'68 Door ajar switch installation

[Pete G.]

Can anyone lend me guidance on installing the door ajar switch (rear of door) on a '68? Seems the passenger rear quarter has been replaced by a previous owner and they failed to drill the glass and re-install the switch. Is there a metal mounting bracket of some kind that the switch mounts into behind the fiberglass? Also, cannnot seem to reach far enough into the back of the hole via the wheel well access panel to deterimine how the switch mounts. The AIM does not show exactly what the switch mounts into, and I cannot find anything beyond the tuning of the switch in the archives.

Thanks for your help!

[John C.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

Pete

There is a metal plate that is riveted to the back of the fiberglass to help hold the switch. Look at UPC 1 page B9 in your AIM for details. The switch is just pressed though the plate.

John

[Russ S.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

Pete

There is a metal plate that is riveted to the back of the fiberglass to help hold the switch. Look at UPC 1 page B9 in your AIM for details. The switch is just pressed though the plate.



John

The switch screws into the plate.

[Pete G.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

Okay, first piece of the puzzle is solved, thanks, I now see the mounting detail in the AIM. So it's clear the riveted plate was not replaced when they put the new panel it, is it possible to rivet the plate in with the quarter panel in place? Or can this be done only with the quarter panel off the car? Maybe the area where the plate mounts is reachable through the the wheel well access panel? If it is, and I cannot rivet it in, maybe I could epoxy it in place?

[Russ S.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

I have replaced them once before so it is possible to do. I just don't recall exactly how I did it but I think I was able to get at it thru the body mount opening. It has been too long to remember.

[Alan S.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

Hi Pete,
Member Don Lowe had a problem with a loose switch mounting plate on his 72 convertible late last spring.
I don't exactly remember how he dealt with it, but he posted the information. Perhaps if you PM him he can give you some suggestions.
Good Luck!
Regards,
Alan

[Pete G.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

Thanks Alan, I'll give Don a ring.

[Harmon C.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

The metal plate has two holes for pop rivets. Working through the rear #3 body mount hole you may need to remove some metal to get the metal plate through the hole. I took 3 foot of clothes line rope with a knot in the center to pull the plate tight against the fiberglass and installed the pop rivets. If you have no pop rivet holes you may need to drill them with the plate as a guide before installing it. The plate has one corner cut off and will only install one way.

[Don L.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

A bit similar to Lyle's method, I didn't want to drill out and replace the original rivets in the door jamb so I epoxied my plate. One must be VERY careful when introducing epoxy to a threaded area. Errant epoxy will cause BIG trouble here.

Pete, I'll PM you my phone number so I can explain my fix verbally, as the way I did it is too long and likely too difficult for me to explain here in type. In the end, the repair is completely un-detectable.

[Don L.]

Re: '68 Door ajar switch installation

A bit similar to Lyle's method, I didn't want to drill out and replace the original rivets in the door jamb so I epoxied my plate. One must be VERY careful when introducing epoxy to a threaded area. Errant epoxy will cause BIG trouble here.

Pete, I'll PM you my phone number so I can explain my fix verbally, as the way I did it is too long and likely too difficult for me to explain here in type. In the end, the repair is completely un-detectable.