I've got a '60 I'm working on. I've replaced all the bulbs behind the dials, but they're not working. Weird thing is, the highbeam indicator dashlight works, as well as the turn signals and oil pressure light. But the dial lights won't illuminate. Suggestions? I don't know where the fuse is located for these...maybe it's blown.

I suspect you have the dashlights turned down so low you cannot see them. The headlight switch knob can be turned to adjust the brightness of the dashlights. Turn the knob one way, and the lights go bright. Go the other way, and they can get so dim you cannot see them. The knob also controls the interior light.

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Bill
Vancouver, BC

darn, sorry, i should have mentioned i did play with the dimmer/rheostat and they are still not working, so it's something more than that.

The dashlight wiring on a 1960 Valiant is extremely simple. There are 3 lights in the dash each connected to an orange 20-gauge wire. The three wires join together at one point and an orange wire runs to the light switch, attaching to the terminal marked "INST".

Check to make sure the bulb sockets are grounded properly - the contacts should be clean of paint and rust.

Same with the connection to the headlight switch - the contacts should be clean.

Failing that, it could be the switch itself. The dashlights are wired through a circular rheostat in the switch. There is a small prong attached to the knob that gets dragged around the rheostat. Make sure the prong and rheostat are clean and the prong is making a solid contact on the rheostat.

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Bill
Vancouver, BC

thanks, i'll check it out. the headlights work fine...but after sitting for a long long time, who knows.