Are brake lights typically powered off a switchable circuit (with the key) , or do I have something strange going on??
Not usually. They should come on with or without the key. Definitely something strange but I couldn't tell you what.
Power to brake lite switch is coming from the wrong sorce. Should be an easy fix. Does the car have stock type turn signals.
Most of the older vehicles had brake light circuit powered by fused battery power. Some of the modern day cars do use fused ignition power for brake light circuit.
I used to have my brake lights operating only when I wanted them to. A small switch under the dash could disable them. Just saying....
I always added a switch in my brake light circuit so anyone trying to catch me couldn't see when I braked for corners.
Let me hi-jack for a second, but it may help with the op's question. Let's say my 47's loom is history. If I just wanted brake lights, I would go from the "always hot" side of the fuse block, or battery itself, to the brake light switch, on to the brake light side of the taillight sockets, on to ground. Correct?
Yup....unless you want to upgrade with turn signals through the column, then it would go to the "brake input" line in the column harness then through the turn signal switch and then to the brake light feed on the rear sockets.
I had a '49 Ford lead sled where the lights worked through the ignition circuit. Going to a car show in the fog, I forgot to turn the lights off at the show. Thank God it was wired that way, it didn't kill the battery.
Most cars I've worked on the brake lights are always hot. Some furr-inn cars ran the headlight relay and brake lights through the ignition. Some also had a crazy "parking light" deal where if you flipped the turn indicator on either left of right tail light and clearance light would come on steady. Then there's the whole "city light" thing.
The brake lights should be hot all the time with the only switch being the brake light switch itself. I've had a couple dead batteries over the years when the brake light switch stuck and the brake lights were on continuously. I would not want my brake lights to be accidentally switched off by a switch that should not be there.
Get one of them there bat handle switches that can handle the bulb current and make sure it is a SPDT type switch with an indicator light. Wire it so that the middle terminal is the fused battery power, and the stop light switch feed is the terminal that is active without the light on. Flip the switch and the light goes on, but no feed to stop light switch. Call the switch "getaway switch". Just tell your passengers that the switch kicks in the other 3 carbs.
I have seen older vehicles, but not many, that had the brake lights on a circuit that was only hot when the ignition was on. kinda throws you for a loop when inspecting, but is not the worst idea. how many times have we seen a pedal stay partially depressed due to carpet interference and the result being a dead battery because the brake lights stayed on?
yeah a switch for brake lights used to be a hot rod standard. I got into a street race with a 34 ford 3 window in 1959. we blew by a cop car. I was out front at the time and turned right at my first chance. the coupe went left and the cop followed him. I went back to the resturant where we met (Bob's Big Boy Glendale). the coupe came back about a half hour later. told me that he had almost got away, went around a corner turned his lights off and went into someones driveway. The cop came screaming by. slammed his brakes on, backed up and pulled in the driveway after him. He had turned his lights off but still had his foot on the brake pedal. said that $100 ticket could have been saved by a 25 cent switch on the dash
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