[highrisk]

I am restoring a 65 GTO and would like to make the parking brake light in the dash operational. I know you can get a new wiring harness to accomplish this, but the switch and bracket that attaches to the parking brake pedal are a different story.

Does anyone know if there is another switch that is currently available that could work, say for instance the door light switch? If it would work then maybe I could fabricate my own brackets to activate the plunger.

Thanks,
Dale

[pfilean]

I'm not sure of the exact layout of the system got the 65 GTO but as it has the foot operated parking brake it my be similar to a lot of others. Watch e-bay and see what comes up. Those dealer installed options occasionally come up for auction. Group number is probably 4.589 and part 9785063 - Lamp Field Installed. I wonder if the lamp is instrument cluster mounted as there is not a listing for a separate lens (which usually mounted low on the dash near the pedal) after 63. The revision in the A body for 64 may have changed the location. If it is dash mounted you may need a different dash cluster for that application.

[highrisk]

Originally Posted by pfilean

I'm not sure of the exact layout of the system got the 65 GTO but as it has the foot operated parking brake it my be similar to a lot of others. Watch e-bay and see what comes up. Those dealer installed options occasionally come up for auction. Group number is probably 4.589 and part 9785063 - Lamp Field Installed. I wonder if the lamp is instrument cluster mounted as there is not a listing for a separate lens (which usually mounted low on the dash near the pedal) after 63. The revision in the A body for 64 may have changed the location. If it is dash mounted you may need a different dash cluster for that application.

There is already a red brake light below the speedometer. It just needs all of the stuff to hook up to it and make it work.
Thanks for the information, I will look for those items.
Dale

[John V.]

I assume if you have the Parking Brake Lamp in the dash already then the car was originally optioned with the Parking Brake Warning Lamp (or the dash cluster you have came from a car so optioned).

The standard cluster did not have the Brake Warning Lamp on the speedo face.

If you can't get an original switch, I would think you could make any parking brake actuated switch work. Per the wiring diagram, looks like it should have 2 wire leads. If same as '64, a pink wire comes to it from the fuse block, a natural wire goes to the Directional Switch connector.

Not sure how the wire(s) connect to the lamp but it sounds like you know what to do for that.

The door switches might only have a single wire lead. But I gotta believe a simple plunger switch, normally open, with 2 wire leads would work, just gotta figure out how to install.

The Dealer Accessory Package that pfilean mentions probably used the same switch and bracket as the factory install, only difference, the lamp mounted under the dash since the speedo mounted lamp was nonexistent. If you can score such a package and you already have the speedo lamp to work with, you'd probably have everything you need.

But any switch as I described should really work, millions of cars from that era had essentially the same arrangement I believe, so should be fairly easy to find a suitable donor.

[highrisk]

Originally Posted by John V.

I assume if you have the Parking Brake Lamp in the dash already then the car was originally optioned with the Parking Brake Warning Lamp (or the dash cluster you have came from a car so optioned).

The standard cluster did not have the Brake Warning Lamp on the speedo face.

If you can't get an original switch, I would think you could make any parking brake actuated switch work. Per the wiring diagram, looks like it should have 2 wire leads. If same as '64, a pink wire comes to it from the fuse block, a natural wire goes to the Directional Switch connector.

Not sure how the wire(s) connect to the lamp but it sounds like you know what to do for that.

The door switches might only have a single wire lead. But I gotta believe a simple plunger switch, normally open, with 2 wire leads would work, just gotta figure out how to install.

The Dealer Accessory Package that pfilean mentions probably used the same switch and bracket as the factory install, only difference, the lamp mounted under the dash since the speedo mounted lamp was nonexistent. If you can score such a package and you already have the speedo lamp to work with, you'd probably have everything you need.

But any switch as I described should really work, millions of cars from that era had essentially the same arrangement I believe, so should be fairly easy to find a suitable donor.

Thanks for the information. The dash is original and it has tape over the back of the brake light in the dash. From what I have researched this was a standard practice. I have asked on the wanted forum to see if anyone has one, if not I am sure I can rig something up that will work.
Thanks again,
Dale

[John V.]

If this is really an NOS p/n 9781678 switch, that is the correct and original Pontiac p/n for the '65 Tempest Parking Brake Warning Lamp Switch.

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/buickno...ducts_id=10412

Don't think it includes the mounting bracket (p/n 9781422). The bracket was same for all '65-'66 Tempests, possibly '67 also. Same switch used by Olds and Buick in the A body from '68-'72 from what I found. As of Dec. '90, GM discontinued the part.

The 9781678 switch was same for all '65-'66 Pontiacs, not just the Tempests, but the big cars seem to have used a different bracket.

The '64 was a different switch, p/n 9781678 was a new p/n for the '65 Model Year.

Hope this helps.