[DeTomaso] wiper switch

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/22/09 8 16 11, gaino at earthlink.net writes:


> Well... I just shot 300 bucks for a wiper motor and splash shield.... now 
> the switch is bad, we opened it up and the little copper terminals are 
> broken. Is there an alternative to buying a new one from a vender?   Bill 1362
> 

You have an early car with a rotary wiper switch.   That switch is very 
common, used on a million British cars.   That's the good news.

The bad news is that depending on where you source it, it can be somewhat 
expensive.   Just taking a peek at the Holden website, I've found a switch 
that might work in our cars:

http://tinyurl.com/cwvzdp

Although it lacks the press-to-spray feature of the original switch, 
perhaps?   The shaft looks too short for our use also.

You might hunt around for various Triumph/Jaguar/Jensen/Hillman/Lotus/etc. 
parts dealers to see what you can come up with.   It would take a lot of 
time searching the internet for dashboard photos of all these British cars to 
learn exactly what cars used the same type of switch as opposed to a column 
mounted switch.

A quick E-bay search on "Lucas Wiper Switch" found dozens, including this 
one whose knob looks exactly like ours, which is hopeful:

http://tinyurl.com/dhztmx

Here's a Land Rover switch in Cyprus:

http://tinyurl.com/cqoxx5

Your switch should have Lucas factory markings on it, including a 
five-digit part number; that will make finding the proper switch much easier.

As you can see, replacing the switch is not something to be undertaken 
lightly, and sometimes it's just too much effort to save a few bucks, and the 
Pantera vendors can of course be counted on to come up with the right one 
right away.

Here's the listing from Wilkinson's site:

13017A - SWITCH(WIPER & WASH)TURN STYLE
$34.41

Can't beat that with a stick!

Mike (gee, that was easier than I thought?)


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