8 Wire Turn Signal Switch

[bluecollarbill]

I am having my 1932 Packard rewired.  The guy doing the work says he can add turn signals and have the single filament bulbs in the front parking lights function as both directional signals and parking lights if I can get him an 8 wire turn signal switch.  I know they exists since they are discussed in detail in another thread - but I can't find one anywhere.   

Anyone know where an 8 wire turn signal switch might be found ?  or a manufacturer / model number I should be looking for ?

 

Thanks

 

Bill Stanley

203.215.8585

wjstanley@cox.net 

[Bloo]

I believe most of the new production ones are 8-wire. What models have you found so far?

 

I don't consider the feature very useful for most cars, but I don't know your individual car or situation. As you probably know if you were reading a thread that discussed them in length, they just share the parking light bulb in front like a 7-wire switch shares the brake light bulb. The issue is this. Parking light bulbs are tiny in light output, often 1.5 candlepower, compared to about 16-21(?) candlepower for a brake light. Some jurisdictions in the 30s required you to leave a light on all night. It sounds crazy now, but in the interest of not running the battery dead, the automakers used the dimmest bulbs commonly available. No way are they good enough for signal lights in the daytime. If you up the candlepower to something more like a brake light bulb, it ups the wattage. Used as a parking light, that is going to run really hot, probably melting lenses if they are plastic, possibly blistering paint if the housings are painted. You could potentially solve the heat problem by using bright LED bulbs in front, but the parking lights won't look like parking lights anymore if they are extremely bright. In some cars it is practical to change the socket to a dual contact one and run a second wire, but then you don't need an 8-wire switch. In my opinion, for most cars, I would just abandon the park light function altogether.

 

Sorry for the short hijack, but it least it is a thread bump. Good luck on your search for an 8 wire turn signal switch.