What is it?

[ralph day]

Rear window defrost controller

[onanparts]

#3 is a switch and resistor.  Which makes me think dash light dimmer, but that would be tied to headlights, not it's own switch.   So maybe a intermittent windshield wiper controller? 

#1 & 2 make me think of a reverb spring, so maybe it's a audio gadget.  I don't know how many cars had reverb units in them.

So for nothing better, I'll go Reverb.

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Audio Reverb unit out of a 1965 Plymouth Satellite I owned in the late 70's early 80's. It actually worked fairly well as I recall. Plymouth long gone but I removed the reverb and kept it for hysterical insignificance.

[mike90045]

I'd have thought that road vibration would have really messed up the reverb effect, but i guess if you are parked it's OK.

[onanparts]

I'd have thought that road vibration would have really messed up the reverb effect, but i guess if you are parked it's OK.

Nope. Worked great on the road. The 4 small mounting springs and the foam blocks dampened anything but the nastiest bumps. Even those I don't remember being an issue.

[boB]

Reverb did actually cross my mind from one of the pictures cuz it looked kind of like a reverb tank in there.  I guess it was !

But what threw me was, 1) the switch.  Why such a big switch to turn on and off a reverb and 2) the TO-3 transistor.

[onanparts]

Reverb did actually cross my mind from one of the pictures cuz it looked kind of like a reverb tank in there.  I guess it was !

But what threw me was, 1) the switch.  Why such a big switch to turn on and off a reverb and 2) the TO-3 transistor.

2N176, very common in large strings of Christmas tree lights. 90 Watts maximum collector power dissipation. Nice for BIG trees....