Dash Circuit Board

What a horrible design is the connector system for the dash cluster circuit board?  My old one was in rough shape so I bought a brand new one from CJ Pony parts. Easy to install. I plug in the male connector from car dash. Try my dash lights and when I wiggle that connector the lights go on and off. Since the PC board is new and no corrosion, I clean contacts on the male plug with wire brush. Same results. So I take very small pointed tool and bias (lift) those spring contacts on male plug up and out to make them press harder on board. THat did the trick.  But its still crappy design. If it gives me any more lip, I will source a nice multi pin canon connector (male+female) set and solder on hard wired leads from contact points near lamps themselves, bypassing that crap flapping in the breeze plug system thats there now.

What you could do is replace the back printed circuit board with hardwire connections from Midlife..

http://midlifeharness.com/71hardwireback.jpg

What you could do is replace the back printed circuit board with hardwire connections from Midlife..

http://midlifeharness.com/71hardwireback.jpg

Click to expand...

+1, he's already done all the head scratching and cussing needed to design and source parts, plus build for not that much more than what you paid for a repop.

Maybe not the best design, but mine is original, 47 years old and still functions. Now that I said that, it'll probably go up in a puff of smoke the next time I start it.

A terrible design indeed. It was also used in General Mud vehicles from circa 1968 through the late 70's; Ford used it only from 69-73 and changed to a slightly more robust design. That's what happens when you have a slick salesman who can convince the bean counters at both Ford and GM that lots of pennies can be saved...

May a 1000 fleas infest that salesman's bed every night...

What you could do is replace the back printed circuit board with hardwire connections from Midlife..

http://midlifeharness.com/71hardwireback.jpg

Click to expand...

I like it, thats the way to go. If I had to do it over, I'd go this route for sure.