When you're hot, you're hot.....

Looking at the fuse box of a non-accessoried 72', I am curious if the one-side fuse lug in the accessory cavity is hot and can it be tapped into for some power? Could anyone confirm? See circled area in the attachment pic....
Thanks In advance!

JPW

I think it's hot with key "on" and you need this setup for accessory power...eBay listing sez 69-70 but WCCC site has it fits 69-73.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2259615581...aMkcCUfxQsqfQahpqJQtCbRWen|tkp:Bk9SR4jFuZfvZA

It is hot with the ignition in run or accessory.
Midlife also has them
http://midlifeharness.com/products.html

Thanks Ib4 and Don ----- I was hoping that was the case! Great info....


Regards, JPWally

There is a nice alternative at hand for you to tap into fused and switched power from the fuse block. Back in "the old days," when I was a young 16-17 year old driver, to get switched power from the fuse block I would lift the "far end" of a switched power fuse out of its retaining clip, then place a wire with its insulation stripped at the end into the saddle area of the retaining clip and push the fuse beck into its clip. The end of the fuse held the wire between the metal fuse cap ad its metal clip. It worked as long as I selected a fuse with enough capacity to not pop when I turned on whatever device I was powering. But, it was ugly and sloppy, although it did work well.

Many years, actually decades, later I was done working and retired. I immediately began to purchase some pony cars I longed to have, as I wanted to get into this crazy hobby. It did not take log for me to need some switched power sources for all kinds of goodies on our 73 Mustangs (not the 69 Shelby GT500, it is being kept pure stock). I resorted to my old reliable wire-between-the-fuse-clip trick, and all worked well enough. But, I did not like how it looked, and I began to search for a more polished approach. I had been out of the auto repair sector since 1987, when I migrated to the computer industry, so I was not clued in yet on the many changes in the auto repair side of life.

While looking for fuse tap products I came across a product called, of all things, "Fuse Tap." I ordered some from Amazon, and when they arrived I slipped one of the fuse taps (for Buss fuses, not blade fuses) over the metal cap of the protected end of the fuse I selected for switched power, then tried to press the fuse end into its clip. I ended up breaking two glass tubes for fuses I tried to use until I realized the Fuse Tap was making the width of the fuse end too wide to fit properly inside the fuse clip and fuse block cavity. So, I pondered how to correct the issue. I could not shave enoughmetal from the metal cap at the end of the fuse, but maybe I could use a Dremel tool to remove some of the plastic holder - but that was a lot to do on my back at my age. I ended up getting a slightly different Fuse Tap design, which used a single brass looking blade at one end of the fuse, and a female spade terminal then slip over the brass terminal not help into the fuse clip by the fuse providing the current protection. That worked better, but it felt a little flimsy. But it worked well enough, so I left it alone.

A few years later I came across a different kind of fuse tap device. In this new device (Flex Fuse) each conductive end of the Buss fuse clip connection has a rod pressed into place, where each end of the rod (not conductive material) substituted for the Buss fuse, and on each end of the rod a conductor leads to a set of sockets that accept the terminals of a blade fuse. With one end of the Flex Fuse device a male spade terminal is available to tap into. The only things I had to do is get a proper size & amp capacity blade fuse, and make sure the spade tap terminal was on the protected side of the fuse. Voila! I now have a favorite way to easily tap into a fuse block, so I won't have to splice into harness wires to get switched power. Simple, good looking, clean, and functional.

Below are some links to the two different fuse taps for anyone not familiar with what they are. The third link is for a Flex Fuse site. I like them, personally. But, if anyone has a simpler solution I am all ears.


https://www.amazon.com/Wirthco-0303-1233-Battery-Doctor-Roundtapper/dp/B000CQDRSE/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1ASD1QVGNGNSK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HkPZVEx5qKI4HCTBmyMwbTI_18_OmOijY3e8qqOtvRNu2s3z8BnxtrTxZS4yy1dv8Y0Km04NiAC-IXeVzlnj6j02AoGL6QxrxqmiIrsejd3eHPAnIZvV5lol36zX-kymQ-_HWDhY8Yb-utELTOmwwDTso6_FLx1Z9Vx2awgNEJ8QMVEwYS_QZbFJ7LYq77rzisk5CVa4BHGPdPZ198cbkqzVtO5KAx0WGxh0s2sbsX8.50acJZDloOym4TWueulETO7RUN4ENMb8d3DSVAjm7VY&dib_tag=se&keywords=buss+fuse+tap&qid=1733008955&sprefix=buss+fuse+tap%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-3


https://www.amazon.com/Pico-Electrical-Wiring-Terminal-Package/dp/B00030CQWM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ASD1QVGNGNSK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HkPZVEx5qKI4HCTBmyMwbTI_18_OmOijY3e8qqOtvRNu2s3z8BnxtrTxZS4yy1dv8Y0Km04NiAC-IXeVzlnj6j02AoGL6QxrxqmiIrsejd3eHPAnIZvV5lol36zX-kymQ-_HWDhY8Yb-utELTOmwwDTso6_FLx1Z9Vx2awgNEJ8QMVEwYS_QZbFJ7LYq77rzisk5CVa4BHGPdPZ198cbkqzVtO5KAx0WGxh0s2sbsX8.50acJZDloOym4TWueulETO7RUN4ENMb8d3DSVAjm7VY&dib_tag=se&keywords=buss+fuse+tap&qid=1733008955&sprefix=buss+fuse+tap%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1

https://www.thingsnotable.com/

The accessory terminal was used to power specific options. For the convenience group it powers the parking brake warning light. For rear defrost and power windows it feeds their respective relay coils. The screw and fuse holder end would have about a 6" long purple wire lead attached with a 3 socket yellow connector on the end that would be used to connect to the options. It is powered with ignition on run or on accessory.
The black wire shown above connects at the starter solenoid battery post and is therefor "hot" all the time. The yellow 3 socket end would be located behind the driver side kick panel and feed options such as the convenience group automatic seat back release system, on 71 and 72s the rear defrost power feed for the grid on the glass via the rear defrost relay, convertible top, and power driver seat (if from a Cougar).