48 DeSoto light bulb sockets.

[marcapra]

I'm wiring up my DeSoto dashboard and I seem to be missing a lot of light bulb sockets.  They are the kind that press into a hole in the sheet metal and you plug a wire into the back.  I have a pic of one that fits into the back of the speedometer.  They didn't come with my new wiring harness, so where do I go to buy some?  

[Fordy]

restoration supply company

[marcapra]

I found a company with that name, but they don't have a catalog.  Can you give me a link to this catalog?  Thanks.  

[Fordy]

Restoration Supply Company – Authentic, hard to find restoration supplies and accessories for the antique automobile and marine enthusiast (restorationstuff.com)

Download to the left of motor in picture

[marcapra]

Wow! it's in Escondido!  That's a half hour drive for me.  Thanks!  

[Fordy]

half the world away from me!

[marcapra]

I drove to Auto restoration supplies today.  Escondido, well not exactly.  It's a few miles south of there, and way, way, way up twisting mountain roads and tractors working on the road.  It is what you would call way out in the sticks in horse country and Christmas tree farm country. I don't think I will drive there again.  It's much more suited for ordering these small parts by mail.  It looked like they had a real antique car in the barn.  The clerk said she thought it was something like a 1909 Pierce Arrow.  They had just what I was looking for, so extra thanks to Fordy.  I got some 5/8 and 3/4 inch light bulb sockets for my distributor and dashboard.  They snap right into my speedo and have a wire coming out the back.  They also had the 6 volt bulbs for it.  They also sell cloth wiring and small springs, so they are a good source for things that most other shops don't sell!  

[marcapra]

One problem with the speedometer sockets I bought is they have a wire coming out of the back.  The original sockets had a hole where you plugged in a bayonet style wire, which is what I have on my wiring harness.  My question is how do I connect a bayonnet plug into a loose wire?  I don't know if I should try to cut the wire off or see if there are female terminals that I could solder to the wire and then plug the bayonnet into the connector?  Any ideas for this?  

[Fordy]

Do your connectors on the original harness look like these? If so, find the diameter and you should be able to get some from an electrical supply shop. The picture is of Lucas ones for British cars, and they had a female connector that is essentially a rolled tube of brass with outer insulation. A British car or motorcycle parts supplier could also be an option.

Glad you found something. If that place was near me, I would be one of their better customers. Unfortunately, international freight tends to add substantially and the Australian dollar is only 60 cents US.

Steve

[marcapra]

Actually, my new wiring harness already has the bayonet style plugs so I;m not looking for more of them.  It's the female ones I need if I can solder the wire to the other end and plug the bayonnet into the hole.  

[Bloo]

@marcapra are you calling those terminals in @Fordy's post bayonet? The pics are so tiny I can't see anything. In the US the ones in @Fordy's pic are normally called bullet connectors, and then yes, you just need some female ones. Another thing that was done sometimes in those days was to use a double female connector, and then you can just solder another one of those terminals in @Fordy's post to the other wire and plug the two together. It's one more connection (not preferred), but then there is no insulation to deal with (and that part is nice). They may have done it that way originally. If the local outfit doesn't have the double female bullets, Rhode Island Wire will for sure.

 

What do original ones look like for that car? Have you seen any?

 

Another possibility is just some modern female bullet connectors. The only thing is they are likely to be the wrong size, but only slightly. Maybe you could see if they are close enough or bend them a little bit, solder them to your new socket wires, and use heatshrink for insulation. It might work.

 

[marcapra]

I don't know why my pics are so small now.  They used to be large.  

[R Walling]

 The male and female bullet connectors come in different sizes and come with or without insulation.

[marcapra]

I think I found the answer.  I have the female connectors which came with my new wiring harness (back in the 80s when I bought it).  I just went to a good hardware store and bought some bullet connectors that I will solder onto the loose wires.  Then I can plug the wiring harness and the socket wires into the double sided female connectors.  It would be easier if I had just put the sockets back in the speedometer whenever I took them out, but now they are lost.  Thanks for all of your help!  Marc.

Edited November 9, 2023 by marcapra (see edit history)

[marcapra]

Wouldn't you know it!  If I had just looked at my 1984 Egge wiring harness a little closer, I would have seen that Egge included the light bulb sockets in the new wiring harness!  I'm not sure if Egge supplied me with new ones, or if they pulled the sockets from my old wiring harness, which I sent to them to duplicate.  Do new wiring harnesses usually include the light bulb sockets?

 

 

Edited November 19, 2023 by marcapra (see edit history)