Well, after JohnZ posted that great info on the differences between the headlight switches for gauge and non gauge cars, I went and checked mine.

Whadda know, I could tell the diff right off. The non gauge one has a sorta orange bakelite for the instrument lights resistor and the gauge ones have a much larger ceramic one.

My SS/RS one did not have the correct ceramic one, so I just took one of my spare gauge ones and put the RS vacuum backing plate on the ceramic housing and walla! a correct gauge switch for RS lights.

Both switches have the same housings, internals and connectors (except for the ceramic).

Now everyone else has to check their switches http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

Kevin,

I missed this discussion. Was it in General Tech?

Thanks,
Marc

Marc, I can't find it now, but it was not posted in General tech, that's why I posted the info here, just in case someone missed it. But now I can't find it, the topic started as something else and wound up there http://www.camaros.net/forum/frown.gif Sorry, Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

It was in General Tech under rally-sport. An owner of a resto shop wanted to know what was involved in converting to RS. Having been down that path I knew about the headlamp switch differences.

You take any pics of the 2 different switches?

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Steve McCorry - Central Ohio Camaro Club
'69 Camaro RS/SS-350 - Daytona Yellow
'95 Camaro Z-28 - Sebring Silver
click here to see my webpage ---> www.mindspring.com/~mccorry (http://www.mindspring.com/~mccorry) (updated 12/22/00)

OK, so is there a difference in gauge light intensity between the two switches?

I added factory gauges to my '69 RS/SS, and have always thought the gauges were lit fairly well. Are they brighter with the "correct" switch?

Keith
'69 RS/SS 502

I would think they used the ceramic to ensure that there were no fires due to the increased heat (of the resistor) of more bulbs. I wondered if you had the auto console (which had a couple more bulbs too) you would get the ceramic switch?

Steve, If I can borrow a camara, I'll post the pics. How much snow did you get?
Where I live in NJ is supposed to get 8 to 15 in this saturday.

Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

[This message has been edited by KevinW (edited 12-29-2000).]

Yes, mine is an original auto/console car. It also has the factory courtisy (sp?) light option. How about it, did you see a difference in the light intensity when you changed the switches?

Since we are on the subject of lights, the courtisy light option came with a trunk light that has a mercury switch built in. However, the power comes from either the dome light (coup) or running lights (convertable). This means that you either have to have the dome light on (coup) or the lights on (conv.) for the light in the trunk to work. When I bought my car, the light was hooked up like a convertable (the trunk harness is appearantly from a conv.). The harness was OK, so I kept it.

This all seems kinda hooky. Is the way I discribed above the way it is supposed to work?

Keith
'69 RS/SS 502

The switches do not change the intensity of the lights. Both switches have a similar rheostat that increases the resistance on the curcuit from power to ground (the bulbs) It goes from full 12V to off. But the more bulbs on the circuit will increase the amps pulled through the switch, when you use the dimmer it increases the resistance and makes heat, thus a larger insulating block is required. Anyone, please feel free to rebut.

Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

[This message has been edited by KevinW (edited 12-29-2000).]

Makes sense to me, since more power is being drawn, the smaller resistor would probably overheat if the dimming feature were used for extended periods of time.

Camaro350

So, does this apply to non-RS cars as well? I am planning to add console gauges to my 69 Z/28, will I need a different headlight switch?

Thanks,
Marc

Yes

so are there 4 different switchs? rs with and without gauges. and non rs with and without?

Yes

I have a circa 1979 P & A manual. Here are the part numbers shown. A word of caution: the descriptions are cryptic at best so this is my interpretation of what they mean.

std - 1995175
RS - 1995176
std w/gauge - 1995192
RS w/gauge - 1995177

I was just looking at an extra switch I have in the garage. I can't seem to find a part #...but there is a 167 stamped into the metal portion of the switch.....

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Steve McCorry - Central Ohio Camaro Club
'69 Camaro RS/SS-350 - Daytona Yellow
'95 Camaro Z-28 - Sebring Silver
click here to see my webpage ---> www.mindspring.com/~mccorry (http://www.mindspring.com/~mccorry) (updated 12/22/00)

I looked at mine, and 176 for RS W/O, 173 W/O and 175 with gauges. I havn't got the camera yet, so no pics. Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver

When you look in the resto mags they just have standard or Rs switch. Mines dead and and I have a RS with the console. So how do you know which one you're going to get

Is this RS headlight switch for gauges or not? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=536417216

Anyone? Anyone?

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Steve McCorry - Central Ohio Camaro Club
'69 Camaro RS/SS-350 - Daytona Yellow
'95 Camaro Z-28 - Sebring Silver
click here to see my webpage ---> www.mindspring.com/~mccorry (http://www.mindspring.com/~mccorry) (updated 12/22/00)

It appears to have the larger gauge rheostat.

Steve, YES, that is the large ceramic switch for gauges on an RS car. I wonder how high the bidding will go, now that the cats out of the bag http://www.camaros.net/forum/smile.gif Kevin

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69' SS-350 ragtop, M20, 3.55 posi. Totally Disassembled & in boxes (I'm working on it!)
69' Hugger Orange Z-21 ragtop 327/PG, Driver