Blue Dots

I know blue dot taillights are authentic "old school" stuff.

I'm ordering new tail light lenses for my F-100 and need to decide if I want 'em plain or with dots.

They are kind of cool, but aren't they a bit tired and overdone?

As you can tell, I'm leaning toward no dots.

Whaddya think?

 

I have a 65' Chevy trk fleetside and have a set of lenses with and another with out.....go back and forth so it doesn't get old....but u have to keep an eye on Johnny law....cus they ar illegal

 

I never see blue dots on cars, so I don't think they are tired at all.

 

It is always best to have an extra set of lenses for any old car, so get a set of stock ones and a set of "dotted" ones if you must.
"Dotted" lenses are not legal in most jurisdictions in the US so don't be a whiner if you use 'em and get stopped.
Years ago a fellow with a really nice custom 41 Ford convertible(a real one, not a cutoff coupe or sedan) was stopped on his way home from the NSRA Nationals. He had 'Dotted " lenses in his taillamps. It was kinda foggy and a little blowing mist when he was pulled over. He complained about the stop and feigned ignorance about the "Dots" being illegal. The officer told him to turn on his lights, turned off the cruiser's lights and ******ed him back about 50 feet from the car so he could see the problem. When he turned around his fabulous(and it was nice!) custom car was as close to invisible as it could be. The small blood red lenses combined with the "eye" of the lens directly in front of the bulb being covered by the "dot" made only a very faint "Purple glow" in the mist. The officer walked him back another 100 feet and you couldn't see the car lights at all. Rather than issueing a ticket, the officer helped him unload the trunk to get to his spare parts box and retrieve the stock lenses he had put there while at the Nats.
Lesson learned.
1. "dots" are almost universally illegal and can cost you.
2. In inclement weather they can cause much worse problems than a ticket.
3. Run 'em at events if you must, "to be cool, daddy", but always carry a set of plain lenses for everyday driving and travel. Wouldn'nt hurt to have a plug-in high-mounted third stoplight, either.
4. Best lighting in old housings is gained by painting the inside of the buckets Gloss White" and using 2357 bulbs which give a standard taillamp light but a much brighter brake light. (This was my contribution after he told me this story, he did it and was very happy with the results.)

 

Most states make blue dots illegal because it changes the color of the lights when activated (red+blue=purple). It's old school but I never saw the point myself.

Also, if you should get a stock set and interchange back and forth, you run the risk of getting stopped again. If you get stopped by the same officer and he remembers you, you can get a ticket for failure to comply which is a fine and a point on your record. In Cali, failure to comply is $150.

 

Its all about the cool factor man.

 

That's gotta be my number 1 buzzkill. The third brakelight. I understand it's purpose (today people pay less attention so they need more flashing red lights in their face to get them to stop) but I've never seen a 3rd brake light that looks good on a rod or custom.

Never thought about painting the insides of the buckets. Sounds like a good idea. Do the 2357 bulbs fit in many different lights?

 

I think its all in how you behave..or lack of..I have had Blue dots in my 53 chevy for over 9 years, not a ticket yet. Blue dots in my harleys, not a ticket yet. over 24 years on the bikes..so
I like the way they get peoples attention when you hit the binders, i dont run them in the running lights, just the brake light lenses.
Hope i havent jinked myself...knock on wood

 

I just bought a pair of 1941 chevy blue dots. I am painting the inside of the housing "appliance white" and will be using the 2357 bulbs. If I ever get pulled over in the people's Republic of New York I will not make up any lame *** excuses. I will simple pay the ticket and not whine about it. How else are we supposed to fund all of our social welfare programs?

BC

ps I think they look cool.

 

Is anyone running them in PA? If so did you have any trouble with inspection?

 

In Oregon they're legal only on cars of a certain vintage and earlier, I think it's before 1958. Go dig up a PA vehicle code book, look under lighting, and see what it says. Every state is different. Like PASADENAHOTROD said, some cars it will darken the tail lights. If you already have weak lights, putting a darker color in won't help your visibility. If you run them, I'd keep the other set with you in case you get pulled over. That way you can remember that you never changed them out after that last car show, but here they are!

 

The 2357 bulbs will anywhere an 1157 works.

 

I was driving a 38 chevy sedan home from work one night ...had 39 chevy taillights with bluedots. Saw headlights working their way towards me from waaaay back and just knew it was a damn highway patrol....yep..pulled me over and wrote the ticket (just a fixit back then)....he said he saw the taillights from a couple of miles back....I said isn't that the idea of taillights???? Changed them anyway because I hate getting pulled over.

 

G***er,Please tell me that you dont know this by past experience.

 

I have been running them on the 35.I live within a rock throw from the PD.They have never bothered me.

 

Blue dots are ****Y but go with ugly *** fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror.

 

itsa tuff call but dots are cool, americana, a must .as my daughter would say thats a *****in hot rod. but its youre ride so do what you like

 

I have seen friends get tickets for blue dots, mainly because the local PD was closing down cruising. I use to cruise Van Nuys Blvd in the San Fernando Valley and Whittier Blvd in Santa Fe Springs. The cops had a cheat sheet for all violations involving hot rods. Loud/modified exhaust, too low, blue dots, etc........

 

I have blue dots in my tail lights, but took the one out of my brake light in the center of the trunk. (47 Plymouths have that triangular stoplight on the lid) Similar to some comments above, a friend told me he was behind me on
the interstate one foggy night and could hardly see me. However, I don't do very much night driving so left them alone. Have originals I could put back in and consider it every so often. Since my bulb sockets just clip into a hole in the fender behind the lense and are open on the sides, I wrapped them with aluminum foil to help with reflectiveness.

 

you forgot yellow & white flames with no red in them!!lol
JimV

 

I have blue dots on my ragtop and if you put LED lights behind them they are really bright. A company called Shiney Hiney sells some that are good quality and easy to install. Check them out.