What is this knob?

[914Driver]

1940 LaSalle Series 52.  It only moves in and out, doesn't twist.  The wiper knob is up top, lights are to the right of this and I assume the dimmer for gages is in the headlight pull.

This one appears to have a metal to rubber vacuum line attached which runs to the fuel pump?

Wild guesses accepted.      (Sorry about the glare.)

Dan

[Tom Boehm]

This is not a guess, it is straight from the authenticity manual.
This knob controls the vacuum antenna on the driver side cowl. push in to raise and pull out to lower. The antenna is operated by vacuum just like the wipers. If yours does not work, I know a guy who restores those.

[914Driver]

Wow!  What Engineer 85 years ago sat with pen in hand after deciding that raising the radio antennae was a such pain in the butt?

Thank you Tom.

[Jay Friedman]

Wow!  What Engineer 85 years ago sat with pen in hand after deciding that raising the radio antennae was a such pain in the butt?

Thank you Tom.

I have a vacuum antenna on my '49 and I remember once asking myself the same question. 

My vacuum antenna has a mind of its own: most days it works but sometimes it just refuses to budge.  Every so often it won't work at all and I've found a cure is to squirt a bit of motor oil into the upper hose connection.  I've had to have it rebuilt twice over the years. 

[Tom Boehm]

Hello 914, you were also uncertain about the dashboard light dimmer so I scanned in the whole page from the authenticity manual.

[tcom2027]

I've got a working antenna but am trying to find the correct knob for my'39 LaS.


tony

[Tom Boehm]

tcom2027 I don't have either one. But, just to clarify, do you need the whole vacuum switch or just the plastic knob?

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

But, if it was the Antennae controller, why would it have the Letter "L" on it?   L for Launch?   Or L for Lift?

Bruce.

[Tom Boehm]

Hello Tassie, I was confused at first about that also. The knob he was asking about was on the bottom of the dash above the parking brake handle.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Tom,

Thanks for the clarification.   I didn't even see that vertical knob initially.

Bruce.

[tcom2027]

tcom2027 I don't have either one. But, just to clarify, do you need the whole vacuum switch or just the plastic knob?

Sorry for the delay in responding. I need the knob and switch.

[TJ Hopland]

Did the antenna just lower when the vacuum dropped from shutting the engine off?  Or if you wanted it down did you have to think of that before you shut the engine off?

[Brad Ipsen CLC #737]

Works up and down only with the engine running.  Vacuum required going both directions.

[TJ Hopland]

Would have been an interesting feature if it dropped with the engine off but I guess could have been a problem if you decided you wanted to listen to the radio with the engine off.

[harry s]

Here's what the switch looks like. Sorry I don't have this one any longer.   Harry

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I'll be "Suzy Sunshine" and pass on that even 60 years ago, 1939 knobs were hard to find. I only had a 1939 Series 7519 for a short while as it didn't have an engine. It went to Detroit to help restore another car in need.

I'd towed it home from south of Indy with my 1941 Buick Century sedan. Stopped 12 miles from home at my Uncle's Shell station to get a Coke, and took a picture, but I've misplaced it. (It did look impressive as the dickens, with a smaller car towing that monster.)