Source for Good Electric Components

-

mopowers

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2006
Messages
8,458
Reaction score
4,627
Location
West Sacramento, CA
Where do you guys buy good quality electrical components (wires, relays, fuse blocks, terminals, etc)?

I'm getting ready to wire my 66 Dart from scratch and would rather buy components and build what I need than buy a whole harness and not use half of the stuff. I'd rather stay away from the cheap oversees relays and shitty wire. Is there a place that sells good stuff at a reasonable price?
 
For well built fuse blocks at reasonable prices it is hard to beat OEM stuff. Visit your local pull apart and see what fits your needs. When I upgraded the electrical system on the 83 D150 and the 68 Barracuda I used power control modules out of mid 90's Dodge Caravans. Nine relays, six maxi fuses and 10 mini fuses in one box. You will need to spend the time getting familiar with what ever box you choose to understand power in and out and ground wire routing. I knew I was doing two vehicles so I got three identical boxes from the pull a part, so I have one extra for a reference. Spend the time un wrapping the OEM harness and get a foot or so of each wire, you then have a good lead to splice to. I also made a drawing of the wire routing in advance so I could plan the install and have a guild for troubleshooting.
For terminals, wire and relays, there are multiple sources on line. I would not worry too much over off shore content. The computer you are using to post with has major components that were made off shore and it seems to be working for you.
link to wire marking lables
McMaster-Carr
link to one of hundreds of wire suppliers
Wire & Cable | Bulk Wire

concerning wire selection, it is important that you understand and properly size the wire. Too small and you risk overloading the wiring harness, too big and you end up with a bulky and hard to package wiring harness.

You will need a good reliable crimping tool. I crimped then soldered then covered in marine shrink wrap all of the electrical connections.

I cannot overstate the importance of having a detailed plan, drawn out so you have a guide to go by and a method to trouble shoot with.
 
Last edited:
I use Allied Wire and Cable and one other vendor. I use TXL wire. It’s smaller and cleaner and only a bit more expensive.
 
About relays... My 96 Toyota has several and they aren't all the same. Bosch standardized them only to a point and I'm not sure what year. Mfgrs could still have custom applications produced so only their relay was plug and play. So that Bosch relay was sold out to tyco or somebody and could be produced anywhere on earth today, Who knows?
I know someone here builds a kit for headlight relays but I don't know anything about its construction or which relays used.
Mine is a 67 Plymouth. It's born with only 2 relays, for starter, and horn. I intended to add modern bosch type relays for high beam, low beam, and the one switched hot wire to engine bay that feeds ignition, charging system, electric choke, etc... I realized that the OEM horn relay could be the Bosch type also. The starter relay is much more than the typical 30-amp bosch relay is designed for. So keeping the OEM starter relay was no brainer. If the quality of Aftermarket replacements goes away, I'll deal with it then.
I built my own relay enclosure and placed it near the right frame rail and alternator. Today it holds relays for high beam, low beam, horn, and engine bay. Just aluminum channel supporting several relays under a plastic cover. There is space for electric fuel pump relay, a/c clutch relay, whatever I decide to add in the future. Every relay there is identical/interchangeable. So while I'm modifying the OEM wiring harness for 60 amp isolated field alternator, electronic ignition, and more, I did spend the hours to modify OEM wiring diagrams, print them and put them in the car.
The part I impressed myself with was labelling the harness connectors on these relays. If the low beam relay should fail, I can move that connector from there to horn relay and forfeit the horn for a while. If you use a box from parts yard wherever its labeling could be wrong.
Nylon bolts and nuts from a toilet seat hold the cover over relays so only a flashlight required for roadside repair.
Only relay located inside the cab is mounted by the fuse box and feeding the amp in the trunk.
If I had been rewiring the entire car as you are, I probably would have gone with Painless or similar. My plan was modifying the OEM harness while keeping the OEM wiring diagrams and wire colors for the future owner. And there is a underlying reason I care about the future owner. No need to go there now. Good luck with your build.
Yeah, I had to put my engineer's hat on and think it all though.
 
About relays... My 96 Toyota has several and they aren't all the same. Bosch standardized them only to a point and I'm not sure what year. Mfgrs could still have custom applications produced so only their relay was plug and play. So that Bosch relay was sold out to tyco or somebody and could be produced anywhere on earth today, Who knows?
I know someone here builds a kit for headlight relays but I don't know anything about its construction or which relays used.
Mine is a 67 Plymouth. It's born with only 2 relays, for starter, and horn. I intended to add modern bosch type relays for high beam, low beam, and the one switched hot wire to engine bay that feeds ignition, charging system, electric choke, etc... I realized that the OEM horn relay could be the Bosch type also. The starter relay is much more than the typical 30-amp bosch relay is designed for. So keeping the OEM starter relay was no brainer. If the quality of Aftermarket replacements goes away, I'll deal with it then.
I built my own relay enclosure and placed it near the right frame rail and alternator. Today it holds relays for high beam, low beam, horn, and engine bay. Just aluminum channel supporting several relays under a plastic cover. There is space for electric fuel pump relay, a/c clutch relay, whatever I decide to add in the future. Every relay there is identical/interchangeable. So while I'm modifying the OEM wiring harness for 60 amp isolated field alternator, electronic ignition, and more, I did spend the hours to modify OEM wiring diagrams, print them and put them in the car.
The part I impressed myself with was labelling the harness connectors on these relays. If the low beam relay should fail, I can move that connector from there to horn relay and forfeit the horn for a while. If you use a box from parts yard wherever its labeling could be wrong.
Nylon bolts and nuts from a toilet seat hold the cover over relays so only a flashlight required for roadside repair.
Only relay located inside the cab is mounted by the fuse box and feeding the amp in the trunk.
If I had been rewiring the entire car as you are, I probably would have gone with Painless or similar. My plan was modifying the OEM harness while keeping the OEM wiring diagrams and wire colors for the future owner. And there is a underlying reason I care about the future owner. No need to go there now. Good luck with your build.
Yeah, I had to put my engineer's hat on and think it all though.

If the low beam relay should fail, I can move that connector from there to horn relay and forfeit the horn for a while. If you use a box from parts yard wherever its labeling could be wrong.

Relays just don't fail unless they are mis sized or really old and used up, to protect against a failure wouldn't be easier to just carry a spare relay?
And yes a box from a parts yard labeling could be wrong in a custom application, easy enough to make up a new label, get it laminated at a Kinko's or any other print shop and stick it on the box.
 
I swapped around a few relays in my 2002 Silverado when I was in the middle of nowhere under a rural telephone line run and the starter didn't do ****. WTH? Seems there is a fuse that operates the starter relay. I swapped both and it started. Saved me *** that night. I like the modern " power distribution panel" out of minivans or trucks. Lots of goodies and protection that you can adapt.
 
Thanks guys. I'll look into OE stuff, but more than likely, I'll be building a custom fuse/relay panel like these examples I found online (photos below). I'll also need a switch panel, cutoff switch, etc. It'll be a basic race-type wiring harness with nothing too fancy.

I'll definitely look into the sources listed. Thanks for that.

One more question - What makes "bad" electrical components? For instance, how would I know if a particular wire, fuse block, relay, etc. is worth a ****? I've heard some of the cheap offshore wiring is actually smaller than the listed gauge but with larger insulation to make it look like the correct size. Are there signs to look for to avoid these types of issues?

upload_2021-12-8_18-14-17.png


upload_2021-12-8_18-14-38.png
 
Waytek. OEM supplier and has most of what you'll need as far as wire, connectors, terminals, zip ties, heat shrink.

Anaheim Wire... they only supply wire but their prices are a little better than Waytek, and they can put a tracer on a wire for you.

Rhode Island Wire... they specialize in harnesses for older restorations (like '20's and '30's Packards and Duesenbergs) but also sell bits and pieces.

I'm in the process of rewiring my 64 wagon. I've wired several cars in the past. Most of them about 20 years ago. Other than the companies above, I got most of my components (fuse box, relays, etc.) from Amazon.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions
 
Waytek. OEM supplier and has most of what you'll need as far as wire, connectors, terminals, zip ties, heat shrink.

Anaheim Wire... they only supply wire but their prices are a little better than Waytek, and they can put a tracer on a wire for you.

Rhode Island Wire... they specialize in harnesses for older restorations (like '20's and '30's Packards and Duesenbergs) but also sell bits and pieces.

I'm in the process of rewiring my 64 wagon. I've wired several cars in the past. Most of them about 20 years ago. Other than the companies above, I got most of my components (fuse box, relays, etc.) from Amazon.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions

I'll definitely take you up on your offer. Thanks a lot for the sources you listed. I'll look into them for sure.
 
Brillman company has good products always. I second Rhode Island wire use them alot of hard to find parts.
 
The really big downer for electrics is for components that must be OEM replacements, like ignition/ heater/ light switches. Most replacements I'm aware of in the "usual suspects" supply chain are JUNK. Unless you find some "new old stock" made years ago before China, it is junk, I don't care if it's Standard Motor Products, Delco, Echlin/ NAPA, or whoever else you can name. it is JUNK and it is SUSPECT.

Even a few years ago when I had my 67 running, I bought a dimmer switch from NAPA. I don't drive much at night,anymore, and I bet I didn't cycle that switch 25 times. It literally came apart, and before it did it got intermittent, meaning, if you switched it, the lights might not come back on.

THINK about how important that little switch IS!!! The answer? I have none, except find good working old parts and 'get around' it by using relays
 
I agree with above.^^^ A vehicles wiring is only 1 part of it. I've worked on a lot of various brands of more modern vehicles. They use relays to handle the high current and some pizz poor manually operated switches. They placed them where water, coffee, etc.., would get to them. I'm so glad this classic a-body forum doesn't deal with power windows and door locks. Our manually operated switches were once well made but today, Its a crapshoot. Good luck
 
I'll definitely be using relays on most (if not all) circuits. Are the cheaper relays found on Amazon/ebay decent? Or should one stick to genuine Bosch relays? Looks like the cost difference is pretty large.
 
I'll definitely be using relays on most (if not all) circuits. Are the cheaper relays found on Amazon/ebay decent? Or should one stick to genuine Bosch relays? Looks like the cost difference is pretty large.
We get what we pay for in most cases. I bought a pack of 5 relays with connectors (ebay, amazon, I forget). I haven't had a relay failure. I was disappointed with the connectors. The female terminals move around too in the cavities. They dont push out but I felt one could miss a male terminal on a relay. The undersize wire with oversized casing hasn't been a problem either. Everything works great and the typical fire hazards are gone, so met my goals. I should add that the car is rarely driven.
Not every circuit needs a relay. The low amp circuits could use a fuse where ma mopar didn't add one.
 
-
Back
Top