Kiss me or kick my ass?

[57 Ford Kustom]

Tonight after work I went to the garage to simply remove the galaxie buckets and the carpeting. Needed to install sound deadning material. I did so, and after reading all the posts about the new wiring harness that are available, I started looking at what My Dad had done. It turns out that after an hour or so, I found that Dad ran new wires everytime he changed something, and left the ones in place whenever he deleted something! Why the car didn't burn to the ground I wouldn't know, God's grace I figured. Well, to make along story short, I now have the wiring all stripped out of the car , and the dash and door trims removed waiting for repaint. I can't stop thinking what would Tom do, Kiss me or kick my ass!
Thanks,
Tim

[JimNolan]

I started looking at what My Dad had done.   Tim

Tim,
   After doing my 63 with sound deadner and cutting my hands all to hell in the process the only thing I accomplished was having a more pronounce wind noise coming from the gaps you can't ever seal around the windows. My 57 doesn't have sound deadner and I can't tell the difference. I'd never waste my money again. Except for the doors. (Takes the tin can sound out when you shut them). Both cars have that. Good Luck, Jim

[57 Ford Kustom]

Jim,
   What do you use under the carpets! I am tearing out and replacing soon.
Thanks,
Tim

[JimNolan]

Tim,
   My 57 just got seam seal and POR 15. The ACC Molded carpet I got had the felt backing in some places but the carpet itself is pretty thick. As far as not being able to tell the difference between my two cars, I kid you not. As far as the doors are concerned you can tell a big difference with using Hushmat but the floors have so many creases and brackets welded onto them I can't see it.
   I'm old and I'm cranky sometimes but I've never done something or bought something that I couldn't come back say I made a big mistake. I bought a Z-28 once and drove it 3000 miles and traded it in on a Riviera because I couldn't sit comfortably in it on a trip. I thought the car was a piece of crap you couldn't sit in.  I worked with guys that would spend a lot of money on a new mattress that ended up messing up their back just so they didn't have to admit they got hoodwinked. Sooooooo, I'm saying between my 57 and my 63, I can't tell the difference in road noise or temp control, temp control, think about it, roll down a window or turn on the heater for Gods sake. It's not like you're paying a seperate electric bill for it.
Just my opinion, I'm sure you'll get a lot of different opinions, probably from people with back pain. Good luck, Jim

[RICH MUISE]

Tim...a different opinion from an old man with back pain..LOL. I did a post a while back on carpeting, and I just brought it back to top, so it'll be just under this one. I went with two layers under the carpet..an extreme from what the rest of the world does. look closely at the pic of the rear tunnel and you'll see the first layer only on the driver's side of the wires, and both layers on the passenger side. That first layer as near as I can tell is identical to the stuff packaged for autos, but I bought it much cheaper at a roofing supply. I think they call it snow and ice shield. By the time I got around to actually using it, it had lost some of it's adhesion, but that's not a problem...just hit it with a heat gun after you've got it in place and it'll stick like crazy. It's availabe in a number of widths..I used a 20" wide.
The second layer, as I explained in the carpeting thread, was a jute with a reinforced foil sheeting. You'll get a much better job if you seperate the jute from the foil and glue them down seperatly.
Just a sugestion...plan your wiring thourougly before you lay the carpet down....somewhere I had a thread going on the posible wires that may be needed to run to the back, but I couldn't find it.
Rich

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich/Tim, just bumped it to the top in the electrical section.

[RICH MUISE]

Thank you sir...electrical section..who woulda thought. duh. LOL

[57 Ford Kustom]

Guy's,
   Thanks for the info, I like the idea of the grace and water sheild, I'm in construction, and I never thought of it! I am planning on a express system by RF. Should I keep the origonal dash wiring harness, or is everything com with the kit? I'm not sure what to ditch and what to hold on to. I talked to my brothers last night and told them what I'm doing to the car, they thought Dad would be proud.
Thanks,
Tim  

[RICH MUISE]

I think your dad would be proud...I'd be tickled to death if my son had that kind of interest in my car after I'm gone.
Don't throw anything away until your done...everything should be included, but alot depends on YOUR car..stuff like electric window harnesses, electric wipers, etc.etc. Also you will be surprised at the stuff people are looking for. when I stripped my car I thru out the seats and original door panels that were in fair shape. I had no clue guys were actually looking for this stuff....and all the old electrical stuff will fit in a small box..it's not like you're trying to find indoor storage for some old seats.
One suggestion, if you haven't ordered the express kit. When you place your order, tell them not to leave any terminal spots unwired. I had four blank ones in mine. Kinda pissed me off, but I had already installed the panel and begun wiring before I noticed there were no internal wires going to four terminals. For the money we are paying for these kits, it seems like they could have easily wired them and labeled them as spares.

[57 Ford Kustom]

Rich,
   Valueable info, I just stripped out the dash last night, and kept the harness intact. does the kit come with dash lights, and there looks like some sort of regulator on the wheel well, the horn power comes out of it, what about that type of stuff? I have a one wire alternator so the other regulator is gone, just can't figure what this one is for.
Thanks,
Tim    

[RICH MUISE]

Tim: That question is better answered by some of the guys who have rewired a pretty much stock car. As RF was aware of when I placed my order, absolutly nothing on my car electrical is as stock...even the tailights and dome light. My dash is all custom gages and headlight switch by RF. My air is Vintage Air, Mustang fully functional steering column including ignition switch, dimmer, horn, and wipers. Back up switch is GM style. Dome light is Crown vic changed to positive switching. Electric life windows, third brake light, and non-stock engine, whatever it ends up being.
That said, pretty much what I think you'll receive as part of the kit is the panel and wiring. Any sockets, switches, bulbs, extra wiring,etc.,etc., would have to be ordered seperatly. posibly a kit ordered to replace original wiring would be different, I just don't know.
Rich

[57 Ford Kustom]

Rich,
   My Dad kept everything stock, except for some door solenoids that he removed, a couple LED front directionals, and Granada spindles with disc brakes. I replaced the Y Block (Sorry Dad) with a 351w and a FMX transmission. I did some tracing and it turned out to be a horn relay. I really appreciate the Help. I guess I will order a RF book, so I can get the plugs, and relays that I need.
Thanks again,
Tim

[RICH MUISE]

By the way Tim, the express panel has the horn relay on the panel, included, as well as a fan relay and flashers for hazards and turn signals.
Rich