So I wired this car...

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animal

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 24, 2011
Messages
1,160
Location
Downtown Hooper, CO
I really don't like wiring vehicles, but a long-time friend asked me to wire his '55 Chevy street freak project. I agreed because (A) I really like the guy and (B) I'm nuts. I don't consider myself an expert at wiring, but have wired all my projects and none of them have caught fire, so there's that. :D Luckily, he brought me the car bare, so that made things easier. Still, after materials, I made about $5.50 an hour, so my estimate wasn't that good. :( Now his buddy wants me to wire his '55, but this one is complete, a running car, so I'll need to take the carpet loose to run wire under, take the dash apart to replace switches, etc., and remove all the old wiring before I even start. I said I'll came talk to him and give him a quote, but I can tell you right now he's not going to like it. :D

This is the car I wired. Check out that old school lift kit on the front!

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Those are the kind of jobs you give a quote that if it is taken you do very well but hope they don't take it because it's a crazy time consuming job. Jim
 
Use a good harness. Makes it alittle easier. But in only wire new projects. No rewire using old parts
 
It was an American Autowire harness. I liked parts of it quite a bit, but got really tired of terminating wires. :)

I'm a dealer for there stuff. Good harness. I'd rather terminate wires than stuff extra in random places
 
No pictures came through to me Animal.
So, do you know what 'pain' was invented for? ------ The pain of doing a biggish job for almost free, is to teach you not to take those jobs on. DO NOT give the next guy a quote on the whole job, [maybe a generous hourly rate for yourself, but not for the whole job].
If you bid cheaply on a job, you are not just cheating yourself, you are cheating all of the mechanics in your community. The cheapest guy in any field always sets the rate. How can the electrical mechanics that are charging a decent rate compete?
I'm a fanatic businessman. I'll end my rant now. Sorry Animal.
 
No pictures came through to me Animal.
So, do you know what 'pain' was invented for? ------ The pain of doing a biggish job for almost free, is to teach you not to take those jobs on. DO NOT give the next guy a quote on the whole job, [maybe a generous hourly rate for yourself, but not for the whole job].
If you bid cheaply on a job, you are not just cheating yourself, you are cheating all of the mechanics in your community. The cheapest guy in any field always sets the rate. How can the electrical mechanics that are charging a decent rate compete?
I'm a fanatic businessman. I'll end my rant now. Sorry Animal.

Mac, I hear what you're saying, but if these guys had to pay the going shop rate for an established electrical mechanic, they'd just say screw it and either sell their cars or (more likely) let them sit in the garage. We live in what is laughingly called an "economically depressed" area. $2000 to wire a car just isn't going to happen for 90% of the folks in this valley. I did the first one mostly as a favor, and if I do the second one, I'll do it because the owner is in his 70's and lives in an adobe house in one of the poorest towns around here. I don't plan to make a habit of wiring cars (did I mention I hate wiring?)and won't mind at all if the owner of the "other" '55 decides he'll get someone else to do it.That's what I get for doing such a nice job on my car... :D
 
Good for you for helping your friends out animal.
Wiring is like painting to some people. They can build an entire car but are afraid to even try to wire them or paint them.[S
I used to do this kind of stuff for people but I'm way past being able to squeeze my fat A@% under a dash any more. So that gives me an out.:D
That 55 reminds me of one I had back in the 70's...It had a 396 in it. Quite the car for it's day.
Torchie
 
I used to do this kind of stuff for people but I'm way past being able to squeeze my fat A@% under a dash any more. So that gives me an out.:D

Torchie

I can get under the dash and the car just fine it is the extrication needed to get me back up and out. Jim
 

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