1940 Ford Convertible Wire Loom Routing
- Thread starter 40larry
- Start date
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
Hi Larry, I sure don't remember anything like that on my 40 convertible. Perhaps it is an early/late thing. Seems like Kube would have run into this. My car was a mid production year model. I was the first owner out of the family that bought it new. I sold it a few years ago and I did put all new stock wiring in it before it sold. The only odd "L" brackets I have seen on a 40 were on the front of the inner fender panel and I think were left over from 39s. Do you have a picture of the bracket and where and how it is located?
Kube
Super Moderator
I am guessing what you are describing as "L" shaped bracket" is the dash panel mount to the frame. Yes?
Attachments
Mike:
Yes exactly. The left side bracket has a hole for wiring but clutch pedal gets close to the wire bundle. Do you have a photo with wiring all in place?
Larry
Did all the convertible bodies use this bracket with the hole through it? My station wagon and all other models do not.
Mike's photo in posting no. 4 shows the brackets clearly. Now waiting to see how he routed the wires going to dimmer switch and taillights.
Kube
Super Moderator
I route the wires just like any of the coupes I've restored. There is, as you surely know, a small wire clamp that fastens to the frame and keeps the loom in place.
I have restored (5) '40 convertibles to date and as I recall three of them had that hole, two did not. The car I am currently restoring does not.
I have restored (5) '40 convertibles to date and as I recall three of them had that hole, two did not. The car I am currently restoring does not.
Mike:
Thanks for your input. It can all be made to fit but when the loom goes through that hole it gets close to the clutch pedal. With this added bracket it is not possible to run the loom exactly as done on the other models.
Larry
Kube
Super Moderator
Well, yes, not exactly like other models but it works.
I tend to think Fords routing in that area was not of the best design - too much going on in a limited area.
Still, it works.
The few convertibles I'd taken apart that I was 99% certain had the authentic wiring did not travel through that hole.
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
Looking at old pictures of my convertible, it did have the hole in that bracket.
Calling that an L bracket threw me off thinking it was smaller. I guess you did called it the LH cowl mount to the frame, I should have had a better idea. Interesting, some cars had the hole some did not. I now will have to look at my wagon. So many interesting things to learn here!
Calling that an L bracket threw me off thinking it was smaller. I guess you did called it the LH cowl mount to the frame, I should have had a better idea. Interesting, some cars had the hole some did not. I now will have to look at my wagon. So many interesting things to learn here!
That is a little surprising because avoiding the hole requires the wires to go around the inside of the bracket and will shorten the wire bundle length going back along the frame. I will figure out the best way after I get more of the car together. Thanks and if anyone has a photo of the wire routing in this area I would still like to see it........LARRY
JayChicago
Well-known member
The connection point with the rear body loom is in the frame immediately aft of that dash panel mount to the frame. I think you will be ok as long as the front loom's branch-out wires for connection with the rear loom are just behind the dash panel mount.
Then there is another foot or so of the front loom that goes up to the headlight dimmer switch. That is what I found most tricky, to avoid conflict with the moving clutch pedal arm. As Kube said, Ford had too much going on here. But as he said, it does work.
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
Mike, is that car early, middle or late? How many snaps on the trim by the corner for the boot?
Just to be clear when you say no hole you mean that the bracket with the hole is missing on both sides. Is this assumption correct?
Kube
Super Moderator
Brackets are there of course - they, as you know, mount the body to the frame. NO hole in either side.
That is interesting. All the other 1940 Ford body styles (four to be exact) that I have here to examine do not have these brackets with or without holes. The body to frame connections are bolts along top of frame on each side behind firewall.
Kube
Super Moderator
Just for clarity... ALL convertibles had these brackets and were bolted to the frame in this area forward of the dash.
Why some brackets had a hole in the left side and others did not requires someone with information that I was not able to uncover.