70 Superior Dash top switch pod

James Fischer

James Fischer

PCS Member
Does anyone have a good clear picture of the dashtop rocker switch cluster ??

Mine is missing from the 70 and it looks like I will have to get one made,since I am sure there are none of these around....

Also,what years besides 70 were they mounted on the dash ??

Thank you for the help....
Jim
 
Here's a good idea of what one should look like, courtesy of the Northland Chapter PCS website's photo archives.

Superior_Ambulance_510.jpg
 
The basic panel, with rocker switches, was introduced for the 1969 model year and was used through at least 1976. Any Superior switch panel of this style from these years will work for your car, whether it comes from a dash top, floor console, or overhead mounting. That's the "easy" part!

The problem will be finding one of the dash mount "boxes" - with molded plastic housing - which were not very common. I speak for Attila, Kurt, myself, and others when I say that we will keep our eyes out for one as we travel.

I'm sure you've already addressed this, but - what are the chances of tracing down the one that was originally in your car?

You can barely see it here, but my '73 Pontiac had one:
 

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my main concern would be what happened to the wires and switches. if some one lifted it up ad sniped off the wires when they took the panel your into a mess. to get what does what straightened out will take a lot of Patience superior was big for using one color wire threw out the car. a blank panel could be cut from a piece of plastic and a simple box made to hold it till one can be located.
 
Steve Loftin said:
The basic panel, with rocker switches, was introduced for the 1969 model year and was used through at least 1976. Any Superior switch panel of this style from these years will work for your car, whether it comes from a dash top, floor console, or overhead mounting. That's the "easy" part!

The problem will be finding one of the dash mount "boxes" - with molded plastic housing - which were not very common. I speak for Attila, Kurt, myself, and others when I say that we will keep our eyes out for one as we travel.

I'm sure you've already addressed this, but - what are the chances of tracing down the one that was originally in your car?

You can barely see it here, but my '73 Pontiac had one:
Click to expand...

Thank you Steve for the help and the information.....

I appreciate you keeping your eyes open...as far as tracing the box back...well,I have tried that along with a few other things like the alternator...but no wone knows.....as I stated before it was in a storage for 20 years where the rent was paid yearly and then it ceased and it was put up for auction....the guy I bought it from sais it was missing when he bought it (July 2012)...so it could have been missing 20 years ago...who knows....

Thanks again
Jim
 
John ED Renstrom said:
my main concern would be what happened to the wires and switches. if some one lifted it up ad sniped off the wires when they took the panel your into a mess. to get what does what straightened out will take a lot of Patience superior was big for using one color wire threw out the car. a blank panel could be cut from a piece of plastic and a simple box made to hold it till one can be located.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ed....that was what I didnt want to hear....:bonk:

And as for patience.....I dont know what that is....do you have any for sale ??

JIm
 
John ED Renstrom said:
my main concern would be what happened to the wires and switches. if some one lifted it up ad sniped off the wires when they took the panel your into a mess. to get what does what straightened out will take a lot of Patience superior was big for using one color wire threw out the car. a blank panel could be cut from a piece of plastic and a simple box made to hold it till one can be located.
Click to expand...

Ed,
I just went out to check **IF** all my wires were one color or ......
they are all differant colors...red,pink,purple etc etc....



DSCN1923.jpg
 
Are you a patient man? If so, high probability I can come up with a dash pod.

Called a friend that has two Superior high tops awaiting restoration (or new owners, whichever comes first). I could see in my photos of them that neither has dash pods remaining. I did get him to inspect each however to check for a loose one inside somewhere. Negative x2.

The Superior high top previously posted in aluminum retainer ring thread I don't believe has a dash pod remaining. That owner could care less so calling and asking simply isn't an option. Don't know when I'll be there next to look.

The last Superior high top I know of is in a junkyard that closed 20 years ago. I am 99% certain the dash pod was still intact, although I neglected to capture the front compartment for verification.

dsc07794k.jpg


Other than rear loading door glass being broken out many good usable parts remain.

I have waited all year to get back into this yard and retrieve a vehicle, which will happen sometime before Christmas. (We've been waiting for heat, flora, and insects to subside for season as pulling that vehicle out involves some serious engineering and labor.) Not going to happen next week. Possibly not going to happen next month.

So if you're in a hurry, fabricate one. Even coming up with an original dash pod doesn't mean the plastic won't be heat warped to some degree, as I have learned with '55-'62 Superior dash pods.
 
Mike Burkhart said:
Just put 12V power to each wire and see what lights up. The main power wire may be thicker gauge than the others.
Click to expand...

This is a recipe for a disaster... :myopinion:


First you need to determine which wires are the hot wires, and which ones are not. Then you isolate the hot wires to one side, and one at a time, connect 12 volts to each of the remaining wires, and observe what lights up, or motors come on. Once you figure out what each of the non power wires are for, then you start tracing back the hot wires to see what the fuse rating is and match that to the item that has a similar current draw. All he needs is a test light, a wire stripper, and a long jumper lead with a bulb and socket mounted in the middle of it. The bulb acts as a fuse when diagnosing. Usually, under the dash, Superior installed a fuse panel and labeled what each fuse is for.
 
my method is a ice pick a battery charger. one of the smaller 6 or ten amp one does good. ground the negative side of the charger to the body. the clamp the pos side to the ice pick. and prob and check. you can slid it into the end of the cut off wire. if you hit a hot wire nothing happens. you touch a ground the charger growls and you get some sparks. you turn something one and it glows or a blower takes off. piece of masking tape and a pen and you know what that one goes to. there of course are things that go to nothing and a number of wires may go to the same switch. the only constant was there is always a master that would power the panel. the hot would go to it and the out to the fuse panel normally. then from each fuse hot up to a switch and out to the component it would power. there are lights and jewel lights on the panel. the combination of battery charger and test light will let you trace out about any wire. the 10 amps is not enough to fry anything unless you leave it on a long time. but the one thing you will get is lots of exercise walking around the car looking for what came on.

as for patience I keep mine in the second drawer down under my clean shorts. that way I don't wear it out
 
These look like the boxes used to mount a radio in a boat. I have mounted them if a few of my boats. Hard to tell for sure, but they are close
 
Paul Steinberg said:
This is a recipe for a disaster... :myopinion:


First you need to determine which wires are the hot wires, and which ones are not. Then you isolate the hot wires to one side, and one at a time, connect 12 volts to each of the remaining wires, and observe what lights up, or motors come on. Once you figure out what each of the non power wires are for, then you start tracing back the hot wires to see what the fuse rating is and match that to the item that has a similar current draw. All he needs is a test light, a wire stripper, and a long jumper lead with a bulb and socket mounted in the middle of it. The bulb acts as a fuse when diagnosing. Usually, under the dash, Superior installed a fuse panel and labeled what each fuse is for.
Click to expand...

Thank you Paul......makes sense......and Patience ....must have patience...:thumb:
 
John ED Renstrom said:
my method is a ice pick a battery charger. one of the smaller 6 or ten amp one does good. ground the negative side of the charger to the body. the clamp the pos side to the ice pick. and prob and check. you can slid it into the end of the cut off wire. if you hit a hot wire nothing happens. you touch a ground the charger growls and you get some sparks. you turn something one and it glows or a blower takes off. piece of masking tape and a pen and you know what that one goes to. there of course are things that go to nothing and a number of wires may go to the same switch. the only constant was there is always a master that would power the panel. the hot would go to it and the out to the fuse panel normally. then from each fuse hot up to a switch and out to the component it would power. there are lights and jewel lights on the panel. the combination of battery charger and test light will let you trace out about any wire. the 10 amps is not enough to fry anything unless you leave it on a long time. but the one thing you will get is lots of exercise walking around the car looking for what came on.

as for patience I keep mine in the second drawer down under my clean shorts. that way I don't wear it out
Click to expand...

Thank you Ed...... I will give this a try ..but first I have to get my alternator put in (finaly found a correct Delco) ,then the usual plug ,points etc..and see if she cranks over.....

As far as your patience.....at least its in the CLEAN drawer.....:rofl1: :071:
 
Attila Bethlenfalvy said:
Are you a patient man? If so, high probability I can come up with a dash pod.

Called a friend that has two Superior high tops awaiting restoration (or new owners, whichever comes first). I could see in my photos of them that neither has dash pods remaining. I did get him to inspect each however to check for a loose one inside somewhere. Negative x2.

The Superior high top previously posted in aluminum retainer ring thread I don't believe has a dash pod remaining. That owner could care less so calling and asking simply isn't an option. Don't know when I'll be there next to look.

The last Superior high top I know of is in a junkyard that closed 20 years ago. I am 99% certain the dash pod was still intact, although I neglected to capture the front compartment for verification.

dsc07794k.jpg


Other than rear loading door glass being broken out many good usable parts remain.

I have waited all year to get back into this yard and retrieve a vehicle, which will happen sometime before Christmas. (We've been waiting for heat, flora, and insects to subside for season as pulling that vehicle out involves some serious engineering and labor.) Not going to happen next week. Possibly not going to happen next month.

So if you're in a hurry, fabricate one. Even coming up with an original dash pod doesn't mean the plastic won't be heat warped to some degree, as I have learned with '55-'62 Superior dash pods.
Click to expand...

Thank you Attila.....I am in no hurry......I would certainly appreciate you keeping me in mind if/when you might come across one.....
Thanks again,
And also a big Thank you for hooking me up with Cadillac Heaven for the top rear fender moulding.....on the 70....:893USA-Smilie-thumb
 
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