[Jimbobeast]

In 1970, did convertibles have under dash courtesy lights? If so, how many and were they just bare bulbs? Any photos?

[indymanjoe]

Ames has the whole kit to install. I put them in our 72 Lemans with LED's and it made a huge difference at night.

[rolling money pits]

My 71 lemans vert had 4, two on either end of dash, one in each rear armrest. They were plastic housings, slightly angled, with an exposed bulb. I’ve seen those housings referred to as “jeep” courtesy lights.

My 70 firebird also had them under the dash, but they did not appear to be put in use off the assembly line. They were taped up under the dash by what looked like factory tape. I just put bulbs in them, screwed to the existing dash frame holes, and went to brighttown.

I mention the housings being angled, there’s also ones that mount flat, I believe, and have an opaque bulb cover which twists on. I’m not sure what years they apply to, or if it’s a case of different assembly plants used a different housing?

[Jimbobeast]

I have a few of the housings. It seems there was no bulb cover in 1970. Where can I tie them into a circuit controlled by the door jamb switches? It has to be readily accessible. I am not taking the kick panels off again.

[DavesGTO]

I bought a courtesy light set up from Franks years ago. Two bulbs, driver and passenger sides both with covers on one harness that plugs right into the dash harness. IIRC the plug was near an harness connector for auto trans. Color diagram is from ‘72 service manual.






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[Jimbobeast]

Who or what is "Frank's"?
Also, I wonder if 71 or 72 convertibles are different from 1970.

[indymanjoe]

https://www.frankspontiacparts.com/

[indymanjoe]

davesgto i had the original bulbs in but they got hot fast! burned myself a couple times. LEDs are brighter and very little heat.

[DavesGTO]

Yeah, they do get hot but I haven’t come in contact with the covers where they are located. I bought a set of repro covers for the bulbs because they were nice and white but they didn’t fit the original housings right, they were loose. I put the originals back, pretty sure the heat is part of the reason they turned yellow.


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[Jimbobeast]

I tried Franks and did an EBay search - no bueno. I'm sure I have a few under dash courtesy light brackets in my many boxes of old GTO harnesses, and recreating a wiring harness won't be a big deal, but I can't find where to hook into the existing harness. The "convertible only" courtesy lights in the diagrams above might refer to the rear armrest courtesy lights (I can't see the end of the circuit). Did hardtops have under dash courtesy lights or was the dome light all you got?
Power will come from the clock circuit and the door jamb switches will supply the ground to complete the circuit, but where to access the door jamb wiring?

[OG68]

Look for a white pigtail at the headlight switch plug.

[rolling money pits]

I’m pretty sure American auto wire repops both styles of under dash courtesy light harnesses.

The angled/jeep style ones I referred to they have listed for 71/72 chevelles.

But as I indicated earlier, those were on both my 70 f body and 71 a body convertible.

[HWYSTR455]

I was tempted to install the rear lights in my hardtop, the added light makes it nice when getting in & out. You can also remove the dome bulb and use only the other lights if you chose. Sometimes the dome light is over-bright.


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[Jimbobeast]

I have the two metal brackets and the Ames courtesy light harness fits these brackets nicely. The bulb covers are for a later plastic bracket. I still can't find anywhere to tie into the wiring harnesses. I have two LED lights so no one gets burned.

[HWYSTR455]

It connects to the dome light outlet on the intermediate harness, no?

Look in the well on the drivers side by the inner wheel housing.


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[Jimbobeast]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

It connects to the dome light outlet on the intermediate harness, no?

Look in the well on the drivers side by the inner wheel housing.


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The dome light outlet? I don't have a dome light, so the connector should be unused. The intermediate harness runs from the firewall area to the rear seat area? I hope the dome light outlet is near the dash because I'm not taking the interior apart again.

[HWYSTR455]

Originally Posted by Jimbobeast

The dome light outlet? I don't have a dome light, so the connector should be unused. The intermediate harness runs from the firewall area to the rear seat area? I hope the dome light outlet is near the dash because I'm not taking the interior apart again.

Yes, the dome light outlet. It's a plug on the intermediate harness that the dome light sub-harness plugs into. For convertibles, a sub-harness that is a Y leads to the 2 rear side panel lights. All cars have the same intermediate and most likely rear tail harness.

The tail harness also plugs into the intermediate harness. Pop the trunk, and follow the tail light harness back towards the front of the car and you should be able to find the plug. In most cases, the wires on the plug are orange and white.

You might have to push back the well liner some.

From that plug, each wire runs over the rear inner wheel well and behind the rear side panels that the lights mount into. You can make the Y harness if you don't have one.



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[HWYSTR455]

The under dash lights connect to I think a one wire plug, I believe it might be a short wire taped to the side of the dash harness close to the headlight switch. They ground to the dash core.

It might be a double wire plug for 68-69.

EDIT: Oh wait, the bulbs ground via the door switch AND the headlight switch. One or the other. You can turn the headlight switch all the way counter-clockwise to turn on the lights too, not just by opening the door.



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[Jimbobeast]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

The under dash lights connect to I think a one wire plug, I believe it might be a short wire taped to the side of the dash harness close to the headlight switch. They ground to the dash core.

It might be a double wire plug for 68-69.

EDIT: Oh wait, the bulbs ground via the door switch AND the headlight switch. One or the other. You can turn the headlight switch all the way counter-clockwise to turn on the lights too, not just by opening the door.



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I have several old dash harnesses. I will check them first before crawling under the dash. Here on the Florida Gulf Coast, we are awaiting hurricane Helene. So far not much impact, but the day is young. The babies are tucked away and safe

[HWYSTR455]

I found mine, here's a pic, pretty sure it's the A-body one, but believe they would still be similar to an F-body.

Orange & White wires.

And you can see why I replaced that one! Heheh!



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