65 Dart Wagon Conversion to a Sedan Delivery
I called on my buddy for his assistance with the dash since it’s completely assembled other than the actual stand alone instrument cluster (which has its own ribbon harness). I anticipated the dash will be (and was) a two person installation! I figured once it was in place i could reach through the cluster opening to connect the HVAC temperature control cable to the controller bracket. No Sir, that’s what I get for thinking! So I figured we could just leave the frame on the end side bolts on the kick panels and rotate it enough to connect the cable. Nope, now the cable won’t reach the controller bracket which is already installed. So remove the dash and set it down on the floor and remove the HVAC vontroller to attach the cable. Got all that installed and dash back in place. Oh crap, now I can’t get my hand in the back to plug the 2 wires into the fuse panel, which is now mounted to the back of the glove box. Man, it’s so cramped back there with the AC and heater assemblies. So, remove the bolts along the top the dash and rotate the dash. Now the wires to the fuse panel won’t reach because the wires are also connected to the controller AND the fuse panel is mounted on the right side of the dash in a shortened glove box AND the fresh air cable just installed won’t let the dash rotate eniugh. So remove the controller with the cable still attached for the 2nd time, remove the dash for 3rd time and install the the wires to the fuse panel. Got the dash back in place and secured the controller through the cluster opening just like I planned! As an aside to this fiasco, the bulkhead connector needed to be removed and reinstalled twice as the routing under the dash wasn’t right the first time. Luckily that part of the harness was long enough so it didn’t need to be removed every time we dropped the dash or the dash dropped to remove and reinstall the bulkhead connector. The AC manual mentions needing to remove the glove box to get at the defroster hoses; with the fuse panel attached to the back, the glove box is not coming out anytime soon! So I anticipate a fight to install the defroster hoses. 5 hours in messing with the dash and good luck to the next person if they have to take it out.
Yes, all these wire do go someplace! 5 to the rear for brake lights, turn signals, park lights and gas gauge. 7 to the Dakota Digital brain box, 2 to the power seat, 2 to the power lumbar module, 3 to the power rear window, and 2 to the door power windows master switch.
And the modified bulkhead connector. I have added an additional power buss circuit between the outer busses which go to the ignition switch and the middle one goes directly to the headlight switch and constant power in the fuse oanel
I called on my buddy for his assistance with the dash since it’s completely assembled other than the actual stand alone instrument cluster (which has its own ribbon harness). I anticipated the dash will be (and was) a two person installation! I figured once it was in place i could reach through the cluster opening to connect the HVAC temperature control cable to the controller bracket. No Sir, that’s what I get for thinking! So I figured we could just leave the frame on the end side bolts on the kick panels and rotate it enough to connect the cable. Nope, now the cable won’t reach the controller bracket which is already installed. So remove the dash and set it down on the floor and remove the HVAC vontroller to attach the cable. Got all that installed and dash back in place. Oh crap, now I can’t get my hand in the back to plug the 2 wires into the fuse panel, which is now mounted to the back of the glove box. Man, it’s so cramped back there with the AC and heater assemblies. So, remove the bolts along the top the dash and rotate the dash. Now the wires to the fuse panel won’t reach because the wires are also connected to the controller AND the fuse panel is mounted on the right side of the dash in a shortened glove box AND the fresh air cable just installed won’t let the dash rotate eniugh. So remove the controller with the cable still attached for the 2nd time, remove the dash for 3rd time and install the the wires to the fuse panel. Got the dash back in place and secured the controller through the cluster opening just like I planned! As an aside to this fiasco, the bulkhead connector needed to be removed and reinstalled twice as the routing under the dash wasn’t right the first time. Luckily that part of the harness was long enough so it didn’t need to be removed every time we dropped the dash or the dash dropped to remove and reinstall the bulkhead connector. The AC manual mentions needing to remove the glove box to get at the defroster hoses; with the fuse panel attached to the back, the glove box is not coming out anytime soon! So I anticipate a fight to install the defroster hoses. 5 hours in messing with the dash and good luck to the next person if they have to take it out.
Yes, all these wire do go someplace! 5 to the rear for brake lights, turn signals, park lights and gas gauge. 7 to the Dakota Digital brain box, 2 to the power seat, 2 to the power lumbar module, 3 to the power rear window, and 2 to the door power windows master switch.
And the modified bulkhead connector. I have added an additional power buss circuit between the outer busses which go to the ignition switch and the middle one goes directly to the headlight switch and constant power in the fuse oanel
