[CougarRon]

So this last week I nearly had a car fire when my tired old ignition switch decided to turn into a torch. The column started smoking and I lost my dash gauges as well as having a really hard time keeping the car running. I limped it home and took the cover off the column and found my switch crispy but the wiring harness was still in tact.

I figured no big deal it should be the same as a Mustang etc. Well after an hour or so of searching the interwebz I come to find this is a 1 year only switch that has not been produced in years.

So I start searching this forum and a few mustang forums looking for solutions. What I gathered is you could take a 71-72 Cougar/Mustang ignition switch and swap the pigtail.

I am here to tell you it works. After a little time with the wire cutters and crimpers I took the old pigtail off my smoked switch and installed it on the new switch and now the old girl is back on the road.

I just wanted to share my little bit of good fortune with my fellow Cougar owners.

So if you have a crispy ignition switch you can grab a $30 71-72 switch and make the fix as long as you have a good '70 pigtail. :burnout:

 

[badcatt]

This is great information. Thanks fpor sharing.

 

[dfwcatsclub]

Or you could post up here and get a real 1970 switch from one of the peeps on here

 

[badcatt]

Hay dfwcatsclub,
If you have some you could post them in the for sale area. I have sold all I have found that were not to stay in the cars they were in. As I recall while I was working for Don at WCCC we were usualy short on 70 switches, but had extra 71/72s. Having another way to cover the shortage is always good.

 

[CougarRon]

I just wanted to share that it is a viable solution that may save someone time and money. It is not a solution for the guy who must have every single piece of his car date coded factory correct.

With all the searches of this forum and several Mustang forums I only found a few threads that mentioned using the 71-72 switch in this manner. I made this thread for the guy like me that is still learning about his car and is spending alot of time searching out data like this.

 

[towcat]

This is great information. Thanks fpor sharing.

I second this!

 

[dfwcatsclub]

Hay dfwcatsclub,
If you have some you could post them in the for sale area. I have sold all I have found that were not to stay in the cars they were in. As I recall while I was working for Don at WCCC we were usualy short on 70 switches, but had extra 71/72s. Having another way to cover the shortage is always good.

Now I now they are more precious than before How much do you think they should go for?

 

[cougarrand]

I don't know if I got the same thing you guys are talking about. But my door buzzer went out so I went to the local parts store and bought a ingnition switch for my 70 XR7 convt. Used a little steal wool to polish the chrome it was perfect.

 

[1969XR7Vert]

I don't know if I got the same thing you guys are talking about. But my door buzzer went out so I went to the local parts store and bought a ingnition switch for my 70 XR7 convt. Used a little steal wool to polish the chrome it was perfect.

Think you are talking about the lock cylinder Randy, they are talking about the electrical switch that the cylinder and linkage actuates.

 

[CougarRon]

This is a 1970 Switch

 

[CougarRon]

This is a 71 switch. The pigtail and connector are different.