Pictures of steering columns, please!

Many for the VW signal switches also have the flash headlight overtake switch built in too - which is nice feature if you wire it.  Agree the older signal stalks look more authentic though.  You just don't want to be skewered by a solid steering shaft!

The picture that came in my mind was frightful  

WOLFGANG posted:

Many for the VW signal switches also have the flash headlight overtake switch built in too - which is nice feature if you wire it.  Agree the older signal stalks look more authentic though.  You just don't want to be skewered by a solid steering shaft!

IaM-Ray posted:

The picture that came in my mind was frightful  

I agree, and that was 1 of my original considerations! My friend Bruce doesn't think cutting the bottom off the early shaft and adding the collapsible part would be a big deal, though, so you can understand the interest...

Shish Kabob, not withstanding make sure you use one that can fit a nice MSW banjo with horn ring.  That wheel is awesome. 

Al, I took a 68-70 Bug switch and cut off the stalk. Then drilled a hole and installed a stainless steel tube. Then I made an aluminum knob on my buddy's lathe. I painted the switch base with hammertone paint to match my dash insert.

I also installed a micro-switch in the end of the stalk with a nice aluminum button on the end. The difficult part was getting thin and flexible enough wires inside the tube to work the high beam.

I'll take a picture and add it later if you'd like.

DannyP posted:

Al, I took a 68-70 Bug switch and cut off the stalk. Then drilled a hole and installed a stainless steel tube. Then I made an aluminum knob on my buddy's lathe. I painted the switch base with hammertone paint to match my dash insert.

I also installed a micro-switch in the end of the stalk with a nice aluminum button on the end. The difficult part was getting thin and flexible enough wires inside the tube to work the high beam.

I'll take a picture and add it later if you'd like.

Yes, please Danny! Any one else? I'd really like to see what people have done.

@ALB

Thanks Danny. Does yours have the column lock on the other side?

@Michael McKelvey- What year is your column and steering wheel?Do you have any pics you can post, Michael?

Al: no column lock, no wiper switch or anything. Just a plain old column and a turn switch.

BTW, that's part of a Grant steering wheel adapter(the hammertone tapered cup) and an early 911 steering wheel center(same spline as VW). They are both married to Carey's gorgeous billet Nardi adapter. This combo eliminated that really UGLY 4 inch thick black cast adapter and that ugly "kit-car" gap between the wheel and dash. One of the main reasons I cut the turn stalk was to reduce that distance.

Danny is right the steering column is a dead giveaway of non originality but its how it looks really that is more frightful and is dissapointing when you see it. 

FYI, IM uses and Ididit column which has a larger hub style and actually is from a GM base.  At least the turn signal apparatus is early GM which I do not really like but it is solid and has a lot of flexibility and it is an elegant solution.   I would not suggest you add it to your car Al.   Adding it to your car would be a challenge as the column has a flex link and the main shaft goes to the middle of the car into a welded tube. 

Also it has a nardi or 9 bolt hub that you must choose from. 

The more cost effective way is to do what your planning. 

@DannyP That looks freakin' amazing!!. I have been looking for an answer to that ugly stalk! Is the tube glued in place?

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Yes, I cut a solid piece of aluminum and sanded it to fit nicely in the V behind the turn signal switch housing. The tubing is pressed and JB welded into the aluminum spacer. You can see a screw from the front side, just visible behind the Grant wheel adapter, which holds the spacer along with the glue.

@ALB  the tube and shaft are '62 to '67.  On my CMC I modified the bracket to move the wheel to the right so it would be centered on the gauges.  The wheel is Nardi.  I used the same Grant cup as Danny but reversed it.  The turn signal switch is '67 bus.  The left side of the switch housing is also '67 bus.  The bus tube is smaller diameter so I opened it up with a drum sander.  The right side of the switch housing is '50s beetle.  I wanted the wheel to be a little farther from the dash so I welded an extension on the bottom of the tube. There is a u-shaped piece on the side of the tube to conceal the turn signal switch wires.

How is the cruise control working out for you?

@IaM-Ray I haven't gotten the cruise control to work yet.  I used a wireless switch so I wouldn't have to run wires from the front to back.  The receiver is mounted in the engine compartment.  The switch and receiver seemed to communicate in the garage but it doesn't work when I am driving.  I'm thinking maybe high voltage ignition activity might cause problems for the receiver.  I am going to go ahead and run the wires and put the receiver behind the dash.  If that doesn't work I will take it to the guys who sold the stuff and have them take a look at it.

Mike:  as a possible inexpensive fix, your wireless switch might be overloaded by ignition noise in the engine compartment that might be minimized with a noise suppression choke like this, placed in the power feed to the switch:

https://www.amazon.com/Isolato...581207163&sr=8-7

RE Cruise control: Direct wire it and call it finished. 

This is a not so good picture of mine but gives you an idea. This is a reworked column from an oval window. I put in a repop turn signal unit for that year.

@Gordon Nichols do you mean the receiver for the switch?  The switch itself is left of the steering wheel.  The switch is battery powered. Do I only have to be concerned about ignition noise affecting the receiver power or would it also affect the 4 other wires between the receiver and servo.

@DannyP I thought of direct wiring it but like the smaller wireless switch and before spending more money on the direct-wired switch I thought I would try moving the receiver.  In either case, I will have to run the wires.

 ”do you mean the receiver for the switch? ”

Yes.

The wireless transmitter (the thing next to the steering wheel you call a switch) isn’t affected by ignition (spark) noise, but the receiver, way back there within a couple of feet of the spark plugs, certainly is.  It is probably overloaded with strong radio frequency (RF - in this case, spark) noise that covers up the transmitter signal.  That is why auto makers put their receivers inside the cockpit to provide a little insulation from RF noise.

So.......   Things you can do:  (a.) move the receiver as far from the engine as you can.  If that isn’t practical, then (b.) try the electrical isolator to minimize noise from the power line.  If neither of those work, then (c.) bite the bullet and run wires from a dash old-fashioned switch to the engine compartment (under the carpet works for audio installers) to hard wire it. 

@Gordon Nichols, is it only the power line that is affected by the ignition noise or would the other 4 wires be affected too?

Any or all wires could be carrying the interference/noise. You might try shrouding the wires with a shield. I'd use shielded wire, but ONLY GROUND ONE END of the shield, preferably to the receiver/cruise unit.

Automobiles are very noisy and full of metal stuff that transmits and bounces all sorts of noise from the alternator, ignition, and any wires could also be carrying/transmitting the noise even if they aren't anywhere near the source. Possibly this is an area where a fiberglass car is not helpful, as the fiberglass poses no resistance to RF interference.

I cut a 60's Beetle switch and drilled a hole to install a chromed steel rod comming from a...toilet paper roll holder. A high beam switch has been installed under the dash. The steering column bracket is painted with a chrome effect paint. The aluminium steering boss is manufactured by Luisi and has been polished.