The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Source for a factory style harness for my 46

Mine is crusty and not looking very safe. Anyone have a source for factory replacement? Original 6 volt please.
Bob

Rhode Island Wiring They should be able to fix you up.

Try Ron Francis wiring. I have bought a lot from them over the years.HERE

I have used Classic Parts of America "standard" kits on my 1954 truck with good results. Reasonable price and easy to install. Their 1936-46 Chevy catalog shows an original kit for a generator (part number 52-017). They also sell "American Autowire" brand 15 and 22 harnesses that are modern and more complicated. It depends on what you want for your application and budget.

Chevs of the 40's

I would not go with Rhode Island wiring. I had very bad luck with them unless they have really improved.

I bought some bulk wire from Rhode Island Wiring and had no issues. I was looking for loom for the starter to ignition harness, but was told that they wind that on when building the harness and can't provide it separately. But they did have the original style braided jacket wire that I needed. Helpful and friendly on the phone.
They cover a ton of different vehicles, but are not cheap. Not sure anyone is cheap on reproduction harnesses.

Using the info provided I checked out what was available. A couple didn’t have anything for my truck. I did find a couple options though. Man are they expensive. Better than a burned up truck though…

While the wire may be modern and not as original cloth covered, I thought that the Classic Parts 1940-46 Wiring Harness-Generator at $229.95 was a reasonable price for a replacement harness. It even includes wires to add signal lights. If you want a period correct reproduction you will pay considerably more.

I somehow missed this option. Definitely more affordable. Thanks!

Bob, if you are not a purest the best idea is a "universal" prewired fuse box type harness. Pretty easy to install. I/we can help. Everything will have modern fuses. You will cut to lenght, route and crimp terminals on the component end of the harness wires. Not many circuits in most old trucks. Example Good instructions and spare circuits. $205, Free ship. There is a 12 circuit also but don't see crimp terminal and other extras.

Good time to go 12V. Not expensive to do.

Speedway also now has the 12 Circuit with cloth covering to simulate old wiring. The price is $420!!!!! ALL of the so called original harnesses are faux cloth covered pvc insulated wire just like the universal harness has. Some vendors tell you that, some use mumbo jumbo to hide it.

Watch out using specialty small companies or "original harnesses". Too much hype, no value. Use a standard well known vendor. Even the big harness-only companies are more expensive and questionable value. They all use the same quality wire. No one has a "better" wire.

Thank you Bartamos

You are welcome. "Not expensive to do" is relative. I calculated that if a person is doing a new harness, it's about $300 more to go 12V.
It's basically an unseen upgrade.... mitigating purity/originality concerns.

Also on another note. The harnesses I speak of are marketed as 12V harnesses. However if fusing and aperage is matched in a few spots it's OK for 6V. Kit flashers and relays, if used, need swapped.

FYI: Smallest wires in the Speedway kit is 16ga compared to Painless' smallest is 18ga.