Need help with dash accessory ID

[scootrd]

I have two manufactured holes in my 1946 1 ton mercury dash and can't figure out what accessory may have been installed there if ordered.  I was able to locate an original 1946 owners manual and it makes no indication of any accessory being installed. The Mercs and the Fords were pretty much the same so I was also able to get my hands on a 1946 Ford 1 ton operators manual as well. No luck there either.

I found a pic of a 1947 1/2 ton and it looks like possibly a map light or perhaps cigarette lighter is installed in the same place the hole is located in my dash. However of you look real close there are actually two manufactured holes in my dash (one is covered with a factory plug). 

Any clue what could have been ordered back in 1946 to be installed in each hole?

I am truly at a loss.

Here is the 1947 1/2 ton dash pic I found on the internet. Look above throttle lights and choke knobs. any idea what is installed?



Now here is my 1946 1 ton dash. Look above throttle, lights, and choke knobs . Hole without plug is just to the right of the hole with factory plug. Any ideas what could have occupied these dash holes if the accessory at that time would have been ordered?

[Ranger99]

it's a factory-made hole for sure?
i used to have a set of old microfiche
from before we started using computer
parts catalogs that might show something,
but i haven't the foggiest idee where they are
then i don't know where a viewer would be to
get a looksee.
any dealers close to you that might have one
or some slides? or an old set of paper catalogs?

[Ranger99]

i was just looking at the lmc catalog,
but i think they only go back to 48.
i used to get a lot of of unobtainable
and obsolete things from them back when.
you might look and see if anything they
have rings a bell. if nothing else, maybe
they can direct you to another resource.

[Oldshooter]

Scooter, the one that is plugged in your pic looks like a cigarette lighter in the other pic. You have a hole to the right of that, above the last knob on the right, where they do not have one. It may have been covered during restoration. As to what goes in there,  Bottom line....I dunno.

[Larry L]

Optional cigarette lighter, optional electric windshield wipers that started with YM 1939 for Ford trucks. You're probably aware that the Mercury was a Canadian Ford truck that was a glitzy Ford truck. The others should be choke, throttle, and lights. You have the optional heater on that truck as well. The one option that a lot of folks miss is the optional turn signals that was mounted on the steering column. Assuming you have a numbers correct truck, it should have a flathead V8 and the numbers on the side should read something like M68 which means the truck is a Mercury and gross combined weight is 6800lbs.
Neat trucks. I bid on one years back at an auction in New Braunsfels- a Krause Auction I think. It was a numbers correct unit painted the same as yours. Neat old trucks. My brother has a 1936 International with 36,000 original miles on it. It has the original paint and runs so quiet you can't hear it. He's the second owner. The truck hasn't seen rain in over 50 years that I'm aware of- yeah, it looks like it's new including the interior.

[FPH]

      http://www.amazon.com/1946-47-Pickup-Truck-Wiring-Diagram/dp/B002XR1LRY

[Lloyd Smale]

my neighbor is restoring a 45 ford 1 ton. when the sun comes up ill walk over and see what his dash looks like.

[scootrd]

Optional cigarette lighter, optional electric windshield wipers that started with YM 1939 for Ford trucks. You're probably aware that the Mercury was a Canadian Ford truck that was a glitzy Ford truck. The others should be choke, throttle, and lights. You have the optional heater on that truck as well. The one option that a lot of folks miss is the optional turn signals that was mounted on the steering column. Assuming you have a numbers correct truck, it should have a flathead V8 and the numbers on the side should read something like M68 which means the truck is a Mercury and gross combined weight is 6800lbs.
Neat trucks. I bid on one years back at an auction in New Braunsfels- a Krause Auction I think. It was a numbers correct unit painted the same as yours. Neat old trucks. My brother has a 1936 International with 36,000 original miles on it. It has the original paint and runs so quiet you can't hear it. He's the second owner. The truck hasn't seen rain in over 50 years that I'm aware of- yeah, it looks like it's new including the interior.

Thanks Larry,

I'll see if I can dig a little more to see if cigarette lighter was optional in a 1 ton (though original manuals make no indication and show no circuit wiring for either lighter or electric wipers as an option on the 6 volt system.

The operators manual is pretty basic and generic ,
but the service manual is pretty in depth and showed no circuit to accommodate either. 

The truck itself was purchased by a gentleman who owned a furniture store many years ago Ohio area. It was a business asset. When he retired to Florida (I spoke with him) he sold the business and the truck to the new business owner. When the new owner of the business went bankrupt , I purchased the truck from him through a consigner.

[Larry L]

If the consignor was Vintage Cars, I saw the truck online in their advertising. I had issues with the listing as they show it's a 122" wheelbase but the plate under the hood says it's an H wheelbase which is 134". Not being able to actually see it I didn't pursue anything with it. But if the wheelbase is 134" like the ID plate says, it's a very clean truck. I didn't care for the rewire job under the dash either.
In regards to the wiring. You apparently aren't old like me. These trucks were wired per options. Not like it is today with a wiring harness that has all of the wiring in it even for options that may not be on the vehicle. You won't find a wiring detail for the wipers or the lighter as the lighters were a dealer installed item. The factory supplied the hole and trim plate only for the lighter. The wipers were such a not often ordered item that the service manuals won't have the info. Electric wipers were a luxury that most folks couldn't afford even into the 50's. Finding an OEM wiper motor is near impossible these days but there's plenty of after market motors available.
If the truck came from Vintage, this should be it, if not, there's another one just like it around:
http://vintagemotorcarsusa.com/Details_new.php?id=225


More pics at the link.

[Lloyd Smale]

dash in the ford is differnt. Funny because his ford has a mercury flathead in it. He did some checking and back during the war years ford used alot of mismatched parts for differnt years in these trucks.