Actually each end need not be connected... the neon will discharge or flash with just one pickup wire wrapped around the plug wire to the base terminal of the neon lamp. At least, that's the way it worked when we checked the final amp of those ham transmitters those many years ago....
Radio Shack used to sell instruction manuals to build electronic circuits. You could build a sequential timing circuit that triggers off the ignition. I ***ume you want some type of sequential system so each light fires at a different time. With this, you could use small LED lights that would provide a glow. Blue would look good.
http://sensorsweep.tripod.com/sequencer.html Add a buffered signal off the tach - drop to spec voltage with a regulator ic and you should be good to go. However, I don't know how fast this chip is - but I doubt you're looking for accuracy here.
A neon light works like a spark plug in that there is a gap between the electrodes enclosed in an envelope of neon gas. No filament to burn out but you need some type of circuit connection for the voltage to excite the neon. You can hold it with your hand. The current required is very low. Putting a bulb right next to a plug wire might excite the neon gas enough to make it glow. To move it a distance away will require a circuit.
You should add some plastic spinner hubcaps, a "Fear This" windshield tint strip (you know, the one with the squinty eyes) and a giant chromed plastic Jesus on your back window, too! You can find the tint strip and the Jesus in the same aisle you find your blinky lights out at Auto Zone. The hup cap spinners are in the next aisle, I think.
hoping to post this so thought is removed from my mind??? why not put small flame throwers in each port use propane tank & spark plugs to ignite...............................
The manager of our hometown theater had a 56 Buick with amber clearance lights in the ports, I thought it was cool, but I was only 14.
And when his car catches fire (or the guy in traffic next to him) and the insurance company refuses to cover it because he had eight little flamethrowers installed... REALLY bad idea. Cooler than blinky lights, but still a rather bad idea. So much can go wrong with a carburetor as it is. Have you read all the car fire threads on here lately? Have you read how much trouble these poor guys are having trying to recoup a fair price for their fire-damaged cars, sans flamethrowers? I believe adding a tank of compressed highly flammable gas into the mix could have no possible good come of it. I'd keep the propane beneath the grill and not behind the grille.
You know, if Ned Nickles listened to this **** in 1948 we would have never had any Buick ventports ever I suppose Harley Earl took some ribbing too. Wonder if Doane Spencer took the heat. I'm sure Barris did as well as Roth.. This idea was good enough to get GM to put it into production, actually stop and retool to do it. Do it, think like 1948 and pull it off .
popcorn should shoot out of them, or glitter, or rainbows. Just thought of something better, BUBBLES.
Man,this thread is gettin' ugly. just run straight pipes out through the ports like the planes did. Didn't JC Whitney make a dashboard gizmo that had 8 lights in a circle that hooked to the distributor?They would light up as the plug fired. After a certain rpm,they were all on all the time.
AMEN. Now THAT, sir, would be BAD***. I'd even extend beyond the ports by an inch or two, just so there was no question that, yes, that is my GD exhaust coming out of those ports, and I am bad***. Getting back to "hokey", with exhaust protruding through the ports you COULD possibly install a red light of some sort into each pipe that would glow brighter as the RPMs went up. At idle they would be dim, if noticeable at all. As the RPMs got higher, the bulbs glow brighter. That might be slightly less hokey...
The lights that you're talking about on motorcycles are by Kuryakyn, and they are called Lazer Nodes. You can find them on thier website.
Really quite easy to do, as posted earlier. Go here: http://www.elightbulbs.com/catalog_...ds=miniature+neon&search_including_brand=Eiko and run a wire from one side of whatever bulb you choose to a plug wire. Wrap it around the wire a few times, good to go. Back when CB radio's were all the rage (1971 or so) we used to attach a small neon bulb to the top of the antenna. Every time you keyed the transmitter the light lit up. Now you know how to do it. If you're younger than 18 it would be cool at the school, but if you're any older, leave the neon for the beer signs in the bar.
For a bunch of people who profess to strive for "individuality" you sure seem to all want to squash this guys idea infavor of your preferances, WTF? Just because you don't like it does not mean he shouldn't. Yes this is aimed at the 4 gabillion satin black or POS rat rods that are identical and without any sort of new ideas, personality or appeal Let's hope the fad will soon fade. If you want lights in your portholes, I'd love to see how it turned out. Virtually all great ideas were snubbed at first. This is not just lights, it's an engineering challenge! I think that many will notice they are timed with the engine and it will be eye catching. It is very noticable on Harleys and your car will be no different. Dare to be different!
OK, if his engine idles at, call it 750 RPM, and each cylinder is responsible for 1/8 of one RPM, the lights are going to be blinking so ******** fast nobody is going to notice it's in time with the engine! You ever notice how fast a timing light flashes on the timing mark? Yeah, THAT fast... only times eight. He'll be throwing epileptics into seizures at car shows all over the country. Break dancing will make a comeback. High school kids will flock to his Buick thinking there's a "rave" going on. Circus music? Nah... disco. I just think the amount of work he's looking at doing to accomplish this will not equal the satisfaction of the outcome. It'll be one of those things where you'll stand back and say "Hey, cool. I did it. Now I'm getting a freaking headache and it's not that cool. How do I UN-do it? Maybe I should get on the H.A.M.B. and ask about flame-throwers... Oh, ****! Sorry Mom! Didn't know you were epileptic!" Why can't anyone come up with something we ******** NEED, huh? Like a little spot in the seat that flips up in the crotchal area, into which you may drop Senor Happy and relieve yourself via a tube that exits the vehicle, without having to pull off the damn highway every time you see a GD Wendy's on the horizon? Or a gauge that warns you when your gas gauge isn't working? Damn it, man, blinky lights?
So with the help of electronic, it s easy to use a divider, to light a LED or anything 2, 6 , 14 or whatever the real engine revving. Of course, you have to know about electronic ..... I ll build this one day, for fun
I agree, Hemi. It's easy to dismiss this idea as "hokey", but I think this little gimmick falls into a different category than some others we've seen over recent years. It's got some history...what with the tie-in with old fighter planes. The portholes were originally meant to emulate flaming fighter exhaust ports, so why not make 'em light up? A few years ago, I had a '51 Roadmaster 2-dr h.t., and considered doing this, but ended up selling the car. BJR, I also encourage you to do this. Regardless of what some might say, I think it'd be pretty cool...I'd love to see it in action, especially in the evening. Some of the others gave you good info on the electronics, but I have thoughts on some of the other aspects. I'd play with sequencing. Think about whether you want the lights to sequence from front to back, 1,2,3,4 on each side, or back and forth...you know...maybe 1,3,2,4...like the planes did. Either would work. The 1,3,2,4 sequence would probably seem more "real", and the 1,2,3,4 sequence would probably lend a more uniform sense of forward motion and speed. Regardless of which you do, skip cylinders for each side, such as 1 left, 1 right, 2 left, 2 right, and so on. This way, each side will have a longer interval between flashes, and they won't get blurred as quickly, as the rpms increase. I don't think I'd mount the lights right at the opening of the porthole...you want the light to emanate from within. I'd fab a light-box behind the portholes, with deviders. The light-boxes will keep the light from emanating anywhere but through the portholes, and would serve as a good mount for the lightbulbs. The deviders would of course contain the light from each lightbulb to one porthole only. Or...just put a small light-box behind each porthole. I'm trying to remember if each bezel has its own mounting screws...if so, you might use these to mount the light box(es) too. And you'd need to modify (open) the bezels...I don't think they are open as they come from the factory...might depend on the year. Also, you want the lights to have the ability to turn on and off quickly, so you want to consider which type of light-source you use. Does neon turn on fast? I like the suggestions to use LED...runs cool, and I think they can go on and off quickly millions of times without burning out. Well...I've illustrated quite clearly that I've given this some thought...lol. And if some think it's dumb, that's fine. Good luck, BJR...show us when it's done.
If you used some of those new LED Christmas lights that have replaceable bulbs, you could also change the color scheme for holidays or other festive occasions. Or you could try to match your tweed interior or the little lady's most recent hair color. Don't forget the 8 matching micro-mirrors adjusted to let you watch them in use and check for failures under way. Be sure to get the UL approved ones for outdoor use, you'd hate to have keep replacing bulbs that have shorted out in the rain. Gary
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