'60 parking brake alarm

[Matt F.]

Comparing the wiring diagram for this car with the existing harness, I don't see the tan wire which would feed the parking brake alarm light on the face of the speedo. If this option was not on this car, would the socket for the bulb still be in the back of the speedo assembly? I can see the "brake" lens, and the socket is there, but no wire.

thanks
Matt

[Dave S.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Matt,

There is a plug in harness with the tan wire that plugs into the fuse box. In addition you would have a unique tung sol flasher. The harness has 2 male ends which plug into each end of this unique flasher. There is also a special clip that mounts the flasher to the top of the drivers side kick panel. 61 and up cars lack the flasher and use a 257 flashing bulb. I believe Lectric Limited makes a correct harness which can be bought directly or through numerous other Corvette vendors.

[Christopher R.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Who sells the special 257 flashing bulb?

[Ed Jennings]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

More critical than the wiring, you need the switch which mounts on the park brake shaft. These are not reproduced and originals are priced accordingly.

[Matt F.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

I guess what I'm most curious about is whether my car actually had this option to begin with. Does the presence of the socket for the alarm light in the back of the speedo assembly indicate that this car definitely had this option? Would a car have the socket and the plastic lense regardless of whether the option was included with the car? Thank you for any information, and for that already provided!

Matt

[Dave S.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

There are numerous threads on the availability of 257 bulbs, and the archives has lots of information on them. Remember only 61 and up cars used the 257 bulb. I am not sure if "no parking brake alarm" 60 cars had anything put in the light socket hole if they were not equiped with that option. I can only guess that they did not but did have the red "brake" lens in the speedometer. The alarm is a plug in option if you have the switch, harness, flasher and clip. I believe that in 61 that option became standard equipment.

[Dennis C.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Matt, hate to sound like an idiot, but if your question is would the hole for the bulb be in the back of the cluster regardless of how equipped, my answer would be YES.

[Matt F.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Dennis - nothing idiotic about it! That was exactly my question.

My thanks to everyone for their help. The flasher, switch, and wiring are all absent as regards the parking brake alarm, so I'm going under the assumption that this car just didn't have one.

Matt

[Ed Jennings]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

According to the Black Book, only about 40% of the 60's built had this option, so in all likelyhood it was not so equipped. If you want to add the option and can locate a switch, the wiring is very simple. The easiest (but not correct) approach is to wire direct from fuse block, to switch, to bulb, using the 257 flashing bulb as used in 61-62.

[Dennis A.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Matt...

The parking brake alarm for 58 -'60 was FOA 107, In 1961 they removed the flasher that is clipped to the trim panel and wired directly to a 257 flasher bulb. You might try May Jo for parts, however they are hard to find.

[Dennis C.]

Re: '60 parking brake alarm

Matt... Yeah, you can spend the money to buy the parts to ad this option. You might also do the same thing with Fuel Injection. My approach at this point, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Restore the car to what it was - no more, no less. What's so cool about that is that you don't need to explain nuthin to nobody.