76 wiring harness?
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340fourspeedDuster
Well-Known Member
Try calling the engineers at Painless wiring. See if they can help you.
Contact Us | Painless Performance
Contact Us | Painless Performance
Here's what they sent:
I wouldn't 100% be able to list all of the differences between a '75 and '76, but since we squeeze as many years as possible into a kit (and they are very vehicle-specific) during development I wouldn't recommend trying the 510603 harness in your car. With the time spent making a harness designed for a different year range work in a car you may be better served with a universal kit like our Highway 22 or Power Plus 20.
The Highway and Power Plus kits use modern, ATO fuse panels and provide all the basic feeds required to replace the complete original chassis harness. The panel designs are somewhat different, so one may suit your needs better than the other. As with any universal harness, there would be some adaptation and instances where you would be required to reuse (or source new replacements) for things like lamp sockets. The farther from stock your car is, the less this would matter when using a universal harness.
Highway 22:
http://www.americanautowire.co m/shop/highway-22-panel-wiring -kit
This is a modular panel, so you have the ability to relocate the fuse box if you'd like to move it to a location other than under the dash. Once it's mounted, you run your wire leads from the item you're setting up back to the face of the fuse box. This can be nice if you'd like to custom route the harness, or only want to run the sections of wire that are relevant to the car.
Power Plus 20:
http://www.americanautowire.co m/shop/power-plus-20-kit
This is more of a standard underdash panel designed to mount on the driver's side of a vehicle. Like the Highway, it includes modern, pre-labeled GXL wire and will be set up for an internally regulated alternator, 12 volt ignition and 69+ GM steering column. We supply the correct mating connector and terminals for the GM column, so you'd be able to reuse your original column without issue. The one gauge we would not support would be an ammeter (this goes for our Classic Update kits as well) due to safety concerns. We recommend using a voltmeter as an alternative.
You can view the instructions for the Highway kit here and the Power Plus 20 here if you'd like to get a better feel for what's included and how they install.
Hopefully that helps get you started!
340fourspeedDuster
Well-Known Member
When I talked with Painless wiring about my 1975 vehicle, they stated that Chryco started using some GM key switch electronic and turn signal parts about that timeframe. So applications can be hit or miss as far as colors of the wires etc. I used the Painless generic Mopar 14? circuit kit. I did have to splice in for the the orange Reverse light on the dash that illuminates when the four speed is in Reverse. For the most part, it is a very good kit, but it is generic.
I don't mind generic. There's some auxiliary equipment I want to hook-up anyway; ignition switches and a battery cutoff, as well as getting led lighting setup. I want to modernize the gauges too. As long as a generic kit will support some of these functions I'll be happy.
SalC
Well-Known Member
Are you looking for no brainer OEM type harness that requires no modifications? If so it starts to get pretty expensive. American Autowire or M&H (Yearone) seem to be the closest to it.
If you're at all electrically inclined you can do it much cheaper. Over the winter I completely rewired my 1975 Duster using the EZ Wiring harness. $185. But my car isn't stock anymore (added new dash and aftermarket gauge cluster). Looking back this harness would have worked to replace the stock one, just requires some fiddling around.
If you're at all electrically inclined you can do it much cheaper. Over the winter I completely rewired my 1975 Duster using the EZ Wiring harness. $185. But my car isn't stock anymore (added new dash and aftermarket gauge cluster). Looking back this harness would have worked to replace the stock one, just requires some fiddling around.
Yeah, I'm a bit electrically inclined. But I've never tried to rewire a car. Mainly I wanted the kit because it comes with all the plugs and connectors etc. But I bet I can manage with a universal kit. I'm not even planning on running a lot of extras, as this is a street strip resto mod project.
whitepunkonnitro
Well-Known Member
OK, 1976 is a completely stand alone year, and no other harness will even come close to working on it.
The main difference is how they reconfigured the charging system and gauge cluster.
Trust me on this..you DON'T want to fix it!
Very trouble prone year for electronics.
If it was my car, or was doing this for a customer, I would retro fit a 1975 harness and gauge cluster.
Your under hood wiring can be made to work with the 75 harness.
I actually have one of those listed on here now, but that has nothing to do with recommending that.
If you were starting from scratch, I would probably go with a full set of harnesses from a 70-73 car.
Much simpler and easy to work with.
BTW, 75 is the only year that will be compatible with the rest of your cars wiring because of the change in connector plug style that happened in that year
The main difference is how they reconfigured the charging system and gauge cluster.
Trust me on this..you DON'T want to fix it!
Very trouble prone year for electronics.
If it was my car, or was doing this for a customer, I would retro fit a 1975 harness and gauge cluster.
Your under hood wiring can be made to work with the 75 harness.
I actually have one of those listed on here now, but that has nothing to do with recommending that.
If you were starting from scratch, I would probably go with a full set of harnesses from a 70-73 car.
Much simpler and easy to work with.
BTW, 75 is the only year that will be compatible with the rest of your cars wiring because of the change in connector plug style that happened in that year
SalC
Well-Known Member
Sounds exactly what I have. I was pleasantly surprised with the EZ Wiring harness. I did spend a few more $$ for lamp sockets. My Duster also needed a new ignition switch and while I had the steering column apart I replaced the turn signal switch (these arent included in any kits). All in all I maybe shelled out an extra $100-$125 for switches, connectors, etc. To make it look pretty.
I put my money into a new dash panel and set of quality gauges.
There's really not much to rewiring these old cars once you pick them apart. I now have peace of mind electrically with mine.
So the 75 plugs and sockets probably won't work with my 76. Also- I'm planning on converting to a voltmeter with the gauge cluster from Classic Dash so that shouldn't be any issue, but I've read that the 3 wire alternator doesn't play nice sometimes.
Thanks for all the info! There's not a lot of it to be found on A-Bodies...except for here lol.
whitepunkonnitro
Well-Known Member
75 plugs and sockets are the only ones that will work with your 76
dirty white boy
50 yr old Juvenal delinquent
not trying to hijack a thread,but if 76 is totally different with different dash gauge cluster, whats different bout gauge cluster? pulling the vines outta my 76 now, missing lot of parts and done bought 2 gauge clusters not knowing thay all ant the same and needs a alternator, whats sposed to be on it? what would be best on it?
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