All I can say is WOW.... people really like to over think and over complicate things....
If you solder in fusible links on the correct circuits (alt charge wire, and main feed into vehicle) it will be fine. There is no need for overkill with marine grade this and super duty fuse that.....
I have professionally wired cars from scratch for years and NEVER used most of the things suggested.
First and foremost.... UNDERSTAND what your doing before you start. If you dont, TAKE IT TO SOMEONE WHO DOES.
You're right. Old school done right is great! Good points made here. Buy quality components, most of which you will no longer find at your chain auto stores. Even the wire is sub-par compared to what used to be available almost anywhere. You probably have your preferred suppliers of components?
Mopar was one of the key offenders in poorly designed electrical systems.
Really, alternators feeding cheap ungreased bulkhead connectors to a bulkhead connector to an amp gauge and back through the bulkhead to charge the battery? How many times have you wired them just like that, and had them work? Countless, I'm sure. You can keep them that way with your old school methods, as it works most of the time, if you don't alter it from stock, even then they would melt down.
Theses days, you will find very few people who truly understand electrical systems, especially old Mopars, their individual components AND how to improve the performance of these old electrical systems as designed from the factory by adding minor alterations. These alteration include things you NEVER heard of or used. That's fine.
You are the type of guy I would like to talk about this type of stuff with. You probably have incredible knowledge!
Mopars caught fire about as much as they rusted. In other words, A lot! Upgrading them electrically requires superior components. Period! The old way just can't handle it, because it was not designed for the added loads modern comfort and convenience items add.
Old school is fine, but but when your car is sucking 85 amps at a low idle with an 3/4 hp electric fuel pump, A/C, MSD, twin powerful Spal fans and a few other electrical do dads, and everything works like it should with no voltage drop, your old ways need to be amended. Mother Mopar's engineers need a little help, and they KNEW IT.
No Mopar or Denso altenator can handle the job. I've tried them all. I currently use a rewound CS 144 out of an Escalade, of all things. It even senses the voltage at my battery in the trunk and adjusts its output from there. I did take some notes from Madd Electric and took it a few steps further.
Have you even browsed a Marine electrical catalog lately to see what's in it? Some amazing stuff. West Marine is my favorite. Not only for basic quality wire and hardware, but for some seriously cool high-amp fuses.
No one suspected these cars would be the pinnacle of performance, and or coveted for decades to come. Even with the arrival of the modern day 21st century cars using computers to adjust suspension, control ignitions systems, fuel delivery and transmission shifting performance to better integrate the powerband of the engine came into play did their performance get surpassed. When you add the advanced CAD design and computer simulation of theoretical design changes, their performance was easily surpassed. And surpassed it was! Unless you modify them. That includes electrically. You can never hope to stay on the bumper of a Ferrari 599 GTO with 30 degrees total timing in your motor from 70 to 160+.
Somewhere in the hidden Moparts Archive is that very story. It's a good read, so I've been told.
This was some car I videoed on a controlled track with a professional driver.
http://www.westcoastspecial.com/somewhereinla.html
