I bought a trunk light to install on my 72, looking for the wire I found an orange wire wrapped around the harness in trunk. Anyone know if that is for the light? Thanks

 

Yes. Orange wires on GM cars of this vintage are almost always powered regardless of ignition switch position. Things like dome lamps, cigarette lighter, brake lights, clock, etc.

 

Now's the fun part- snaking the wire thru the decklid inner structure!

 

You shouldn't have to do that. The light clips just under the driver side trunk hinge. The wire just clips onto the light. No "snaking" needed 😀

 

That's cuz I have a big block Norm...lol. Your small block couldn't hang...ha ha.

 

Which light do you have? The white plastic one that mounts to the hinge or the round metal one that mounts to underside of the decklid?

 

I ordered the one that mounts to the hinge from fusicks.

 

I can vouch for a 70 S (Mama's) and a 72 Supreme (aunt's) that had it. My 69 Toro has it. That said I've seen 70 Olds and Pontiac with the hinge mount trunk lamp. The 70 Grand Prix I owned had that style and worked intermittently until the day I got tired of that and took it out and smashed it. Then I went to the Pontiac store and got a new one.

OP, keep in mind some years trunk lamps don't work unless the car lights are on. Think that change was complete by 72.

 

Yes- the correct Cutlass one mounts on hinge, and there's the earlier (pre 68?) big round one that mounts more in center of trunk lid. However, maybe he bought a 70-72 Chevelle/Monte Carlo style that mounts at rear underside of trunklid in one of openings to left or right of the key/lock/latch opening. That would require snaking wire the whole length of trunklid. I have that style in my 70 Chevelle. It would presumably work fine on a Cutlass, but not technically correct.

 

68 has the round one mounted to the deck lid.