Hey all!
Before I continue, I want to alert the "purist" crowd to avert your eyes. My girl is in the resto-mod category with Chevy 327, some poorly thought out dash components, 17" TRD wheels with 255/75/17 tires, aftermarket heat, and disc brakes. Tranny is a 5 speed, though it and the transfer case are both Toyota. I bought it this way, other than the wheels, and don't mind the functionality of it. It is my daily driver, All that said, this is all hypothetical at the moment anyhow.
I am about ready to embark on a wiring re-do and have been considering the different harnesses available. I am NOT savvy enough to design and execute an entire harness on my own so I'll be using something like the JTOutfitters wiring harness. Or the American Autowire version is appealing. Painless also makes one. IF anyone has experience with the JT Outfitters harness, I'd like your take. There are plenty of posts on the Painless harness, so those opinions are out there. They are all based on GM systems and use those color codes for wires. There is a LOT of amazing wire being made these days and I could go with OEM color codes, but that means starting from absolute scratch. I'm sure I could build some of the sub-harnesses but I'd for sure have to pay someone to help me execute this. That s***e is expensive.
A friend of mine is into off-road buggies and he is trying to talk me into using something like the Switch Pros RCR Force 12 as the hub for a harness. It is an interesting concept and something I could actually do myself. I have ridden "adventure" motorcycles for years and always add a secondary fuse box for easy accessory add-ons. The Switch Pros unit is basically something like that on really pro-level steroids. These units are designed for exactly this purpose in the buggy and race truck world. They are robust and quite simple actually, as well as keeping wiring quite straightforward. I would absolutely trust the unit.
The thing that is hard FOR ME is that it does actually take away from the old school charm these trucks have. Doing it would make the start-up and driving experience more fighter pilot-ish. Start up would be something like this: get in truck, dis-engage battery kill switch, hit button for "main on"(would allow use of interior lights, gauges, horn, turn signals, reverse lights, wipers, running lights, and starter- all on their own buttons), hit momentary start button, hit light button if night time. Brake lights are wired outside of the unit and straight to battery. Keeping one simple thing like a traditional pull style light switch means dual wiring harnesses running side by side (this would really de-clutter the dash, which I also like). Light switches are likely one of the more complicated bits in these old trucks. I would like to keep turn signals on the column, so that would be something to figure out. Headlights, flashers, and any secondary accessories are a no-brainer on the Switch Pros unit. Stereo is tricky. In order to not lose power and have clock, EQ settings, etc lost every time you shut down the car, some sort of constant power would have to be separated out- low amp draw. Then when main on button is engaged, another button could be used to turn on the pre-amp and amp section of the head unit. I currently have a dual battery set up and could likely find a solution there. Even my single DIN stereo doesn't have a power button. It assumes you have it on all the time, so it needs enough power to just hold it at "idle" to keep basic functions running in the background when not using the truck. There is a provision for something like this on the RCR Force 12.
Buggies are more simple in the sense that they are most likely just sitting dead on a trailer in a garage until the owner wants to run it- keeping it secure in the parking lot while getting groceries isn't a concern. Then the start up sequence would be exactly as stated above. The thing with having this system on a daily driver is that you want to keep it so the truck has at least some level of basic security right? There are keyed battery disconnects, so that would work I guess.
I can see the appeal of the Switch Pros as a full wiring harness, and I like it because I could actually do it myself, mostly. Plus it makes for a really sano wiring job. It is quite easy in the sense that everything is in the engine compartment, with only 1 wire going in to the cab and to the dash unit. None of that working upside down trying to fish wires around under the dash and actually make it look intentional and clean. There is a hybrid system which utilizes a fore mentioned wiring harness, like that from JT Outfitters, and the smaller Switch Pros SP-9100 that would control all secondary lighting (driving lights, aux lights, reverse lights- 66 FJ's didn't have reverse lights, so that's a separate switch anyway). This way you have more traditional dash switches controlling lights, wipers, etc., and the Switch Pros for aux stuff, which makes sense. My 66 has a super F***ed up dash from the PO.. Someone was toggle switch happy and put everything on toggles. I have no original type switches now anyway. It's annoying the way it was done. Separate switches for left and right wipers, etc.. Plus I have a 160 mph speedo, which is super helpful. The original dash was severely cut up for some reason, and a big piece of steel was put over the entire dash to cover up big holes cut in it. I haven't un-earthed it to see the full extent of the F***ery. My guess is that it will be hard to salvage, but I'm gonna try. For this reason, and the fact that 66 switches are hard to come by, I'll likely have to do something "not OEM" anyhow. Maybe as simple as using switches from the 68+ model years, which are still available, with older knobs bought on eBay for huge $? I love the old school nature of FJ's and try to at least lean towards keeping it original wherever I can. The Switch Pros unit would definitely be a huge leap in the opposite direction in that sense.
Typing this has made me aware that I do want to keep at least some of it more old school, so I think I have my decision. I am curious though if any of you other resto-mod champions have gone with something like the Switch Pros unit and how you like it day to day? I could still be talked into it... I'd bet that the crawler crowd would have no issues with the Switch Pros direction as those trucks are likely trailered to their destinations. Not to mention, those trucks are stripped down to their bare necessities anyhow.
So it comes down to the day to day drivers of these beautiful old trucks. Anyone using such a system?
Thanks for reading the morning blather. Cheers to all you nut-jobs that have the "fever".
Before I continue, I want to alert the "purist" crowd to avert your eyes. My girl is in the resto-mod category with Chevy 327, some poorly thought out dash components, 17" TRD wheels with 255/75/17 tires, aftermarket heat, and disc brakes. Tranny is a 5 speed, though it and the transfer case are both Toyota. I bought it this way, other than the wheels, and don't mind the functionality of it. It is my daily driver, All that said, this is all hypothetical at the moment anyhow.
I am about ready to embark on a wiring re-do and have been considering the different harnesses available. I am NOT savvy enough to design and execute an entire harness on my own so I'll be using something like the JTOutfitters wiring harness. Or the American Autowire version is appealing. Painless also makes one. IF anyone has experience with the JT Outfitters harness, I'd like your take. There are plenty of posts on the Painless harness, so those opinions are out there. They are all based on GM systems and use those color codes for wires. There is a LOT of amazing wire being made these days and I could go with OEM color codes, but that means starting from absolute scratch. I'm sure I could build some of the sub-harnesses but I'd for sure have to pay someone to help me execute this. That s***e is expensive.
A friend of mine is into off-road buggies and he is trying to talk me into using something like the Switch Pros RCR Force 12 as the hub for a harness. It is an interesting concept and something I could actually do myself. I have ridden "adventure" motorcycles for years and always add a secondary fuse box for easy accessory add-ons. The Switch Pros unit is basically something like that on really pro-level steroids. These units are designed for exactly this purpose in the buggy and race truck world. They are robust and quite simple actually, as well as keeping wiring quite straightforward. I would absolutely trust the unit.
The thing that is hard FOR ME is that it does actually take away from the old school charm these trucks have. Doing it would make the start-up and driving experience more fighter pilot-ish. Start up would be something like this: get in truck, dis-engage battery kill switch, hit button for "main on"(would allow use of interior lights, gauges, horn, turn signals, reverse lights, wipers, running lights, and starter- all on their own buttons), hit momentary start button, hit light button if night time. Brake lights are wired outside of the unit and straight to battery. Keeping one simple thing like a traditional pull style light switch means dual wiring harnesses running side by side (this would really de-clutter the dash, which I also like). Light switches are likely one of the more complicated bits in these old trucks. I would like to keep turn signals on the column, so that would be something to figure out. Headlights, flashers, and any secondary accessories are a no-brainer on the Switch Pros unit. Stereo is tricky. In order to not lose power and have clock, EQ settings, etc lost every time you shut down the car, some sort of constant power would have to be separated out- low amp draw. Then when main on button is engaged, another button could be used to turn on the pre-amp and amp section of the head unit. I currently have a dual battery set up and could likely find a solution there. Even my single DIN stereo doesn't have a power button. It assumes you have it on all the time, so it needs enough power to just hold it at "idle" to keep basic functions running in the background when not using the truck. There is a provision for something like this on the RCR Force 12.
Buggies are more simple in the sense that they are most likely just sitting dead on a trailer in a garage until the owner wants to run it- keeping it secure in the parking lot while getting groceries isn't a concern. Then the start up sequence would be exactly as stated above. The thing with having this system on a daily driver is that you want to keep it so the truck has at least some level of basic security right? There are keyed battery disconnects, so that would work I guess.
I can see the appeal of the Switch Pros as a full wiring harness, and I like it because I could actually do it myself, mostly. Plus it makes for a really sano wiring job. It is quite easy in the sense that everything is in the engine compartment, with only 1 wire going in to the cab and to the dash unit. None of that working upside down trying to fish wires around under the dash and actually make it look intentional and clean. There is a hybrid system which utilizes a fore mentioned wiring harness, like that from JT Outfitters, and the smaller Switch Pros SP-9100 that would control all secondary lighting (driving lights, aux lights, reverse lights- 66 FJ's didn't have reverse lights, so that's a separate switch anyway). This way you have more traditional dash switches controlling lights, wipers, etc., and the Switch Pros for aux stuff, which makes sense. My 66 has a super F***ed up dash from the PO.. Someone was toggle switch happy and put everything on toggles. I have no original type switches now anyway. It's annoying the way it was done. Separate switches for left and right wipers, etc.. Plus I have a 160 mph speedo, which is super helpful. The original dash was severely cut up for some reason, and a big piece of steel was put over the entire dash to cover up big holes cut in it. I haven't un-earthed it to see the full extent of the F***ery. My guess is that it will be hard to salvage, but I'm gonna try. For this reason, and the fact that 66 switches are hard to come by, I'll likely have to do something "not OEM" anyhow. Maybe as simple as using switches from the 68+ model years, which are still available, with older knobs bought on eBay for huge $? I love the old school nature of FJ's and try to at least lean towards keeping it original wherever I can. The Switch Pros unit would definitely be a huge leap in the opposite direction in that sense.
Typing this has made me aware that I do want to keep at least some of it more old school, so I think I have my decision. I am curious though if any of you other resto-mod champions have gone with something like the Switch Pros unit and how you like it day to day? I could still be talked into it... I'd bet that the crawler crowd would have no issues with the Switch Pros direction as those trucks are likely trailered to their destinations. Not to mention, those trucks are stripped down to their bare necessities anyhow.
So it comes down to the day to day drivers of these beautiful old trucks. Anyone using such a system?
Thanks for reading the morning blather. Cheers to all you nut-jobs that have the "fever".
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