1970 Rally dash

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DaveW

DaveW

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My rally dash has a hole just pass the radio, what is this for? I've seen pics on this site that have a switch installed, while other pics just show a hole with no switch installed... I thought that maybe it was for the cig lighter... But mine has the cig lighter as part of the ash tray. Thanks!
 
How about a pic?
1681346302692.jpeg
 
Some had 2 lighters, 1 in ashtray, 1 in dash. Funny thing, I've never seen one in a console, always the chrome plug where lighter would be.
 
The hole for the lighter on a '68 Barracuda measures 15/16." If the hole in question is just under an inch, the lighter is probably it. Possibly a speaker fader switch. A-Body convertibles were done by 1970, so probably not a power top switch.
 
Here's the diagram from the '68 Barracuda owner's manual. If you can turn up the one for your car, it should show you what you need to know.

IMG_20221010_212021546.jpg
 
Here's a picture... Thanks for all the replies!! Don't recall if there was a plug of some sort... Should of taken a picture before taking it apart ...

P4131616.JPG
 
The 68 only dash design had such a weird shaped ash tray that a lighter wouldn't fit (go in and out). So they moved it up into the inst' panel. Then the dash, ashtray and all, went back to the 67 design for 1969. They took their own sweet time in deleting the lighter in the inst' panel. I forget what year it went away. Most owners find alternate use for the extra lighter well like phone charger, volt gauge, etc...
 
My 70 swinger has a lighter there and then the previous owner put a pull cable for the choke in the ash tray hole.
 
I ended up moving the lighter from the ash tray to the dash hole in question.
 
If you had seen the OEM plastic a-body bezels with rings melted around that hole you wouldn't have put a lighter there. I can't say it was drunk passengers or what condition caused it but it did happen more often than you would imagine.
Get this... Back in high school a classmate had a very nice Mach 1 Mustang. His younger sister got a bad attitude because he wouldn't drive her to the skating ring. She got in his car and melted little circles in the console, dash, etc... while he was napping (he worked night shift).
My tip, If you don't need a lighter in the car, delete it.
 
Good point.. I don't smoke, so I think I will not hook power to it...
 
A previous owner added a hole in that area on my 67 Barracuda, I think he was trying to turn it into a 68 as it came with the round side markers as well.

@4spdragtop pix of a console lighter for you...

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Sorry, my Barracuda came with a bench seat, the lighter is in a spare console top. I must have grabbed it because all the other ones I've ever seen had the chrome plug.
 
Seriously, my 70 Dart had both, ashtray lighter for driver, dash lighter for passengers and back seat passengers.
I believe it came with the rear armrest ashtrays - possible package ?
I removed mine and put in a manual choke cable in its place.
My 340 didn't have an idle solenoid nor exhaust manifold heat riser when I bought it and it worked quite well.
 
Murray said:
Some of the Darts had it in the console and not in the dash. Barracuda's were all in the dash.
Click to expand...
'67-69 yes, but for some reason there was no place for a lighter in the 1966 Barracuda dash. My old '66 had it in the console. If you didn't order a console the lighter was attached to the underside of the dash.
 
RedFish said:
If you had seen the OEM plastic a-body bezels with rings melted around that hole you wouldn't have put a lighter there. I can't say it was drunk passengers or what condition caused it but it did happen more often than you would imagine.
Click to expand...
Original owner of my car was a smoker. And my dash bezel had rings melted in it from him missing the hole. He smoked a cigarette in the car when I test drove it before I bought it. He opened the vent window and let the smoke go out while I drove the car. 1979 back when ppl were allowed to smoke on busses, air planes, in offices, bars etc etc etc.
 
340sFastback said:
Original owner of my car was a smoker. And my dash bezel had rings melted in it from him missing the hole. He smoked a cigarette in the car when I test drove it before I bought it. He opened the vent window and let the smoke go out while I drove the car. 1979 back when ppl were allowed to smoke on busses, air planes, in offices, bars etc etc etc.
Click to expand...
A few years ago we were looking at a Sebring convertible that reeked of cigarette smoke. The guy tried to get me to make an offer. Not a chance...
 
340sFastback said:
Original owner of my car was a smoker. And my dash bezel had rings melted in it from him missing the hole. He smoked a cigarette in the car when I test drove it before I bought it. He opened the vent window and let the smoke go out while I drove the car. 1979 back when ppl were allowed to smoke on busses, air planes, in offices, bars etc etc etc.
Click to expand...
Funny I never gave it a thought that the plastic would get melted.
 
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