Steering column swap, Not for the faint of heart Options

[Joe Ricard]

So, I spent most of the weekend swapping out the steering column form a 73 parts car into the Red Neck Racer.

1st of all this was not easy

All started out with the ignition switch acting up Thursday on the way home. Barely got it started.

So I figured I could just swap in a late ignition switch and lock cylinder. NOPE that don't fit. Columns are WAY different Not to mention newer switch has more pins. had to cypher out wiring.

OK no problem switch out column, NOPE don't fit in early dash nor will the early shaft fit late column.

So now I got everything ripped out to the shaft of the steering rack and after cutting the late column mountng plate and drilling new bolt holes. I was making progress

Wired up turn signal stuff Think early switch NOT THE SAME as late. early cars had wiper assembly on dash and the whole unit is shallower. Now I got the turn signal assy to fit but had to make a spacer same thickness as wiper.

Crap need longer screws. So off to Lowe's best I could get was all thread to fit and now have studs and nuts vs. screws.

all is going well again till I notice the U-joint is hitting the brace from dash to body. Pull U-joint and put a grinder to it. (think I still need a tad more on this)

Put Momo hub on and carp it is too long to fit new column. Whip out the angle grind cut 3/8 inch off base.

Got everything back together and drove car around a bit. EVERYTHING works!
even rekeyed the late tumbler to use old key so as to match doors. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif)

[markb]

Wow, lot's 'o work there! I musta got lucky. I put the column from a 72 into a 71 with no problems. The wiring for the wiper switch uses the same color wires, so splicing was easy. Had to re-drill the holes to mount the later column, but that only took a few minutes. Even the key cyl from the 71 fit into the 72 column. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) It's nice having the wiper switch on the column, isn't it?

[Joe Ricard]

Nope don't want the wiper on the column. just gets in the way autocrossing. How many times do you see the wipers going at high speed as the rookie is dodging cones? or the horn beep etc.Yup I would imagine a early switch would fit in a late column. but not the other way around. late switch has no room for the connector and wires to go through.

I figure it this way Now I am a Future DAPO.