The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Barn door light switch/contact plate pic needed

I've got the NOS light switch/contact plate that goes on the left rear barn door and then makes contact on the left rear inner quarter panel when the door is closed. I need a pic of it mounted stock because when we body worked and painted my 'burb the holes got partially filled over. Before I break out the drill and metal files I would like to see a stock original style version of how it all mounted. Any help is appreciated.

Some befores and afters.


http://www.bunchobikes.com/1952suburban170.jpg
http://www.bunchobikes.com/1952suburban258.jpg
http://www.bunchobikes.com/1952suburban267.jpg

Interesting. On your pic labeled 267 was your door already set up like that or did you square out the hole and drill the mounting screw holes?

That's the way my door came.

Between 1947-1954 there were two styles/methods for getting tail light wires from the body to/through a panel-body door.

1. A metal contact plate
2. A metal spring-like conduit through which the wires were run (my 1954, for example).

I'll see if I can search here for Master Parts Books names and years - this has "come up" in the past.

Marks pictures are all of correct factory cutouts.
door jam
You might be able to look or feel through the stop light access hole on the barn door for the cut out for the switch.
switch on door jam
1952 up had the conduit from door jam to barn door.
Conduit loom
Tim

I have the spring-like conduit in my 1953 panel. When I was in Kansas City once, Jim Carter was quite interested in seeing it, even took a few pics. And yes, Tim, it has come up before.

Leo , i borrowed a picture from you and posted a link above.

Tim

The metal-to-metal contacts in the 1929-1957 MP&AC.
Group # 2.447
37-51 Switch Tail and Stop Lamp parts numbers 594904 and 594905

1952 was year, they went to spring-like conduit.
I can't find the spring-like conduit in MP&AC though.
It is in the FAM. factory assembly manual
Wire Assy. 55299935
sec.12, sheet 15.021 and 15.002

Photo 1
Photo 2
JC tech page scroll down.

After further review:
My hunch is from 37-51 the factory stamped indentations into the rear left barn door jamb and the rear left body jamb.
The indentations allowed the spring loaded plunger contacts in the door and the plate contacts in the body to be flush mounted in the jamb.
To save time and cost, in 1952 GM done away with stamping in indentations and using plunger contacts and started using spring type conduit.
To protect the wires from pinching in the jamb. The spring conduit actually slides into the door cavity when the door is closed, the spring conduit
is held in a fixed position with a grommet in the body jamb.
It would be interesting to see if the 1952 to 1955 1st series left rear barn door jamb and the left rear body jamb had the indentations.

xfiles

Neither of my 1951 doors have indentations. The buttons are flush mount on the drivers door. The optional contacts with corresponding light are non-existent on my passenger door.

Ok so it appears that during the body work of my 'Burb we used later year doors than what came with it. We actually used 4 barns to make 2 good ones.

Since my body had the correct indentation for the contact style switch, but the door had the hole for the plunger style I went ahead and took a cut off wheel and cut the door to accept the contact style plunger switch. Took about 2 hours to get it right but its good to go now.

I did do a search on this but could't find the right info. Maybe I need to work on my search tatics.

Thanks guys for the all of the great info.

Just info.... my 52 GMC was built as an army ambulance and both barn doors have the spring conduit and tail lights. No indentions for switches.