Hello Guys/Gals,
i am looking at upgrading my witing on my ‘55 Oldsmobile. What would you guys recommend using. I have wired a couple cars in my day but they were kit cars. I am looking at replacing everything front to back. Thanks for your help.

 

Have you added or plan to add any non-original equipment? I'd look into a Painless Wiring kit for that, or Rhode Island Wiring if you're keeping everything original.

Though it's possible to fabricate your own given enough time and wire...

Purty Holiday Sedan btw.

 

What Rocketraider said. That would sure be a bunch of different colored wires to buy if you did it our self.... Tedd

 

" Painless " wiring is anything but .
It appears that the car is stock . Keep it that way .
OEM replacement harnesses are available from Lectric Limited . Just plug and play .
Dash And Engine Compartment Harness | #33755 | Lectric Limited

 

Guys,
sorry I did not provide this information earlier.. My car appears stock but has the following aftermarket items..
upgraded stereo
air ride suspension
generator conversion to a power master alternator
electric fuel pump/with the oem one as well(helps with getting gas to front of vehicle when it sits)
Now that you know this would you still go with a stock wiring kit?
thanks
will

 

Those things considered I would take a look at American Autowire. It gets good reviews from the guys on one of the Chevy forums I am on. Here is a link.

American Autowire: Wiring Harnesses, Accessories, & Parts for GM Restoration, Modified Restoration & Custom Street Rod | American Autowire

 

I just rewired my 55 this summer with a kit from Painless. I found it to be fairly straightforward and would recommend. All the wires are marked and the directions are clear. They also were available and responsive to answer the few questions I had. I believe you can download the installation manual from their site so you can see what you're in for before purchasing.

A few FYI's about the Painless kit...it does not support wiring for the ammeter. Also, I recall needing to install a different brake light switch. I plumbed in a pressure activated switch to the hydraulic system instead of the pedal activated type. Last, I would highly recommend getting one of those colored wiring diagrams off eBay. It made the job so much easier to have a colorized reference.

​​​​​​​Good luck

 

I like to separate the stock wiring from the add on items through a stand alone fused buss. To me its much easier to troubleshoot when it breaks.

 

I used American Auto Wiring kit made for my 55 Oldsmobile and it was easy to install an happy with the results. Only kit they did not have was wiring from the dash to the tail lights and backup lights