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My dad and I spent some time on the car this weekend and finished the brake job. The car now has good brakes. We replaced the master cylinder, all wheel cylinders, lines, and new brake shoes from Napa. I was happy to find that brake shoes for a 1963 International pickup fit just fine with some very minor modifications. They cost $19.99 at the local Napa store! Also put on a new brake light switch, so the brake lights work now. After bleeding and adjusting the brakes, I took it out for it's longest drive yet. I put about 40 miles on the car. It drove great! It needs a little adjustment on the choke yet, it didn't want to come down off high idle like it should. The transmission seems to work just fine. I didn't notice any oil, coolant, or transmission leaks. So it looks like the major mechanical things are pretty well ironed out. So now we get to start on all the little things. I think our next project is the heater. We need to flush the system out real good, put on some new hoses, new vent tubes. I think the blower is okay. The lever for the heater control is frozen up, so I need to figure that out. I did notice while driving the car, that the headlights don't work. They will come on for about 15 to 20 seconds, then go dim, then cycle on and off about every 2 seconds. When they are cycling on and off I can hear a click under the dash. I'm assuming that's the relay. Anyone have any ideas about the problem? Is the relay bad, or could it be a short somewhere? I'm not really sure what would cause the relay to cycle on and off. I also have to come up with a 6 volt flasher as mine is missing. Anyway, I am ecstatic that the car drives now!

The heater levers are dual stage with two bowden cables on each lever. The upper portion of travel controls the air vents and the bottom half controls either the temp valve or windshield/floor flapper. Depending on what portion is not working it could be a rusted or kinked bowden cable or jammed flapper. The cables are easy to disconnect and remove so that would be where I would start on the no movement problem. The rubber in the vent tube flappers are usually worthless by now and will need to be changed. You can buy new cut to fit from Steele but most of us just cut a new one out of flat sheet rubber. The old staples holding the flappers together will probably not be reusable but pop rivets or screws are not seen and substitute nicely.

The lights issue sounds like the circuit breaker mounted to headlight switch is cycling. That usually happens because of a short. It will keep cycling as long as there is power to the circuit and a short or until the breaker finally dies. Since there is a fairly long time before it first cycles there is a slim possibility the amp capacity has weakened over the years and lights are drawing more than breaker can handle now. You can get a universal 30amp stud terminal type I (self resetting) breaker at most parts stores. There may be a mounting flange on the universal breaker you will have to remove but otherwise a stud terminal breaker will mount in the location.

Headlight switch breaker protects dash, head, parking, tail and license lamps. Typical place to check for any shorts is where wiring goes thru a hole in the body and pay particular attention to the trough in the trunk floor just below the trunk lid where wires cross over to the right side and one or two drop down and out for license light. There have also been reports of the dimmer switch acting up so another possibility.

On the flasher, if it is the plug in type you can get a modern replacement 535 at parts stores. While it will work the flashers, there have been reports it may not work the signal indicator in speedo. It uses a transistor for that signal function and because of the Packard positive ground the transistor may not trigger. You may have to get the original Tung-Sol or a proper replacement from one of the vendors.