LitMike
New Member
I am looking for a new wiring harness for my 1970 Newport 2 door custom hardtop. I am confused and need some help. What body type is a 1970 Newport?
New Wiring Harness
- Thread starter LitMike
- Start date
2 door hardtop is what I'd answer.
In related matters, there have been a number of threads about wiring harnesses -- you may want to read them up for suggestions re: where to get a new one made. Here's an example of such a search:
Search results for query: wiring harness
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Fuselage, FWIW. Do you REALLY NEED a whole new wiring harness? Or just for the engine compartment? What is the minimum necessary to make the car driveable? Can you remove the OLD harness, intact? THIS can serve as a template for a new one. Wiring is too easy for blokes like me to make me a good mentor on this subject, but I might point you in a good direction....
In reality, what many consider to be "a wiring harness" is really made of several wiring harnesses. Coming out of the bulkhead connector, on the engine side, is a "forward lighting harness", an "engine harness", a "charging system" harness, an "a/c compressor/hvac" harness, wiring for the starter, and possibly a few others for other optional equipment. Not to forget how these things interact with the various available engine. Probably more complicated than it should be, but that's the way things were in prior times.
What issues are you seeking to fix/repair?
Take care,
CBODY67
What issues are you seeking to fix/repair?
Take care,
CBODY67
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
IDK if much unneeded complexity could be found in the sundry subsystems all passing out of that bulkhead connector, at least, not on the two old slab side C body rides I've been blessed with this past decade, or even that lovely old New Yorker I had 2003-2005. I've seen some decadent wiring on later model, 1970s stuff in general, so maybe the fuselage and Formal C bodies were similarly afflicted. Given the lack of electronic switching extant until the late 1970s, some of the funky ground switching and such makes very good sense. NOW such seems silly, but I wouldn't considerit "baroque wiring" when it was made, for after careful thought, I've not often been able to improve on Ma Par's methods of wiring, aside from those DAMNED AMMETERS!!!
Ah well. maybe the basic charging loop could have been done a little better....
LitMike
New Member
I really think that I do need the whole car rewired. I am sure that I have a ground short somewhere. I was driving it and amp meter pegged and smoke started to come up from under the dash, it did not fully ignite but I think it was close. The car lived it’s whole life if the Nevadan desert, while good for not having corrosion, it did make all of the wires crisp to the touch. I am looking to make it reliable and not have to think about it burning up. This car was loaded from the factory with the sport package and many other extras. she only has 118,000 original miles, she is a little rough but I feel she is a rare one and deserves some love. The wiring is the first step, then motor, drivetrain, suspension, freshen up the seats and a seal job on the paint. Yep, the whole thing.
So, with all of that said and if I still have your attention. I am having a hard time locating a wiring harness. To be perfectly honest I do not know a lot about mopar and their different body types. I am thinking the car is an F type but not sure, and you see I’m on C-body only website. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank You!
LitMike
New Member
Thank you for your feedback! I have been having some strange issues with the electrical system and am sure that I have a grounding problem. Through looking for the short all of the wires are brittle that I have been touching. I am thinking that it would be best to fix it once and for all.
The car was loaded from the factory. big block, ac, power locks, tilt/telescoping steering, power driver seat, power antenna, and 8 track tape. The bulk head in the engine compartment has QTY: 3 eight port connectors and Qty:2 four port connectors. I am having a very hard time finding the proper harness for the car. I do not want to put a universal kit in it, I would like all to be new. I think it is a F-body but not sure. Any wisdom you can share would be Great. Thank you for your reply.
Completely new wiring or not, sounds like you also need to do the VERY IMPORTANT ammeter AND under hood bypasses. Look for the very straightforward tutorials posted by @cbarge YOU NEED TO DO THIS!
As for body styles, I really don’t know much beyond the ‘68 300 I have, but something tells me the fact you’re on this site tells me you have a C body.
As for body styles, I really don’t know much beyond the ‘68 300 I have, but something tells me the fact you’re on this site tells me you have a C body.
The model designation is the first 4 items in the VIN. C = Chrysler L= Newport Custom 2 = 2dr 3 = Type of roof on the 2dr model, in this case, hardtop End result = CL23, followed by engine, model year, and plant.
Until the appearance of the "junior series" Chrysler Cordoba, all 1965+ Chrysler models were C-bodies.
CBODY67
Until the appearance of the "junior series" Chrysler Cordoba, all 1965+ Chrysler models were C-bodies.
CBODY67
cbarge
World Famous Barge in a Budget
For the engine harness, contact Evans.
Evans Wiring Harnesses
As for all other harnesses, jeep searching on FB marketplace, any demo derby sites, any wrecking yarss that have older Chryslers in them.
Wilcat auto wreckrrs, Murray Park.
They nay have a complete harness from a good parts car.
Sounds like the ammetrr guage shorted out and gad a nuclear meltdown.
To avoid this again, do the underhood ammeter bypass.
Any ??? PM me
Hope this helps.
Evans Wiring Harnesses
As for all other harnesses, jeep searching on FB marketplace, any demo derby sites, any wrecking yarss that have older Chryslers in them.
Wilcat auto wreckrrs, Murray Park.
They nay have a complete harness from a good parts car.
Sounds like the ammetrr guage shorted out and gad a nuclear meltdown.
To avoid this again, do the underhood ammeter bypass.
Any ??? PM me
Hope this helps.
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
Hmm, I too had a wire fire a couple weeks after scoring Mathilda, our '66 Newport, now sadly relegated to parts source after an evil woman tried using her for an insurance fraud job 2 yrs ago.
I strongly suspect you NEED to replace the under dash wiring, and possibly the stuff from the battery to the bulkhead BECAUSE THE MAIN POWER LEADS TO OR FROM THE AMMETER SHORTED OUT AND SOME NITWIT ELIMINATED THE FUSIBLE LINK MEANT TO PROTECT THESE VERY WIRES!!
Such outrages oft get committed by ignorant folk who burn through the fusible link, not knowing its purpose, then cut it out, smugly thinking they "solved the problem of that funny little undersize wire some damn idjits put on the circuit." Thus, when the ammeter or the leads connected to it SHORT AGAIN, with no fusible link to protect the wiring, the main current carrying conductors for the car BURN, which is exactly what happened to your ride.
I too experienced something like this, due to the former owner(s) having removed all fusible links under the hood (pinche pequenos cables! chinga los!), then, with a broken pair of motor mounts, the whole engine tipped over slightly, shorting the charging stud to the fender, and SMOKING THE CHARGING CIRCUIT UP TO AND THROUGH THE DASH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL! So, I had some wires to replace, and a number to re-insulate, and sometimes patch with careful joints. This circumstance lead me to happily contrive an EXCELLENT AMMETER BYPASS, which I will instruct you in, though you can get this by searching this Forum for the Morris Ammeter Bypass. I like it better than the MAD bypass, and it serves us well at my home.
Knowing you found your treasure in Nevada gives me strong reason to believe you DON'T NEED TO REWIRE THE ENTIRE CAR! You have likely never experienced the minor sort of disaster you just have suffered, and are panicking a wee bit, that's all. I've rewired some rides far worse off than my Mathilda too.
Pity I can't get my hands on your ride, as I really can rewire it, very nicely, better than the original job, which was fairly good, compared to the rest of the Industry back then. You can post a few pics to us on the Forum, which will let more experienced hands and minds then see how bad your fire was. THIS WILL SAVE YOU MONEY, TIME AND TEARS MAN!
It will also help us if we know a little more about exactly what your treasure is. You MIGHT be better off on a Forum more specific to your ride, or not. You probably will be BEST OFF to find a JUNKYARD, that has either your model, or one reasonably close to it. Mopar harnesses were fairly similar during the 1960s. Hell, they sometimes used both FoMoCo or ACDelco harnesses within their own harnesses, as appropriate. The front lights on Mathilda were so wired, and that was Factory Original.
Of course, there is NO substitute for Peace of Mind, and I for one assert that the Big Three ALL undersized their car wiring by one size, across the board, on every circuit. This egregious fault lies at the beancounters' desks, and those guys deserve to be exhumed, cursed, desecrated, and then have their remains dumped into cesspools. If any are still living, then we needn't exhume them.
cbarge
World Famous Barge in a Budget
Check this out.. may have what you need
Partout 1970 chrysler newport
Partout 1970 chrysler newport
Gerald Morris
Senior Member
I would use the engine compartment harnesses as TEMPLATES, upgrading wire sizes for everything by at least one even numbered jump, i.e. from #16 -> 14 AWG, and likely 2 sizes for the charging loop. I would re-route the charging lead off the alternator directly to the + battery terminal, around the front of the radiator yoke, then run ALL current from the battery to points required. One can run a doubled size lead off the starter relay to both of the old ammeter leads, which makes them parallel conductors instead of series, delivering current to all points under the dash. Eliminate the old fusible link at the bulkhead, and put two links at the battery; one to the alternator stud, the other to the starter relay. This insures that the charging components are protected whether between alt to bat, or bat to dash. you WON'T have ANY further wire fires if this scheme is implemented. The horn relay should have its own fusible link. Replace it if missing.
Make SURE that the old alternator charging lead is either GONE, or taped off. If the one link to the starter relay is cut, then the car should be DEAD, except for the horn.
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