Repair 7

Rewiring Tips for a 1965 Ford Mustang

Whether youre restoring a 1965 Mustang to its original state, or adding a few creature comforts along the way, one of the most important jobs is the rewiring. An electrical system is only as good as its weakest link. Bad connections and insulation can cause shorts that in turn cause failure at best and electrical fires at worst.

Replace All Wires

Replace all the components when rewiring your 1965 Mustang. The chances are that most of them have worn or corroded, and even those that look in reasonable condition are probably more brittle than they should be and will fail soon. If a part is almost 50 years old, then it is likely to fail soon and damage the rest of the system.

Watch for Chaffing

As youre installing your new wires, take time to do what Ford didnt do. Examine each piece of the wiring for security and chaffing during road vibrations and over bumps. If you find any positions where the wire may rub, then wrap them generously in electrical tape and do what you can to secure the wire out of the way. Also seal any connections outside the car that may get wet -- this will help prevent them from corroding. A few minutes here could save hours of troubleshooting later on.

Replace Switches

Switches should be replaced whenever you replace the wiring harness. Faulty switches can lead to circuit breaker and part failures that cant be fixed on the road. Ford switches have a history of failure when theres a high current load, so headlight and air conditioning switches should be replaced at the very least.