foot starter switch???

Hey guys,

I've recently purchased a VERY nice and for the most part VERY authentic '38 Coupe. One thing that has been modified is the addition of a starter button and the deletion of the foot switch.

So, question: Anyone have any information on this assembly? I'd really like to put it back to original. I have the '38 Buick service manual and find that to be of little help.

Any help , advice is much appreciated.

Thanks!

The gas pedal becomes the starter pedal only when there is no vacuum provided by a running engine. The first thing to check for is a vacuum activated "cut out" switch that should be mounted on the carb. to make this happen. I am sure somebody on the forum will post a wiring diagram to show how it works.

An original foot starter involves both the carburator and the voltage regulator. A bit of a Rube Goldberg. There was a switch on the carb and a set of points in the regulator in the circuit.

It was pretty common to go to a push button starter if either the switch on the carb or voltage regulator was changed or failed.

Finding an original 5 pole voltage regulator for a '38 is almost impossible today

There is a little rod in the carb switch mechanism, that if that gets gummed up the switch on the carb may not work.

Get a copy of the '38 manual, it is fully described there.