Steve,
Good show. Jon, I very seldom look to replace if at all possible for 2 major reasons:
1. Today's parts are commonly not produced with quality and, as Steve new piece showed, will not have good longevity.
2. A failing part is my signal to dismantle, see how it works internally, and what it will take to FIX.
The second point is an integral part of my interest and what keeps my Healey active in my mind. Additionally, I have found most original electrical parts are not hermetically sealed and can often be fixed (even on the side of the road).
As an example, In 1965, while driving my Healey on a dark night through Pennsylvania's Pike County Reserve on my way to visit my girlfriend (later my wife), my headlights and connected driving lights suddenly went DARK. Faced with a total loss of lamination on a deep forest 2-lane roadway (1 lane in each direction), I pulled the car onto the shoulder, turned off the battery switch, retrieved my flashlight (torch) from the glove box, and began to look for the issue. Although disconcerting, I quickly found the innards (springs and mechanisms) of my light switch scattered on the passenger floor with the back dangling from the wires and the toggle still in the dash. After removing the rest of the switch from the dash and with my flashlight propped, I reinstalled the springs and internal components back into the switch, pressed the back on and installing a little tape for added support. I then refitted the switch back into the dash and connected the wires. After turning the battery switch back on, I started the car and flipped on the headlights and was back on my way. All this took less then 15 minutes and the fix lasted at least 15+ years before cleaning all switches and apply dielectric grease as part of a redo of my Healey (completed in 1989). This same switch is still in my dash today although I have installed a number of relays to diminish the level of power it and the original wiring are required to handle.
Jon, I enjoy this Forum and our discussions as all participants seem to posses and present creative and ingenious approaches toward the resolution of non-unique issues. Don't misunderstand, I believe we all will Purchase when we can't fix but first try.
My thoughts.
Ray(64BJ8P1)
Hey there Guest!
A friendly reminder - be careful what links you click on here. If a link is posted by someone you don't know, or the URL looks fishy, DON'T CLICK. Spammers sometimes post links that lead to sites that can infect your computer, so be mindful what you click.
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
