Column woes

[DrRansom442]

I have an 81 Calais and a few weeks ago the dimmer switch activator snapped leaving the turn signal stalk dangling by the cruise control wire and me with no means to activate my turn signals. I've raided a couple of scrapyard colums (82 Malibu/79 Gran Prix both were column shift cars - yest the switch seems to be the same in these and different in mine) but have yet to find a matching part. My car is a floor shift and the wiper controls are on the dash (like the 78-80). I've been having a hard time finding a simular car to raid and was just thinking of retro-fitting the car with the 82-88 column (far more plentiful and I like that set up better). Has anyone done such a conversion? I realise I will need the whole column, the headlamp/wiper switches and all the wiring. Is there anything else I may need or problems I may run into?

 

[megaladon6]

i believe that you can still use a stalk with the controls on it. you'll just have the wiring that comes off of it, which you can probably just cut off. the turn signal part of it should be the same.

 

[Coveted]

ive got an 84 calais.
my headlight switch was on the dash too.

 

[DrRansom442]

ive got an 84 calais.
my headlight switch was on the dash too.

It's not that the headlamp switch is on the dash. They all were. It's my wiper controls are on the dash. Not the turn signal lever. Also my switch is one of those old chrome pullout knobs like the 78-80 had, not the black rocker the later models had. I'd send pix but I think this forum hates AOL and I could not post from home. I can't upload pictures onto my work PC (where I am now). Also I looked at your pix from another thread ... you sure that's not older than 84? I thought 3rd brake lights were mandated by 83 and I see no hole in what's left of your package tray for one. Further I thought that in 84 the Calais was replaced by the Salon and the Calais was fwd.

 

[85 Cutlass Brougham]

3rd brake lights were not mandated until 1986.