has anyone had any experience with the start buttons. i see a ton of them for sale on ebay,,,,but i don't want to get a cheap one....and have it go bad in a month......then again , i don't want to spend 300 dollars either.......any thoughts would be appreciated....thanks
I use the original in my 53 F100. Love the cool factor plus no one under 50 has a clue how to start it.
I installed one in my '55 Buick quite a while ago. I believe I bought it from Summit for around $40.00, as I recall. It worked great for the 10-years or so I owned the car and is still going strong for the new owner.
I have used-um on many race cars. It actually simplifies things. I am under 50. LoL not by much, but have been using them since early 80s. They aren't expensive. Remember the old button hookup when adjusting timing and dwell on a car. Like a trigger mechanism that came in every dwell meter box. It is the same thing. You need a toggle switch to power the ignition. Then when you push the buttom, it sends power to the solenoid actuating the starter. Same a s a screw driver crossing the polls. ( when your out late at the bar, and come out, your lights work and the damn thing wont click. Pop the hood, cross the polls bypassing the solenoid. If your in a gm car your under it, and sparks are flyin...
My wife's Lexus has a keyless start button and I find it a PITA. I'd rather have a key. No way I'd spend any money on a keyless.
Heck,the old simple chrome started buttons have been around for many years,,I have used them repeatedly. HRP
Dude, anyone who even considers $300 for a low voltage/current push button switch needs to have their head examined.
YA remember, the switch only activates the solenoid, it doesn't have a large wire feeding the starter. the main or thick wires still go to the solenoid. I would think a 5 or 10 amp fuse on the switch is plenty
You can put a couple of them in series with a few dummy switches with them: boom - anti theft device. I've used them a lot for times when the key switch quit working, the key broke off in the ignition or I just wanted to make the car harder to steal. Never had a problem with the switch.
Heck it's just a momentary contact single pole push-button switch.... like the old doorbell push buttons.... Should be able to find one for $10 or less.
Yep, plenty of good start buttons available for a low price right at the local Napa or automotive electric shop unless you want one of the fancy ones that 36-3Window showed to look fancy on the dash. You don't need fancy electronic boxes either, you just need to run a hot wire to the push button and connect the wire that would normally run from the start pole on the ignition switch to the solenoid to the other side of the pushbutton. It isn't rocket science by any means but some guys try to make it way too hard. If you primarily want it for "the cool factor" you can splice it into the wire from the start pole on the ignition switch to the solenoid so that it in turn acts like a neutral safety switch and you have to turn the key and hit the start button to start the rig. Onlookers will still think you start it with the pushbutton but your small kids or grandkids won't be able to crank the starter if they happen to play "driving the hotrod" when you have the key in the ignition.
I bought an aftermarket key switch that is ACC OFF and ON. I also bought a push button to wire in for start. I have no idea how to wire it, but it shouldnt be that hard. We got em both at a small auto parts store in town. I dont think we spent too much over 20 bucks (heck probably less) for both. We are going to make the push button work by pushing in the cigarette lighter. Just doing this because I thought it would be kind of a fun thing to do with my nephews that are helping with my Unibody build.
Of course if you're a true traditionalist you'll mount it on the floor. You know, like they used to be. And no, I'm not talking about the dimmer switch.
Now your dating yourself. I grew up with them. Cock your toes over on to the [mech.]start button , heel on the gas, and other foot on the brake. Interesting at times. Fun to watch someone who has never used one.
Pick one up at any auto parts store. In some cases you may want to add a relay but this usually is not necessary, most cars have a relay already. It depends how "fat" starter wire is. If it is an ordinary wire the button will work fine. Old Fords and Chryslers had a relay, your Chev may need to add one. Or get a starter button made for GM.
If the pushbutton has two poles just run a wire from the BAT post on the ign switch to the push button and run a wire from it to the start pole on the solenoid and you are done.
Not all push buttons have two polls. The single poll type basically connects ground. If you are going to use any type of start button I highly suggest using a relay, especially if you are using a single poll. The wiring is very simple, #86 goes to the start button, #87 is your fused power, #30 goes to the starter, #85 goes to the on-off switch or key switch.
you can get them at your local tractor supply store for under 12 bucks. I replaced the one in my F1 with one, 3 years now and no problems.
I used the stock push buttons in both of my '40s. Ran them through a 3 prong horn relay. http://streetrodder.net/?p=834
You could go and get one from any junk yard. I have used the trunk release button that would be mounted inside most glove boxes on late model cars. Brian
Had one on my '46 Chev, was kinda cool, had to school everyone that drove it though. And if you didn't know then you spent a long time trying to figure it out. Remember to wire it to a relay as most can't handle the amperage and you'll have a heap of mess on your hands. Scotty
BINGO! Go to a NAPA store. They stock one and two pole switches for International big rigs and farm tractors alike. Under $10. High amperage. They only have to awaken the solenoid, so 3 amps is more than enough....
Good advice there as the stock Ford push buttons would create a direct short without the relay or proper solenoid.
My wife's old '68 Camaro had a starting problem. It'd turn over for a few seconds and if it didn't start right away it'd stop cranking. Turn the key, the idiot lights went out but nothing. I chased that problem for the better half of a Sunday. Under the dash, under the hood, under the dash. I was to the point of pulling apart the firewall bulkhead plug and check those connections and she came outside and muttered something about shopping and wtf. Threw one of those old chrome buttons in the glove box, wired it up, and never looked back. She was shopping within the hour. The best anti-theft device you could think of because the glove box door locked and you'd never suspect it was in there. My younger brother owns the car now and still uses it. One of those temporarily permanent fixes.
I've planned on doing that to my 53 F100 I always thought it cool how my GrandPa would stomp down on it & varoom I need to figure how to make it 'look' right. That where I get mine (We use them & a simple on/off keyed switch for our choppers)
We stock several styles of starter push buttons and the size of the threaded area is one difference and also we have another really cool switch for tractors that resembles a dimmer switch but is a starter switch for pre solenoid or relay starters and the battery cable goes from the battery to this switch and from the switch to the starter, but we have used it where we just used it as a large push button on the floor and hooked the smaller wires to it so it looks like the old mechanical style <INPUT id=ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_imgProductLarge title="Product Image" class=imgProductLarge style="BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 0px; CURSOR: pointer; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 0px; BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 0px" alt="Product Image" src="//partimages.genpt.com/partimages/236610.jpg" type=image name=ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$imgProductLarge>
The Jalopy Journal
