Suggestion for plug wires - 500kr

[nvr-enuf]

Hello everyone
I am in need of plug wires for 68 KR - does someone make a set that resembles original ?

Current wires say radio resistance 20-67 Autolite
Thanks
Sas

[Bob Gaines]

Hello everyone
I am in need of plug wires for 68 KR - does someone make a set that resembles original ?

Current wires say radio resistance 20-67 Autolite
Thanks
Sas

IYes your KR would have Autolite radio resistance marked wires.  I would check with https://www.martiauto.com/    . They are the only one that I am aware of that makes original looking reproduction spark plug sets. The wires you have are for a 67 given the 2nd quarter of 1967 date code.

[nvr-enuf]

Thanks bob for quick reply

[6s1640]

Hi Bob,

I purchased a set of these wires from Marti and they come with a plastic shield or sleeve about 7 inches long.  Does the shield go down by the plug or by the cap or in the middle?  I would guess by the plug as a heat shield from the exhaust manifolds.

They also can come dated coded.

Thanks

Cory

[Bob Gaines]

Hi Bob,

I purchased a set of these wires from Marti and they come with a plastic shield or sleeve about 7 inches long.  Does the shield go down by the plug or by the cap or in the middle?  I would guess by the plug as a heat shield from the exhaust manifolds.

They also can come dated coded.

Thanks

Cory

Cory, the plastic sleeve is a heat shield from the smog tubes that can get very hot because of the exhaust gases they route.Ford started date coding the plug wires in early 67 production if I remember correctly.Non thermactor cars (not fe in 68) didn't get the sleeves.

[shelbydoug]

After coming highly recommended, I bought a set of the Marti wires.

Now I do have headers on the car so I thought that the hose near the plugs would be good.

Wrong. It melted. The wire split and was grounding out on three wires and the boots kept popping out of the distributor cap.

Long story short, they are off the car and back in the box. IF those are the best wires to use, then we are in deep do-do. They are crap. Plain and simple.

Of course they DO LOOK GREAT but they won't stay that way if you start the engine.


I DID have the original wires on the car when I bought it. The issue with them was that you couldn't move them without the wiring intermally breaking BUT they didn't have the Marti issues.

Now in all fairness to Marti, my criteria is different then his. I actually IN ADDITION to how they look, WANT THEM TO WORK. So evidentially, we have different perspectives on the wires and probably about life in general?

Color me a  skeptic. Sorry.

[69 GT350 Vert]

The Marti wires look good, but I stopped using them after I tested resistance on them with an ohm meter.  Resistance was 10 times higher with Marti wires than with a good set of Taylor wires.  With changing plugs on a big block being so difficult, I learned to run the best quality wire possible to reduce plug fouling, and that meant an aftermarket performance wire with less resistance in the black color.   

[Bob Gaines]

The Marti wires look good, but I stopped using them after I tested resistance on them with an ohm meter.  Resistance was 10 times higher with Marti wires than with a good set of Taylor wires.  With changing plugs on a big block being so difficult, I learned to run the best quality wire possible to reduce plug fouling, and that meant an aftermarket performance wire with less resistance in the black color.   

I agree the Taylor wires work better performance wise. For concours venues the Marti wires are the only game in town besides original which are few and far between besides degrading over 50 + years. For a pleasure driven car I would suggest getting the black Taylor wires with the 45 degree angle boots (my preference) and use a little lacquer thinner to wipe off the mfg writing so that they appear solid black which will make them stick out less as aftermarket. You have to custom make the wire sets which is not hard just tedious but that will allow you to make them with plenty of length to clear the tall 68 Shelby valve covers . Do not copy the marti wire length . It is typically better to do them one at a time testing out the fit on the car as you go to a adequate length.

[Royce Peterson]

The wires from Marti are supposed to have a higher resistance because they are resistance type spark plug wires. If you are going to use low resistance wires be sure you don't do it with an MSD box or you will fry the box.

[shelbydoug]

The complete description of what the OP wants in plug wires was not apparent to me.

If you want pure function with reasonable period appearance I'd suggest getting rid of the original female terminal cap, male plug ends and go to a male terminal cap and female ends.

I have a black cap that I can recommend to you and 7mm black silicone wires with 45 degree plug boots to recommend if interested. Let me know.

Oh, that reminds me, I owe someone a picture of the 67 gauge pod?


The original cap design is conducive to cross fire. The male terminal cap reduces that virtually eliminating crossfire.