Small Car Question (1 Viewer)

[Matt Stone]

I have a quick question for you car buffs out there. I recently purchased a '76 Corvette (sweet car, by the way) and have a small problem with it. The light system is supposed to be 3-way: one pull out for internal lamps, two pulls for the normal lights, and three for the brights. Well, for me it's either the brights or nothing. It's not that big of a deal because I rarely drive the car at night, but it would be nice to figure out how to drive without everyone and their mother flashing me to turn down my brights. Any thoughts? There don't appear to be any bulbs out, so I'm pretty sure I'm missing something obvious.

Thanks!

 

[Matt Stone]

Nevermind...just found it. There's a button on the left toe panel that toggles between high and low beams.

I'll be sure to post some pics though

 

[KurtEP]

Cool ride, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun with it. I'd forgotten about those foot switches. Where I live (rust belt), they usually fell through the floor after a few years...

 

[Matt Stone]

It just shows my age

 

[KurtEP]

You're going to find about the good old days before ergonomics and smog equipment that didn't strangle your power.

 

[Alf S]

..and I thought you wanted to actually talk about "small" cars...you get the vote for most misleading thread title this week.

 

[Matt Stone]

Hahahaha

 

[mylan]

I am old enough to remember both of my dad's cars having the floor switches ( 69 Plymouth Valiant and 74 Chevy Suburban) which makes me old I guess. Now, I have to remember if it is a pull or a push to activate brights but there are fewer and fewer places where you even need brights anymore.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Isn't the switch merely a toggle ?

Does that 76 vette run on unleaded or regular ? Have fun !

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I'll bet it runs on unleaded premium. IIRC unleaded was required after 1974.

 

[mylan]

Yes, it is a toggle but, for instance, in my Jeep you have to pull back on the lever and on my wife's BMW you push forward. If I get confused I end up toggling the "flash to pass" in her car and then I realize I have to push it forward to get it to stay.

 

[Philip Hamm]

I was all ready to discuss the cool Scion xA.

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Would be fun to compare the gas mileage of the 76 vette with the 8 cyl, ~210hp and 4-barrel carb versus a 3.3L V-6 that produces 210hp in the Toyo Camry/Highlander...

Ok - maybe there's a bit of torque difference

 

[Steve Schaffer]

I remember the '58 Buick we had when I was a kid had 2 floor mounted "dimmer switches". One dimmed the headlights and the other made the signal seeking radio go to the next station. My dad loved to hit the latter when strangers were in the car and make them think the radio was haunted.