How to remove door pillar courtesy lights

[51Deluxe]

Just took delivery on the '51 Deluxe, will post a video a bit later. I'm going to install shoulder belts on the door pillars and need to know how to remove the courtesy lights. I'm hoping they are recessed into a large hole that I can use to get a nut and washer on the back of the seat belt bolt in a hole drilled just below.  Anyone know?

On a side note, a car show card in the glove box says the car was purchased from the estate of John Witmer (Pillow, PA) in 1996 and that he had bought the car new in 1951. Was he a club member?

[joefrazer]

The door pillar lights are held using spring loaded tabs. Simply pull from either the top or bottom and they should come off the post. Sometimes prying at either the top or bottom with a plastic putty knife or screwdriver covered with tape is needed. There is a hole thru which the wiring runs and if memory serves, it's about an inch in diameter.

[51Deluxe]

Thanks for the quick reply, I'll be working on this tomorrow. A one inch hole would be ideal to access the bolt. One other thing- where does the wiring harness run in the floorboard? I might try to drill the holes for the lap belts without removing the carpet and don't want to hit the harness.

[joefrazer]

The harness actually runs up and overhead. It's located on the driver's side and runs thru a cavity over the doors. At floor level, the only wire is to the rear seat cigar lighter. It runs down the middle of the floor under the mat (at least it does on my 53 and 54).

[retired wrench]

 Drilling through carpet is risky if the bit catches a thread it will pull the thread out completely across the carpet in the blink of an eye.    Again, don't ask how I know this.

[51Deluxe]

Thanks for confirming that retired wrench, I suspected as such but might have tried anyway. My dad always had a set of metal punches that could be used to cut a neat hole in fabric or carpet, but I don't have them. Will figure something out.

[51Deluxe]

Got the light out and the hole it goes into is about 1.5" tall  x 3/4" wide. Just big enough to drop the threaded backing plate for the seat belt bolt into (with fishing line tied to it just in case).