71 Charger Dash wiring options

[Shadow71]

The under dash wiring I have is trashed. Was going to rewire but between broken and melted plug ends I don't even have enough of the right pieces to put the puzzle together.

Decided to take the plunge and order a new harness and want to make sure I get the right one, as I know there are several options from 71-74 and also wondering if there are ones that are built better than the factory harnesses? (heavier gauge wire where it counts!)

Harness will be for a 1971 Charger with rally gauge cluster. Was originally a points ignition but have everything for electronic that I want to run in it.

My gut says get a 72 rally gauge harness and all should be good, but don't want to make a mistake on a purchase like this.

So, do I need an electronic ignition dash harness, or is the only difference in the E/C harness? (all dash harnesses can run electronic ignition?)

Who makes the best harness out there?

Any upgrades for longevity I should be thinking about?

All comments/ opinions welcome!

[birdsandbees]

Just spend the bucks and buy the M & H and be done with it. Plug and play as OEM.

[Bronzedodge]

Wiring does change year to year, you do not want to mix different year wiring in the same car.  The dash harness doen't not change for the explicit purpose of electronic ignition per se, the majority of changes are under the hood.

2X what birdsandbees said, just get a 71 M&H harness for the dash.  Evans makes a 71 b body engine harness for electronic, I believe.

[Nacho-RT74]

71 Harness is one year only, then 72/73 ( although could get some wires turned around on bulkhead easy to match ) then 74

laters can be modified or made to fit if you know the differences. I converted a 74 harness which is the "harder" one to be converted into 71 once, but did need some surgery to the tape to make the "perfect" wiring cloning.

71 got 3 pins drivers door jam switch, didn't get seatbelt wiring system and warning light was time delay relay controled, got diff plug to wiper switch than laters ( but same wiring, so plug can be swaped to laters disposition )...

72s are similar but the added seatbelt warning system wiring, NSS signal to the cab ( for the seatbelt warning system ) diff driver side door jam terminals,

73s are pretty much the same than 72 BUT didn't got a provision for concelead headlights system, and I recall some wires swaped at bulkhead.... also less accesories provisions I think

and 74s are a WAAAAAAY diff monster with all the interlock system

Both, underhood and underdash harness changes... forward light harness and engine harness change even between 72 and 73, just because some wires swapped between then, mostly due the like windshield washer location change... then also changed the brakes warning switch, starter relay, and some other. 71 and 72 engine harnesses are actually allmost the same except for the parking light plugs and NSS harness, aside if 72 was electronic ignition or points, BUT still bulkhead disposition was the same between both


Having the skills and paying attention,  become a 72 harness into 71 will be REALLY easy... specially having your own 71 as a guide allong with couple of diagrams to swap/remove/add some wires from one to the other, and plugs from one to the other and will be WAY cheaper than get a new harness. You can ( as I made ) even remove all the tape and swap wires from end to end from one harness to the other allong with remove all the unnecesary seatbelt wiring from the 72 to your 71... then retape it and nothing will tell something happened there

[Shadow71]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Nacho, I would repair/ build my own harness, but I don't have enough undamaged (broken/ cracked/ melted) plug ends to use.

So by the sound of things I will just order the 71 rally harness and then do the E/I wiring conversion to it.

So no one can confirm whether M & H upgrades the wire gauge to accommodate the amp meter gauge issue?

[Nacho-RT74]

I guess those are made per factory specs, keeping original ammeter wiring setup. Any ammeter wiring upgrade, reffer to the stickied thread.


As I told you should be good using a 72 wiring, just remove the seatbelt buzzer, sensors and relay system wiring, then will need:

-rewire the seatbelt light system to the time delay flasher your 71 got... it is just couple of wires to be spliced, from the 71 to the 72 harness
-install the 3 pins kind driver door switch jam wiring/plug your 71 wiring got, ALTHOUGHT you can replace also the switch to to the 2 prongs kind the 72/74s got. This door jam wiring could be removed and reinstalled from end to end OR simply spliced in.
-replace the plastic plugs the 72 got for yout existant 71 setup... wires are the same just diff plugs and prongs disposition on switch

that's all what it comes to my mind at this moment to become a 72 harness into 71. Maybe I'm missing something

then just be sure the bulkhead terminals disposition. Should be pretty much the same. The main difference COULD be the ground to the cab from the NSS. ALTHOUGHT somebody told me 72s got the ground for the seatbelt system coming from emergency brake wiring and not the NSS ... I'm really not sure about that.

A nice conditions used harness can be found on $100-200 rate, while the new one is on $500-600 rate