How to install the CDC Light Bar on a 2015 Mustang convertible
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Classic Design Concepts
The 2015 Mustang convertible is still on our driving bucket list, but if you are lucky enough to own one of these stylish speedsters, you might feel like something is missing. Sure, the S550 was designed as a convertible from the get-go, and it looks great. However, since the Fox Mustang days, there has been one aftermarket addition that just seems like it should have been there from the factory—the CDC Light Bar.
Get started by putting down the convertible top and removing the rear seat base by pushing in and lifting up.
“The Mustang convertible has been a very popular vehicle for many decades and the 2015 model will continue that tradition. In most cases, however, the front of the Mustang tends to make more of an impression than the side profile because a convertible lacks definition when the top is down,†says the company. “Enhance the flat side profile of your Mustang convertible with the Classic Light Bar and give your car a sportier look that is sure to catch a whole lot of attention!â€
In short, a Classic Design Concepts Light Bar simply looks great on a Mustang with the top down. When we see a new Mustang convertible, we just imagine what it will look like with one installed. Fortunately, the team at CDC feels the same way, and the company has been hard at work developing a unit for the 2015-and-newer Mustang droptop, and it is available now.
First loosen the top trim panel by pulling up on it gently. You’ll need to remove the electrical connector behind the seat belt guide. Then you can work the top piece around the seat belt and free it. With the top piece out of the way, you can remove the inner trim panel/speaker grille.
The latest Light Bar (PN 1511-7000-01; $469) offers a bolt-in installation using factory mounting points for its anchoring brackets. Those mounts retain a 1 1/4-inch-round steel tube that features 1/8-inch wall thickness. Though it is not a “roll bar†this unit will add a bit of chassis rigidity, but the Light Bar’s real job is to look good. It does so thanks to a molded polyurethane cover wrapped in vinyl that matches your Mustang’s interior.
Curious about how the new Light Bar installs in a 2015 Mustang? Well, we have the details on how to make your convertible complete. And, if you want even more info on the install, our friends at CJ Pony Parts have a great install video right here…
Take the top panels to your workbench and place them on a soft surface. Place the provided template in the prescribed spot on the panel, then use a center punch to create a pilot hole for your hole saw.After creating the pilot hole, flip the panels over and carefully create an pass-through hole for the Light Bar’s main hoop with a 2-inch holesaw. The final mod for the panels is trimming down one of the tabs on the underside of the passenger-side top panel for switch clearance. Just follow the directions carefully, and you’ll be fine.You’ll want to remove the passenger-side speaker to gain the necessary clearance to install the mounting bracket and run the wiring for the Light Bar. Remove one faster from the convertible top motor and one from the window molding, slip the bracket into place, and bolt it down. Torque the molding bolt to no greater than 80 in-lb, while the top motor bolt gets a 221 in-lb torquing.After repeating those bracket-mounting steps on the driver side, you can turn your attention to the wiring. The first step is to route the wiring harness, then reinstall the passenger-side speaker. Then you can mount this switch, which will turn off the brake light in the Light Bar when the top is up.Setting up the plunger switch requires several steps, so just follow the instructions closely. The switch turns off that high mount brake light by breaking ground, so you’ll need to wire the switch to a ground source and secure that wire away from the top mechanism.To pick up a signal for the high-mount brake light in the bar, you’ll need to locate the yellow-with-silver-stripe wire on the floor on the passenger side. It would be hidden by the trim panel, had you not already removed it. Once you locate this wire, use the supplied wiretap to connect the Light Bar harness to the power source.After reinstalling the trim panels, plug in the harness you wired to the harness inside the light bar hoop, and tuck the extra slack inside the bar. Then you can slide the Light Bar into its mounting bracket.Using a flashlight, peer into the seat belt openings and tighten the retaining set screws with a T-handled Allen wrench and your Light Bar is installed. Now run the top up and down a couple times to make sure there is no interference between the top and the bar. Also ensure the brake light goes off when the top is up. If everything checks out, you are ready for a drive with the top down.See what we mean about the CDC Light Bar completing the look of a Mustang convertible? Granted, this isn’t just any Mustang convertible, it’s one of CDC’s Outlaw conversions, so it has numerous other upgrades. However, the Light Bar really finishes off the look, and now you know how to put one in.
