62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

[Chris H.]

I need to replace my rear light harness on my 62. In looking at it I see a pigtail going to the gastank? and then it goes under the driver side sill.

What am I getting myself into?

What do I need to do to get at the gas tank connector? Remove the gas tank cover?

Do I just pull up the carpet at the sill to get at a connector under the sill?

[Mike E.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

Connector for rear harness is just above the left kick panel. Wiring threads through the body in the sill area--you'll need to pull the kickpanel, the sill plate, the gas tank cover and the trunk cardboard.
It's really a piece of cake--hook the end of the old one to the end of the new one, and just pull it through.

[Anthony F.]

[Chris H.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

Thanks, have a couple questions.

I do not have a grommet going from the top storage compartment to the trunk. Looks like there should be one but when I look in the AIM it does not show/specify one. It does have one going to the gas tank. In thinking about this there is no need for one to go into the trunk since the trunk is sealed to the outside. Should there be a grommet on a 62?

2nd it looks like someone has done this before. Per the pictures (user/password is chenige/chenige) at the license plate light someone has added a hardware connector to the main harness. On my car I have what looks like a correct connector harness to the lamp. On the new harness I just have a pigtail and a brass contact I am supposed to add on.

When I look at the AIM there is no separate lamp harness and in Paragon they list separate lamps harnesses for up to 60 and nothing for a 62.

I really am not sure what to do here. I think I have a lamp harness from an earlier car? I should cut the lamp harness and use the new harness pigtail with the old spring and new brass contact? Just does not seem right.

Thanks




Rear license harness pics

[Chris H.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

Well, as usual with this car I start one thing and find out more needs to be done to do it right.

I went to remove the gas tank cover and first I found that phillips screws were used around the perimeter except under the seat backs. These were hex head to allow easier installation and removal w/o removing the seats. Per the AIM and Paragon these should all be phillips w/ j nuts. Is this correct?

Once I started to remove the cover it just did not want to come out. It was RTV'd to the tank straps and the straps were lifting up with the cover. the bolts were broken off at the rear and someone used a whole bunch of RTV to hold the straps and cover to stop rattling of the straps. Gas tank is loose in hold. I can see the 2" tank hose was replaced.

Per the guide it looks relatively easy to remove the tank ( it happened to be just about empty, waiting for gas prices to go down more!!) Once I remove the tank how hard is it to replace the retainer/plate/weld nut unit? If this is too difficult I will just hook up the wires and worry about it another time.

Any clean up hints to make everything look better?

[Greg S.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

When I replaced the rear harness on my 62 with an Lectric Limited harness the new harness did not have the rear license lamp socket. Instructions were to remove the old socket and attach it to the new harness. As I remember you had to solder the new wire to a fitting from the old lamp socket. Not very hard to do if you have the old socket.

[Chris H.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

My issue is that the license harness I have has a connector on it and looks original but I do not think it is correct for a 62. Because it has a rubber molded boot I do not believe I can just cut out the wire sheathing and insert the new wire sheath.

user/ password- chenige/chenige

Can someone send me a picture of the license harness under the trunk latch?

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=121443

[Chris H.]

Re: 62 C1 rear wire harness replacement

Well, one quandary solved. I called Lectric Limited and explained what my rear license plate lamp harness looked like. Right off he said it was from a 63. Probably got it from the same car that my intake came out of! The lens does have 60 on it so it may be from my car?

Looks like they are very similar except the 63 had the lamp socket/harness integrated into it.

Well off to find a 62 rear lamp assembly and get rid of another wrong part. Per Paragon a 60 chevy also fits.