Electrical Improvements?.....71 Charger

[71charger500]

I'm in the process of tearing the car down and I'm about to pull the motor. As I've been removing engine bay wiring, etc., I can't help but think about what improvements to make, when it's re-wired. I know for sure that I will be using a new wiring harness, but not sure of what improvements, other than fresh wire, it makes. For instance, the old white "resistors?" that I keep hearing are very troublesome......things like that. Can't help but feel that some of those somewhat obsolete things can be eliminated or updated, without completely betraying the character of the vehicle. I don't intend to restore EXACTLY to factory specs, because it will be a driver....and definitely don't want to be haunted by a few easy to update, possible gremlins. Any ideas or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[fatecaptured]

The resistors I think are troublesome that our referencing are the two post Mopar ones that come with the orange box ecu. I think your biggest concern should be the bulkhead connector and amp meter. Maybe convert to a modern fuse box and eliminate the glass fuses.

I opted for the stock replacement wires from year one.

 

[747mopar]

I thought the same thing, what I did was rewire the whole car with a universal wiring harness that allows for upgrades. The resistor is an easy one to get rid of "just update the ignition system with a newer one or do like I did and install an aftermarket ignition". I went as far as getting rid of all but the wiper switch in favor of newer more readily available switches (cheaper as well). Just like he said "get rid of the bulkhead connector for the ammeter and the ammeter for that matter, a voltmeter is the way to go anyways". They make correct harness's as well so if you want to keep it close to stock that may be the way to go. Plan ahead for any upgrades you plan to make like the headlights, it's pretty easy to upgrade to Halogen but will require a relay, ignition (different styles will require different wiring), electric fan (requires either an on/off switch or thermo sensor+ relay) as you can see many things may need to be changed for certain upgrades so just plan ahead and go from there. Good luck

 

[71charger500]

Wow....I'm kinda intimidated. I'm no mechanic, but I'm the kind of person that can usually put anything back together, after I've taken it apart. However, since I don't even know what or where some of those parts are, I tend to worry when it comes to trying to "understand" what I'm doing. Thanks for your help guys and I'm sure sure I will have many more questions to come.

 

[Propwash]

Like 747 said, dump that ammeter, like to start fires....Replace with a voltmeter. Headlights; even if you don't go Halogen, put a relay in up front to get rid of the dimming at idle and flickering. Easy to do and will probably cost you about $10 bucks. Power in at/through bulkhead connector to inside of car; another great place for a meltdown...Replace with the customization like Mad Electrical posts (link below). Ditch the Ballast resistor, as mentioned an updated ignition system like MSD or similar get's rid of that. I'd also get rid of the spliced connection in the harness for the black wire that leads out from under the dash to your alternator. Replace that with a terminal block (much safer). Replace the dash voltage limiter with a solid state one. Makes voltage to your gauges/cluster much more stable. If you don't replace the harness, visually take a look at each wire, it's insulation and Ohms test them for resistance. Clean all terminal connections and re-lube with Di-electric grease. I wouldn't be intimidated......Wiring is just like plumbing, just gotta follow the lines, and tuning up your wiring is one of the safest things you can do for your car to avoid fire. Good luck.




http://madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml