59 Parisienne Back Up Light Switch

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

59 Parisienne Back Up Light Switch

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

This may be in the 1959 assembly manual, that manual is well worth having. Does your car have the original cast iron powerglide?

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

It's currently a TH350. I don't know what the original transmission was.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I expect it should be on the lower column. If I recall, it also serves as the neutral safety switch. I'm pretty sure that's the way it was on my 57 Chevy, and continued well into the 1970's.

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

The manual does explain how to set up the neutral safety switch on the transmission but nothing about the back up light switch, so I don't know if that is the case?

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I was thinking the backup lights were an option and would be shown in the RPO section of the assembly manual?

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

I've been on the hunt for an assembly manual but no luck. I'm trying to figure out if this car has factory wiring that I can use or if I need to run new ones. I found back up lights in the parts bin that came with the car so it's possible they were swapped out for the chrome caps at some point.

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

The backup lights were likely an option. Take a look at the switch on the lower column, there's likely 2 spare terminals for the backup lights (If I recall, they just short together when in Reverse). You will have to provide the wiring including the connection to power.

This is how it was on my 57 Chevy, and I'd wager your Parisienne is exactly the same.

-- Edited by seventy2plus2 on Friday 1st of September 2023 06:29:27 PM

DonSSDD · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Id suggest you buy the 1959 Chevy assembly manual, they are reproduced or you may find them online. Check with Antique Chevrolet in Dundas, they list them in the online catalogue. www.antiquechev.com/

Page 31 lists a backup lamp/neutral safety switch for a powerglide, 1958-1964.

Classic Industries listing for 1 says 57-72.

-- Edited by DonSSDD on Saturday 2nd of September 2023 04:25:03 AM

omp60 · Addicted!

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

omp60 wrote:

Thanks for that. That's the schematic I have too. It says neutral safety and back up light switch but if you follow the two wires, one goes to the ignition and the other to the starter solenoid. Nothing for the lights and they aren't shown on the trunk harness either. I found this pic in the manual but it says 3 speed so I'm assuming automatic is different?

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

DonSSDD wrote:
Id suggest you buy the 1959 Chevy assembly manual, they are reproduced or you may find them online. Check with Antique Chevrolet in Dundas, they list them in the online catalogue. www.antiquechev.com/

Page 31 lists a backup lamp/neutral safety switch for a powerglide, 1958-1964.
Classic Industries listing for 1 says 57-72.

-- Edited by DonSSDD on Saturday 2nd of September 2023 04:25:03 AM

Thanks Don, I'm going to do that. You haven't steered me wrong yet. Cheers

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

As I said above, the 2 terminals on the neutral and backup light switch just short together when in reverse.
The wiring harness (which you can make yourself) will need to get power from the fuse block, and run to the backup lights.
I'll see if I can find a photo of the harness from a 57 Chevy, it'll be the same concept for your car.
Do you understand what I'm saying?

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Here's a photo of a 57 Chevy Backup Light harness:

57 Chevy Backup Light Harness.jpg

Yours will be very similar.

The 2 connectors on the left would connect to the 2 terminals of the Neutral Safety & Back Up Light Switch.

The single smaller connector would get power from the fuse block.

The larger connector is a Y to connect to the 2 back up lights.

It's that simple.

A point that seems to get missed is that the backup lights on many cars of the 50's & 60's were optional. So the wiring may not already exist, they may not be shown in the wiring diagram, and the area in the body or bumper are filled in with cover plates, etc. An example is 56 Chevy's, the backup light lens was below the tail light, but if there was wiring, socket or bulb, they did nothing. 57 Chevy's had filler plates in the bumper where the backup lights went.

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

seventy2plus2 wrote:
As I said above, the 2 terminals on the neutral and backup light switch just short together when in reverse.
The wiring harness (which you can make yourself) will need to get power from the fuse block, and run to the backup lights.
I'll see if I can find a photo of the harness from a 57 Chevy, it'll be the same concept for your car.
Do you understand what I'm saying?

I think so? I see the empty terminals in the diagram. If I run power to one teminal and the other to the lights it should work. I'm going to investigate this further tomorrow. I dont think I have any wires running through the column, with the exception of the horn wire, so I'm not sure I have that neutral safety switch, or any at all? Unless it's mounted to the bottom of the column, but all I see is the signal direction switch. The turbo 350 i have may have a switch built in. Just have to figure out which terminal does what.

JoeyJoeJoe · Veteran Member

seventy2plus2 wrote:
Here's a photo of a 57 Chevy Backup Light harness:
Yours will be very similar.
The 2 connectors on the left would connect to the 2 terminals of the Neutral Safety & Back Up Light Switch.
The single smaller connector would get power from the fuse block.
The larger connector is a Y to connect to the 2 back up lights.
It's that simple.
A point that seems to get missed is that the backup lights on many cars of the 50's & 60's were optional. So the wiring may not already exist, they may not be shown in the wiring diagram, and the area in the body or bumper are filled in with cover plates, etc. An example is 56 Chevy's, the backup light lens was below the tail light, but if there was wiring, socket or bulb, they did nothing. 57 Chevy's had filler plates in the bumper where the backup lights went.

Being a Parisienne I was thinking it might have had backup lights as an option. Whoever rebuilt this car had a pile of extra parts, including back up lights, so I was hoping maybe they used the chrome caps because they thought it looked better, and it would be an easy swap. One can hope. The trunk carpet is nicley stuck in place and I'm reluctant to pull it up until I find more evidence that the wiring is there. It might be easier to just run new stuff.

omp60 · Addicted!

-- Edited by omp60 on Sunday 3rd of September 2023 11:04:02 AM

NOS · Poncho Master!

try 'Ken McGee; Goderich On 519-524-58-21 or kenmcgeeautolitature.com

seventy2plus2 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Please take a look at your column for the Neutral Safety and Back-Up Light switch. It'll be mounted on top of the column, probably about 6-8" before the column enters the firewall.

Here's it'll look like:

Neutral Safety Backup Switch 1.jpg

The terminals will be facing the firewall. The 2 parallel terminals are for the Neutral Safety Switch, and the 2 perpendicular terminals are for the backup lights.

Here's what the backside looks like:

Neutral Safety Backup Switch 2.jpg

The 2 metal tabs are used to mount it to the column. The slots are elongated to allow for adjustment.

I hope this helps you.