[DeTomaso] Brake Switch Frustration

[John Taphorn]

I am giving up on the stock Pantera brake switch.  I've got five of them in a drawer that I have accumulated during my years of Pantera ownership.  I had another fail recently.

I've tried to stay true to the original brake light design and dutifully have called a Pantera vendor to replace each one that failed.  However, I am throwing in the towel and going to an alternative that would be more reliable.

I have disassembled the switch units to try and find a consistent failure point, but I have been unsuccessful determining a single culprit.  As one may know, this is a part in which the inspection process is one way. After you cut it open, there is no reassembly.  That is a shame, I could probably make a few that would work from my inventory.

I imagine others must have taken this journey before me and switched to a non-fluid pressure mechanical method.  I would appreciate your lessons learned.

It appears to me that a practical approach would be to mount a switch through the chassis panel that on my car is in the footwell about an inch above the brake pedal arm.  It seems possible to mount a switch in that location that would be depressed when the pedal is at rest and be released as the pedal is actuated.  Thus, it would offer no continuity when depressed and continuity when released.

Is anyone using this set-up?  Also, if so, do you have a switch part number?  It would certainly save me time going through the NAPA parts catalogs.

Of course, I am open to other approaches as well.

Thanks
JT