Hello all! Hope everyone is safe and well. Got a question. I’m wanting to strip my steering column of everything except the horn flashers and blinkers. Want to install a push button start and remove the key mechanism. Also want the lock gone. Movin wipers to dash and bright beams to the floor. I assume it’s just a matter of chasing what wire does what and taking out the start mechanism and lock and replacing? Anyone do anything close to this or have taken em apart before to remove lock or replace ignition switch? Many thanks in advance.

 

Here's a vid from Nickintime on fixing a loose tilt column. It'll will show you how to get the column apart. You'll see the other parts along the way.


The ignition switch and high beam switch are at the base of the column. The key cylinder and stalk move rods that then operate the switches so rewiring them should be easy. If you don't already have it, get the FSM from Cruiser54's site.

The wipers have a junction under the dash by the column. If you have intermittent wipers, the module goes between them. Again, you could just patch in there.

What are you going to do about the hole from the lock cylinder? When you turn the key to LOCK, it pushes a pin out into a slotted disk that locks the wheel. If there's no cylinder, there's nothing to push the pin out. You'll still need the slotted disk but you could omit the pin if necessary.

This is the disk.



The pin circled in red



I do have to ask.... WHY??

 

Lol I never liked having the blinker switch doing everything. Stupid idea to have to disassemble your column to replace things that should be on the dash where it’s easy to access. Never ever liked the bright switch anywhere but on the floor. Gonna put the push button start where the key goes mainly cause it is cool to me. I’m rebuilding and modifying these to what I would have done if I was the engineer. Make things easier to replace when they go out. Shock stem eliminators ect. Gonna rig a momentary wiper switch on the shift handle for those not wet enough for the wipers to be on but to wet to leave untouched. Just playing around and tinkering with em. I’m retired so gives me something to do. Had a friend who stuffed a 454 in a vw bug once. Lol couldn’t do anything but blow tires but it was fun!

 

So the answer is "because I can"! Outstanding!!