From: "Jim Wallace" <grandfatherjim@gmail.com>
> I am making a new wiring harness for my > 60K 3a. So far so good, but:
> -how far forward do the harnesses on the inner fenders go before the
> connectors for the sub-harnesses that hang from the apron?
Originally, there was a kind of "ball" of connectors, just behind (towards the
rear of the car) from the horn mounts. The short wire from the horns reaches
to the same general area. This is where both the headlights and park/turn
signals (and the control head on the steering side) connect to the main harness.
> Also pondering whether to use bullet connectors for this, or spades. Has one
> been shown to be any more reliable than the other over the course of time?
IMO, the bullet connectors are a little bit better. Probably because the soft
vinyl sleeves cover them better. For the ultimate in reliability, putting heat
shrink tubing over them would help even more. But of course you would have to
cut and replace the heat shrink every time you wanted to disconnect them.
> I am not worried about orginality; I want worry-free motoring.
My daily driver for 20 years used the bullet connectors. The only problems I
had with them were due to poor installation (IMO). Someone didn't bother to
solder them ! Not sure if that was a DPO or the factory, but once I reworked
them, I had no further trouble, even running my high power headlights (100
watts each) through them.
I have had a couple of the sleeves fail when I tried to reuse them, so
replacing the sleeves might be a good idea. But that's another advantage, IMO,
the "springy" element can be replaced as easy as unsnapping it and snapping in
the new one. With the flat disconnects, you have to cut and resolder wire to
replace the socket.
> PS I know Dan Masters recommends no connectors at all to the headlights
> however I am going to use some as I want to be able to eventually remove the
> apron without having to cut wires.
I had a discussion with Dan on that point. AFAIK, once he understood how a
TR2-3 is put together, he started putting connectors in his kit for those cars.
He offered to send me a set of connectors for the kit I already had, but I've
never gotten around to asking for them.
Randall
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