Race Car Wiring Command Central (Pix Please)

[gerahead]

hey guys, I am considering rewiring my race car. It currently has the switches mounted to a panel in the dash where the radio used to be. It can be hard to reach once I am belted in, so I would like to relocated the switch panel to the halo bar.

I really don't like the way it was wiring previously either and would like to make it a much neater, professional looking job. The MSD7, timing computer and fuse block are currently mounted on the trans tunnel. I have smashed my fingers between the shifter handle and the MSD on more than one occasion. I am looking for examples of how some of you guys have wired yours. A little narrative might help as well to explaint what your approach was. Thanks in advance. L8r

 

[gerahead]

bump.................any help? Thanks.

 

[67Dart273]

There are so many variables, simple as this may be, that this is difficult to answer

Trunk mount battery? How is the disconnect/ alternator wired?

You using the switches to operate relays, or the brute force approach with big heavy toggles and large gauge wire?

How is the neutral safety for the transmission/ clutch wired?

AND different ones "of us" disagree on approach.

My idea of a trunk disconnect is to kill ALL power EVERYWHERE for safety. I believe that is the "spirit of the rules."

Others claim that a separate charge line from alternator to the battery "passes tech." This won't do ya much good when that big 'ol no6 wire melts in a wreck and starts a fire.

Last you have location of parts. You have the MSD mounted by the shifter? Where is the fuse box? Do you even HAVE a fuse panel?

Is this race only? Run some on the street? (Therefore needing lights/ signals?)

Even race only, you run head/ tail/ brake lights?

And last, much of this gets to be "personal preference". You'd feel pretty silly, fer 'xample, if you had one of these huge "truck driver" toggle switches, in a car which launches real hard, and it shuts off the ignition form inertia.

 

[Bad Sport]

A buddy of mine has a full race 69 Dart. He has his switches mounted in a panel on the left side of his Cheetah shifter.

 

[vtmopar]

I used a painless relay controlled fuse box
#8001
I made my own switch panel if I did it again
I would use the painless switch panel
A lot less work.
I do not have the line lock wired through the
Relay control it did not like that.
So I wired it to the disco.
As far as the msd box pretty straight forward
Ground -battery
Power-disco
Signal - through the fuse box

I put everything on a plate where the passenger
Seat was : fuse box,msd box,coil and voltage
Regulator.
Remember everything needs to shut off
When disco is in off for NHRA .
SOLDER EVERYTHING if you want it to last.

Mine is a straight drag car pretty simple
Only 8 circuits.
Dash lighting and one tail lamp.

I would recommend a Francis kit for a full
Car with lights,turn signals,heater etc....
Nice product.

 

[70net440]

I used a Painless fused 6 switch panel mounted lengthwise on my trans tunnel right next to my seat. I removed almost all of the 40 year old factory wiring. I tied into the head and tailights at the dimmer switch. I have a 4 post(2pole) kill switch in the rear. I am using a 250 amp relay to tap into for a 12 volt source. The kill switch in back breaks the large cable from the battery positive and breaks the ground for the big relay. I used bosch type relays for the fan,water pump,lights,and fuel pump. I used a circuit breaker to tap into for my line lock and gauge lights. The only thing I didn't like about the Painless kit was the switch for the fan/water pump switch only turns on one or the other. I trigger two relays from the same side of the switch so they both run at the same time.

 

[gerahead]

I saw pretty quickly that what I thought was clear as day, probably really wasn't!!!
I start over again to clarify for those who have responded. This is a race only car, with nothing but the bare essentials left. I wasn't really asking how to wire it from a technical perspective, I can handle that. What I was looking for was different ideas for how to organize/locate the components in a manner that looks like it was wired by someone who knows what they were doing. My intention is to solder everything and follow up with heat shrink. I have seen some cars with a panel attached to the door bar for terminal blocks, 2-steps, relays, etc. Others have had a platform panel on the floor where the passenger seat used to reside. My car currently has the ignition, timing computer, fuse panel and RPM switch on the tranny tunnel. I would like to move it all, except the RPM switch off of the tunnel. The attached picture is of the car before I bought it. I have done some work to clean it up, but most of it is still pretty much like it was. There is an external master cut-off switch that kills everything, two trunk mounted batteries.
I would like to take advantage of the knowledge here and avoid mistakes that others have discovered and had to redo. Thanks for the help. L8r