I am about to buy a 72 corvette that was converted from a 350 w/automatic to a 454 w/Doug Nash 5-speed. The seller says the backup lights don't work and doesn't know if they ever did and his shop couldn't find the problem.
I am wondering where the switch would be located on the tranny and if it would be different from the auto that was in it?

Thanks,

 

Seems that the doug nash doesnt have a provision on the case for backup lights.

Maybe they do now?

Found this old post .. it may help you https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...r-5-speed.html

 

Aha! that explains it.

Thanks

 

Never found a switch for mine so I went to the local HW store and picked up a heavy duty momentary switch (only closed when pressure applied to switch button). The switch measured approx. 1.5 inches long and about 1/2 inch thick. It had two through holes so located on side of trans while in reverse and switch closed, marking where holes were on trans. Drilled and tapped from 6/32 screws and made up spaces for right height. Didn't drill deep enough to go through case Sorry no pics but it worked great.

Measure and measure again before drilling if you go this route.

 

What actuated it, the shifter lever?

 

No reverse switch on mine either. I took out the reverse lights and added two more brake lights instead.

 

FYI

Doug Nash went bankrupt..I don't know when. I bought a Doug Nash 5 speed in the mid 1970's. I wanted to buy another in the early 1990's, and at that time they were sold as Richmond 5 speeds. Richmond bought out Doug Nash and in the early 1990's I bought a Richmond 5 speed.

There's a significant difference between the Doug Nash and the Richmond, even though they look exactly alike. Richmond, to lower the cost of the trannie, reduced it's torque rating. To their credit, Richmond apparently made the trannie much smoother to shift. My Doug Nash, until it good "worn" in was stiff to shift....on an all day outing for the first time with the Nash, I got a blister on the palm of my hand...we're talking stiff here.

I don't remember a back up lighting issue with my long ago Doug Nash. I think it had back up lights. I have the Richmond in my garage, I think it has the bracket to mate the backup light switch. I'll go look later.
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Learning of the lower torque rating of the Richmond was very disruptive to me. I had sent off my Tom's "Super" 10 bolt diff off to be rebuilt with a 3.08:1 diff to mate to the Richmond. When I discovered that the Richmond's had reduced performance, I then ordered a Tremac TK600 (650 ft-lbs) and then had the diff rebuilder change from a 3.08:1 diff to a 3.73:1 diff to match the Tremac.

The Doug Nash/Richmond has a first gear that is numerically larger than stock and a 1:1 fifth gear. The Tremac has a first gear that corresponds to factory stock first gear but has an overdrive 5th gear.

I have a Tremac TK600 in my 68 and a 3.73:1 rear end. I cruise at about 70 mph at 2000 rpm.......this is what I'll get with the 70 in the same configuration.

 

I used the flat shifter arm that's bolted to the trans.