[MarkS57]

I recently upgraded to a Rally gauge set from the std cluster. Never paid any attention to it but when I was putting the gray wire dash lights back in the cluster, I accidentally put one in the Brake light hole (that I didn't realize was there). First time I turn on the dash lights this beautiful red Brake light lit up. Didn't see any reference to it in the wiring schematics so started searching the forum. Sure enough, appears to have been an option for 65 with its own little adapter harness. So, as I have converted to disc brakes too and have a brake light terminal on the proportioning valve, lets make this functional. My plan is to convert the old Oil Pressure light socket to a Brake light. I'll use the blue wire from the old oil pressure switch in the engine compartment to connect to the proportioning valve and then inside I'll tap into the blue wire there to connect to the parking brake switch. Ok, so I looked at the parking brake pedal assembly and could not figure out where the switch was mounted for the brake light option. The adapter harness pictures I've seen seem to show a pin like switch connector like the ones used for the door courtesy light switches. But its not obvious to me where or what type switch is used. Anyone have a picture or description of this?

Thanks!

Mark

[Jeff Hamlin]

The switch is smaller then Jamb switches, also FWIW the bulb is a flasher type.

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin

The switch is smaller then Jamb switches, also FWIW the bulb is a flasher type.

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the picture, much appreciated & very helpful. Probably difficult to find the bracket & switch, so if I can't find them I'll fashion something.

BR's,

Mark

BTW, I love your signature line!

[highrisk]

Here is what mine looks like. If you buy a new harness it comes with the proper light socket to plug into the dash. I have the new harness for my car and can take a picture of it if you need to see it. It has not been installed yet.
Dale

[MarkS57]

Originally Posted by highrisk

Here is what mine looks like. If you buy a new harness it comes with the proper light socket to plug into the dash. I have the new harness for my car and can take a picture of it if you need to see it. It has not been installed yet.
Dale

Thanks Dale, I completed the wiring tonight just have to come up with the bracket & switch. It looks straight forward. I guess I was expecting a built in bracket from the factory not an add- on but no matter.

BR's,

Mark

[highrisk]

Originally Posted by MarkS57

Thanks Dale, I completed the wiring tonight just have to come up with the bracket & switch. It looks straight forward. I guess I was expecting a built in bracket from the factory not an add- on but no matter.

BR's,

Mark

Mark,
Let me know if you need a detailed picture of the bracket. My emergency brake is still not in the car and I can take the bracket off and take some pictures for you.
Dale

[Tom Vaught]

The Brake Light switch on a 64 was an OPTION.
Not sure if it was production on a 65 for all cars or still an option.
Any info would increase my knowledge base on the 65 vehicles. Thanks.

Tom V.

[Jeff Hamlin]

IIRC Option from '64-'66.
Factory or Dealer installed.
Not sure why but many of the NOS kits (65-66) I've found had a template to mount the light housing in the actual metal dash face.
I guess it was a quicker version for dealers to drill a hole and install, rather then try and snake the wire up into the gauge housing?
Most of the '66 gauge housings I've seen were punched and had the red "BRAKE" lens.
If you didn't want to spend the $5 the hole was covered with black tape from the factory.

[Andre]

I have a bracket and switch if you still need it. Another member asked me to find it, but didn't purchase. drop me a email at arayman@aol.com

[michaelroy]

I would like to purchase if not already sold!
Mike

[Andre]

I sold him one. I think I saw another one in there. Drop me a email at arayman@aol.com

[Jeff Hamlin]

Couple items we discussed during our Sunday afternoon round-table at the shop today.
Looking at the "kit" which again I/we presume was/is for Dealer add on/install only.

We again noted the Bulb in the kit is a Flasher Bulb (sorry forgot to record #)
and it does not fit through the hole prevision on the gauge housing.
So it seems clear this is only for use with the kit.

The Factory Service manual list the Parking Brake warning light Bulb as an 1895 and we all know this is not a flasher bulb.
The metal socket from the kit is also larger so it can not be utilize for use in the gauge housing.

So is it safe to say the Factory light only illuminated but did not flash?

Anyone out there with a FACTORY installed light?

[John V.]

Jeff, hope you come up with some new info. Have you seen these threads?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=794685

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=631283

Everything I've seen has seemed to point to the idea that the '64 Underdash Brake Warning Lamp that was sold as a Dealer Accessory Kit was ALSO installed at the factory for the factory option.

It did have a flasher, so did flash when the parking brake was engaged.

The '64 In-Dash Parking Brake Lamp I believe was INTENDED to be the factory option installation but may not have always been installed when this option was ordered, for some reason the Underdash set-up seems to have been installed instead.

The '64 Accessories Brochure shows the In-Dash lamp. The description says, "...flashes bright red warning when ignition is turned on and parking brake set, continues until brake is released."

The Owner's Manual depicts the In-Dash lamp also, says "indicator light glows red".

I think the description that says "flashes" may just be a misleading choice of word.

In any event, I think the In-Dash lamp did not make use of a flasher and consequently, was either on or off depending on the switch position. Did not "flash".

Anybody that has one should be able to confirm. Unfortunately, when I tried to uncover evidence of the '64 In-Dash lamp I found few responses.

The option itself was fairly common, so if the In-Dash lamp is that hard to find, I have to conclude that it was rare in '64.

Required a specific Speedo Head, p/ns are known and it was serviced in the MPC. But never found enough evidence of them to figure anything out about their use in '64.

[Jeff Hamlin]

John,
My thoughts on the kits being used by the dealers was mainly from observations of '66 A-Body
But after re-reading through the links/post again it now seems to make a bit more sense.

At the shop there are at least a dozen 64/65 speedo's and it's about a 50/50 split for the PBWL provision.
With that I see why this kit is set up to be installed on the LH lower corner of the dash.
One could surmise the use of a flasher bulb was implemented due to the lower location,
so as to bring attention to the Brake being on and the indicator set low and out of the normal line of sight, but this is just a guess.

What always seems to throw me off is the last kit I personalty used was clearly for a '66
but was in every way the same as the '65 kits I've seen.
The illustrations are clearly a '66 dash so I'm sure the actual parts were just a carry over.
This is what led me to modify it to work in my gauge housing and use the flasher bulb from the kit.
I was not going to drill the required hole in my dash knowing it should be in the gauge housing.
I now realize the bulb is not correct, but it works and I can live with it

Anyhow it seems to be a little clearer to me now
Thanks for adding the old post.

[MarkS57]

My install is complete. Installed the switch & bracket I got from Andre, re-proposed the old oil pressure light & wire, sliced the switch into the original harness for the oil pressure light, all works nice, thanks!

[michaelroy]

I asked you for that switch some time ago. Sent you an email but never heard from you.

[chrisp]

Originally Posted by John V.

Jeff, hope you come up with some new info. Have you seen these threads?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=794685

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...d.php?t=631283

Everything I've seen has seemed to point to the idea that the '64 Underdash Brake Warning Lamp that was sold as a Dealer Accessory Kit was ALSO installed at the factory for the factory option.

It did have a flasher, so did flash when the parking brake was engaged.

The '64 In-Dash Parking Brake Lamp I believe was INTENDED to be the factory option installation but may not have always been installed when this option was ordered, for some reason the Underdash set-up seems to have been installed instead.

The '64 Accessories Brochure shows the In-Dash lamp. The description says, "...flashes bright red warning when ignition is turned on and parking brake set, continues until brake is released."

The Owner's Manual depicts the In-Dash lamp also, says "indicator light glows red".

I think the description that says "flashes" may just be a misleading choice of word.

In any event, I think the In-Dash lamp did not make use of a flasher and consequently, was either on or off depending on the switch position. Did not "flash".

Anybody that has one should be able to confirm. Unfortunately, when I tried to uncover evidence of the '64 In-Dash lamp I found few responses.

The option itself was fairly common, so if the In-Dash lamp is that hard to find, I have to conclude that it was rare in '64.

Required a specific Speedo Head, p/ns are known and it was serviced in the MPC. But never found enough evidence of them to figure anything out about their use in '64.

My 64 4speed has it underdash & it does flash , it has a inline flasher , black plastic . Can send you some pics. if needed .

[Jeff Hamlin]

While at the shop yesterday I pulled some of the '64-'65 Speedo's out.
Most had a '65 Ink Stamp Date on them so looks like a majority are '65,
which makes sense since Don owns mainly '65's.

The odd one was one with a (DEC 30 65) Stamp seems late for a '65 Part.
(Were there any of this style face used on early build 1966's?)
and a Flat white "plate" sandwiched between the Head and the Face.
(Anyone know what this is for?)

I guess I should have made a separate post for these Q&A's Sorry.

[aceaceca]

My original 65 GTO has it. I just went down to check it out. It is still working but a tad faint. I vaguely remembered the car having it but had to go to my daughters to verify. We redid the gauge cluster and I am not sure what we did on that one. Maybe we lost the little cardboard tube that focuses the light. I can look at the window sticker and see if it was optioned if there is interest.

[Peter Serio]

Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin

While at the shop yesterday I pulled some of the '64-'65 Speedo's out.
Most had a '65 Ink Stamp Date on them so looks like a majority are '65,
which makes sense since Don owns mainly '65's.

The odd one was one with a (DEC 30 65) Stamp seems late for a '65 Part.
(Were there any of this style face used on early build 1966's?)
and a Flat white "plate" sandwiched between the Head and the Face.
(Anyone know what this is for?)

I guess I should have made a separate post for these Q&A's Sorry.

Your DEC 30 65 speedometer is very likely 1966 "model year" part. from 1965 to 1966 on Pontiac A body cars GM fine tuned the way light bounces around inside of the gauge housing. I am sure that this was done to improve night-time dash illumination. The white painted piece on that speedometer is arranged so the white metal rests almost directly over the top of the 2 light bulbs on either side of your speedometer dial. (One at 9 O'clock and one at 3 O'clock.) The white painted metal piece helps to diffuse the light; with this piece added the speedometer dial illuminates more evenly over the entire circle. NOTE: Cars with the white metal piece had the back of their reflector circle painted in a slightly lighter shade of blue on the back where you can see vertical stripes of medium blue and light blue.

Gauge dials in all of these 1960s GM cars light up by reflected light from the #1895 light bulbs that are powered by the gray wire(s).