I've got a 72 Nova that was column shift (now floor) auto and I'm installing a tach and a shift light. I'm trying to get to the positive wire for the ignition switch and just getting to the lock mechanism is turning out to be a real pain! I'm thinking now about going into the positive at the wiring harness near the bottom of the column. There are a pink and also a pink w/black stripe wires that come out of the column. I'm guessing the pink is the ignition positive but I'm not sure... anyone got any advice on which one?...or if I'm even close?

If anyone can tell me how to get into the dang column I'd rather run the wires inside the column for appearance sake. I've removed the wheel, turn sig. and hazard button, the only other thing I see is the 4 large bolts below the dash but I'm guessing you don't have to remove the entire column to get to the switch...am I right?

HELP!!!!:confused:

Thanks in advance.

270win

The ignition switch is not inside the column, that is just the lock cylinder. The actual switch is the one with all the wires near the bottom. The pink and pink/black are not hot wires.

The ignition switch is on top of the column not on the inside, finding a hot wire is as easy as going to the fuse box and you can use a spade connector.

And the wires will not be visable once the tach is installed. Just run them along the top or side of the column.

Okay so if I wire it directly to the fuse panel with a spade connector will the tach be off until the switch is turned on? I'm electrical system ignorant...Like you couldn't tell...

Thanks for the help!
270

Is the wiring diagram the same for a 72 the same as a 71?

It looks like the brown/white stripe is the positive for the ignition to the fusebox. I'll verify with a voltage checker and run an in-line fuse to protect the tach/light...

270win

Another question.
Can I wire the shift-light and the tach to the same positive connection? In other words, splice the positive from the light into the positive from the tach (each with their own in-line fuse) into the fuse panel? Does the question make sense? The rest is done.

Thanks again for the help!!

270win

If you wire into the fuse panel, the connection you make with the spade connector will be on a fused circut in the fuse panel. To find a spade in the fuse box that will be hot when the key is on, hook up a test light and touch the terminal, then turn on the key to see if it comes on. You would want a circut [HOT] only when the key is in the run position only. Do not wire it so you have juice in the off position-as this will drain thy battery and you do not want juice in the acc. position either because your motor is not running in the acc. position. To wire the light, hook a wire with a spade connector to the light circut on the fuse panel, that way when you dim the lights on the dash you also dim the light in the tach. The light will be on a fuse that is in the fuse panel labeled lights. To find a circut in the fuse panel [HOT] to ignition only [to run the tach] it should be labeled ign. on the fuse panel. I believe!
:beers:

COOL! The tach and the shift light both work great! I ended up running the positives of each through an in-line fuse and then ran both into one wire which was connected via spade to the fuse panel. I used the batt. plug which is dead unless the switch is turned on.

thanks for all the help!

270win