Original switches and buttons possible group buy

[mickmate]

Hey guys. We have a few of us interested in purchasing all the switches and buttons for the dash of our cars. We are prepared to make minor deviations for the sake of better quality, and of course no longer availabile items. Price as always is a concern as none of us want to pay Cobra price tags for garden variety Healey/Triumph stuff.
I'm building a street car and have made a list from the chassis instruction book. We are looking for any good info on part numbers, donor cars and most importantly good suppliers to work with on the parts. We are trying to avoid cheaper quality (Indian) switches made under the Lucas name. Anyone wanting to get in on a group discount can PM me.
Street car like I'm building I believe needs-
Warning lights, blue high beam, green indicators, red ignition.
Panel light switch, must be the rheostat type.
Wiper, two position switch.
Cigar lighter, you SC/Comp guys don't need.
Heater, two position switch.
Headlamps, side and head two position switch.
Racing models need a single position switch for auxiliary fuel pumps.
Horn button, early cars used the VW headlamp dim switch on the back of the stalk with a foot switch for high beam.
Later cars used a horn button on the dash, directional was
Healey/Triumph I believe.
Ignition was by key, alot of folks like ERA use a better, newer, cheaper,
replacement with a correct appearing round slotted ring to retain it.
Thanks in advance for any insight you can give us on this.

[767Jockey]

Two more of us are in on Nicks idea, and we are doing S/C replicas while Nick does his street car. Most of the Lucas toggles are fairly inexpensive (in the $20 to $30 range) and readily available. The killers are the rotary wiper switch and knob with white lettering, and the rotary instrument panel dimmer rheostat and engraved knob. Cobra Restorers is the only place I have been able to find both rotary switches mentioned above, and they are a very dear $104.95 and $149.95 respectively. For the knobs, Cobra Restorers lists the wiper knob for $24.95, and I have been unable to find the knob for the dimmer with the correct white engraving. Does anyone have a more inexpensive source for these? The Lucas part number for the dimmer rheostat is supposedly 3R-78405, and for the wiper rotary switch is PRS7-54033632. Some of the British parts sites are horrendously difficult to navigate. Also, where do we get the knobs from? Also, for the indicator lights on the dash, we need the metal Lucas ones, I believe the ones from Cobra Restorers are correct? Does anyone know for sure? We will each need one each of red, blue and green. I know ERA has most of these parts but I have been unable to get them to sell me any parts at all in the past, and I would expect the same response from them on these parts as well. Is anyone else in the midst of a build or upgrade who wants to try to get in on a possible group buy? Does anyone have an "in" at ERA to get them to play nice? Any and all information on this is greatly appreciated. Anyone else who wants in on the purchase is more than welcomed, I would think that the more we buy the better the deal.

[KarlCSX2498]

Yeah, count me in. I need the complete set of switches & knobs.
later, karl

[65cobraking]

Hi,
I have all the Lucas part numbers for the 289/427 cobra.
Regards,Mike.

[mickmate]

Hey Mike, how do Dougs part numbers look above?

[strictlypersonl]

We currently have to scrounge around the world for NOS switches, etc. Some of them are no longer being made and the premium for someone to find a limited number of them is considerable. Our kits must take priority over retail sales because eventually the currently-scarce will become unobtainable.
When the price gets high enough, someone will reproduce the parts, but that level hasn't been reached on many items yet.

[Three Peaks]

I'd be in as long as the prices are somewhat reasonable. However, if the prices are going to be what I've found in my search so far, I think I'm going to have to go with more modern pieces. With the economy as it is, there just isn't any extra cash laying around these days.....

Bob

[KevinW]

Here in the UK, Hawk cars

http://www.hawkcars.co.uk/hawk427/index.html

stock almost anything cobra-related.
Not always the cheapest, but happy to investigate if you want. The website only shows a handful of what they can supply, most of it not listed there. What they cant buy-in, they make. They supply original AC owners as well.

Kevin

[KevinW]

OK, phoned Hawk today - turns out they actually supply quite a few places worldwide (incl UK and US) for a variety of parts. As for the two items quoted above they have a couple of units in stock but can make more. The problem, as we know, is that these arent ordinarily available, so instead, their current solution is to take a similar off the shelf item, redrill it so that it has a correct-looking insert and after some workshop treatment, ends up looking cosmetically identical to the original. This extra labour pushes the price up compared to say a standard lucas flick switch. Prices currently are about £60 + VAT = £70 per switch. At the current exchange rate (£1=$1.45) that works out at just over $100.

Gerry Hawkridge, MD at Hawk says that if there was sufficient demand, prices would come down. But would ned to think about the economies of scale before he'd commit further.

cheers,
Kevin

btw, Im not connected to Hawk, other than having bought some minor parts off them.

[LMH]

I'm needing vent "pull" knobs and a rotary dimmer. I have almost everything else I need.
Does Hawk have the dimmer?
Larry

[KevinW]

Not sure I understood you, but i think they do all the swicthgear for the dash, and they can do the vent knobs (you mean the control that connects to the cold air vents on top of the footwells?). I think its about $40ish for the pullcord with the knob assembly + delivery but i may be wrong. best ring hawk to confirm those things, as I'm starting to sound like a used car lot salesman. the rotary knob i mentioend above.

if you want any more details i am happy to follow up this side of the pond. I'll copy this thread onto the UK Cobra club site http://www.cobraclub.com/forum/snake...tches-etc.html to see if that helps up the numbers.

Kevin

[LMH]

Yeah, it's for the foot box vents. There are knobs made that say "pull" and others made that say "push" but I need the pull ones.
How would be we do this as a group buy? Would it have to be an entire dash set or could there be single parts?
Larry

[KarlCSX2498]

Hey, I am in the same position as Larry, I only need a partial or the dash switches & buttons. I emailed Nick and informed him I will pick from his list of part numbers which items I need and he seemed OK with that.

On the vent knobs on CSX2498 the words are: "AIR" in large letters in the middle of the knob and small letters on the bottom are: "PUSH"
the knobs are convex and fluted around the outside edges.

Later, karl

[KevinW]

guys, i;ve never done one of this before, so i'm a total newbie. In fact we have only just started thinking about this kind of thing in the UK. Can I maybe suggest that we start a table that you can add your name on to different components. sounds like lots of us only need the awkward to find parts, which are probably the most expensive.

my web skills are crap, but maybe someone can improve on this:

Add your name if you're in:

• Dash Dimmer switch

<add a pic?>

KevinW, <next person>, <next person>, <next person>

• Headlight switch

• Footbox PULL knob

etc.

[65cobraking]

Hi Mickmate,

Lucas part numbers for AC Cobra dash dimmer switch is Model 3R part number 78365A,windshield wiper switch is Model PRS7 part number 31957 same switch as the one used on late 50's Jaguar XK 150.With this switch you have to use a DR 3 wiper motor the one with 6 leads coming from the motor,also this motor uses a drive cable with a special end (hard to acquire) for the park switch.
Regards,Mike.

[65cobraking]

Couple of pics of the wiper switch

[KevinW]

If its XK150, you can see it here....

http://www.xks.com/jaguar/xk_catalog...Electrical.pdf

page 9, item 6/7.

-I'm not sure if the knob is the same though.

Kevin

[65cobraking]

Reproduction wiper and dash panel knobs are available @ Cobra Restores.
Original Lucas wiper knob number is 318168
Original Lucas panel light knob is 316163
Mike.

[1985 CCX]

Dougs #'s are from me, I took them off the Lucas boxes my switch's cam in...

[mk2gt40]

Anyone tried Motorsports International? tel 6193909080
I have`nt personally but they have a fairly comprehensive catologue.
Ross