I just put a lighter in my '52 that I got from our host. It was advertised as 12 volt, but I didn't try to use it as a lighter. I just needed a power port for a GPS or phone charger, so I put the lighter circuit on a 5 amp fuse and pulled the heating element out of the lighter in case someone tries to use it as a lighter. Although I've never tried it, I'd bet Ken's life that a 12 volt lighter running on 6 volts would take a long time (if ever) to get hot enough to pop. Conversely, a 6 volt lighter running on 12 volts might get hot so fast that it would pop into your passenger's lap once, then may never work again.
Bill, just remember what we talked about on the way to the autorama! It's not politically correct to call it a power port! In a '52 GMC, it's a cigarette lighter!
Anti - Theft Back in the olden dayze ,we'd run the cigarette lighter's power wire to the points side of the coil , when pushed in , it prevents the engine from running.....
Anti - Theft Well ; You know those bad kids ? from that Hog Farm on t'other side of town ? not only do they ' borrow ' tractors & pickups sans permission but they never replace the gasoline used and often leave them filthy so something had to be done...... I've also rigged up secondary dimmer switches for the same thing , no one ever notices you tapping it when you climb in to go for a ride . One '54 Chevy had it in the back of the ash tray , as he smoked (ew) it was always pulled out and 1/4 full of old butts unless he didn't plan to drive it again that day , then he'd slide it in to depress the momentary contact button hidden behind it . Yeah , I can be clever at times .
Mac's Ford Parts carry the replacement style 6v unit or just the element which is pretty much universal I think. Replacement style part # 11A-15055. 1-800-777-0948; or macsautoparts.com
I have a magnetic proximity switch for my truck. It happened to be a left over part from work, it sat in my tool box for years. Just wire it into the coil wire and who would ever know.
How do you get the original cigarette lighter emoved so I can replace wth a new one? Is there a trick to remove it.
Pull the wire off the back, take the lighter out of the socket and then unscrew the whole behind the dash unit while holding the part that sticks through the dash with the heel of your hand.
