Moving ignition switch to column

[Carbuilder]

As part of my A/C installation project I'm making a new dash. The dash has to accommodate the A/C vents, plus adding a radio, different switches, and moving things around. As small as it is, I was having trouble finding a good spot for the ignition switch. One reason is that with a key fob I don't want any switches below it as they might be blocked. So I thought putting the switch on the steering column housing might be good.

Turned out to be fairly easy. There is a molded feature on both sides of the column housing. One side is for the turn signal switch and the other side is for nothing. I think I saw that there could be high-beam switch or something in that side. Or for RHD cars. Anyways, mine was blank. I thought I would drill a hole in it and then realized that there was a rubber plug in it.

This is the housing with the plug removed and the various aluminum parts I made; just the 3 flat ones, the 2 on the right come with the switch.



This is how it works:



The 3 aluminum pieces simulate the rubber plug to trap the assembly in place in the column housing.

When installed it looks like this. I 3D printed a small piece to add a bit more refinement to it. And there is enough room inside to clear the steering column (which doesn't move with respect to the switch so shouldn't be an issue).







Gets the switch off the dash and adds a slight modern touch.

Rick

 

[Austin Healer]

original purpose of the housing opposite the turn signal switch was an overdrive switch on Alpines

 

[65beam]

As part of my A/C installation project I'm making a new dash. The dash has to accommodate the A/C vents, plus adding a radio, different switches, and moving things around. As small as it is, I was having trouble finding a good spot for the ignition switch. One reason is that with a key fob I don't want any switches below it as they might be blocked. So I thought putting the switch on the steering column housing might be good.

Turned out to be fairly easy. There is a molded feature on both sides of the column housing. One side is for the turn signal switch and the other side is for nothing. I think I saw that there could be high-beam switch or something in that side. Or for RHD cars. Anyways, mine was blank. I thought I would drill a hole in it and then realized that there was a rubber plug in it.

This is the housing with the plug removed and the various aluminum parts I made; just the 3 flat ones, the 2 on the right come with the switch.

View attachment 18998

This is how it works:

View attachment 18999

The 3 aluminum pieces simulate the rubber plug to trap the assembly in place in the column housing.

When installed it looks like this. I 3D printed a small piece to add a bit more refinement to it. And there is enough room inside to clear the steering column (which doesn't move with respect to the switch so shouldn't be an issue).

View attachment 19000

View attachment 19001

View attachment 19002

Gets the switch off the dash and adds a slight modern touch.

Rick

You pretty much copied what Rootes did for the Alpine overdrive switch but for the ignition switch. When the production of series Alpines and Tigers ceased the cars had a steering column mounted switch that also locked the steering column. Your set up looks neat to me! My Harringtons had the rubber mount for O/D but had a metal plate molded in the rubber piece which had a groove to fit over the ridge in the column cover opening and allowed a solid mount for the O/D switch. The LeMans had a second switch secured to the cover for the horn switch since it used a steering wheel hub that didn't allow the use of the horn ring on the wheel. If you decide to use any other switch mounted on the column you might consider doing that. I know of one car that has an on/off switch for four way flashers secured thru an opening cut in the cover. This photo shows how the extra switch for the horn was placed in the cover for the LeMans. When I assembled this car I bent a flat washer to strength things inside the cover for the horn switch.

 

[0neoffive]

Met

As part of my A/C installation project I'm making a new dash. The dash has to accommodate the A/C vents, plus adding a radio, different switches, and moving things around. As small as it is, I was having trouble finding a good spot for the ignition switch. One reason is that with a key fob I don't want any switches below it as they might be blocked. So I thought putting the switch on the steering column housing might be good.

Turned out to be fairly easy. There is a molded feature on both sides of the column housing. One side is for the turn signal switch and the other side is for nothing. I think I saw that there could be high-beam switch or something in that side. Or for RHD cars. Anyways, mine was blank. I thought I would drill a hole in it and then realized that there was a rubber plug in it.

This is the housing with the plug removed and the various aluminum parts I made; just the 3 flat ones, the 2 on the right come with the switch.

View attachment 18998

This is how it works:

View attachment 18999

The 3 aluminum pieces simulate the rubber plug to trap the assembly in place in the column housing.

When installed it looks like this. I 3D printed a small piece to add a bit more refinement to it. And there is enough room inside to clear the steering column (which doesn't move with respect to the switch so shouldn't be an issue).

View attachment 19000

View attachment 19001

View attachment 19002

Gets the switch off the dash and adds a slight modern touch.

Rick

Methinks you should consider a rubber-ish insulator on the shaft tube just to keep any errant wires from wandering into it. Just sayin'

 

[Carbuilder]

Oh I'm definitely going to cover things in that area. I agree that even with things looking like they can't ever touch....Murphy is always looking!

 

[Austin Healer]

You pretty much copied what Rootes did for the Alpine overdrive switch but for the ignition switch. When the production of series Alpines and Tigers ceased the cars had a steering column mounted switch that also locked the steering column. Your set up looks neat to me! My Harringtons had the rubber mount for O/D but had a metal plate molded in the rubber piece which had a groove to fit over the ridge in the column cover opening and allowed a solid mount for the O/D switch. The LeMans had a second switch secured to the cover for the horn switch since it used a steering wheel hub that didn't allow the use of the horn ring on the wheel. If you decide to use any other switch mounted on the column you might consider doing that. I know of one car that has an on/off switch for four way flashers secured thru an opening cut in the cover. This photo shows how the extra switch for the horn was placed in the cover for the LeMans. When I assembled this car I bent a flat washer to strength things inside the cover for the horn switch.

View attachment 19003

automatic series 4 Alpines had a transmission key lock right next to the shifter

 

[65beam]

automatic series 4 Alpines had a transmission key lock right next to the shifter

Sean,
FYI, the Alpine gear lever lock was for the 4 speed transmission. If you look close near the package tray the locking ignition switch on one of my 69GT's can be seen .The key was at least double the length of what was used on Tigers / Alpines. Have you seen this key used on any other British cars? It has no name but does have the code FH 790.

 

[HolyCat]

I believe Sean was talking about a Series 4 Alpine with an automatic tranny. You are referring to a 1969 Alpine GT, which I thought was a very different car (based on the Rapier). Are you saying that the Series 4 Alpine with the 4-speed tranny had a transmission level lock and that it wasn't the Series 4 Alpine with the auto tranny which had the lock?

 

[65beam]

I believe Sean was talking about a Series 4 Alpine with an automatic tranny. You are referring to a 1969 Alpine GT, which I thought was a very different car (based on the Rapier). Are you saying that the Series 4 Alpine with the 4-speed tranny had a transmission level lock and that it wasn't the Series 4 Alpine with the auto tranny which had the lock?

The transmission lock was for Alpines with the manual 4 speed transmission. The original kit was part # 2219401 and then was superceded by part #1219506. This thread started with an owner installing the ignition switch on the column so I mentioned and showed the ignition setup of the 69 so folks could see what Rootes / Chrysler did when they switched to the column mount to meet U.S. specs. It seems that Sean has worked on other marques so I asked if he has seen any other cars that used the later style key. I like the way the switch shown in an earlier post was installed.

 

[Austin Healer]

I stand corrected. I've only seen one and it was a very long time ago... according to the parts lists, the lock was standard on German deliveries and started with the series 2 cars. part #2219401. series 3 and 4 cars to B9407936 used #1219506. B941 and B946 (CKD cars) series cars used # 1229529

 

[65beam]

I stand corrected. I've only seen one and it was a very long time ago... according to the parts lists, the lock was standard on German deliveries and started with the series 2 cars. part #2219401. series 3 and 4 cars to B9407936 used #1219506. B941 and B946 (CKD cars) series cars used # 1229529

I've asked folks like Tiger Tom, Rick and others why there was a different part number for German cars. One said it could be a language thing concerning the instruction sheet. Many years ago I had a kit that was in a batch of parts when I bought out a dealer when they closed out the parts for Rootes / Chrysler cars. I never installed it but another Ohio owner offered me a very good figure for it so I sold it. In my forty years of United's, and SUNI's I've never seen a car with one installed. The rarity of them could be because sales of the kits was very low. It appears that they may have only been used on the non syncro 1st gear transmissions.

 

[Austin Healer]

I've asked folks like Tiger Tom, Rick and others why there was a different part number for German cars. One said it could be a language thing concerning the instruction sheet. Many years ago I had a kit that was in a batch of parts when I bought out a dealer when they closed out the parts for Rootes / Chrysler cars. I never installed it but another Ohio owner offered me a very good figure for it so I sold it. In my forty years of United's, and SUNI's I've never seen a car with one installed. The rarity of them could be because sales of the kits was very low. It appears that they may have only been used on the non syncro 1st gear transmissions.

The third part number I listed (#1229529) is for cars with the full syncro gearboxes (B941 prefixed chassis numbers).... And in 40 years... I've only seen one Alpine with a gearbox shifter lock. The parts list would seem to indicate that ALL of the gearbox locks (series 2-4) were for the German market as a requirement, and to others as an option. On German market Healeys after about late 1963, a column lock was introduced on 1st series 3000 MK3's. The lock also functioned as the ignition switch. The spot on the dash for the ignition lock was either filled with a blanking plug, or with the optional Smiths lighter. I have had three of these through the shop in just over 40 years, so not terribly common. The key used on the German market Healey was not a Wilmot Breeden key, but a German key which was/is very similar to a MB key. I restored an MB 230SL (1966) a few years ago, and it's ignition key was very nearly a duplicate of the German market Healey. The column lock was also used on Swiss market BMC products.

German market Healeys had a special chassis plate, not the standard issue one. So did French market cars. This appears to be the case for Rootes group cars as well. It would also appear that Rootes and BMC cars sent to these markets had secondary chassis number stampings. I've seen these on Tigers on the horizontal firewall stiffener on the RH side. Some of these cars also had secondary chassis plates. German market Healeys have a chassis plate that lists axle weights, French market cars have a secondary chassis number plate. All of the Europe spec Healeys have secondary chassis number stampings into different body panels, usually in the hood (bonnet) drainage channel. Healeys from 1963 had the chassis numbers stamped into the frame near the RH suspension.... Kind of like the Sunbeam Talbot 90's and Alpines of the mid 50's....

The interesting thing about the third shifter lock option was it was also designated for CKD cars (B946 prefix)... Outside of S. Africa, I wonder what other CKD destinations there were.... BMC sent CKD cars to S. Africa, Australia and Mexico (assembled by Willys, one car and Cuba (1). also interesting... Willys also assembled Renault Alpines under license in S. America....

Clearly your late Alpine (Chrysler) has a Wilmot Breeden key. It's similar (but not the same pattern) to the keys used in late 60's/early 70's cars like the TR Spitfire and GT6, or TR6... and the MGB and Jaguar XJ6.

 

[65beam]

The third part number I listed (#1229529) is for cars with the full syncro gearboxes (B941 prefixed chassis numbers).... And in 40 years... I've only seen one Alpine with a gearbox shifter lock. The parts list would seem to indicate that ALL of the gearbox locks (series 2-4) were for the German market as a requirement, and to others as an option. On German market Healeys after about late 1963, a column lock was introduced on 1st series 3000 MK3's. The lock also functioned as the ignition switch. The spot on the dash for the ignition lock was either filled with a blanking plug, or with the optional Smiths lighter. I have had three of these through the shop in just over 40 years, so not terribly common. The key used on the German market Healey was not a Wilmot Breeden key, but a German key which was/is very similar to a MB key. I restored an MB 230SL (1966) a few years ago, and it's ignition key was very nearly a duplicate of the German market Healey. The column lock was also used on Swiss market BMC products.

German market Healeys had a special chassis plate, not the standard issue one. So did French market cars. This appears to be the case for Rootes group cars as well. It would also appear that Rootes and BMC cars sent to these markets had secondary chassis number stampings. I've seen these on Tigers on the horizontal firewall stiffener on the RH side. Some of these cars also had secondary chassis plates. German market Healeys have a chassis plate that lists axle weights, French market cars have a secondary chassis number plate. All of the Europe spec Healeys have secondary chassis number stampings into different body panels, usually in the hood (bonnet) drainage channel. Healeys from 1963 had the chassis numbers stamped into the frame near the RH suspension.... Kind of like the Sunbeam Talbot 90's and Alpines of the mid 50's....

The interesting thing about the third shifter lock option was it was also designated for CKD cars (B946 prefix)... Outside of S. Africa, I wonder what other CKD destinations there were.... BMC sent CKD cars to S. Africa, Australia and Mexico (assembled by Willys, one car and Cuba (1). also interesting... Willys also assembled Renault Alpines under license in S. America....

Clearly your late Alpine (Chrysler) has a Wilmot Breeden key. It's similar (but not the same pattern) to the keys used in late 60's/early 70's cars like the TR Spitfire and GT6, or TR6... and the MGB and Jaguar XJ6.

Thanks for your answer on the key. We'll be at several import swap meets in the next few months. Maybe someone at Carlisle will have blanks