Adding a accessory ignition switch to a 65 C20

[Looking4shade]

What is the best option for adding a ignition switch with an accessory is it the 67 72 ignition switch or ignition switch out of a different Chevrolet. I would like to keep it stock looking with the flat switch but I see some at the car shows with ears on them I'm assuming that's to add the accessory ignition switch. I have a stock wiring harness in good shape but I could change it over to a newer one. I'm sure somebody has done this just looking for my best and easiest option. I drive the 65 everyday and the days I eat lunch in it I can't turn my radio on without it running . Thanks in advance

[ray_mcavoy]

Just did this in Dad's 66 last summer.

We got a new ignition switch from NAPA. I'm pretty sure it's the one they list for the year/make/model application but the new one is sort of a universal replacement that includes the accessory position. It uses the original key & lock cylinder so you retain the flat portion around the key without the ears.

The original switch had "stand-off" protrusions cast into the switch body that but up against the underside of the instrument panel bezel. However, the replacement switch (being a more universal design) had longer threads and a rather cheesy looking stamped metal nut that you're supposed to thread down to the same depth as those cast-in stand-offs on the original switch. That didn't look like a very rugged design to me ... looked like it might bend & slip down on the threads as the outer chrome nut was tightened down. So I made a homemade spacer sleeve out of a scrap of water pipe. The sleeve slides down over the switch and ends at the same height as the original stand-offs. So when the outer chrome nut is tightened, it draws the switch up tight against that spacer sleeve (resting against the switch body) instead of just that thin stamped nut.

Changing the switch gives you the added accessory position, however the factory wiring doesn't have the radio feed wire hooked up to take advantage of it. To fix that, I simply unplugged the factory power feed wire form the radio, left it unused, and ran a new wire (with an inline fuse) from the ACC terminal on the ignition switch to the radio.

The ACC terminal on the ignition switch is already occupied by a wire (brown with white stripe if I remember correctly) that goes to the voltage regulator. It's a special resistance wire with a solid alloy (not stranded copper) core. So rather than try splicing into that, I used some spare Packard/Delphi 56-series terminals to make up a little jumper wire assembly with a male terminal on one end, female on the other, and a wire branching off to the fuse/radio. Then used a terminal pick to extract the existing wire (with it's female terminal still installed) from the ignition switch connector. Plugged the female connector on my new jumper wire assembly into the ignition switch ACC terminal and then plugged the factory brown/white wire onto the male terminal on my wire assembly.

[Looking4shade]

Thanks Napa had it in stock didn't have to drive about 2 miles to the store . That will give me something to do next weekend. I've got the connectors and the inline fuse that is if I can find where I put them.