Wire strand budget?

What sort of diagrams did you use VW? Haynes type thing?
And did you use factory wire colours or invent you own? Also how about wrapping the wires?

Good idea Steveo! Didn't think of that!!

www.autosparks.co.uk/index.php?cPath=88&oscsid=8fumb7hneub06b7n28vr14k395

they have most colours avail

Cheers Seth!
Went down to the garage and had another look at the loom.
Most of it doesn't look too bad so I might pull it,rewire the bits that need it and re fit it.
Whats worrying my is the fact that the Van has had a plastic dash fitted with a load of extra switches,meaning bodging galore.

Keep the great replies coming guys

You should have a look at my van rebuild proect page as this is exactly what I am just about finished doing.....

retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=42634&page=1

The custom wiring loom makes an appearance on page 8.
I referred to the haynes diagram for the nearest saloon model I could find and just redrew it so that the diagram was laid out as the equipment is laid out in the car rather than as the haynes manual, where the diagram is laid out for ease of use and the layout bears no resemblance to the physical shape of the car. I made the changes I wanted to do like adding a proper fuse box inside the car, having a seperate fuse for each circuit,running the main and dip headlights through relays etc etc.
I then re-drew it life-size on the dining room floor, which did NOT go down well with the then Mrs21478, who soon afterwads became the ex mrs21478.

This allowed me to get a feel for the layout and measure the rough length of the wire runs.
I then hit www.autosparks.co.uk with my order of 30 different coloured 4 meter lengths of thinwall cable, and a few meters of heavier guage stuff for the lighting circuits and feeds from battery to fusebox etc. I bought fuse boxes a main cut-off switch, a load of plastic spiral wrap from them too, and a load of heatshrink crimp connectors. Total cost including shipping to france was around £50. 30 colours was a little tight and I had to re-use a few colours for the shorter runs, so maybe get more colours.
I laid it out in the shell a strand at a time, following my diagram and once all the wires were placed, leaving a decent amount of slack at each end I wrapped the lot in the spiral wrap. I then trimmed the lengths and crimped on the old connectors which I had cut from the old loom, allowing me to keep he old switches and plugs for the steering colum etc etc.

I don't like car electrics, but side from a slight oversight for the flasher relays ( I used moder electronic flashers from a scrapped Opel Astra which need an earth and are direction sensitive, unlike the old mini resistance-and-spring things) it all worked perfectly. Itnot hard as long as you are methodical and plan it all out on paper beforehand.

That made me chuckle ;D Reminds me of that bloke on Top Gear once that built a kitcar in his kitchen.