue Radford’s 1957 Ford Del Rio station wagon has received some improvement. One of the most noticeable changes on the inside was the installation of a Dakota Digital (DD) VHX instrument panel. Gone are the original gauges and the charging system and oil pressure warning lights—in their place is a new, state-of-the-art panel with analog gauges that include an electronic speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure water temperature, and fuel level gauges with fully lit needles and backlit faces. A digital message center displays the voltmeter, odometer, dual tripmeters, clock, and much more (including digital gauge readouts).

The DD instruments are programmed by pushing one of the two included buttons; the second button is used to access the information available in the digital message center. A unique feature of the VHX instrument panel is configuring the gauges with warning points that appear in the message center. The voltmeter can be configured to flash whenever the voltage drops below the warning value, which can be set from 10 to 13.1 V. The temperature gauge can be set to indicate a high-temperature warning point that will cause a warning to display. Likewise, low oil pressure will cause the message center to flash whenever the value exceeds the warning set point.

With an updated wiring harness from AAW, our ’57 Ford has a safe electrical system capable of powering all the modern conveniences the wagon will be equipped with. The new DD VHX instrument panel is not only great looking, but all the information a driver could request is available. That’s making all the right connections.

3. Our project used an AAW Highway 22 Plus system. Each harness section is individually bundled and corresponds to a specific section in the instructions.

5. As a fourth generation of the Radford Automotive team, Ryatt Lightner knows that reading the instructions is the first step in a successful wiring harness installation.

7. AAW’s high-amp alternator and main power connection kit provides fuse protection for the fuse panel and charging system. The kit includes a six-gauge wire and two 175-amp Megafuses (note that the lower right nut has not been installed).

9. When terminating some wires, crimp terminals must be installed. AAW offers two professional-quality wire crimpers—one for 8- to 12-gauge wire and the other for 14- to 18-gauge wire (shown). These connections aren’t the place to use a cheap crimping tool or regular pliers.

11. The Highway 22 Plus kit includes a dimmer switch and plug, as well as a new ignition and headlight switch.

13. DD’s VHX system for 1957 Fords has a fully machined chrome trim for the gauges and another for the rectangular odometer opening. The original turn signal bezels were retained but upgraded with LED illumination.

15. The VHX control box provides the instrument panel input from the various senders. Again, all the connection points for the wires are clearly labeled.

17. DD offers the GPS-50-2 interface for the utmost speedometer accuracy. It also provides compass headings, altimeter data, and automatic clock syncing.

19. DD offers two electronic cruise control units. We used PN CRS-300 for electronic speedometers; for cable-driven speedometers, the PN CRS-2000 is available.

21. DD’s SEN-03-8 is a 0- to 100-psi solid-state pressure sensor; to prevent system damage, it must be used with the VHX instrument panel.

23. The temp and oil pressure sender plugs have weather-pack connections to protect the integrity of the connections.

25. The Optima battery is mounted in a custom box in the right rear corner of what was the spare tirewell. It’s held in place by a battery tray and hold-down from Hot Rods By Dean.