My R12 POS Arrived!
- Thread starter Bowie
- Start date
Well finally got a chance to take it down the road for an inspection, (Thanks David, that guy you put me onto is great 
) and there was a few bits I missed 
Trailing arm bushes on the right wrecked.
Steering rubber (universal joint) is really split.. (oops)
Plate lights no work (front and rear, could have sworn they were working..) (#Ed. wait did I say front plate bulb... :S tripping hard last night it seems.)
High beam switch broken.
That last one is a bit of fun. when I say broken I mean activating high beam will cause smoke to billow from the wires under the steering column. To the point where I'm a little scared to touch anything else for it might decide to burn itself to the ground. Having said that it's nice to know I have an electrical fire on demand should I require one.
So as I wanted a POS, well it might not to be to far from the truth
I'll fix the rubbers in the meantime and think carefully about replacing / removing the electrics...
Also, previous owner had removed the window sprayers and just installed "bolts." I had assumed window washers might have been a luxury item back in 1971 and didn't bother looking into them. To Super Cheap.
And Kenny, did you seriously never turn on high beam whilst you had it? Didn't you put fancy low current bulbs in it?
) and there was a few bits I missed Trailing arm bushes on the right wrecked.
Steering rubber (universal joint) is really split.. (oops)
Plate lights no work (front and rear, could have sworn they were working..) (#Ed. wait did I say front plate bulb... :S tripping hard last night it seems.)
High beam switch broken.
That last one is a bit of fun. when I say broken I mean activating high beam will cause smoke to billow from the wires under the steering column. To the point where I'm a little scared to touch anything else for it might decide to burn itself to the ground. Having said that it's nice to know I have an electrical fire on demand should I require one.
So as I wanted a POS, well it might not to be to far from the truth
I'll fix the rubbers in the meantime and think carefully about replacing / removing the electrics...
Also, previous owner had removed the window sprayers and just installed "bolts." I had assumed window washers might have been a luxury item back in 1971 and didn't bother looking into them. To Super Cheap.
And Kenny, did you seriously never turn on high beam whilst you had it?
Didn't you put fancy low current bulbs in it?
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Well finally got a chance to take it down the road for an inspection, (Thanks David, that guy you put me onto is great
Trailing arm bushes on the right wrecked.
Steering rubber (universal joint) is really split.. (oops)
Plate lights no work (front and rear, could have sworn they were working..)
High beam switch broken.
That last one is a bit of fun. when I say broken I mean activating high beam will cause smoke to billow from the wires under the steering column. To the point where I'm a little scared to touch anything else for it might decide to burn itself to the ground. Having said that it's nice to know I have an electrical fire on demand should I require one.
So as I wanted a POS, well it might not to be to far from the truth
I'll fix the rubbers in the meantime and think carefully about replacing / removing the electrics...
Also, previous owner had removed the window sprayers and just installed "bolts." I had assumed window washers might have been a luxury item back in 1971 and didn't bother looking into them. To Super Cheap.
And Kenny, did you seriously never turn on high beam whilst you had it?
All of the stuff you mentioned is easy to fix.
You can source a good second hand trailing arm and steering universal, these are easy to change and you will notice a difference in the handling when they are fitted.
The lights are either globes or electrical connections that will have 40 years of grime that needs cleaning off.
The head light switch will probably need changing, they are known to fail. These are easy to fix, disconnect the battery, remove the covers from the steering column. The head light switch has a plug and a stud and nut arrangement to disconnect and the switch is held to the steering column with two screws.
My first R10 had a smoking headlight switch. I noticed that it only smoked if it was switched on/off slowly which caused arcing, and the grease and dust on the contacts smoked when it got hot. Cleaning the contacts and flicking the switch quickly solved the problem.
Henry
Henry
And as usual, this place is amazing.
We'll time to take it apart and clean it and see how it goes,
The inspector was also upset the springs had failed in the switch, ie. there was no resistance flicking the lights from high to low beam, but that should be pretty straight forward.
Good news!
We'll time to take it apart and clean it and see how it goes,
The inspector was also upset the springs had failed in the switch, ie. there was no resistance flicking the lights from high to low beam, but that should be pretty straight forward.
Good news!
To me it sound like you need another light switch. I have not had one fail on me but have bought wrecks where the switch is broken like yours, I have just put it down to a heavy hand previous owner.
The switches are riveted together, I have never tried to pull one apart but if you do you will need four bolts and nuts to replace the rivets that you drill out.
glad you said replicate and not replace the smoke as i've never had luck putting smoke back in.
Yours sounds like it may be one of the early combined flasher/light combination switches. These are rarer than the later separate flasher/light switches but can be replaced by the later version.
I may* just have the early combined light/blinker assembly in a 12 I will be disposing of soon. It'll be a few weeks before I lay eyes on it again but I know it is an early model with the unit I described, but I need to check that I still have it on the column or one of its spares in the boot. Its yours for the cost of posting (1 x pint) if you can hold out for it.
Also, years ago I did separate one of these units to try and fix the non-distinctive change between high and low beams. It turns out that this is governed by a rectangular bit of plastic, flat on 3 sides to lock it into place and the 4th (long) side has 2 distinct ridges and hence 3 distinct valleys in it that allow the arm of the light switch to sit in the 3 different locations and this bit of plastic perishes and splits resulting in the lack of resistance between locations. I worked around it with a bit of welding wire and some self-tappers in some pre-drilled holes but it is hardly a "good" solution
Also, years ago I did separate one of these units to try and fix the non-distinctive change between high and low beams. It turns out that this is governed by a rectangular bit of plastic, flat on 3 sides to lock it into place and the 4th (long) side has 2 distinct ridges and hence 3 distinct valleys in it that allow the arm of the light switch to sit in the 3 different locations and this bit of plastic perishes and splits resulting in the lack of resistance between locations. I worked around it with a bit of welding wire and some self-tappers in some pre-drilled holes but it is hardly a "good" solution
Not sure if it's combined or not. There is a secondary indicator stalk in front of it? Do you mean combined as two stalks in one switch?
It looks like this;
The far switch is the one that's smoking. I rotate it counter clockwise? to turn the lights on (where it smokes) and then move it up to activate high beams where It then flops down to the middle. I feel that's where a spring would pull it back swiftly. I can't exactly recall but I feel I could have pushed it down to active high beams also?
Thank you for the offers of a switch. As a back up plan I had decided there was enough dash space to drill holes and install manual switches from Jaycar.
Anyway, I'll pull it out first and go from there. Thanks all
It looks like this;
The far switch is the one that's smoking. I rotate it counter clockwise? to turn the lights on (where it smokes) and then move it up to activate high beams where It then flops down to the middle. I feel that's where a spring would pull it back swiftly. I can't exactly recall but I feel I could have pushed it down to active high beams also?
Thank you for the offers of a switch. As a back up plan I had decided there was enough dash space to drill holes and install manual switches from Jaycar.
Anyway, I'll pull it out first and go from there. Thanks all
Don't do the Jaycar switch the switch thingo.
Those stalks are so handy where they are and so well designed to operate with one finger, it will completely destroy what I think it's one of the best ergonomics of the car and still top design to this date. There's plenty of spare switches like that around, just wait for more readers of your thread to put their hand up. I am pretty sure I have one (the later type I think) you can have for postage but I am in WA. There's bound to be one closer to you. If there isn't, just let me know.
Those stalks are so handy where they are and so well designed to operate with one finger, it will completely destroy what I think it's one of the best ergonomics of the car and still top design to this date. There's plenty of spare switches like that around, just wait for more readers of your thread to put their hand up. I am pretty sure I have one (the later type I think) you can have for postage but I am in WA. There's bound to be one closer to you. If there isn't, just let me know.
From what I can see and based on the year model it will have the blinker switch and light switch as one single unit (same as on an R16), so there will be a few kicking about.
You are right about the high beam flash option. Up is flash, rotate for parkers, down one click for low beam and down one further for high beam.
My opinion is to second the "avoid the JayCar option".
You are right about the high beam flash option. Up is flash, rotate for parkers, down one click for low beam and down one further for high beam.
My opinion is to second the "avoid the JayCar option".
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
Thank you mystery Ute / high bumper bared 4WD.
Pull into my street coming home from work and I'm like.. wait a second! *sigh*
At least they didn't destroy the indicator globe. That's a plus. And I suppose that makes up my mind about the parking stripes.
Thank you mystery Ute / high bumper bared 4WD.
Pull into my street coming home from work and I'm like.. wait a second! *sigh*
At least they didn't destroy the indicator globe. That's a plus. And I suppose that makes up my mind about the parking stripes.
Shit. Try to talk to your neighbours, they might have seen something.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
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View attachment 75590
Thank you mystery Ute / high bumper bared 4WD.
Pull into my street coming home from work and I'm like.. wait a second! *sigh*
At least they didn't destroy the indicator globe. That's a plus. And I suppose that makes up my mind about the parking stripes.
Bastards, to weak and gutless to leave a note.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!
View attachment 75588
View attachment 75589
View attachment 75590
Thank you mystery Ute / high bumper bared 4WD.
Pull into my street coming home from work and I'm like.. wait a second! *sigh*
At least they didn't destroy the indicator globe. That's a plus. And I suppose that makes up my mind about the parking stripes.
A new door and guard will fix it and they're bolt on but you shouldn't have to go through stuff like this.
Seems odd there's no paint transfer. Must have been a bulbar like you say.
Bit lower and your front wheel/suspension would be toast.
Gutless arsewipe not leaving a number.