General Need novice project help (interior and wiring)

Currently reading:
General Need novice project help (interior and wiring)

Lux Fox

New member
Joined
Nov 5, 2015
Messages
7
Points
2
Hello everyone!

I've owned a 65F for a number of years now and have had the body work and engine/gearbox installation done for me by a family friend with a shop. I have had the car back for a couple years now but she has had to sit while I adjusted to life with a new wife and her teen daughters. I am finally getting to a point of trying to push the project to completion. Unfortunately I had been through a divorce since the car was taken apart and all of my pictures and reference material are gone..along with most of the bolts I had removed when I took things apart. :yuck: . The car is in my garage and all I really have left to do is the interior and wiring (forward of the engine compartment).

My problem is I have no real reference on the best sequence of proceeding from this point. I was thinking if I got the interior installed I would be more likely to tackle the harder part (for me) of finishing the electrical. I apologize if it sounds weak but I was hoping people here could give me piece by piece to complete and help me through the process as not being a car tech it seems a little overwhelming..which is why I likely haven't finished her up yet.

So with that in mind and picturing a fiat with nothing installed in the interior, where should I start? ..and again you are talking to someone who doesn't know if seat belts should be bolted in before carpet shell is installed. :confused:

I appreciate and value this forum and any input!

P.S. Was formerly 'vascrats' on this forum.
 
Hi

Welcome back to the forum

My car is currently stripped out for painting but I took quite a few photos in the process of removing bits and pieces. See my Fiat500 rejuvention thread.

There are others who have had the experience of putting the cars back together who I'm sure will help

The first thing would be to run your wiring from the back of he car to the front along the passenger side (assuming it is right hand drive)

If you post some pictures as you go that will help forum members see where you are up to.

Good luck

Geoff
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the reply Geoff and I did look at your pictures. Actually my Fiat is left hand drive which will work out better for me in the states here. ; ). I do have the new wiring harness run along the left hand side though and coming out in the trunk up front. I think I tried to start with putting the air channel piece in place that transitions from the floor on up but got frustrated a mine is in rough shape and I'm having a hard time getting it to fit and not have the gas pedal rub it. I would love to replace it if I could find a good source being in the US.
 
Last edited:
I'm trying to re-wire my '67 500 F. The harness I got from Mr. Fiat has colors that match a 500F with flat connectors instead of round. He say's they are for a 500F but the wiring diagram matches with a 500 L. I'm also trying to figure how to connect the back half to the front half. The wire hole is not big enough to fit the plastic connector for the back kit to the front kit. Anyone have any advice?
 
Welcome back to the Forum---one of the beauties of this forum is that it has members all over the world---where about in the U.S.of A. are you? It might be possible to 'pair' you with a member who has a 500 that is up and running and is in your neck of the woods. That way, you would be able to look at his car and see where things go/lead to/lead through. A case of "a look at somebody else's car is worth a 1,000 words".:bang:(y)
 
I'm trying to re-wire my '67 500 F. The harness I got from Mr. Fiat has colors that match a 500F with flat connectors instead of round. He say's they are for a 500F but the wiring diagram matches with a 500 L. I'm also trying to figure how to connect the back half to the front half. The wire hole is not big enough to fit the plastic connector for the back kit to the front kit. Anyone have any advice?

I have a 1969 "F" and it has a mixture of bullet and spade connectors. It's mainly bullets around the speedo and switches and that is where you will have problems if it's an "L" loom that's been supplied.
Many of the bigger wiring grommets have a slit so that you can push connectors through a bare hole and then fit the grommet afterwards. But even that process can be tricky and you may want to think about using a craft knife or blade to split the grommet if it is entire.
An alternative approach, which might be possible is to thread all of the rear loom backwards from the front bulkhead but I imagine that would present a different set of challenges.:eek:
Best of luck with it, Peter(y)
 
Hello everyone!

I've owned a 65F for a number of years now and have had the body work and engine/gearbox installation done for me by a family friend with a shop. I have had the car back for a couple years now but she has had to sit while I adjusted to life with a new wife and her teen daughters. I am finally getting to a point of trying to push the project to completion. Unfortunately I had been through a divorce since the car was taken apart and all of my pictures and reference material are gone..along with most of the bolts I had removed when I took things apart. :yuck: . The car is in my garage and all I really have left to do is the interior and wiring (forward of the engine compartment).

My problem is I have no real reference on the best sequence of proceeding from this point. I was thinking if I got the interior installed I would be more likely to tackle the harder part (for me) of finishing the electrical. I apologize if it sounds weak but I was hoping people here could give me piece by piece to complete and help me through the process as not being a car tech it seems a little overwhelming..which is why I likely haven't finished her up yet.

So with that in mind and picturing a fiat with nothing installed in the interior, where should I start? ..and again you are talking to someone who doesn't know if seat belts should be bolted in before carpet shell is installed. :confused:

I appreciate and value this forum and any input!

P.S. Was formerly 'vascrats' on this forum.


Welcome back to the forum.
First off, leave the interior alone. This is usually the last thing to do and is actually the easiest part.
Can you load a few photos to see what position of the build you are up to?
Then maybe we can guide you.
I usually start with the main mechanical units ie suspension & steering. that makes the car a little mobile
Then look at installing the brake lines, pedal assembly.
If the engine and gearbox are in then you will need to install all the cables in the centre tunnel as you wont get to these with the carpet and seats in place.
Then you can start on the electrics as you will have most of the electrical components in place to start connecting things up.


Step by step and it will all come together.
There are quite a few rebuilds on here with plenty of photos along the way.
I'm sure we can help:)
 
What I'm curious about is my wiring kit is for an F second series so the fuse box is different. The old one had holes that mounted it flat on it's back with two metal posts coming up from the body and then you bend them back through the holes to secure the fuse box. This newer style is mounted on it's side with the wire connections on one side and the fuses on the other, rather than the old style which has fuses in the middle and wires on both sides of them. Does anyone have a picture of how this newer style is mounted?
 
I have just been through the ‘experience’ of re-wiring. I would wholeheartedly agree with the above, get all the mechanical bits done first, when you have done this, then tackle the wiring.
My top tips are:
1. Start from the back, the lights and engine are easy, so it builds the confidence.
2. I installed things like lights, switches etc, it is easier to wire to something than leaving them hanging.
3. White insulation tape, write where it is from and where it goes to, you soon forget so this helps as you go.
4. Do a wire at a time, and trace it through, plus generally ignore the colour coding, especially with a new loom. I opened up the front loom (undid all the tape) to help with this wire at a time approach.
5. I downloaded a few different wiring loom pictures and printed them in A3, I then updated these as I go (I am still planning to have mine drawn up for future owners and my own sanity)
6. You need a continuity tester, keep checking as you go, saves hassle later.
7. Leave the steering column till last, it’s the most difficult.
8. Clip the wires with Zippys as you go, don’t worry about dressing them until you are done.
9. I ran some extra local earth wires, especially around the back lights and front, to make sure I had a great earth. Drill a hole in the inner wing, clean back to metal, put a 5mm screw/bolt to fix to.
10. Be patient, take your time and be methodical.

Good luck and don’t forget things like flashers need bulbs in to work, they need some load to work the flasher relay (and don’t use LED’s unless you have the right flasher)
 
------------------
------------------------------
---------------- I'm also trying to figure how to connect the back half to the front half. The wire hole is not big enough to fit the plastic connector for the back kit to the front kit. Anyone have any advice?


It's possible to remove wires with flat (Lucar type) terminals from plastic connector blocks.

If you look inside the connector block from the terminal side you'll see a tiny slot beside each male or female terminal into which you can insert a pick/tiny screwdriver/pin or needle to release the locking tab and pop out the wire and terminal.

Having removed all the wires, you can pass them through the hole and refit the plastic connector block on the other side, then connect up the front and rear looms.

Idk if this suggestion is any help to you. (I might have misunderstood your question)

AL.
 
Back
Top