What's this? (behind left headlight)

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Yeah,could be, maybe the other half is broken off. Just so J.C. Whitney.

['76mintgrün'02]

2 minutes ago, coloincaalpine said:

maybe the other half is broken off

 

...by a THIEF, trying to silence the alarm!!  

[Shawn Piper]

I think you guys are right about it being an old alarm system. I got some better pics of the front and back... apparently it takes a key!

[Simeon]

So, the key is accessed from under the wheelarch? It still looks like all it does is turn a spring clip. Could there be a mercury tilt switch held in that?

 

If the car is moved, or hit, the tilt switch closes (or opens). Turn the key and the tilt switch is physically turned to prevent it from closing / opening when the car is moved. 

 

This Reddit post describes old car alarms and someone describes a key being used in conjunction with mercury switches. 

 

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/6ey2ih/1967_bonneville_why_is_there_a_key_in_the_drivers/

 

 

 

 

[Shawn Piper]

56 minutes ago, Simeon said:

So, the key is accessed from under the wheelarch? It still looks like all it does is turn a spring clip. Could there be a mercury tilt switch held in that?

 

If the car is moved, or hit, the tilt switch closes (or opens). Turn the key and the tilt switch is physically turned to prevent it from closing / opening when the car is moved. 

 

This Reddit post describes old car alarms and someone describes a key being used in conjunction with mercury switches. 

 

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/Justrolledintotheshop/comments/6ey2ih/1967_bonneville_why_is_there_a_key_in_the_drivers/

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the info!

 

I’m currently tearing down the car to repaint and I’ve been finding odd stuff like this... the forensics of it is pretty cool  

[jgerock]

Whatever that keyswitch is, it was made in Baltimore (assume Maryland).

 

 

[coloincaalpine RIP 2021]

Simeon,  I think that you got it. Wow, what we thought was state of the art back then.

dq