Cruise control for vinatge cars

[junkyardjeff]

Since I drive my 55 Ford convertible to Daytona Beach every november I am thinking about adding cruise so does anyone know of a simple cruise control system that would not look too out of place that I could install on it,every year its getting harder to drive the 900 plus miles without cruise and might help with the gas mileage too.

[NTX5467]

You might check a copy of Street Rodder Magazine for something like this. It would be pretty easy to adapt an OEM, 1970s era Chrysler/Dana-Perfect Circle unit, cruise to your car, but the later electronic ones use a signal generator to run things rather than the speedometer cables . . . which can be a lot less intrusive to the underhood area.

One possible issue might be if your vehicle is a 6 volt or 12 volt system . . .

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

Edited December 19, 2012 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[junkyardjeff]

If I could find a simple system like my 72 olds had I would be very happy,it had a switch for on/off and a single button to set which is all I would need. It has been converted to 12 volts so I do have more options then if it was still 6 volts,I am going to look on ebay and see if I can find some old kits and there is a shop not too far that did install cruise controls at one time so I will need to check with them too. I was hoping someone on here had added cruise on one of their old cars and would know of one I could use,I do drive this one a bunch and it would be nice to have it.

[D Yaros]

I installed a vacuum operated unit on my '97 Nissan D-21 Pickup. In terms of ït " not looking too out of place," a vacuum unit would fit the bill, but for the tank.

[Guest 4 bufords]

my 62 invicta has the cruise control unit under the hood and the on/off switch on the turn signal lever but i dont have instructions to hook it up,4 bufords from ct

[junkyardjeff]

As for not looking out of place I want the switches to not look too much out of place if possible,whats under the hood I am less concerned with.

[NTX5467]

If you want the GM/Olds system, you can still get rebuilt transducers (eBay or some of the auto supply chains), probably can find a turn signal lever that might work, a brake switch, etc. all in salvage yards or possibly from the dealer. Several Olds service manuals are online at www.wildaboutcarsonline.com to see how the vacuum lines go. The vacuum actuator and chain can probably be found, too, as replacement parts. The typical GM system (non-resume era) was wired "ON" with the ignition key. The Olds units had a dash-mounted switch with an indicator light. When the "Resume" function came to GM in about 1981, the turn signal switch had an "OFF" position. From there, you can probably get Howell (in Michigan) to build you some cables, once you know the measurements and such.

In the middle 1980s, I bought two Chrysler accessory add-on cruise kits. I believe they were sourced from Specific Cruise in Fort Worth . . . one of our Mopar club associates worked for them back then. It used a signal generator at the transmission and then ran things electronically to run the throttle linkage items. Previous to that, Chrysler used a Dana/Perfect Circle style unit, which had the vacuum transducer integral with the unit, using a flex cable to run the throttle (including a "lost motion" link to protect the vacuum diaphram when more throttle was needed than the unit was applying at the particular time . . . same function as the link chain GM and Ford used).

Many of the add-on aftermarket cruise kits on the market during the initial phase of the National 55mph speed limit (circa 1973), used two magnets glued to the driveshaft for the speed signal. Magnets eventually fell off with time, as the adhesive degraded. Most of these kits had a reverse direction from "OFF" (at the lh end of the slide) to "ON" and "RESUME" (at the right hand end of the slide's movement) from the similar factory-sourced add-on kits (the OEM production was "OFF - ON - RESUME", lh to rh). I believe the Dana/Perfect Circle kits, back then, used the Chrysler-style transducer/actuator, as did the ARA-brand kits.

Please keep us posted on your progress.

Happy Holidays!

NTX5467

[Marty Roth]

You might be able to find (Flea Market, etc,) the 1970s era Sears-Roebuck/other aftermarket units. I sold several still in the original boxes at Hershey several years ago. They were simple to attach, using a magnet held by epoxy and a nylon-tie to the drive shaft with a pick-up pointed at it. There was a vacuum unit and an old-fashioned key-chain affair which would would actuate the accelerator linkage to the carburetor. Switches would deactivate the system when the brake or clutch pedals were depressed. All-in-all relatively simple to install, and surprisingly reliable, except in a friend's '56 T'Bird which had a lot of under-hood heat on a trip to California for then 1998 Founders Tour.

[Guest Commodore]

OK, bought to you by your ever friendly Amazon.com is the following.

A cruise control kit. Amazon has other makes of cruise controls.

Amazon.com: Rostra Universal Electronic Cruise Control 250-1223: Automotive

A dash mount Cruise Control Switch.

Amazon.com: Dash mount Cruise Control Switch 250-3592: Automotive

And most importantly, a VSS Speed Pulse Generator Kit.

http://www.amazon.com/250-4165-Magnetic-Generator-Rostra-Audiovox/dp/B0009GVUG8/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_z