In the beginning, there were no brake lights after a 26 year rest in the garage of this lovely original Comet GT with its small block. So the feckless owner decides to tackle this small project himself. With the help of technical support of Maverick/Comet Forums. How hard can this be? It's just a simple little switch. So they say.... So the before-mentioned owner reaches up and takes off the retaining clip.....blindly---then the electrical connection---then the unit falls to the floor....somewhat. The clip. Where did the clip fall to? Dang. Next is re-installation. Seems easy enough. But...certain items are in the way. So off came the cluster. Still not able to see how to get the new brake light switch correct, the plastic tray is removed. Things are looking UP!??? Hey maybe pulling the factory radio will give a better view...(since it will be swapped to a modern unit anyway--off it comes). To the dismay of the owner of 43 years, there is still no room to get hand or fingers easily up to install the new brake switch. So after several hours of attempts, it was decided that the steering column needs to be dropped. After all, the ignition switch is also 43 years old. Maybe it needs to be swapped too. Within an hour the steering column is laying down on the seat. Peering deeply into the bowels of the Comet one can barely see where the switch installs. But after much patience, the switch is finally in place with the electrical connection installed. Oppps--did someone forget the retaining clip? Retaining clip???? How does that install? Where are the holes that one pushes the clip into? We need more light.....and another afternoon of frustration. So on the 3rd day, the Comet owner finally unclips the clutch pedal, (God help us if we need to get THAT clip back installed). After some twisting and straining (of the owners hands and shoulders), the clip finally slips into place. WE HAVE A WINNA! DING DING DING DING! The band played God Save the Queen and the dogs howled! Now for the simple small job of swapping the ignition switch, then re-installing the column back in place....it's laying right there. Right in plain view. How difficult can this be? After much a-do one can finally see some forward motion here. The new ignition switch is bolted down and the column slips back into place. The plastic tray is re-installed...time for a test. What? No dash lights? Hey where is the dash lights when the now seasoned GT owner turns the key to ON? OH SNAP! Off comes the tray and the column. On the 4th day, after much tinkering, the owner of the little GT finds that the adjustment of the ignition switch is out of kilter. No problemo! 7/16's, turn the key to on, pull this way...push that way---SET. The cluster gets re-installed at that time too. Column now gets put back on now for the 3rd time. Plastic tray installed. Ok Bubba. We have dash lights and a key that starts where it should. HOLD the PHONE! No brake lights. HUH? No the dog did not steal the phillips screw driver for the 10th time.... Oh yeah the GT owner remembered a quick pop of spark somewhere along the line. So before dis-assembly, the fuses need to be checked. OK, where is this dog-goned fuse box. Ah where? Way up there? Oh my. This IS getting ugly. Since most if not all fuses have been in the box at least since 1973, maybe it is time to just replace them all. OK? Simple enough? Nope. You see when you pull on them they break into shards...... Day 5. Before attempting the fuse swaps the GT owner hits NAPA. Looking down on the bottom shelf is a bunch of old style fuses. Tiny ones. Big ones and even a plastic puller. Oh this will be easy enough. NOT. Thanks NAPA for putting things on the bottom shelf. Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....with the trusty pillow blatantly stolen from the border collies house, the now GT owner is back on his knees with a flashlight stuffed conveniently between his teeth and a long pair of needle nose pliers ready for brain surgery. Sorry--ain't gunna 'appen on this trip either. Out comes the plastic tray. Off comes the clutch rod and with a big a luck....two fuses pop in nicely. Hey what is that red stuff. BLOOD? Blood you say? From the emergency brake? Seems some Auto Worker Union thug left a very sharp edge exposed. Just waiting for 2015 to arrive and slice the hand open of this GT owner..... Man up. Fluff the pillow up some more for the sore knees. Paper towels sopping up blood from the gash on the hand. Now the fuses are installed. The blood on the carpet is a non issue. The carpet is due to be replaced anyway. So those dark spots will undoubtedly just be ancient history soon. Hey what is that item that just fell. A clip? You mean it slipped off again? Oh please no. Reaching up with tender fingers the GT owner feels the brake light in place with a clip holding it on. Nice. So this was a gift from some long lost now retired UAW worker....you are a saint after all. Now we test: Hey we have hit the jackpot! We got brake lights! But hold the phone Bertha. There is no power to the radio lead which feeds the 1971 Motorola volt meter that was installed on the tray. So now what? OK get the power tester out we are going hunting for a hot lead. Hey look at his folks! Seems someone way back in the last century did some slop electrical taps. Seems someone who we have come to know and love in the new century pushed his big hands past that beforementioned tap and broke it....get some crimpers out and lets repair that baby for good. We got power to the Motorola volt meter. We got brake lights. We got ignition lights. We have blood on the carpets and we have sore knees. The dog got the screwdriver again. But all in all, no one died. Yet. So, in epilogue, it is best said. There is something about the love of a car and man's determination not to hire simple jobs out. Next is the TL 4 speed swap. It seems easy enough.....and paint. Did someone say to use 2 stage or single stage. GT owner needs more input....
yep, I run into stuff like this on my maverick builds also. Seems that ford only spent about 10 minutes designing these mavericks, with little care as to the repair of them in the future. Mine seems to have a ton of gremlins in it, in fact, I think my new liscense plate will read "GREMLIN", that will really throw people for a loop when they are trying to figure out what kind of car it is, LOL!!!!!! With all that said, these cars are gorgeous when finished, so I guess "the end justifies the means."
someone told me once.....the easiest way to fix that is take the radiator cap off and drive a new car under it " lol
Been there done that, my car has so much of my blood in and on it if the EPA knew, they would make me put a bio hazard sticker on it, good luck with that TL 4 speed install, knee pads are worth the money and keep a roll of paper towels handy.
Congratulations but keep a eye on those brake lights, AFAIK there is no fuse in that circuit... When mine didn't work, I found the head light switch was the culprit.... There are two circuit beakers inside with one feeding the brake light switch and a couple other circuits... Of course if everything else worked could not have been the HL switch, but still there are no fuses in the brake lamp circuit...
