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Thu Apr 09, 2009 2:44 pm

Looking for a nut like this, it is the last part I need for the whole bus! I had one and now I can't find it...:x. Will be willing to trade something or pay for it.

I seem to remember that someone had located a source for these, but couldn't find the info in the forums.

Cris

Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:10 pm

I found a source for the switches but not for the nuts. The nuts that come with the switches are incorrect but only a true detail nut would notice.

Fri Apr 10, 2009 4:31 am

That's nuts! :wink: Would you mind sharing the source once more? I'd like to check them out, maybe they'll do for now; a metal nut doesn't look to good there...Appreciated,

Cris

Fri Apr 10, 2009 11:19 am

Cris,
It's a standard European table light switch. I got mine online from australia. The switch body and button are an exact match for that which was originally supplied by Westfalia. But the nut does not have the same shape as the original one did.

You can get them here as well as at many other places in the UK and Australia.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=2329

Fri Apr 10, 2009 1:52 pm

How is the light (regular bus interior light fixture) wired to the westy switch?

Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:30 pm

The hot wire from the battery is interrupted by the switch. There is a splice inside the wall leading to the two lights.

The domelights are in the "on" position all the time. They are grounded through the mounting screw.

The wire to the switch comes through a hole in the window pillar just beneath the bracket that holds the shade.

Fri Apr 10, 2009 2:39 pm

I have just bought an early Bay Bus light & used the switches. That way atleast split Buses are correct.

Fri Apr 10, 2009 6:30 pm

Major Woody wrote:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=2329

Thanks.

Cris

Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:10 am

Too often my search words aren't good enough to find what I need on the forum...
Didn't see this thread until AFTER my two switches arrived from two different sources.

The one below that I bought from torlasco is closer to the original of the the two.
He had it on sale in the classifieds. I believe he said he got it from South America...

As to Major Woody's Lead ~http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=2329~ I wish I had know about that before since £1.69 (roughly $2.74 on April 26th, 2012) is a lot cheaper except that the Maplin company only ships within the British Isles.
I have friends in London, so I'm tempted to buy a couple and have my friends send them to me just for comparison's sake.

If anyone (let's say during the year 2012) is planning on buying some from Maplin (Major Woody's link), contact me and we'll get them together. For now, however, I have two replacements, so I am set. It's more of a comparison curiosity that I'd buy a couple more.

...oh, one last comment. The one pictured below, on the left, from WestfaliaSparesUK has more resistance to click or press the button, thus I am already a little worried whether it will apply undue pressure on the sconce cover when used.

Keywords for Forum Searches:
Westfalia, Plastic, Interior, Light, Sconce, Switch, Wall, Clamshell

Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:59 pm

looks like a westy light switch to me...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1171715

Thu Apr 26, 2012 2:14 pm

Ragman wrote: looks like a westy light switch to me...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1171715

I'm pretty sure the originals have a brown bakelite body and white knob.

Thu Apr 26, 2012 10:16 pm

The ones Cris found look very nice. The nuts look very very close to original.
This is something that I have a real hard time getting interested in.
My switch came from Australia and had a black plastic body. It's just a metric bedlamp switch. There are probably several global manufacturers of the part.

Thu May 10, 2012 5:07 pm

Well,

Replaced the broken switches with the replacements.
Yes, the one that Cris sold me has a nut that looks much more like the original, but the other one, bought from http://westfaliasparesuk.com/ was much better built/constructed (it is the one labeled "Replacement Switch" in the picture below).

On the inside part of the switch, the one from Kris has plastic turn screws that grip the wire, but the wire is thick and the end has been (at the factory) dipped in solder. Turning the plastic screws onto the wires starts to make Kris' switch to come apart at the back seam (see 3rd picture just under my index finger).

The other, although plastic instead of Bakelite, is more similar to the original in regard to the small metal screws that hold the wires in place.
However, this is all very nit-picky; I'm just pleased as punch to have two working switches again.

Thu May 10, 2012 5:12 pm

DadaCheese wrote: Well,

Please forgive my so42 ignorance, as a long-time Westy owner it is a bit :oops: , BUT.... did these originally have BOTH lenses on the side wall light fixtures?

Sorry about the thread-jacking here...

Thu May 10, 2012 5:17 pm

Busryder wrote: Please forgive my so42 ignorance, as a long-time Westy owner it is a bit :oops: , BUT.... did these originally have BOTH lenses on the side wall light fixtures?

Busryder: yes, at least in mine; This is the first time the sconce covers have been removed. The bulbs in these haven't even needed to be replaced since 1967, so this is exactly how mine came off the lot. Both of the wall lights were identical to what you see pictured above.

Thu May 10, 2012 5:24 pm

DadaCheese wrote: Busryder wrote: Please forgive my so42 ignorance, as a long-time Westy owner it is a bit :oops: , BUT.... did these originally have BOTH lenses on the side wall light fixtures?

Busryder: yes, at least in mine; This is the first time the sconce covers have been removed. The bulbs in these haven't even needed to be replaced since 1967, so this is exactly how mine came off the lot. Both of the wall lights were identical to what you see pictured above.

Cool, Thanks D-Cheese!

And here I thought that I was 'done' looking for the smaller details.... now I have something else to search for, STOKED! The other thing comes up MUCH less often.... the veneer trim piece closest to the forward cargo door, just right of the icebox on the bulkhead.

I know it's a looooong shot, but..... Please, PM me if anyone has one to spare!

Fri May 11, 2012 8:29 am

Busryder, it's just a piece of thin baltic birch with a coat of lacquer on it, held in place with a pop rivet. I have some extra birch you could have for free and you could make a template out of paper, but the shipping cost would probably make it not worthwhile due to the size of the piece.

LMK if I can help.

Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:39 pm

Anyone find an affordable US supplier of these switches?

Sun Nov 16, 2014 11:12 pm

Any reason people aren't just using the baywindow switches as mentioned above? Seems they would be more correct, cheaper and better made than most repros.

Mon Nov 17, 2014 3:17 am

I can supply more of the switches described above, if anyone is interested. I bring them from South America, where I spend much of my time these days.

Cris