tips from yesteryear

Last night I was talking on phone with a life long friend. Told him about this forum and he would like it. As we talked the discussion we back to our youth, our cars, (me 70, him 72) just for time reference.

He mentioned a tool ? that I made for him. Told it was one of his prized possessions. Thought I would share it here. Would probably only work with older equipment. Being rat rodders and maybe some run older motors.

Possible some may have this. Not much but very helpful. It is a remote starter and remote ignition switch.

I took a push button starter button. attached long wires and alligator clips on wire ends. Taped to cover terminals. A toggle switch the would go on and off. Again attached wires to toggle. One wire got a clamp the size of one used on a small home batt charger. Other wire got alligator clip. Taped all together.

Now start button, one wire on batt cable on solenoid. Other wire to one of the small wire terminals on solenoid. Now you could bump motor over to set points or adj valves or ???? The wire on toggle swirch with lg clamp went on hot batt terminal. Other wire went to terminal on coil opposite the dist wire.

If desired or need turn toggle switch on push start button and wazoom motor runs. Turn toggle off and stop motor. I made these with long wires so as to be able to lay away from motor fan and out of the way.

Back in 50`s, 60`s early 70`s this was very helpful. Oh yes. Start wires could also be used on starter relays. Just figure which wire terminal to use.

Just realize some of us grey beards only have memories left. Each day they get shorter.

It's cool that it still means a lot to him. I have a remote starter switch I made in 1975 that I still use. Pretty much the same thing, I slid a section of heater hose over the wires and left just the button stick out, then filled it with silicon.

I made one of those years ago - got the idea from my Dad. Loaned it out to a in-law that is still "gonna get it back to me" - 7 years ago and not counting. I should make another good one. This time I'll put a on/off switch on it though - I knocked mine off the air cleaner once and bumped the motor over about a turn and a half - no harm done, but scared me good since I was laying underneath it at the time.

When I worked in a dealership in early a 80s I made a starter switch out of a micro switch from an a/c kit for the purpose of adjusting valves. The on off switch is an idea i never thought of but I will have one before long.

Welcome to RRR, exador.

Cool tool. We should all have one.