dash board light for convertible

[jos444cars]

hi frm down under. i am looking for a pic of an original dashboard courtesy light which seems to have been installed only on convertibles in the dashboard under the radio.
my bird came without one [blank metal panel only]. now i purchased via ebay a panel with a light in it, but after recving it i realised it is definitively not an original.
can anyone help?
john

[Guest]

RE: dash board light for convertible

Jos444......... You may have one from a 61-63. I think I saw that on ebay not too long ago and almost bid on it. The ones for 58-60 only had one wire (correct me if Im wrong)going to the light bulb......and was pretty simple looking.

[Alexander]

RE: dash board light for convertible

The maplight lens, switch, and bulb holder from a 1961-63 Thunderbird will work for you. If you do not have the original convertible metal plate (which is relatively rare) that went under the radio, you can easily modify the common plate from a hardtop.

At template for modifying the plate can be found here: http://www.squarebirds.org/maplight.htm .

It might be true that the Squarebird map switch only had one wire going to hot, but this switch will work just as well. One wire goes to the wire for the door jamb switches, the other goes to the domelight switch on the dash. I do not remember which wire is which. Make sure the plate is well grounded by the screws that hold it in, so the maplight works.

http://www.squarebirds.org/images/maplight-plate-annotated.jpg

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[tarps3]

RE: dash board light for convertible

Hi Alexander.

I too bought a map light assembly that didn't fit (much too small plate).

Can you do a printable template that can be used to make a standard plate into a maplight one? I'd like to modify my solid plate and use the guts out of the non-fitting one to make it work. Just need to know where to cut the holes!

Casey
'60 hardtop

[Alexander]

RE: dash board light for convertible

You also apparently bought one for a 1961-63. I will try to make a PDF file of that plate.

One coorection of the wiring I noted abowe. One wire goes to a wire from the door jamb switch, the other goes to a wire that is always hot.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[Alexander]

RE: dash board light for convertible

I have added a printable template to make a maplight out of a plain plate at http://www.squarebirds.org/maplight.htm .

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top