C3 rear courtesy light

[Donald B.]

I am attempting to install the left rear courtesy light and would appreciate some input regarding:
1. How the light interacts with the rear carpet. Is the carpet just slitted or is there a grommet?
2. How the light is oriented.....don't know which way it faces.

The car is a 68 convertible.
Thank you.
Don

[John C.]

Re: C3 rear courtesy light

Don

Attached are some photos of the rear compartment light on my 68 convertible.

John

[Michael F.]

Re: C3 rear courtesy light

Resurrecting this 6 year old post to ask about some details on the rear compartment lamp in my 68 convertible. Mine is an unrestored original with a May 20 date, serial 19770. My rear compartment lamp bracket is a little unusual in two ways: First it has the usual hole for the lamp socket, but the second hole, for mounting is not a small hole like the lamp brackets under the dash. This one is 3/8 diameter, and the bracket is attached to the car using a 10-24 machine screw and a 3/8" wellnut (Wellnut L-1024 is molded into it). This appears to isolate the lamp bracket from the car either for vibration or electrical purposes or both. Second, the white wire is +12 Volts and the orange wire is ground (when the door switch opens) which is the opposite of the courtesty lamps under the dash.

Does yours mount this way or is it with a sheet metal screw as shown in the AIM? I notice the bracket was revised in the AIM in April of 1968, so I'm wondering if mine is the earlier style. I attached a pic of the bracket. It's mounted in the same location as shown in the pics John posted above.

[John C.]

Re: C3 rear courtesy light

Michael

Mine is held on with a sheetmetal screw. My car was built on April 18. My guess is yours is the second design. Most likely to electrically insulate the light. I once spent 2 weeks trying to find a electrical problem in my car only to find the bulb holder had shifted in the bracket allowing the edge of the bulb to come in contact with the bracket and cause a direct short. At least it was an easy fix.

John