Parking light question
 

Finally got my 68 coupe back from the painter (awesome clear coat candyapple red) and am just about finished reassembling the exterior. However, after I got all the lights hooked up and tested them all, the parking lights go off when the headlights are turned on. Is this the way Ford designed the 68's (or 64-68's)? I know on newer cars the parking lights remain on. I have all new wiring from under the dash to the headlights and a new light switch and I know it's all hooked up correctly. Thanks for the advice.

Do you have the harness grounded everywhere it's supposed to be?

The parking lamps are supposed to remain on when you turn the headlights on. It's probably a ground somewhere, like Chris said.

My recollection is the marker lights go out when the headlights are turned on. It's a function of the headlight switch; grounds have nothing to do with it unless your lights are not working at all or are flickering.

Both my 67 ranchero and my 66 comet turn the park lights out when the haedlights come on. I always thought this was normal, so I never looked into it.

you may be correct as far as the intent, but grounds have everything to do with light failures. it is very common, especially in a vehicle where the grounds for multiple lamps meet at a central point, for one to "lend" it's ground to another that has a poor connection. Admittedly, this usually results in one brighter than normal lamp, and one duller than normal lamp, but when one is a headlight, and the other is a parking lamp, it's entirely possible.

BTW, FYI, next time you see a car with one overly bright headlight, and one barely lit headlight, you can save the day by correcting the ground for the bright headlight. It will be the one with the bad ground.

Take care,
~Chris

I re-checked everything, including all grounds. Appears everything is hooked up properly. Any other 68 Mustang owners out there that can definitively answer this question? Only other 68 owner I know of is GearHead999. This will puzzle me forever until I found out. Thanks for the answers so far.