Aluminum Vs Fiberglass, proper grounding.

[Michael4yah]

Is there a difference in the grounding of Aluminum cars opposed to fiberglass? I was told that on Aluminum cars each connection had its own ground wire that grounds it to the body instead of using a central grounding wire. Has anyone had a problem doing it this way, Is it as good as using the frame to ground to? Who has the best wiring kits for Alum?
Aint it great to have CC back on the air!!

[The Dreamer]

You ground to the steel frame on both I would assume. That is how I do it and have had no problems.

[wtm442]

Ground everything to the steel frame.

Do NOT use aluminum body for ground circuit.

[Michael C Henry]

I grounded everything to the frame and ran another heavy ground cable from engine starter to battery in trunk. I have several ground terminal blocks through out the car where groups of ground wires are combined into a single wire going to engine ,frame, or the like. A bad ground will raise havick and drive you nuts, especially intermitent circuit breaks. Never heard of too many or too much ground. Any electronics are heavily dependent on continous electric curent, They may not use much but they want it constantly and consistant.I learned this the hard way on fiberglass truck front ends. Getting though paint and getting rid of corrosion are really important because they do not conduct electricity effectively. I also have a major dislike for crimp on connectors. They are quick but tend to corrode later when out in the weather unless they are sealed off against the weather.I like crimped -soldiered and sealed as a good fix with longevity in mind.There are lots of crimping pliers available for crimping all the different connectors used on a wirring job. Cheap and quick are usually not the way to get the job out of the way.

[The Dreamer]

Never heard of too many or too much ground.

You can have too many grounds, but for our applications it is probably OK to have multiple grounding points.

[Yetiman]

Originally Posted by The Dreamer

You can have too many grounds, but for our applications it is probably OK to have multiple grounding points.

Yep, in a car with more electronics having multiple grounds and running cables to the battery in addition to the chassis will cause ground loops that will mess with microprocessors and the stereo big time.

[Michael4yah]

Thanks Guys, As long as Ive got you here to pick your brains I might as well ask you WHO HAS THE BEST WIRING HARNESS?

[trularin]

I made my own harness. Yes, it's a bit messy, but it works and only cost a few dollars.

Warren is correct, don't use the body for ground. As a matter of safety ( and peace of mind ), you may want to run a #4 to #10 ground line in your front to rear harness section.

Just my opinion.

[The Dreamer]

WHO HAS THE BEST WIRING HARNESS?

Don't know too much about sources, but I do know that Painless has some generic harnesses for street rods. The Kirkham harness is a rat's nest of wires, but it works. I have some pics in my gallery, but you could probably make your own with a few Painless components (fuses and stuff), some wire, plastic ties, and some connectors.

[Specialk]

The latest Shelby harness is really nice. Modern blade fuses, Bosch relays, etc and it will fit your car. It doesn't look too original, and thats the only reason I dislike it.

[tedster427]

Hey, i just signed on tonight. I build aluminum cars. You always ground to the steel frame. I work at McCluskey LTD in Torrance, Ca. I will ask my partner which harness he thinks is best. He's the wizard with wiring. If you can, always solder your connections but, you should always check for continuity between ends with a tester. A good ground stud could be a machined screw welded to the frame near guages or accessories. good luck!

[Michael4yah]

Thanks, I appreciate all your imput. I talked to someone at Painless who worked for Shelby for a while and he directed me to them. I didnt like the look of theirs, I was hoping to get something closer to the original. I dont mind it having better components than the original as long as it looks like the original.
Tedster I will be looking forward to your next reply. McCluskey has a good reputation and will only use quality stuff.

[Specialk]

Shelby also has original style harnesses.

Originally Posted by Michael4yah

I dont mind it having better components than the original as long as it looks like the original.

[tedster427]

O.K. talked to my guy. He hasn't used a painless unit beccause its to far from original. Kirkham units have to many glitches, though Shelby has done some thinking, you now have to pull hot from the big guage wires where before you could pull power from any hot to run an accessory(sp). If I get enough orders I can make a batch of harnesses. Motivate me! Correct to original specs.....

[Specialk]

Ted, I am interested in an original style harness.