benrep

Well I am stumped. This is on my 1960. I removed the old cooked headlight switch and found three large washers between it and the dash. When I got the new switch I fit it to the dash and lined up the tang in the slot, it all looked good. Threaded the nut down with the bezel in place and it stopped with about three washers of clearance remaining. I thought this must be the wrong nut, long with the threads not going all of the way to the head. I looked up the 1960 Vette nut and it looks identical to mine. I see no spacer required on a 60 like a 56/57. so what am I missing? Is there a fatter bezel? Is my dash too thin?(joke). The full size Chevy light switch nut looks correct, but I won't go there if I am missing something.

Thanks in advance, cause I know you guys will have the answer!

Frankie the Fink

Incorrect switch ?
Can't imagine what else it could be...

CANDA

I am assuming you ordered a switch for a 58-63 but are you sure you have the correct nut for a 58-60. It may be you have a different year headlight nut. The 61,62 nut is shorter than the 58-60, and the 63-67 nut is longer than the 58-60. That is probably the reason for the extra washers. May want to check the length of the correct headlight nut with a corvette parts vendor to confirm what you have. Just a thought. Thx

benrep

I think you are correct. I am going by the picture of the nut for this year and it looks like the one that came on the car. I will call and have them measure it to see if it is shorter. The new switch is identical to what I took out and is sold as the correct switch for this year. Everything on this car has been worked on by you know who, and it has a lot of substandard repairs, so why not the wrong nut and a stack of washers? I'll post a follow up in this thread when I get to the bottom of this.
Thanks.

benrep

I think I figured it out. GM changed the instrument panel in 1961 by removing a built in spacer for the light switch (among other things), that required a longer nut. I have the right switch and nut, but bubba changed the instrument panel and it is a 61. I just ordered a 61 nut that should work.

Frankie the Fink

Not surprising - the clusters are pot metal and prone to breakage when messed with by the unwitting, or even the witting...

62corvette

The easiest way to tell a lower instrument cluster is by looking at the cigarette lighter hole. 61-62 has a raised ring around the circumference of the hole—58-60 did not. There are other differences, but that is the easiest to ID.

SDVette

I didn't realize that.. Thanks for posting.

Here is a 61 cluster

GCD1962

Prone to breaking? Never ever seen or heard of one "breaking" that piece is very durable