TR4/4A Advance Auto Wire for TR4A

[briarpatch]

I just joined this forum today and posted this in the wrong area. I am nearing completion of a total restoration of a 1965 TR4A. The car looked great when I bought it but when we media blasted the body, we found all kinds of rust out. Now we have completed all the patch panels and paint work. We also completed a complete overhaul including a better cam, etc. I purchased a wiring diagram and we are scratching our heads trying to decide how best to proceed. Anybody out there have experience with the AAW harness installation in the TR4A? Any good tricks/tips, etc.? All the original wiring is still in the car. I did read somewhere that it was a good idea to leave a couple inches of wire at each termination point. Is it best to pull the dash?

Also, is it worthwhile to install an electric fan? If so, any recommendations? The temperatures in the summer here can often run a 100+ degrees.F. I will appreciate any input you provide. Thanks, Grant.

 

[Zimmycobra]

I purchased an AAW complete harness assembly from Steve for my TR4A restoration. As most of my wiring was gone or unusable, the complete set was necessary. I have also had a great deal of past experience with Lucas and was very interested to go the relay route and avoid some of the issues. Everything in the harness was of great quality and the customer support help from Steve was impeccable. Can't say enough positive things about him and his company. I also followed his instructions to convert to negative ground as well as changing to an alternator. All of the electrical systems worked as expected and have been no problem since the installation.

Good luck.

 

[TR3driver]

An electric radiator fan is a substantial improvement, IMO. I removed the mechanical fan entirely on my TR3 and with the electric, the temp gauge never goes past 190F or so (where the fan comes on) even in the hottest weather and stop-n-go traffic.

Other than that, although the AAW harness is clearly higher quality than the stock wiring; IMO the stock wiring is adequate. Headlight relays are useful primarily for getting more light out of conventional light bulbs, and even that isn't true if you convert to LED. (LEDs have their own power converter, so the brightness doesn't change for a modest drop in voltage.)

 

[Geo Hahn]

I went with a new stock wiring harness which was simple, reliable and looked right. By all accounts the AAW is great too - so just depends on your goal.

I did add relays for the headlamps and also the horn (no horn relay on TR4s) but that can easily be done in a 'no-cut' mode on the stock harness - easier still with the AAW I suppose.

I had an electric 'helper' fan (mounted as a pusher) but ditched it when I went with the 6-blade tropical style fan with greater pitch. Works very well even in 100° driving (like today).

 

[fpstude]

The wiring in our TR4A is all original and in good condition, so I can't contribute to the wiring question. As for the cooling system, overheating has never been a problem with the system as installed at the factory. 105F is common here. The original plastic fan was replaced with a metal one when we drove through some high water on the road back when it used to rain in California.