1965/1966 ignition switch

[Brett Johnson]

The smaller ignition switch ring is from a 911 built in July 1965. The wider ring is September 1965 911. Both cars are assumed to be authentic. Can anyone narrow the gap or tell me if there are other threads elsewhere? There may be different times for locking and non-locking steering columns. 912s are very different and transition much later.

[edmayo]

Brett I think it may depend on locking vs. non locking switch. I think euro had locking switch first. (but I could be dead wrong, hopefully someone knows for sure)

[moito]

i also think thats a locking versus non locking switch thing . as far as i know all euro cars had locking switch from the very beginning.

[Brett Johnson]

Yeah Ed, you'll get to read this later, but this the poop:

The ignition switch on 1965 through 1968 took two basic forms. For the US and right-hand steering versions, a switch without a steering column lock was used, while the rest of the world received a switch combined with a column lock.

The locking column switch had six pins, while the other one had four.

The September car in the photo is an original paint US spec. car built 9/8/1965. Cars with the earlier configuration have been reported in July 1965. I have an email out to an August US spec.car owner.

Since the locks and retaining rings are not the same, changes at different times are expected. I'm ecstatic to report on all of it. As this is a final assembly item, it is more related to invoice/build date than chassis number. Also Karmann and Porsche variation possible, but likely minimal. I report months, not days or chassis numbers these days, because it is more correct/meaningful.

[Brett Johnson]

I have an owner of an August 5 911 (with locking column) sending photos of the small bezel fitted. Anybody else around August - October 1965?

[davep]

Years ago when we began discussing the transition from 1965 to 1966 model years, I started to collect photos of the dash area to the left of the steering wheel.
https://www.early911sregistry.org/fo...65-66-model-yr!
This revealed a general relationship between the small ignition bezel and the straight simple knee pad which characterized the 1965 MY and the large ignition bezel and the U shaped knee pad which characterized the 1966 MY. These tended to coincide with the change from 64xx to 66xx paint codes. Together the ignition bezel, the knee pad and the paint code are my prime indicators to define which model year the car belongs to. The RHD cars have anomalies at the transition, and with more data we may find other cars with anomalies at the transition. We may also need to correlate the key codes to the observed bezel. One issue is that some people may have changed the bezel or other components over the years.

[NeunElf]

While I assume it's understood it hasn't been explicitly mentioned that early cars (~MY 1965) with locking steering columns had a small brass (or could it be bronze?) bezel. Here's 301382 (delivered in Wiesbaden June 1965 with Imperial gauge markings) with a locking steering column:

Also, many cars coming to the USA did get locking steering columns. Locking steering columns seem to have been more likely on cars delivered in Europe but intended for the USA (like 301382) but I've never figured out what--if anything--controlled the locking/non-locking choice.

Being a data junkie, I download Kardexes if they pop up on the internet. I found these on my hard drive:

That's two consecutive chassis numbers (they did leave the factory 3 weeks apart), both dolphin grey, both headed to P. C. Pacific in Burlingame but 301349 has an "FL" key code for a locking steering column while 301350 has a "K" code for a non-locking steering column.

[moito]

The smaller ignition switch ring is from a 911 built in July 1965. The wider ring is September 1965 911. Both cars are assumed to be authentic. Can anyone narrow the gap or tell me if there are other threads elsewhere? There may be different times for locking and non-locking steering columns. 912s are very different and transition much later.

to add more confusion the july 1965 picture with the small ring appears to be the plastic version with the bigger hole..the gap between the bezel and the lock looks a bit suspicious to me

[Reuben L]

301829 (late july i think) has the small plastic bezel, non locking.

[301239]

301239 Metal ring and locking, Looking for spare if anyone can help mine is failing .