For reasons unclear to us, Ford didn't provide an overhead dome light in '65-'66 Mustang hardtops-only small lamps for the foot area. Yet, there's a provision for a dome light hiding behind the headliner in every '65-'66 Mustang hardtop, which means you can easily install one yourself.
This is the Scott Drake dome...
This is the Scott Drake dome lamp assembly from California Mustang (PN C0AF-13A719-B). Drake took the Mustang's original dome lamp one better with a large plastic reflector to yield more light. You can use the wire splice included in the kit or you can plug in behind the instrument panel.
There are two approaches to dome light installation. The first is to find a '67-'70 Mustang hardtop parts car and use its dome light, which is nothing more than a socket/reflector dish combo with a long wire and male plug. The second is to order a new Scott Drake dome lamp assembly kit (PN C0AF-13A719-B) from California Mustang. Whether you're installing a factory original dome light or the Scott Drake kit, the approach is the same.
As part of my search for a "victim" for this installation, I posted a note at the Vintage Mustang Forum (www.vintage-mustang.com) and heard back from Jim Williamson, who lives about 40 miles from my doorstep in Southern California. Jim graciously offered his daughter's good-looking '66 Mustang hardtop.
To get power to the dome light,...
To get power to the dome light, pull the rear seat and lefthand quarter-trim panel. To pull the seat, push in at the bottom and pull up. The seatback also needs to come out. Simply remove the two sheetmetal screws.
The quarter-trim panel is...
The quarter-trim panel is retained with five sheetmetal trim screws. An Allen set screw retains the window handle, unless you're dealing with an early '65 (before March 8, 1965) with clip-style handles.
Jim Williamson didn't have...
Jim Williamson didn't have a scratch awl handy, so he used a test light, which is just as effective, to find the factory dome light screw holes. You can feel them through the headliner. Use a razor blade to cut a 2-inch slit to gain wire access. Be careful not to tear the headliner.
The Scott Drake dome lamp...
The Scott Drake dome lamp assembly has two wires-red for power and black for ground. You can ground the lamp at one of the mounting screws or to a separate screw; this is how we grounded ours. All you need is bare steel at the screw for a solid ground. It's a good idea to use a star-lock washer to penetrate the factory primer.
Jim has pulled the windlace...
Jim has pulled the windlace and detached the headliner. It's easy to feed the power lead across and down the sail pillar. This gets the lead into the quarter-window area. If you're lucky, your hardtop will have a fastback wiring harness, which some did, and dome light power will be available without having to look underneath the dashboard.
Using the provided screws,...
Using the provided screws, the reflector base is installed into the factory dome light screw holes. If you're installing a used factory dome light reflector, Ford has provided a single screw hole not visible here. It's slightly to the left of body center, close to the lens screw holes.
Jim installs the lens using...
Jim installs the lens using screw holes in the reflector.
The dome light power lead...
The dome light power lead is carefully fed into the sail pillar, which isn't as easy as it looks. You must get the lead down into the quarter-window area, yet clear of the window's up-and-down movement. Follow the taillight harness and zip-tie the power lead to it. Then feed the power lead into the rocker panel.
The power lead should come...
The power lead should come out here, at the rocker panel. To reach your Mustang's factory wiring harness, you'll need red 14-gauge wire, a female bullet plug, and a male bullet plug. Zip-tie the lead to the taillight harness.
You can get power without...
You can get power without removing the instrument panel, but we suggest routing your power lead behind the kick panel and instrument panel, following the main wiring loom. Zip-tie the lead to the main harness and down to the courtesy light plug found below the wiper motor.
There are two power plugs...
There are two power plugs beneath the wiper motor. You want the black wire with a blue stripe, which is the console courtesy lamp plug. If you have a console, use the pinch splice plug provided in the kit.
Check it out-plenty of light...
Check it out-plenty of light and good looks in a '65-'66 hardtop.