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From: Kenny J.
Email: kjosephson@sprintmail.com
Remote Name: 206.133.195.150
Date: May 21, 2002
I'm glad you weren't injured. I have known people who have suffered from smoke inhalation before exiting a car during a dash fire. I have a buddy who will never enter another '68-'70 Charger. His '69 R/T's dash harness tried to barbecue him on the freeway at 55 mph. Y n Z Wiring made a complete dash and engine harness for my '59 Suburban using my old one as a pattern. It was well over $500.00 but the piece of mind is worth it. Rhode Island Wiring Service is a highly recommended service, though I am not sure if they do harnesses for Mopars as new as '61. Their web site is: http://www.riwire.com/ I once removed a seemingly excellent dash harness from a '59 Impala I was dismantling. The car had spent its entire life in the Las Vegas Valley and was as dry as a bone. The dash harness was still pliable EXCEPT for about two inches behind the firewall connector. The insulation at this point was flaking off as multi-colored powder and was "seeping" through the wire wrap, also brittle at this location. I cut open the wrap and was stunned to find all the insulation on all the wires at this crucial junction were almost bare. Had I not noticed this or ignored it and installed this harness in my keeper Impala, I would have had all sorts of grief when I turned the key for the first time. Something to keep in mind if anybody is seeking a Forward Look car from the Desert Southwest. My Plymouth's dash and engine harness was so brittle in certain places that the insulation either cracked or left colored stains on my fingers when I touched it.