Hot Rods Dash indicator lights: what are you using?

What is everyone using for turn signal indicators, bright light indicators, ignition indicators, warning lights of any kind... Not the stock stuff, like a in a hot rod when you are starting from scratch.

I did a seach using every combination of dash, indicator and lights and only came up with people asking questions as to why their lights won't work.

 

I used lites the I bought at a swap meet. Must be 5/16 or so
I think places like Ron Francis Wireworks or Painless Wireing would have what your look'n for
Pontiac Slim

 

Illuminated Gauges !!

Its not a Christmas tree, Why all the lights ?

 

Heres a few for ya.

Old land cruzer had a big red light in a chrome housing, I used it for the Alt charge light.

Radio shack has 12 volt LEDs with a chrome housing, I used them for turn sig indicators.

For brights, I put another light in the back of the tach, I think the light housing was from a bug (really small) and Autozone had bulb condoms in colors. When the brights were on the tach has a bluish tint to it and a bit brighter.

Thom

 

Radio Shack has got a lot of diffrent bulbs and led lights-all colors.I got some blue lights like the kids put on their license plates for turn signal indicators but they are pretty bright.

 

I used these led lamps for turn and high beam indicators.

 

My turn signal indicators are actually old license plate bolts with green glass lenses that we replaced the small bulbs with a single LED bulb. These were in my dads junk drawer for probably over 30 years or so. They work great and definatly are vintage/ old school! Otherwise my guages have the high beam light built in. Just do some thinking and dreaming you'll come up with something!

 

Small aircraft indicator lights from an electronics surplus house in the S.F. Valley.
(On S.F. Road west of Industrial metals a few blocks. Lotsa neat stuff.)


Allied has a lot of nice stuff including indicator lights.

I tried some from WireWorks, but they were cheap-o plastic pieces of crap.

Allied carries indicator lights of all sizes and the bulbs in the voltage you need to run a particular light in your hot rod.

Good quality stuff as well.
They probably have plastic lights, but if you look close most of them are metal with plastic or glass lenses of a quality you'd find on a power company substation switchboard.
Different colors as well.

The pic shows the high beam indicator as well as left and right turn signal.



Just above the vacuum gauge in the center of the panel

 

There's a guy here in Connecticut that makes tiny 39 ford tail lights to use as indicators. Even has blue dots.. I'll try to remember his site.

 

I bought a triple unit with bulbs in a holder and then fiber optic to dash so you only needed 1/16" hole.

 

We used some small LED lights in the 32 for signal indicators and hibeam. We mounted them in the header panel facing down. I should have chosen the slightly brighter ones as they don't shine quite bright enough in daylight as we had hoped so we will replace them sooner or later.
The idea was, since LEDS are directional, that the indicators would illuminate the top edge of the dash rail as a "spot". Works pretty good at night but need a stronger light for daytime.

 

I use a beeper or a loud flasher for the turn signals 'cause with just an indicator light I never seem to see the indicator and remember to turn off the signals. Without a noisy reminder I'm the dummy you always see driving down a straight open road with a turn signal on.

 

Allied?

I like the license plate reflector idea, cheap and they look old, I know a place that has a bucket of them in all colors by the register.

I basically just want two green turn signals, a "brights on" in blue, an amber ignition on, and a red temperature indicator, to get my attention if I don't notice the gauge.

 

I wired my turnsignal indicator lights to the horn. I rarely forget to turn them off.

 

Here's that site for the 39 ford style indicator lights.
doug@nostalgic-products.com

 

I use gauges and for turn signals i use my arm...the easy solution

 

Cole-Hersee made the lights back then, they still make them now. Just gotta find a local dealer.

http://www.colehersee.com/catalog_top/index.htm


.

 

I used jeweled indicator lights off a 60s Triumph Motorcycle.





Ago

 

Go to NAPA and look at Echlin Dj numbers they worked grat on my car but I cant rember the whole #.
Dave

 

Stock '38 Ford hi-beam "jewels" are a nice compact size with chrome bezel. They used to repop them, check with All Ford, C&J or one of the Ford Parts outfits.

 

You guys must be lucky because our Radio Shacks only stock Ipods, Mp3 Players and cell phones anymore!!!!!!

 

You have to geek out a bit.
There is a large stack of drawrs, about 4 to 5' high, just gota hunt it down then look thru them.

Oh the ones in the mega-malls usually suck, gota find the older one in the small strip malls

 

'37 or '38 Plymouth headlight switch handle has a high beam indicator light right in the middle of the knob. Nothing cooler.

 

My hi-beam indicator is what I believe to be the stock '40 Ford jewel on the dash.

For the turn signals, I drilled small holes in the back of my 3rd brake light (which also signals turns) so I can see the bulbs light up in the inside rearview mirror.

Seems to me that you could also wire two gauge lights to blink with your signals.

Everything else is handled by gauges...with needles...;-)

 

Somrtimes you can find a guy that knows what they got and will help,but I always get the high school kids that act like their pissed tht you bothered them.Most stores are going to the "do it your self" attatude anymore.Other day I got 3 or 4 pieces of lumber at Lowe's,checkout lady ask if I needed help loading it,I told her"I drug it off the shelf and got it on this wagon by myself I think I can get it."

 

Radio shack makes real small leds with nice chrome bezels and price is pretty good.

 

I used the same, they were a 1.99 each I think.

 

i dont use them . truck driver for like 25 yrs . no problem remembering to turn them off .... steve

 

Fibre optics are what I've used, too. But where to find?? That's simple: Cadillacs from about 1971 on used fibre optics for their light monitor system. They have three from the headlight/parking light cluster to the top of the fender (kinda short-ish, but work well for dash use) and one each from the taillight to above the rear window (above the seat on convertibles).
Most sixties GMs (maybe into the 70's, I'm not sure) had very small lamp holders in things like ashtrays (yup, Caddy's too, your one-stop shop!!), which work very well for the light source. Simply drill a small hole in the top, push the fibre optic through and mushroom the end with a match flame, and you're good to go. The other end can go nearly anywhere, and they're plenty bright to see in the interior of a car. You can even fan the individual strands for a different look from the ordinary round.

Cosmo

 

im with radio shack also,small and cheap,ask to look at the catalog.