Need wiring help with Dakota Digital

[70cuda50]

I called Dakota Digital and MH wiring that supplies harnesses to Year One and not getting any definitive answers. If you can shed light, thank you
I have non rallye dash in my 70 Cuda. Already have the VHX cluster from DD. I am replacing all 50 yr old wiring harnesses. My big question is what to buy for dash harness. From what I understand, wires that would have fed actual instruments now run through the green distribution block supplied by DD. Since their non rallye dash adds a tach, oil pressure like rallye dash, would it be better to get rallye harness. Plus converting from ammeter to volt meter. Water, oil, and speedo uses their supplied harnesses. To further complicate matters, I am installing Holley sniper, Hyperspark distributor and coil, plus Holley fuel tank with in tank pump. I also got the Holley to DD interface module. So with all that, what am really using from a stock dash harness. Turn signals can be run separately if desired per their manual. I plan on using the dimmer feature of cluster and not mess with their actual dimmer switch. Are the headlights part of the forward light harness? What about wipers? What else am I missing that is in dash harness vs a separate harness. and will it be easier to just run a few extra wires for cheaper than $550-$650 dash harness. I know that is a lot but for those that have done the DD and Holley mods, I appreciate your input.

 

[Hemi392]

i am just finishing a DD VHX install for the wife's 65 Mustang and have already purchased a DD VHX for my 70 Cuda. using the mustang for the learning curve. Mustang, all new OEM wire harness front to rear for rallye inst pnl. it helped to have the OEM harness to start as that gave me a wiring diagram to go to for identifying all the wires i needed to use for the DD and where to tap for the appropriate pwr sources. it did require that i make up splice pigtails from old harness fittings to get the pwr and other hookups without changing the OEM harness. the old harness uses light sockets for the turn signals and Hi Beam so i machined dummy light bulbs out of hard machinable nylon and ran a wire thru it with a connector on the end. the new insulated dummy bulb goes in the light socket just like a light bulb and the wire hooks up to the DD box. Now the OEM harness has no modifications, cuts or splices. Just insulate and tape up all unused wires. according to DD you can't use your OEM dimmer and have to use their dimmer control. so i added the DD dimmer ($30).
Now for the Cuda. I'm going to drop in a 6.4 Gen III Hemi so there will be a few more updated needs (ie fans, eng computers, ect). So, with the new needs and the DD it makes sense to go with the Painless or American Auto Wire harness and go from scratch as they already have the additions built into the fuse box with all updated circuitry, fuses as well as all the wires are labeled making identification a lot easier. Also Painless and AAW give you plenty of wire so you don't have to splice and add wire or get creative in where you mount the DD control box. DD prob could have set you up with a volt meter instead of amp meter but too late now, so to get volts you may have to add a separate gage under the dash. With Painless or AAW you may have to get creative to hook up to your OEM light switch and wiper control. I'll dig into that next winter on the Cuda. All in all, i think you are better off going Painless or AAW. good luck.

 

[70cuda50]

Thanks for the info hemi 392. my DD does come with volt meter. I have guy installing it that is a lot more electrical smart than me. I am trying to learn what I can also. He has never installed one either and busy finishing another project so am trying to gather as much info from everyone so we don’t have too steep of a learning curve