door interior light switch?

I would think that an old Ford door switch would work.

 

 

If you look across this picture you can see how IM does there Courtesy lights.  It’s activated at the door opening and when you turn the light switch all the way left with doors closed.  

 

Marty, I see the switch I'm looking for in the upper body of the door cavity.  Have you known IM to sell parts?

 

craig

C'mon........just go to a NAPA store or Autozone or something.  Every American car since 1948 had these switches in them.

 

Either ask for a universal door light switch or look in the "Help!" rack.  Get one that has a longer plunger than your opening (where-ever you decide to put it.....look at your door - you can figure it out).

 

You'll also need a ring terminal that fits around the body of the switch for one side of the circuit ( remember - you need a ground wire to the body to complete the circuit).  

 

Install it so that closing the door will make it push in.  It should be longer than the door gap opening before installation.  Once it's installed, the closing door will set it to the proper depth.  They're pretty simple to install and seem to last forever.

 

Marty: What's with the rubber cushion?  You got Hemmoroids or sumthin?

That pic was from the build process.  I guess it's for laying or kneeling while under construction.  Gordon makes all the mods sound so easy but I'm sure the parts are easy to find like he said.

I think that cushion looks pretty sweet.  Ahhh.

Just don't talk to a young kid at the counter, you'll get the 1000 yard stare!

Well there's your problem!!... (*Ted points to the missing 'tunnel' between the two seats...) Your car is missing the transmission / gear shift tunnel.

 

 

Ted

Thanks Gordon, but it's not that simple in this one horse town.  We have two stores that do not stock door jamb switches to look at and one that can only get one from the shelf if you tell them what year, make and model it is for.  Seriously.  I spent 30 minutes looking through a catalog of 1/2" square pictures with only model numbers, no description, trying to see if one looked long enough to make the 1 3/4" gap between the door and body wall where the existing hole is in my CMC.  With the options I have here, I'd have to buy 10 or 12 to see if I got one to fit.  Just thought someone might have a model number that would save me some time.  The install is easy if I get a workable (long enough) part.

Give Henry a call and ask him if he would sell you a couple of the interior switches with the "big dick". He'll know which ones you want.

 

~WB

What you're looking for is commonly called a 'pin switch'.  Usually used for car alarms and other items which require a connection to be completed when a door/trunk/etc is opened (e.g. interior lighting.)

 

Buck up camper - The internet age has all but done away with the sorrows of a one horse town.

 

http://www.amazon.com/2-1-2-Ad...1T9NDFVJH4FC1AQS3ZBJ

 

http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Ex...ch-N-C/dp/B0002ZPBH0

 

fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=sb" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/search?...fox-a&channel=sb

 

Some pin switches can be cut to size, others can be adjusted in or out to adjust their 'throw'.

 

Have fun. Don't forget to feed the horse.

Ted

This looks like it might reach.

 

http://www.parts-express.com/2...amp;utm_campaign=pla

 

 

…that's what SHE said….

He's here all week folks!  Try the veal and don't forget to tip the waitstaff.

Thanks TRP and WildBill for the links.  The 2 1/2" adjustable should do it. 

 

craig

None of those switches appear to self adjust.  Try googling a "Standard DS-278 door switch"

 

It has a sleeve between the body and plunger that is designed to be pushed through the housing when the door is first shut on it, and the sleeve then remains where it's at and the plunger works as normal So, in other words, it self adjusts to the proper depth.  

 

BTW:  CMC puts a hole in the bulkhead at the top, forward of the door opening.  This hole faces directly toward the left side of the car.  I would not use that for a switch, because the gap there is huge.  Instead, I put my switches on the angled-downward portion of the door frame, about a foot down from the top of the door.  I'll take a picture later this AM and post it for you.

 

I think I have a "Standard" electrical catalog (the same as the auto parts counter used to have before computers) and I'll check to see if they have dimensions.  That might help you with finding one that will work, and then you can get it from Amazon.

Thanks Gordon,  I'll wait to see what you post.

 

craig

My catalog does not have dimensions, but it DOES tell me what cars any switch was used in.  The DS-278 dimensions can be found here:   

 

http://www.myautopartswholesal...otor-products/ds-278

 

and it is used in Dodge/PLY '88-92,  Ford (all cars and trucks) '74-98, Jeep '91-94

 

Pretty common switch.  Usually there is a red "HELP!" Display somewhere in the store that has these parts, or you can ask for any year model in the range above

This is a blurry photo, but at least you can see where I mounted it.  The CMC Hole is up above to the left and has a black hole plug in it.  I have no idea what that hole is meant for, probably a fixture locating hole used during the build.  Intermeccanica uses that location with a really long switch plunger that gets the job done. I didn't like that approach (nor could I easily find a switch with a plunger that long) so I opted for something more readily available.

 

 

 

It looks like the one I used has a spiffy plastic nub on the end, so that would make it a DS-250, used on Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Olds, and Pontiac from 1983 - 1996

 

Overall dimensions are the same.  It would appear that the door gap for the switch in that location is about an inch, so this switch fits it to a tee. 

Craig,

 

Just go to a junk yard or someones back yard that looks like a junk yard......  Should have plenty of those in a one horse town.

 

Stephen

All is good.  Thanks Gordon, I got the DS-278 and it works fine.

Thanks to all for the input.

Glad we could help!