Tangled Spaghetti...

So it's fairly apparent that over the years that there have been quite a few people "working" on the wiring of this truck.    Now, I don't want to sound like I am critizing other's work, but I find it amazing that it hasn't burnt to the ground.  I have never seen so many bare and uninsulated wires in a single vehicle.  There wasn't even any type of fuse panel, just random in-line fuses hidden in the web of tangled wires.

Here is the main under the dash harness...

...and since the first time I saw this truck, I absolutley loathed the bundle of wires running at an angle across the firewall....not to mention the terminal strips...

So, the only thing to do was cut it all out...

...and start with a new aftermarket harness.  We decided to go with a Rebel Wire Harness.  There have been quite a few positive reviews about their product and customer support, so I figured it time we try.  Plus it's made in America with American components.

Here is the rebel kit straight out of the box...

It's personal opinion, but I much prefer the harnesses that are terminated at the fuse panel.  Some of the kits available, like the Ron Francis Wireworks, have the end user terminate the wires at the panel. While these kits make it very easy for a first timer to do a complete wire job, it is very difficult to make them look presentable.

The first impression of the Rebel Harness is that it's on the higher end of this style and price bracket of kit.  Sure there are some quirks about it that we are going to work through, but overall, I am very pleased.  The majority of similar kits have the horn relay and flashers separate from the fuse panel requiring additional mounting provisions.  The Rebel kit is designed so that it can be fastened together, which gives the appearance of more a factory install.

The most important aspect of a wiring job is preparation.  With every kit that I have installed, the wires coming out of the panel have required to be rerouted to fit the particular vehicle.  The worst part of the entire job is cutting the main zipties and having all of the wires loose.  Things can get out of hand and tangled real quick...but that is were having a little patience and plenty of extra zipties come in hand...    

and after a little rerouting...

And speaking of zipties, I hate seeing them in a finished wiring install.  A properly installed harness should have a minimal number of them.  I usually go though about 100-150 ties during an install to keep everything orginized but only keep 2-3 of them when it's done...but more on that later....