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Dash Power Distribution

kiteoregon

Full Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2011
Messages
292
So as I have been wiring up all my switches on the dash it would seem like a very convenient thing to have some sort of power distribution, especially for the illumination. I started to solder and daisy chain, but that makes it hard to change in the future. So what are people doing for this behind the dash?

Thanks
KO.

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DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,828
Good question! Good thought too, but I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone use a common point and just put terminals on the wires for future replacement.
Guess they figure that they'll never ever have to mess with those again. But with the dash light bars, there is no simple bulb to replace, so a connector isn't a bad idea.

One possible method though, so you don't have to worry about something touching and shorting out a positive power terminal under the dash would be to use a multi-wire connector with jumpers.
Or just one of those old-time "Radio Shack" terminal strips. I know they weren't exclusive to Radio Shack, but that's what a lot of people know them as, so it's a description that works most of the time.
The terminal strip is not protected either, but doesn't have a single stud sticking up into harm's way either.
Maybe there are versions of it that have protective covers? GM makes those 5-post buss-bars that I use for various things, but they're big and way overkill for little 20ga wires or whatever the illumination is.

Anyway, good luck. Maybe someone has used some sort of protected power strip, but I'm thinking a small Weatherpack connector with one power in and jumpers to the other three or four wires would do it.

Or are you thinking of all the dash bars, AND all the bulbs in the cluster?
If this is your '68 though, you would not have light bars unless you converted. So are you just speaking of the cluster illumination? Usually not a big issue for most as they're already spliced together into one wire to the switch.

Are you wiring from scratch, or using a kit?

Good luck.

Paul
 
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kiteoregon

Full Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2011
Messages
292
This is a full restore with more or less a custom dash harness. I have the EZ kit and fuse block. All of my switches need a position, neg, illumination etc. All of them go to a relay box for control, so a single positive and negative bus with jumpers to the switches would be ideal. Was thinking of using the Radio Shack style, but thought maybe there is something cleaner or more robust.

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