I have no dash lights or turn signals on the dash of my 68 bird. I drove it last yr with no dash lights. Outside lights and turn signals work. The dash has standard gauges and i swapped from a automatic to a 4 spd man. The generator light comes on the turn the ignition switch on. I pulled the electric socket behind the gauges i found one hot wire (with ignition switch on) and found both turn signals on the plug. But everything else on the plug is dead. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated.
Thanks Steve

The first thing that comes to mind is the ground wire. The middle screw that holds the gauge cluster to the dash is supposed to ground the gauges to the body of the dash with a single uncoated hard wire. Even if yours is in place its a good idea to install a second ground wire from the back of the gauges to a known good ground, that should get the turn signals working.
The power for the dash lights comes from the headlamp switch and is controlled by turning the knob left or right to brighten or dim the lights. These switches have always been troublesome and most parts stores still stock them or can at least order them in. To remove the switch you must first remove the knob by pushing a button on the side of the switch and pulling out on the knob. It will pull out the middle shaft of the switch and turn the headlamps on in the process so you may want to disconnect the battery. If I remember correctly the headlamp switch also needs to ground to the dash in order to turn on the interior lights.
It is also a good idea to just replace all of the bulbs in the gauges. Parts stores sell 194 bulbs single or in boxes.
Please post what you find out. Neill

Thanks for the info. The interior lights (convertible ) are currently working.i don't remember seeing a single ground wire but i'll look again. And i will check all the bulbs.
I'll post next week when i work on it again.

No ground "wire" for the dash cluster in the traditional sense (copper strands with insulation). The dash cluster ground is a actual metal wire with a loop on the free end that is bolted to the back of the circuit board. That metal wire comes forward across the top of the cluster and is supposed to loop around the center of the 5 black oxide Phillips head screws that mount the plastic dash bezel face (the plastic face the instrument cluster attaches to) to the metal dashboard.

Many of us have had reason not to trust that factory ground and have run a separate regular insulated wire from a ground bolt on the back of the instrument cluster to a good ground point on the metal dash.

Oh i see daid the blind man.... lol. Thanks, I'll check out the ground wire tomorrow.

Oh i see daid the blind man.... lol. Thanks, I'll check out the ground wire tomorrow.

Well i replaced the dash light switch today and cleaned the flexible circuit board today. Still no dash lights... i did connect a separate ground wire from the gauges to a ground and the dash lights did come on however there are no turn signals on the dash tho. Oh yea i did replace all the dash light bulbs..

Could be a bad circuit card. You probably have it all back together now, but did you look to see if there were any breaks in the solder (circuit) lines?