Blinded by the lights

[Mitch Krause]

Actually paralyzed by the light decision might be a better description.

I have thought about using a simple older Ford pull knob for the lights. Thought about using a light switch from a 1970 Challenger (homage to a couple I owned), but the mounting would not work well at all with that. Thought about just using a couple of switches and keeping it simple.

Headlights and Fog lights. Wire them separate or in parallel? Have to worry about two high/beam low beam switches to get them dimmed if someone blinks at you, or do you want the separate control?

Use an on-off-on switch with one on being low beam and the other high beam. Can't figure out if that would be painful in practice or not. Then one of these or two of these?

Anyone have any thoughts on what they liked (or didn't like and re-did)

 

[Bill Kearley]

In Canada they like day time running lights. I will run Low beam on ign, park on a switch to dash and park with a dimmer for the dash. High beam on a sep switch to use as nes,.
You could use a photo cell and relay to dim high beam, ie, old LTD and T bird and such.

But that's only me, lots of ways to do it.

Bill

 

[Tom]

Mitch, I have 3 switches on the left switch plate each wired to respective 30 amp relays. Switches are for Park lights - Low Beam - Aux (lower round headlights). I also wanted a "flash to pass" capability so there are two small aircraft "momentary ON" push buttons (PTT type) on the lower part of the switch plate in line with the Low Beam and Aux headlamps. I can 'flash-to-pass' either headlamp or alternate Low <> Aux for effect. ;-)

The High Beam dimmer foot-switch is mounted out of the way to the upper shelf plate of the RCR, facing the driver, and just above the clutch pedal so all you have to do is lift your foot up a few inches and tap it with your toe....works great. I also wanted to keep the floor clean of obstructions and also minimize mounting hardware to the floor in an effort to keep the underside of the car a true flat bottom...

Hope this helps.

 

[Mitch Krause]

Everyone, thanks for the thoughts. I am going to go with a switch solution, at least to start. I have one switch to turn on the headlights and another to turn on the fog lights. That serves to turn each of them on, and I am putting those switches on the left hand dash panel (the smaller one). This should give me separate control of each of those lights. Then I have another set of switches to control the high beams of each of those lights. I mounted those near the center of the right hand dash panel, which puts them about directly above the shifter knob. My thought there is that is the hand most likely to be able to quickly reach up and flip those switches down (when I need the high beams off). I separated the switches so that I don't have the ability to make a mistake and switch the lights off instead.

The relays for the lights are going onto a front power board, with the switches running to that through the relays to control things. A diagram of what I did is attached.