Need Help! Need Engine/lights wiring harness info/ideas!

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72Dodge

72Dodge

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This isn't from an A-body, it's from an '83 J-body Dodge Mirada, but this is the most active forum I'm on, and you are all always very helpful!

I have very little experience with auto electrics (trying to learn though), so I'm not sure of all my options with this.

This is the engine/front lights harness that came with the project car I just got. I do have a bunch of loose wires that were cut off of this (I don't know yet if I have all of them or just some of them). Some I can obviously match up where they went, but others I'm not sure about.

If I can find a good block diagram, I could probably sort it out logistically, but haven't gotten any factory manuals yet (the Haynes one I do have is useless for this).

So...... my thought on the easiest way would be to just find a replacement harness. I think one from a Diplomat/Apsen/Volare (any FMJ except Imperial) would be the same block and close enough wiring to be able to make it work.

Is there an option I'm not thinking of? If I can get a block diagram, is there any other reasonable way to fix this?

ALSO, if someone could take a nice close pic of one of these harness blocks that's not all cut up, that would probably help me figure out where all the wires go!

P.S. -- if anyone HAS a decent harness they could sell me to fix this whole problem, that would be the best solution I can see!!!

Thanks!
 

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Ok, here's what I'd do.

1....Find the guy who cut all those wires like that

2...Hang him by his balls

3...Shoot him somewhere painful, or at least smack 'im with something in the kneecap.
 
Indeed. Somebody was a flaming retard that did that.
 
Yeah, I was holding back from saying that, but my thoughts were along those lines also. Worse actually. So is the only real option here to just replace it?
 
I don't have any diagrams for those models. Sorry
There a Aspen wagon of some model within walking distance of me. Same model and engine exactly would be the best source.
After you find one like it still on a harness you can throw that piece in the garbage.
 
Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

Any model that uses this same basic harness would hopefully be about the same. Just so the block is the same with some good wiring coming out of it. If I have to swap some connectors, lengthen some wires and whatnot, that's fine.

The car is NOT getting the original engine/trans or anything else, so I can use what I need from whatever harness or modify to as needed to work, but being the exact wiring/options the car came with is unimportant in this case. I just need some wiring to work with.

Thanks for anything anyone can do to help!

And yeah, this wasn't the only completely stupid thing done to the car, but it is the only thing right now keeping me from getting a new drivetrain going in it.
 
Are you trying to wire up a Mirada, or put this "wiring harness" into a '72 Dodge A body?
There is always the option of a univeral wiring harness also.

All of the loose wires that you have. Are they in place or going to where they should go, or in a basket unlabeled?
C
 
This is for a Mirada project, doesn't have anything to do with an A-body. Sorry, I see my first line wasn't clear.

The wires are just in a box unlabelled. There is no engine/trans in the car. Wiring was just ripped out with no regard for anything, just torn out. Fortunately, just the engine/front harness, the rest is fine.

I'd rather not go universal, being a beginner at electrical work, but yeah, I guess that would be a last resort option too.

I can modify an existing similar harness though, that I'm not afraid to do. I really think that at minimum, anything '80-'83 Mirada/Cordoba and maybe even '83-up Diplomat would be the same. Possibly Aspen/Volare. My first step is confirming what will work, then obtaining one.

:) Oh fun fun fun. The rest of the car isn't going to be hard to do at all, once this is worked out, that's the good news!
 
Clarification: The engine wires that are torn out are in a box unlabelled. The front lights wiring is all still in place, just cut off the electrical box. So, it's really just the engine wires themselves that I don't know where they go, but even then, I can tell what most of them are by the end connectors. The ECU, alternator, etc connectors are still in place, so those are obvious for example.

I'm sure if I just had a good engine/lights harness to start with, I could make it work, no problem. I'm confident enough to do that.
 
I don't know the specifics of these cars. Depending on condition, you might be able to rework what you have.

Approach "A"

Rework what you have. You need to round up a legit Mopar shop manual. Not a Clymers or a Chiltons, a Chrysler shop manual. You should be able to find either paper reprints, old original, or "on CD"

The engine connectors tell you a bunch. By reading the manual, you should be able to ID most of the connector ends, AND the wire color should confirm "whut it be."

The manual will ALSO give you a map of the connector (firewall/ bulkhead connector) that you pictured above, and this will tell you what THAT end is.

A variation on this would be to round up a replacement harness junkyard, used, etc

B...Rewire it yourself. I'll admit this might be daunting, especially on a highly optioned car. Such things as cruise control, AC and other doo-dads can drive you nuts. But if you can take the time, and are agile enough to deal with it, you could pull that off.

IF you get a shop manual and learn to post diagram pages, we can step you through it. And, if you can send me scans of the relevent pages I can help you figure them out as well.
 
Cool, thanks. I'm working on getting a Chrysler manual. The one I have is only because it came with the car. I've only had the car a few days.

I'm still working on just getting a replacement harness. I'm not at all concerned about getting the cruise control or anything else hooked up. The car might become full race, not even a street car, so... really just need it to run. I haven't decided yet.

I'm not even sure physically how I'd go about re-wiring this. Most of the wires seem pretty "stuck" in there. Some are attached to ends that just pull out, but... yeah. Not real sure what to do with this. If he'd at least left me a few inches, I could have just spliced them all back and made it workable. I'd have to use mostly new wires, as the ones I have are all cut up and pretty much a mess.

OK, so let me work on getting some info and/or maybe even a new harness then go from there. Thanks again.
 
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