Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

Rats, I went through my assembly photos and I do not have one of the socket before I mounted the dash cover and I do not want to take it off again.
I had NO socket in my car when I started, and do not no why, got taken out sometime in her past.
Anyway, I found a metal pigtail socket that would fit the bulb. I had it left over from a previous build, I am supposing my 67 Mustang. I then soldered a .020" thick piece of brass to the outside edge. It is 3/8" wide by 3/4" on the doglegs. On one dogleg I drilled a 7/32" hole. The leg with the hole is about 1/8" below the top surface of the sockets open end. I then place this in the hole for the map light and marked the holes location on the dash face. Using a centre punch to locate the drill bit it is drilled and tapped for a 10-32 screw. This attaches the socket to the dash and grounds the socket at the same time. It is not original but rests behind the dash cover plate so is not visible. Hope this helps with one option.
It does mean to replace the bulb in the future the cover plate will need to be removed, but it gives me good clearance to the wiper motor, and I doubt in my lifetime I will burn out that bulb, who reads a map anymore!
Bob J.

Thanks for looking Bob!

One of the things I needed to do to the freshly wood grained panels was paint the mounting tabs, hinges and back side of glove box door dark brown to match the dash structure. Let's just say I've never masked anything as well as I did these to avoid any overspray on the wood grain.

Attach file:

---

  Screenshot_20230328_182525_Gallery.jpg (184.66 KB)

Here are some photos of the map light socket from from a 115C sedan which show that it clears the wiper motor.
Length of the socket is 7/8"

Attach file:

---

  P3280005.JPG (106.55 KB)


  P3280006.JPG (65.18 KB)

Thanks, that's helpful for reference!

Looking at the Owner's Manual and wire diagram, I see the original "Panel Switch" is a three-position switch that controls the Map Light and the Panel Lights.

I've always assumed the panel lights came on with the headlight switch. What was the purpose of a separate control for them?

Also, the switch currently in my car is a two-position switch. Does anyone have a three-position switch laying about they want to part with?

Thinking of using that 3rd-leg to control the backup light, as with a cane shift, a transmission-mounted switch is not an option, and I want to avoid another switch under dash.

You bring up an interesting question.

Cars in the 20s and early 30s had a push or plunger type switch on the back of the trans. The plunger was operated by a rod like affair moved by the cane and fork rail and was used to turn on the brake lights. When backing the brake lites then became a sort of a rudimentary backup light.

Seems odd they would have gotten rid of a feature like that so were backup lights any kind of option in the mid to late 30s years and if so could there be an unused opening plugged with something on the back of the trans that could accept a switch. If so maybe one of those switches could be found or something modern could be adapted to fit.

From my brief exploration into the innards of the cane shifter top, there are plugs where the two rods slip that hold the head selectors attach to. But based on the geometry, I would think R and 2 would both activate any switch attempted at that location.

R---2
--N--
1---3

Having not seen the inside of a cane shift trans there is a good possibility I don't understand the operation. At the moment don't understand how both gears would move the same rail though. If R is up and to the left wouldn't that make one of the rails move to the rear in R whereas if 2 is up and to the right wouldn't the first rail move back to center and the other rail need to move rearward in 2.

I could be wrong. I was literally only in there for long enough to swap the shifters, and that is it.