Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

[Richard M.]

Embarassing but I had to share this with someone. My wife wasn't impressed, it's her 63 swc......
In the process of removing the old carpeting to put in the new carpets, I had to stop for the evening and move the car back into the garage. I went to start the car(in park), and heard some weird clicking in the starter, the ammeter was going berzerk, flipping to full negative erratically. Thought I left the key on while working outside with the doors open, put on the charger for a while. Tried again... same thing, no starter crank. Put the shifter in neutral, and it started right up. Pulled in garage and tried to start in park again. Same oddity. Went out for pizza, couldn't stop thinking about it. Got home later and reinvestigated......

Pulled the screws for the shifter boot, and there it was! A 60's horn button! Someone was clever and used it as a safety switch. Must put it in park to start, only thing is, they must've had a problem, and just reconnected the purple engine harness plug back together to bypass it.
When I was pulling carpet, the unknown wires to the button must've shorted to the metal button case, so when I pushed the shifter against the button case, it shorted out the solenoid circuit. Must've been quite a light show under the boot!
Needless to say it will be removed as I don't think GM originally did it this way. I have a real neutral safety switch which will replace this not-so-functional modification.
Rich

[Joel A.]

Re: Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

Gotta love a Bubba...Bless his little ol pea-pickin heart...
It's amazing the lengths that some folks will go to to keep from actually fixing the problem. In the end, Bubba solutions usually wind up costing more than the "correct" fix...go figure...

[Bob R.]

Re: Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

I would guess Bubba in this case couldn't find the correct part. I've been looking for a safety switch for my 63 powerglide for some time now. They come up on ebay once in a while and go for big bucks. No one makes a repro of this part.

[Richard M.]

Re: Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

I would guess Bubba in this case couldn't find the correct part. I've been looking for a safety switch for my 63 powerglide for some time now. They come up on ebay once in a while and go for big bucks. No one makes a repro of this part.

1993617....That was me!.....over $250. I really don't want her smacking into the garage door, or worse.
I was thinking of using a relay tied to the brake switch so you'd have to step on the pedal to start, but then found this one. Need to make a bracket as Bubbas Brother-in-Law sawed off the mounting bosses on the PG. Will likely make may own bracketry to get it installed.
Rich

[Paul B.]

Re: Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

1993617....That was me!.....over $250.
Rich

I feel your pain brother! I just had to buy one on EBay for my '62. One year only, no repos.

Paul

[Edward M.]

Re: Interesting Neutral Safety...Bubba or what?

You guys are not giving Bubba enough credit. The correct term is "Good ole boy southern engineering".

Yeah, Bubba has messed up some things, but those weren't really Bubba, they were his stupid illiterate cousin.

Bubba has actually come up with some really creative and cost effective solutions.

I'm actually planning on a similar neutral safety arrangement for my 56 rat rod. Something like a brake switch in line with the linkage that engages the powerglide relay only when car is in park. I can live without being able to start the car in neutral.