Hot Rods Turn Signals that dont suck

Hi fellas
Need to fit turn signals for rego for my 34 3w here in Japan. Any suggestions for some that dont suck. Prefer not to use cowl lights or headlight inserts.

Thanks
Pete

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/332450022524?_trkparms=amclksrc=ITM&aid=1110006&algo=HOMESPLICE.SIM&ao=1&asc=20200818142055&meid=73b4f15c3d7649639ceba250b78b8580&pid=101113&rk=1&rkt=12&sd=253241306627&itm=332450022524&pmt=0&noa=1&pg=2563228&algv=DefaultOrganicWeb&_trksid=p2563228.c101113.m2108

 

As they're mandatory down here I had a local business make amber / red lenses for rear of my 35 Chebby, no help however I had to use amber bulbs in headlamps. Both work well and aren't noticeable. I fabbed a S/S separator plate for rear lamps

 

I bought a pair of '20s/'30s lights a few years ago, which should suit the style of build I've been envisioning. They're about 2½" in diameter and 5½" long, with a hemispherical glass lens and a teardrop-shaped soft sheetmetal body (copper? I haven't scraped the paint off) on a short pedestal. As far as I could ascertain they were made in France. The seller had a whole box of them.

I don't have them nearby or I'd post pics. The idea is to mount them on the crowns of the front fenders, with amber bulbs inside.

Edit:

A bit shorter than I remembered it: about 4½".

 

You have to think hard about where/how you want to mount them.
I/e will you be drilling a hole in the fender Or inserting them into the fender. Or, attaching them via supports from under/on your current bumper/nerf bar? Maybe make a new one and fit them on or in it?
I’m sure you want it subtle, but I’d hazard to guess they would need to be effective as well to pass for the sign off?

 

I'd gone down a related rabbit hole recently concerning rear indicator lenses. I'd fully expected that the material I had in mind would be available, because it feels like the sort of thing some tech products company would make these days, but it isn't. It's a fine perforated self-adhesive foil with a reflective red coating on the sticky side. The idea is that you stick it to the inside of a clear lens, so it presents red to the outside, and you put an amber bulb behind it which, when lit, shines amber through the perforations.

In the course of that I came upon more than one indication that a really powerful amber bulb of an OT variety — I won't use the applicable TLA — shining through a stock red lens should have enough frequency-uniformity to shine amber right through.

The other way would be a coat of burgundy paint on the back of a clear lens, with a coat of silver or white over it, and then you laser-cut a pattern of tiny holes only barely through the thickness of the paint.

 

Check out older Japanese motorcycle turn signal lights. There should be a few over there.

 

What rules do they have to follow? It is different between countries and vehicle age, so in some places & vehicles anything goes while other cases will force you to use something with the right approval codes marked on the glass...

 

Where are you going to put them, or where are you required to put them? Do they have any other requirements, like being visible from the side? You have the cowl lights already, so using them would not require any new holes.

I have the amber LED insert headlights from United Pacific on my 37. They’re clear when off, so not immediately obvious. I removed some generic square blinkers from the bumper braces going to these to clean up the front.

There are a lot of small lamps in the motorcycle shops. Some are nice looking, but you’ll have to mount them somewhere.

Could you do a vertical rectangle set in to / behind the grill? Something 4” to 6” long, a strip of amber LEDs? Not sure if such a thing exists now, but could be fabricated.

 

Or as David Gersic said about United Pacific. I would check out UP website, they have many to pick from. Another choice would be I80 Chrome Shop.

 

I think I saw somewhere on here that someone took some regular round turn signals and used horn grills from an early Harley or Ford for the front covers and put them down under the fenders. Just looked like old horns until you hit the turn signals. Maybe you could do something like that.

 

I have used the cowl light for turn signals. Why do you not want to use them? I used a couple of relays to switch them so they run as running lights when the head lights are on but switch to turn signals when activated. I use very small enter off switch mounted on the steering column bell. I am using a 40 wheel so it is easy to use behind the spoke. They use the original socket with the one filament bulbs. Same with the brake lights. Single filament bulbs.

 

I found some small amber lens lights on eBay and they turned out to be plenty bright. I mounted them on long brackets bolted on with the fender brace/headlight bar. I put them up just behind the front fender edge and painted everything black so they don’t show until you turn them on. I had good pictures of them but I can’t seem to find them, I’ll take some later. This shows where I placed them, far enough apart to definitely look like turn signals.
Your coupe is just perfect!

 

You could refit your existing park lights on the cowl with new 1157 sockets and wiring for turn signals. That's the cheapest way to do it, and wont change the appearance of your car or the lights. I did this to my '39 Chev coupe for front and rear lights, and wired them into my turn signal switch. The lights all look the same, but with turn signals now.
Since you may not have a turn signal switch, you can find them at places like United Pacific that are a clamp on to the stock column. They've got one that has a lighted knob on the switch that blinks when the turn signals are working, so you don't forget to cancel them.

 

In between the frame horn and lower shock mount in the photo, the small round bullet shaped item is the turn signal. I believe I found them on a Harley Accessories type website. They work well and kind of look the part.

 

My buddy put a pair of vintage fog lights on his 34 for turn signals. I think they look real good.

 

these came up on a recent post https://www.ebay.com/itm/Street-Hot...638048&hash=item540fa080d3:g:qsYAAOSwtpBeWDiC

 

Thanks all. Appreciate the help so far. To respond to some of the questions.

Size is minimum of 14cm2 or E code mark on the lense.
Need the cowl lights as parkinng lights.
Placement will be on existing bars etc as prefer not to drill fenders etc.

 

I did exactly what you said you didn't want to do. But I'll show you anyway.
Cowl lights are both parking and signals and the headlights have a parking light in them as well just cause I like that glowy look in the evenings when I am out playing.

Looking forward to your solution.

 

Maybe some small L.E.D. frenched into the top ends of your nerf bars

 

14cm is big! Grouse coupe to by the way!

 

I know its a complete rework , but guide type turn lights on top of head lights. Or vintage type tear drop turn signals.As you say you have to be size compliant. So many guys fit turn signals so discrete they are next to useless.

 

I think it's 14 square centimeters which relates to diameter of 4.2 cm. or 1.66 inches. That's doable.

 

That's correct.

 

You will need to place them so you have 45 degrees either side of the cars center line so they can be seen, hiding them under fenders may be a fail, also in the cowl lamps with an induction system in the way. JW

 

If the cowl lights are big enough they could be fitted with double contact bulbs and used a both signals and park.

 

Looking at the photo posted by @26 T Ford RPU maybe turn signal lights off a MGTD would look good mounted on the frame rails?

 

We put another pair of '33-'34 cowl lights just under the fender lips on my friend's '33. Mounted off the front bumper iron bolt. Could be moved forward to meet local law; but more appropriate looking units than those amber Chinese bike lights.

 

Front and back.

 

Generic motorcycle part?