V8Rumble

iTrader: (9)

Hey guys,

I realize that this question is a bit "generic", but maybe that means that it'll help a lot of people, rather than just the ones building the same type of car...

I need to buy a bit of 0/1-gauge cable to relocate my battery, some exhaust tubing, some wire, & other "raw material"-type stuff to finish up my swap - I'm building headers & will be tying them into my existing exhaust, etc. I know that Summit will sell spools of wire, pre-bent pieces of exhaust tubing, etc., but there's gotta be a better/more economical way of buying that kind of thing than that...

Does anyone have any places that they recommend? Thanks guys.

themachasy

iTrader: (5)

Welding shops have some wire- its not as flexible as like car audio wire (solid strands and less of em). You can also look for knukonceptz on google- they used to have really cheap 0 gauge that was pretty decent. As for exhaust tubing, I ordered from columbia river mandrel bending, not too expensive (google again). Speedway motors and others have lsx header builder kits. Hope that helps a little

vette0009

Go to the yellow pages and ask an electrician.
alot of times they have 0/1 wire laying around.
Just tell them what your trying to accomplish,
Bon

bgblockelcamino

iTrader: (9)

for headers on a BMW swap i made i bought a header kit from Speedway motors for a SBC. then bought header flanges from GM. speed way sells lsx header builder kits but i really liked the GM flanges better and was cheaper this way.


i stock magnaflow bends in the shop that is what i use to build my exhaust.

for battery cable go to your local welding supply store. they sell cable that you need.

Pop N Wood

iTrader: (1)

For wire hit a pick and pull. I pulled the entire harness off a Maximum I think. Got a couple of buckets of wires and relays for $50 back when copper prices were outrageous.

Certain BMW models had batteries in the back. You can get heavy guage cable from there.

I am not a fan of using house wire on a car. Too few strands and the wrong insullation. Japanese cars seem to usually have higher quality primary wire.

Nashty

iTrader: (7)

McMaster Carr. They have it all, things I've gotten from them for cars over the years.

Silicone hose
4" silicone, duct hose (like clothes dryer duct but heavy duty)
T bolt clamps
Sheets of rubber (any durometer - makes great body bushing or any bushings)
Tube connectors
Battery cable (fine wire in Red or Black)
Pipe / hose fittings
*****
Clamps (for making tooling to make the hybrid)

Not always the cheapest but is pretty fair price. Ships very fast and sometimes doesn't charge shipping. It's all available online, they won't send you a paper copy catalog unless you're really, really special (trust me, I've tried and can't get a new one but I do have an older one.)

dpd069

iTrader: (1)

For wiring supplies, go to Waytekwire.com. They have some minimum orders that are a little bit of a PITA, but they have everything you'll need. There are others too, just search 'automotive electrical'

I'd advise against using welding cable for battery cable.

Like another poster said, junkyards are a good source

Almost all BMWs have the battery in the trunk, and they use very high quality wire. We did a batttery remote for about $15 by stripping the cable out of a BMW at the pick-and-pull junkyard. Everytime I go i look for relays, connectors - anything I might be able to use - if I'm buying something else they usually don't even charge me for them.

For exhaust components, I found a exhaust supply wholesaler in Phoenix that will sell to the public for cash. He carries mandrel bends and tube at the best prices I've found. You might look in the yellow-pages and see if you can find a wholesaler.

I've found mandrel bends on the internet and ebay too at some reasonable prices.

If you really want to pay through the nose, go to Burns Stainless. Really nice stuff, really expensive

Hope this helps you some

slow

iTrader: (7)

curious of why not use welding cable for battery relocation?



Ryan

V8Rumble

iTrader: (9)

Hey guys, thanks for the great info.

I checked out 'knukonceptz', but their site seemed to be geared only to audio stuff. I suppose that I could contact them & specifically ask about heavy-gauge cable, but people/companies that use gratuitous mis-spelling like that always seem a bit "cheesy"/non-serious to me... Thank you for the pointer though!

I also appreciate the reminder about header kits from Speedway motors - that might just be the way I handle this (I found a SBC header kit for under $90), but I'm seriously hoping that I can just buy the primary tubes by themselves. I already have the (seriously thick/heavy) GM flanges, & I want to be able to get the collectors sized the way that I want as well, not some off-the-shelf piece that "mostly" works...

Thanks also for the reminder about McMaster Carr! They were the only place I found for the angled washers I needed to install the StealthRam intake on the original engine. Good service, & you're right - it seems like they have freakin' EVERYTHING...

Very cool, I wasted a bit of time flipping through their catalog & found something else there that I wanted as well! Thanks!

I'm really hoping that I can find someone like that in my area as well, but since my wife & I sometimes wander down that way, I wouldn't complain if you wanted to shoot me a PM with his info...

Yeah, I actually already had them bookmarked. I'd LIKE to go that route, but I really don't see it happening...

Thanks again guys, any other info you feel like sharing would be great...

stealth71

iTrader: (15)

We have a local place called: skycraftsurplus.com they carry a ton of stuff and mail order. Just got some 1 gauge there today. I like marine cable for battery stuff because it's very thin strand and all tinned so it won't corrode. You can find cable at the marine/boating stores as well.

I have also used waytek wiring, but the minimum order thing can be a problem if you don't need much.

V8Rumble

iTrader: (9)

Man, that's perfect! I'll check 'em out, & see if I have any local suppliers as well. Thanks!

dpd069

iTrader: (1)

I take it all back - It looks like welding cable does make a pretty good battery cable for cars.

I think the only thing negative I'd hedumdumdum about it was when I was building a home-built airplane. While it is said to be able to carry more current, it is heavier than car battery cable. The gases given off by the coating on welding wire can be toxic and the coating is flammable (so they said) in the case of a fire. You can almost always get out of a car, but an airplane....... I'd consider using it.

The place in Phoenix I use to buy exhaust components is Allied Exhaust. They are actually in Mesa, on Broadway just west of Country Club. They are used to processing big orders, so I try to buy everything at once that I think I might need. Know what sizes and radius you'll need. HEAD Waterjet is in the same complex and will cut any flanges you need at good prices

dpd069

iTrader: (1)

Oh, and another place that has some good stuff is Aircraft Spruce. Chromoly tube by the foot in a lot of sizes, AN fittings, Parker tool (you need one if you are going to plumb in AN) and electrical supplies. Aircraft grade fasteners are kind of cool, too.