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It's been a few years since I posted here... Probably 20 years! In 1999 my 1974 Pantera suffered a minor engine fire. (Dry rotted section of fuel line.) It should never have kept it off the road for this long, but due to career and family challenges.

I've pulled it out of storage and time to get some work done!

Among engine, body and other age issues, I need to address the wiring. I have not pulled the dashboard and don't think I need to honestly. What I read online here some 20 years ago were complete, front to back labeled wiring kits, fuse box, circuit replacements.

Any direction would be appreciated.
Thanks!
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I can understand how fire damage could render the rear wiring harness unusable. But my first choice would be to try to repair it as others have said. If that’s not an option Wilkinson now manufactures the wiring harness for the engine bay.

The wiring under your dash is probably in about the same condition as all the other Panteras. And thus very workable. Since the car has been sitting it would be advisable to simply remove the fuses, clean them and their sockets, and put them back. Or just use new fuses.
Jon Haas (Pantera-Electronics) is the source of new harnesses but they are made on order as far as I know. Wilkinson ordered several from him.

Other then finding an original harness for sale (which does happen occasionally)the most expedient thing to do is have one made for you.

There are others that have made their own and those that have adapted a "universal" harness to the car but ask them how easy that is to do. It's not.


The original harness actually is quite good using marine grade wiring. Problems are not generally caused by the harness itself but by others modifying it and overloading things like the ignition switch which is already carrying a large load through it.

The original ampere gauge is also a fire hazard and the push on connectors are in very close proximity particularly in the console.

Those connectors have given me lots of grief personally.


I let Jon worry the details. That definitely is above my pay grade and incredibly time consuming for a guy like me.

I used to blame the harness a lot for the electronics shortcomings of the car but it really isn't the harness, it's the components in there like the original fuse box for instance.

For me, his updated components really fixed the car. I personally recommend the investment in them if you want dependability and sanity in one package.


I personally have seen more harness damage done to Panteras by people attempting to install MSD ignitions in the car and not understanding how the original car was wired.

An MSD in this car IS NOT the way that you want to go.

For some reason people presume that it is a Ford family designed harness. It isn't. It's all Detomaso and there are some significant differences to it's approach. One of those is the tachometer. That is not a Ford design.
Last edited by panteradoug
the harness toward the engine/rear has 4 parts:

1) there is a part which goes all the way in the rear (lights, bake light parking etc) of the car per Connector!!! My had a RED connector 8 connections for this. That is easy to replace color by color...

2) there is a part of the loom which is for Gas Tank, choke, oil pressure etc.
=> you can replace all the wires BY COLOR CODE...(see wiring diagrams on the Tech notes),
I used all over 2.5 or 1.5 mm**2. You can either add a connector or add other technologies
like crimping/and solder (we had a long discussion on this lately) this wiring is very much uncritical

3) there is a part for Ignition and Generator and AC clutch. You can try as in (2), they are at least 2.5mm**2 in original

4) then there is a part for Starter Solenoid and big power cable
=> for the big cable you need a special tool to extend it if really bad. Is a big plier by which you can
crimp easily 40 mm**2 cable. You need to find a place to rent it including the correct fitting (f-male - f-male)
in Copper. Starter cable goes as (2)

Important USE CORRECT COLOR CODE wires for all this 1-on-1... then no issue..

Take a look at the tech notes on wiring diagrams ...is not that difficult..but requires concentration to not loose any or mix stuff up..

Replacing the full harness for all rear is hard as goes to fuse block and other places in front, so difficult to do.. (I did all this as my FULL harness was out, is a mess of work, besides of pulling dash etc...)

Matthias
Adding to what Doug said, be careful of diving into something like this- it's one of the more dangerous projects you can have on a Pantera.

Not personal danger but sheer boredom; I know of at least two individuals that got disgusted with the unplated contacts on our Lucas-derived wiring causing intermittent continuity troubles, and started in replacing all the connectors in their running cars, with well-soldered Mil-spec connectors.

Ten or so years later, both cars were sold as non-running basket cases. The wiring change was never finished out of plain tedium, I guess; not much romance or bench-racing points in endless cut-and-solder. A sad end to ownership of such a neat car IMHO. My rule of thumb is, if a project takes longer than 6 months to finish, it becomes a chore and may grow into something to be avoided. Beware!
..took me more than 6 month ..was a mess (Bosswrench is right).. Big Grin

replaced app. 250 yards of old cable..mainly power, ground, light system, fan system, window motors wires,

..all was on the bench..
- following the tech wireing docu page by page
- added all wire color codes,
- validated as-is vs the-new,
- edited immed. all changes and modifications, is now a app 45 page booklet
- took Amp meter and wireing out, replaced by Volt Meter
- improved the main power bus
- added more grounding points (front, rear, dash)
- added 2 more power supporting points (front, dash)
- light and fans are on 4 relais in front now
- modified the fuse block so it covers now the window motors (windstar)
- applied new torpedo fuses (easier to see if melted)
- all new connectors (app. 20=

..invested app. 100 USD in wire Smiler

regards from an enthusiastic electrical engineer

Matthias

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quote:

I personally have seen more harness damage done to Panteras by people attempting to install MSD ignitions in the car and not understanding how the original car was wired.


I put full MSD on my first Pantera and it worked flawlessly for 10 years. It did require a tach adapter. It was not very difficult to install and tune. Only minimal changes were needed to the Pantera wiring harness while the 351C benefited greatly from the ignition system upgrade. But to your point one must take the time to understand the stock ignition (ballast resistor, etc) before going down the MSD path. This applies to Duraspark or any other ignition system upgrade as as well.
I can definitely publish the pages from the full set I downloaded from the Forum's tech-notes SHOWING MY CHANGES..well with color codes on wires all pages have to be edited. Smiler

Will take a bit of time...and someone needs to explain to me how to put them in the tech-notes folder..where they should be I guess..

Matthias
quote:
Originally posted by Mat_G:
I can definitely publish the pages from the full set I downloaded from the Forum's tech-notes SHOWING MY CHANGES..well with color codes on wires all pages have to be edited. Smiler ...


Never mind....

I think I already have the same collection of wiring drawings published by SOBill.
I have been thinking about and making revisions to them already.

Thanks

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