VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 1946 -1948 Convertible Dome Light Wiring

I'm installing the body wiring harness in my '48 convertible. Can someone tell me where the dome light wire that comes from the trunk and runs up to the wood top bow should be routed? I appear to have a hole for it in the back of the top well. If it's routed through there, does the wire just dangle in the top well from the top bow when the top is up?

I can describe the routing on my '52, may or may not be identical. There was a small hole in the "tack strip" toward the driver side. This was in the area where the pad connects the rear bow to the tack rail. The wire was run up through the inside of the pad. On the '52, the rear bow is metal and has a hole in it, allowing the wire to come through the trunk, through the hole in the tack rail, enclosed in the pad, and enter the hollow rear bow, traveling inside the bow to the light. With a wood bow, I would guess there would be a grove to direct the wiring across the bow. Of course I was only having to run a hot wire, grounding to the metal bow, where you would be running both hot and ground. Don't know if that helps.

Dale, It's been a long time since I rewired my '48 convertible but there's no dome light wire in my top well. I used a Y and Z's kit. And I will have to move the car which is in Winter storage to lift the trunk lid. As I remember, I routed the dome light wire to the right side of the trunk across the top of the trunk. There's another wire to the ground from the dome light. You'll find out that you must have at least the parking lights on to activate the dome light. When I had my car judged back in the 80s I had to be with the car to tell the judges that's the way the dome light works. I remember on one freshly restored '40 convertible that had a hot wire to the dome light and somehow it started a small fire probably because of a short in the hot wire. It's a good thing the owner was there because he had a quick disconnect switch on the battery. It happened when the car was being judged.

Thanks for the suggestions. The way my harness is made up, my wiring for the dome light does come through from the trunk on the right (passenger) side. There are two wires to complete the circuit. My car is going to have the top installed on Monday, so we'll have to make a call in the near future about where to route the wiring. I guess it could be anchored to the chrome arm that holds the wood bow and then go into the wheel well area and back to the trunk. I'll take a look at it again tomorrow to see how much wiring I have. My harness came from Rhode Island Wiring.

I have a 47 convertible that is 95% orginal. Only change is a 3:50 rear end and vacumn assist removed from shifter. Am in the process of a interior resto and some wood graing. Would like to be able to visit with you about some of your work on your car, maybe some tips as I proceed..

Marshall Sansbury
mogusto@aol.come
Ft. Worth Texas

Marshall -

I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I've had my '48 for about 20 years. Took it completely apart and almost have it reassembled again. Never thought it would take this long! :-)