Replacement switches for a custom dash... where to find them?

[Mocajava]

Hello fellow FBBO members. I am building a custom dash for my 69 Coronet 440 and have been acquiring the dash pads to convert into a rally dash to gain the room for decent size round gauges and modern switches. I'm in the process of cutting the 14 gauge plate to fit the areas now and starting to look for modern switches to replace the ones OEM. Aesthetics mean a lot to me and finding all of them at one place that look good, are functional as needed and match each other is getting to be a pain. The dash "plates" will be covered in carbon fiber vinyl with Autometer gauges and now looking for the rheostat type for dimming panel and on/off for interior plus the headlights...parking / headlight and windshield wiper/ squirter. You get the idea...., where to go? With all the restoration builds I see and customizing for a more retro style that I see on this site, I am sure someone else has already been down this path. Can you give me some ideas of sites to go to so I can get modern equipment that matches each other and doesn't look out of place in a car? Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts.

 

[theGreenOrange]

Try digikey.com. they carry over 120,000 switches including over 20,000 toggle switches.

 

[Superb Bee]

There are some cool switching relay systems available allowing you to use hidden switches or very low amp switches . I personally like them hidden and the dash as clean as possible. I have some we played with. Start buttons and key fobs for hot rods. Works really well

 

[747mopar]

If you like billet aluminum Ron Francis sells knobs and door lock pulls for most common sized switches. When doing my dash I switched everything to more common switches and used Ron's knobs, not impressed with their switches though.

 

[Shorthorse]

Sounds like a fun project. Pics of your progress would be nice.
I'm sure you already know this but just make sure the capacity of your new switches will more than handle the devices activated by each individual switch. It doesn't matter whether those circuits are relay operated or directly operated. Burnt contacts or worse yet, fires are a real bummer.

 

[theGreenOrange]

Er, yes it does matter if they are on a relay. In that case, the switch just tells the relay what to do, the switch doesn't carry the current. Correct me if I am wrong, it has been a while since my degree in electrical engineering.

 

[Mocajava]

There in lies MY problem, I am no wiz at electronics. I looked up the site digikey, and yes they have a huge selection of switches to choose from. I just don't have any idea of what power rating, how to wire them and do I even need specific pigtails to be able to bring it into a working circuit? I wish I had the electronics degree, this would be so much easier. All I can do is read as much as I can digest and try and make the correct choices.

 

[theGreenOrange]

Yeah, digikey isn't the most user friendly site although they do provide plenty of data. Maybe an automotive specific site would be better. That way maybe they have sorted through all that stuff already and categorized them per application. Sorry I don't know where.

 

[Shorthorse]

Er, yes it does matter if they are on a relay. In that case, the switch just tells the relay what to do, the switch doesn't carry the current. Correct me if I am wrong, it has been a while since my degree in electrical engineering.

Correct. The relay contacts carry the load for the end device but are you suggesting a relay winding magically operates without any current draw what so ever? A clear understanding what each switches job is, not only helps deter future failures (the same can be said about each relay and its contact capacity) but helps in the selection from the thousands of switches and configurations that are available. It doesn't sound to me like the OP just wants to throw something together.

Mocajava - While you are searching for switches, check out aviation grade switches.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

to be able to build your switches setup you need to understand how it works the system first

For example wiper switch ALWAYS sends power even in off position, just by a diff source. An advantage of the wiper on 3r gen is the squirter function is built in.

Lights switch gets 2 or 3 inputs and 3 or 4 outputs ( depending of the year ins and outs changes ), one of them goping to the dimmer wheel ( 3rd gens got the advantage the dimmer wheel is built in )

 

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, more less is like this

Wiper ( 2 speeds at least ):

Gets one keyed and fused input which in OFF is linked to the parking wiper function.

When in ON on 1st stage, input sources 1st speed and cuts the parking source

next step, feeds the next speed, cuts the rest

AS FAR I REMEMBER ( can be wrong thought ) at the same time the switch gets chassis ground source and sends to the motor in both stages BUT NOT in off. That's what I'm testing on the 2 speeds switch I have in hands at this moment, but cant recall is actually sends it to the motor

on 3rd gens, the washer is sourced at any speed. For some reason, some models sourced the washer function just with switch in ON, but really doesn't matter. It can be sourced divorced from the control switch though like earliers are. Just a temporally on/off switch makes it easy

thats the more complex system. Light switch is way easier:

1 batt input NOT FROM FUSE BOX to source headlights ( so 1 input straight to 1 output ) on 2nd position

1 batt input from fuse box ( 20 amps ), to source parking lights, all of them, front, rears, sides. Some years made a diff setup splitting front from rears and side, but actually can be sourced from one same spot. This sources in both headlights position.

This same source can be used to feed cluster/dimmer system, by a diff prong from parking position or even the same one if is a good quality switch, however, Mopar run this source to a separated fuse since 70/71, lower capacity ( 3 to 5 amps ) to get an extra protection. If some interior light shorts out, will blown the interior lights fuse before the input to the parking lights, allowing to keep outer lights still working. This source got the dimmer function after the fuse, then spreaded to all the interior setup

Dome light which usually is built in into the dimmer wheel ( divorced or built in to the headlight switch ) can be simply a regular on/off switch taking the source from the ground ( is ground triggered, not positive )

 

[Shorthorse]

Just a suggestion but maybe you could look through the various OEM switches that are available and replace the original knobs with something to your liking. You may have to have the knobs custom made but using the OEM switches would allow you to maintain the original functionality without re-engineering everything and take advantage of OEM connectors in your wiring harness.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

that could be an easier solution, but the custom switch system can be built thought, just need to understand the system and match the required switch. Sometimes is enough to add some jumpers on these custom switches to make them work like factory did

 

[Hemirunner]

There's all kinds of them on ebay or just google "headlight rocker switch". There's a ton of lighted, labeled, rocker switches all over the internet. Even ones for the Vampire lights, lol.