Replacing the Wiper Cable on a 1963 Ford Thunderbird

If you're planning to restore or repair your 1963 Ford Thunderbird, one of the tasks that may come up is replacing the wiper cable. While it may seem like a daunting task, with some patience and attention to detail, you can successfully replace the wiper cable without too much hassle.

Before starting the job, it's recommended to take the opportunity to rebuild the AC and heater plenums, clean them out, and replace rubber seals (which are no longer commercially available). This will give you a chance to tackle other tasks such as replacing vacuum lines, AC or heater parts, etc. An air chisel can be used to remove old adhesives and spot welds, but a spotweld cutter may also work.

When reassembling the dash, the split welds can be drilled out and bolted back together. This is located above the bracket that holds the lower dash to the driver's side kick panel. There are also a couple of spot welds that join the outboard upright and the lower crossmember together. To make removal easier, consider splitting the frame near where the emergency brake is, so you don't have to disconnect the main wiring harness.

You'll need to get into some tight spaces to remove nuts for wiring harness retainers and other hardware. Before starting this job, it's highly recommended that you obtain copies of the '63 Body/Trim/Sealer Assembly Manual AND the Electrical Assembly Manual to understand how everything goes together. Additionally, studying the '62 Shop Manual will help you visualize the process.

The radio speaker will need to be removed to access the retaining bracket hardware at the forward center of the dash, where it bolts to the firewall. It's also helpful to remove the seats and steering wheel, as well as the shifter and turn signal levers, to have plenty of room to maneuver. The wiper control cable knob and retainer will need to be removed, allowing you to slide the cable out of the way.

The dash trim panels, moldings, knee rails, etc. can be unplugged from the back of the cluster. You'll also need to remove the instrument cluster assembly once the pad/frame assembly is removed. This makes replacement much easier since you won't have to worry about removing a pad that's securely glued to the frame.

In my case, I was fortunate enough to purchase an original pad still mounted to the frame in the mid-'80s, which made the task much easier. However, if you're working with a reproduction pad, be aware that the outboard ends may not be spread as far apart as they are on late '62-'63 models.

Ultimately, it's recommended to remove the dash pad and frame together to preserve the original pad. With patience and attention to detail, replacing the wiper cable on your 1963 Ford Thunderbird can be a rewarding and successful experience.

1963 ford thunderbird wiper cable