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Vintage Cruise Control

Started by mrlsc1, March 06, 2019, 12:59:17 PM

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mrlsc1

Hi Group!
I have a 1955 CDV with the Eldorado Preformance Package of Dual Quads and Batwing Air Cleaner!  I would like to add a Cruise Control Unit that won't look too out of place.
Is there a "Vintage" looking kit that is available?  Google had no suggestions!
Thanks for any help you can provide!
Larry Cartales, Albuquerque, NM

gene harl

I have Rotesa  kits on my 51 and 59 they work good,, the control box  is about 6 inchs sq.. mounted on left fender... they  are on ebay..
      Gene Harl    CLC22406         775-423-8568

TJ Hopland

The Rostra one I think is about it that is new.   Its cable operated and a decent length cable so you can usually hide the box.  I would imagine if you wanted to you could find a way to disguise the cable with vintage hose or something like that if you wanted to. 

http://www.rostra.com/universal-aftermarket-cruise-control-by-rostra.php

The are sold under different brand names too but made by these guys.   Available from all the usual places like Summit, parts stores, and classic vendors.

I helped install one in a 50's car a couple years ago,  put the box under the battery tray and the buttons in one of several ash trays so it could be easily hidden but still convenient to use.   
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

mrlsc1

Gene and TJ,

The Rostra looks like the right one!  And I like the idea of mounting the switch in the ash tray to hide it!

Thanks guys!
Larry

davedeltadog

I bought an old Sears unit from 1971 on EBAY and the thing works great. It was new in box.

TJ Hopland

It took me several hours of driving wishing I had a cruise control and thinking about where to put the switch.  On this car ash trays were not obvious when they were not pulled out so it wasn't until I was designing some sort of hinged pull out flap sort of thing in my head that I started kinda feeling around the dash to see what I had to attach to.   Felt something and first thought was dang it something is in the way right where I want to mount it.     It all makes sense because a well designed ashtray would be within easy reach of the driver which is also where you want the cruise switch(s). 

All you really need to make it work is to tie onto your existing brake switch, a set switch, and some sort of speed sensor.   I think the best option especially for GM who almost always seemed to use the same speedo cable connector is the inline cable one.   I think they also sell a magnet thing you stick to a driveshaft but that never seemed like the cleanest and most reliable idea to me.  That is how the Sears ones from the 70's I remember seeing worked.   I think there were some that just used a tach signal from the coil but I don't think they were very smooth since they were monitoring the engine speed, not the road speed. 

They have a couple options for the cable ones and it comes with a coupler that threads into the transmission then you thread the cable into the sensor.   If you are dealing with a car that had cruise you can install the sensor where the old sensor was assuming you have room to route the cables.   OE sensors tended to have the cables coming out the same end.  These are inline so cable routing needs to be different since you can't have sharp bends in the cables.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

35-709

"I think they also sell a magnet thing you stick to a driveshaft but that never seemed like the cleanest and most reliable idea to me."

They do and that is the type I have always used on the 20 or so aftermarket Cruise Controls I have installed over the last 30+ years, including the latest one (a Rostra) on the '50 Jaguar resto-mod sedan I built for my wife a couple of years ago.  I prefer the switch that mounts piggy-back on the turn signal stalk or the similar type that requires cutting off the turn signal stalk to a certain length and then sliding the switch onto the stalk.  The switch is held in place with an allen head set screw.  Actually, I could no longer find the piggy-back type last time I looked for one.   
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2