Hello Ford Enthusiasts!

I am new to this forum, after a search on the net I came across this forum, I like it already!!
My name is Kees, live in the Netherlands and trying to rewire a 1953 Ford F500.
We have bought same wiring harnasses, but unfortunatly not a complete one...

This Ford is being built from the ground up to show quality, and now we have a problem with the domelight(?), the light bulb inside the cabin.
We have new switches, one "make" and one "breakcontact" switch (courtesy switch?). Which one goes where and which connections must I make?

The only wiringdiagram that we have is the same as the link below:

http://www.vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/F...53-55truck.jpg

My questions are:

First: Does anybody have a readable wiring diagram so that I can follow the wiring, the connections and eventually the colors?

Second: Is it possible to make the domelight wiring the same as the 1956 Ford as the diagram below?

http://www.clubfte.com/users/earl/Re...rial.html#1956 Truck Wiring Diagrams

I don't know if I may use these diagrams in this thread, if not please correct me.
I hope that you understand my English...and are willing to help me.
Thanks in advance!

Greetings,
Kees

 

there are some wires missing from the diagrams, so don't think you are not following it.

the dome light will come on for two reasons

1. a door is opened
2. the headlight switch is rotated to light it while the doors are closed.

and the switched dome lights have a way to disable that (I think.. will have to go look at one!)..

so, live power goes to the door switches, then out and up to the light.
and live power comes from the headlight switch, and goes to light.

the domelight body connected to the cab is the ground side of the circuit.

the door post switches should be Make contact.
I don't know where a Break contact switch would be except in the light itself.

Sam

 

Thank you, Sam.

When we took the car apart, we did have a make and a break doorpost switch. There is also a switch in the domelight itself. The wiring was missing, that's why we have this little problem.
I think I can draw your wiring and put it in the car, we'll see what happens, I only have to use one old door switch then (make-contact).
I will try next Tuesday and let you know.

Other tips and tricks are welcome too!

Thanks!
Kees

 

My 1953 F100 had two leads running to the dome light.

One was from the main breaker, it ran through the switch on the light for manual operation.
The second was from the main breaker, through the door jamb switch to the light (bypassing the switch on the light) for automatic operation.

It did not turn on from the main light switch, and you could not turn the door jamb switch off. If the door was open, the light was on.

I do like the idea of being able to override the door switch though. It could be handy if you are parked for a while with the door open. (Car shows and such.)

On another note: My truck had switches on both door jambs, and it is a "Deluxe" cab. The parts truck only had one door jamb switch, and was not a "Deluxe" cab. Is that true to form, or just a coincidence?

 

I believe the switch IN the dome light is the disable switch, as the feeds are both switched separately. (and there IS a domelight without switch)

your description of the two leads demonstrates that the diagrams were not completely accurate

Page 35 of the Midfifty catalog shows the complete deal.. and I'm wrong.. they claim the switch IN the light is functionally equivalent to turning the headlight switch
(maybe for trucks without the proper headlight switch (mine))

I would wire the switch to control/over-ride the power feed.

sam

 

We wired ours so that the switch at the dome light would turn the light on or off when the doors are closed. Either door open would turn on the light which made the switch at the dome light do nothing. We did not wire the headlight switch to the interior dome light. If you need a diagram I can sketch one up and send it out to you.

Good luck
T900

 

you might want to check this out. classiccarwiring.com the price is right and legible.

 

Thanks T900,
This is exactly what we want!
If you can make a sketch for me, I certainly appreciate that!

I didn't try to turn the lightswitch, it is an original one, but we have a switch IN the domelight that we want to use, if the doors are closed.

Thanks again!
Kees

 

hot power from fuse box (you select)

two wires..

• one straight to the dome light switch (a) (red below)
• one to the door switch (make on door open) then to the dome light switch AFTER the switch part (b). (red with yellow) (t900 did this)
  or
• as a convenience item, you could put it BEFORE the switch part (a, same as for wire 1 above), then you can turn OFF the light if you have the door open for a long period of time. (red with green, INSTEAD of yellow)
  an 'inconvenience' here is if you have it turned off, it is OFF all the time, until you switch it back on.

sam

 

It wouldn't be hard to install a double pole, double throw switch. With the common pole going to the light, pole A going to constant power, and pole B going to the door switch.

Off (middle) would be off. On one way would be on all the time, on the other would work off the door. The lights in the back of our cargo vans work like this.

 

all he would need is a single pole, double throw.. ground is handled separately..

but I don't think there is a SPDT switch that will fit in the dome light properly.

Sam

 

Thanks for your sketch, Sam

That's almost clear...but I don't understand the little green wire that goes down from A.

The hot wire is switched on and off IN the domelight, the doorswitches I have to double.
What is the green wire for if I take a hot wire to the doorswitches also?

Kees

 

I needed to show the two different points to connect the door switch wire.. (and I didn't want all the lines to be red)

either to a OR b

so the red wire ending in green at a
OR the red wire ending in yellow at b

I didn't want to make two diagrams.

Sam

 

Ok, now it's clear (I think...)

If wire the doorswitch to B then the domelight always turns on by opening (one of) the doors. Then I have to mount two "make" switches.
The domeswitch turns on the light when the doors are closed.
Both of them are hot wired.

Am I right?

 

correct

Sam