I've been eyeing stick consoles (or should I write it 'con$ole$' ) and have noticed that some have what appears to be a working light at the rear while most have the 'lens' painted black like this one...

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...ed-consul.html

..and have no wiring/socket/etc.

I've also seen listings that say 'has good lens, wiring, & bulb'.

What's the rhyme or reason to this? Was it a year thing ? Or did certain ones get lights for the 'convenience lighting group' option ? Was the rear light the only light ever available ?

TIA

 

The earlier years had the lights...when I got my '68 Olds I questioned the service department and they said '68's don't come with a light there...mine is painted parchment...

 

My 68's painted too. No light.

 

The black paint comes off with a little laquer thinner & the bulb socket is easy to install. All the convertibles should have come with this light because they don't have dome lights. This is my slightly modified console. The vacuum gauge was not a 68 option and no....I wasn't the idiot who drilled the top plate for gauges . I've since bought a 68-69 Rallye pac gauge and tic tac toc and I have an original top plate to install.

 

Looks good !

I was wondering how hard it would be to 'convert it' to a lighted version because mines a 'vert.

I know the '67-'69 auto console has the front & rear lights and my car, I think, has the 'convenience lighting group' option because of the under dash lights. A light at the rear of the console would help in convertibles for just what you said : Lack of dome light... & I like lights everywhere when I open the door !

Is the socket/wiring an obtainable piece/set ? Or is it better just to fab one ?

 

Fab one. You can buy a 2 wire light socket. It has to be relatively small watt bulb because I heard they the reason they discontinued the light in the manaul console was they were melting the housings. I'm sure you could run an LED now as they aren't hot. I'm pretty sure the courtesy lights are a 2 wire, non grounded bulb. There is an orange/white wire that runs front to back under the carpet to run the armrest lights that you can tap into. (you can also tap into the orange/white harness under the dash)

 

That's what I thought.... There's also a wire/connector under the dash for the auto console quadrant & courtesy lights.... As long as I tap into the orange/wht (& not the gray), I ought to be good !

I just checked my '68 CSM (yeah....prolly should've done that before I posted! - der) and it shows no wiring of any kind for the stick console.....

Was there ever any compartment light in the stick console ??

I'll fab e'm up and update this thread......check back in 6 months or so !


Oh...and what color should the 'lined' portion of the top plates be for a '68 ? Grayish/cast/argent-ish ? I've seen black, but I think that's for earlier ones....

 

Black paint for '68 too...

 

Black