69 NOS rim blow switch work on a 70 wheel?

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Maintenance Restoration and Repair
1

Hey all,

Can a 69 NOS rim blow switch work on a 70 wheel? I got a lead on 1 and the seller is not sure if it will work. So i thought i ask here to see if it will. I`m asking for a fellow 70 owner,(mine works perfectly).

thanks
pat

2

Short answer - No. The 1969 steering wheel was a larger diameter than the 1970 ( 1 or 2 " - I can’t recall the exact amount ), therefore the actual rim-blow switch is longer ( larger circumference ) than the 1970. Original factory switches may have had a different texture between the two years as well. The 1969 switch was screwed into the steering wheel hub to make contact with the ring on the opposite side of the wheel ( and from there through the two spring loaded copper contacts in the actual turn signal switch ). The 1970 rim-blow switch used spade connections. The back side of the hub was also different between the two years, because the 1970’s had the column mounted ignition cylinder, and hence the column was ‘fatter’ so the back side of the steering wheel hub was also a larger diameter in 1970 vs. 1969. I’m sure if there are any other differences related to the rim-blow switches that I have neglected other members will contribute there knowledge !

3

just to add, I recently replaced my 1969 Steering Wheel, I’m toying with doing a restoration on the old one and the Rim Blow plastic has solidified into a Hard as Nails substance I’ chiseling out with a screwdriver and a pick, I only got halfway around in a day. I would be suspicious of a NOS as the Plastic on it may have hardened over time.

4

Hello Mike, My guess would be that your 69 Cougar’s original steering wheel was well baked in the California sun prior to your getting the Cat to Ohio.
I previously owned a 69 Cougar from New Mexico and the steering wheel & rimblow switch on that particular car had both become brittle & solidified… pretty much toast. The heat from the Western sun can be brutal on interior parts. Also, the condition of a NOS service part can vary, and storage likely plays an important role concerning that topic.

5

Original 1970-74 rim blow horn switches, were also color matched to the steering wheel.

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But the service replacement switches were only available in black.