so on my ford build i need to add a switch. I'd hate to just thro in a toggle switch and be done. I think it would look out of place in the much stock original interiour. is there a more "retro" 60's styled low impact switch available? perhaps a repurposed switch? Its just needs to be a simple on off.
switches arent voltage sensitive, they dont know ,or care if the are in a 6volt or 12 volt system. anything you find automotive will work. just be careful not to put to much load thru it. then it cares.
What's the switch do? Horn? Fan? Nitrous? Starter? Low load? High load? Momentary? More info gets you a better answer.
If you wont be using the heater switch, wire that through a relay to do what you want. A relay takes the load, the switch may last a hundred years with so little load. I knew a guy who wired his ignition through a three position heater switch to throw off would be thieves. It would only run with the heater set on medium.
Sorry my bad for leaving out info. It will be operating an electric cooling fan. so about 30amp intermittent use. of course a relay will be in use.
With a relay you shouldn't have a problem as the amperage going though the switch is very low. Outside of the resistor style heater switches used on some heaters in the 40's and 50's voltage isn't and issue with a regular style switch. Amperage is though as many modern accessories draw a lot more amps than the original electrical systems of those cars were built to handle. Again with a relay you shouldn't have a problem.
I have electric fans cooling my Chevelle but I don't have a manual switch I went with a thermostatic switch in the block. I have had no problems with this setup. My duel fans came out of a 1995 Ford Windstar mini van, a little t******* and they fit like a glove. The wiring and switch setup came from painless wiring.
Isn't the wiper switch on that year Fairlane mounted in the dash? If so, you could get another and mount it in the dash the same as the wiper switch. It would look correct. I too vote for using a relay to switch the load and let the switch you are adding control the relay.
I have a few switches under the dash of my coupe. If you mount a regular toggle switch vertically through the bottom flange, it is almost unnoticeable, yet easily at hand when you want to turn the fuel pump or cooling fan on.
That is what I do as well. But I do keep old headlight switches and the like for when I need an original looking switch. With a relay on the fan it won't take much of a switch to do the job. Nearly all '50s and '60s headlight switches are push pull types and would do it for you, the only down side that I see is that it is more switch than you need.
Or,....small size switch under the edge of the dash....Easy to get to, and mostly out of sight.....YES, to a relay............. 4TTRUK
i have in the past bought switches from napa, that have knobs that unscrew, and then used a knob that matched the car. in a couple cases i was able to buy repro's knobs that matched perfect if i couldn't use original ones.
thanx for the idea. i just so happened to find that switch. It is a push pull configuration. and as i discovered that the knob spins off the lights went on in my head thinkn, "oh, what could i repurpose to work/look cooler?" i also found that particular switch has a 75a rating. (getting easier to wire!) thanx again
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