Fun with a 68

[CaptainK]

Happily tinkering with my 68 and doing my electric conversion stuff for fun, taking ages as rarely get time to do car stuff and when I do I'm trying to find solutions to previous owner bodges.

I have a few fun comments:

• The previous owner - thanks buddy for welding up the wiper door actuator rod on both sides. How the heck do I remove it all now without chopping it up?
• 1968 has a different wiper door actuator to 69 onwards.
• 1968 doesn't have a vacuum limit switch under the wipers to know when they are in the down position.
• 1968 uses the same wiper door limit switch on the firewall, BUT on 1968 only its GROUND/NEGATIVE that runs through it. 69 onwards its positive. Don't use this as your positive hook up for the electric wiper door conversion

 

[Roscobbc]

As an owner of a '68 for 25 years I thought
I knew most of that specific years oddities.......but obviously I didn't! Adopting an "If it ain't totally broke.....don't even think of trying to fix it.....live with it" logic I've never had a need to check-out the mechanics of the vacuum wiper flap. I am very conscious however of the power of the wiper and headlamp flaps and how they could potentially injure you if you get your finger in the way when they close!

 

[CaptainK]

Yeah, its a fun learning curve I must say. A bit frustrating sometimes, but fun. Giving myself projects on the car as an excuse to learn stuff and have fun etc. Good thing the car is not used over winter.

Also, original style 1968 wiper door actuators don't seem to be made any more. BUT there is a similar one in a different colour made, AND you can also easily convert to 1969 onwards style. Just needs a different bracket and the actuator.... AND a different coupling rod because I forgot something else from my post above:

• 1968 wiper door actuator coupler rods use 1/4" thread, whereas 1969 onwards use 5/16" thread. You can buy a converter though so its 1/4" at one end and 5/16" at the other end. Allows you to connect a 1969 actuator to a 1968 wiper door linkage.

I suspect this is why my coupler is welded - my 1968 1/4 inch actuator rod is a tiny bit smaller than 5/16 inch, and previous owner might have decided to use a 1969 onwards 5/16 coupler and NOT know there was a difference, BUT noticed it was a little loose, so welded it. Just a theory.

 

[Chuffer]

Happily tinkering with my 68 and doing my electric conversion stuff for fun, taking ages as rarely get time to do car stuff and when I do I'm trying to find solutions to previous owner bodges.

I have a few fun comments:

• The previous owner - thanks buddy for welding up the wiper door actuator rod on both sides. How the heck do I remove it all now without chopping it up?
• 1968 has a different wiper door actuator to 69 onwards.
• 1968 doesn't have a vacuum limit switch under the wipers to know when they are in the down position.
• 1968 uses the same wiper door limit switch on the firewall, BUT on 1968 only its GROUND/NEGATIVE that runs through it. 69 onwards its positive. Don't use this as your positive hook up for the electric wiper door conversion

Sounds like fun , NOT !!!