Has anyone a trick or two as to how in this lifetime one gets to the mystery headlight switch knob shaft release button everywhere talked about?!!!!
Mine (61 Valiant v-200) with the push button transmission selector is impossible to get even one finger into the left side and a full contortionist repertoire performance to monkey around on the right side as well.
I truly HATE the idea of having to cut the shaft off and then have to scrounge about to purchase another switch ass'y for the shaft. I need to pull the instrument cluster to change the windshield wiper spline transmissions.
Ideas?
Thank you, in advance.

There's nothing for it but removing the parts that are in the way.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks, I'd guessed as much.
Still no physical way as all the nice deep draw dash metal work leaves zero finger room even after pulling the trans.shifter button/park brake lever ass'y out. Real nice sharp burr edges though.
In the end I scrounged another light switch with the knob and shaft. i certainly would love to have access to the production maroons that design things without FIRST having to spend 10 years in back woods service garages!
Better yet give 'em a bunch of old flea market tools and a dirt floor shed and their own designs to work on!!
Alas... dream on.

On the one hand, yeah, and I'm sure there were plenty of people cursing up a storm about the difficulty of getting at the headlamp switch on these cars, especially given the crummy quality of parts Chrysler were accepting at the time from suppliers (supplier-kickback scheme at Chrysler at the time — CEO eventually lost his job over it, etc).

On the other hand, no cars are designed, engineered, or intended to last anywhere near as long as the one you're presently cursing up a storm at.

While you're in the neighbourhood of the headlight switch: On pre-1968 vehicles (with a few exceptions not including your car), the parking lamps do not remain lit when you turn on the headlamps. For 1968, this was changed so the parkers stay lit with the headlamps for safety (in case of a headlight burnout you still have at least some visible light on the burned out side of the car). This is easy to retrofit: remove the headlamp switch and unplug its multi-wire connector. Put a short piece of 18ga wire between from the "P" to the "R" terminals on the headlamp switch body, right down at the base of those terminals. Make sure the ends of the jumper are neatly tucked so they won't touch any adjacent terminals. Solder if you like. Then push the connector back onto the switch, on top of your new jumper wire which won't get in the way, and reinstall the headlamp switch. This will emulate the wiring setup of '68 and later cars that keep the parking lamps lit with the headlamps on.

Also while you're in that neighbourhood, heed: there is minimal electrical protection in the '60-'61 cars. A few individual circuits are protected by inline fuses, but that's about it, and there is no main circuit protection (fusible link). Adding a good deal more circuit protection is a very fine idea, sooner rather than later if you want to keep the car. This thread has resources and pointers for upgrades.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.