Side Vents

[jfirios]

Just was thinking, I saw a guy who installed LED strips in the decorative vents on the sides of the car. I am not sure how he ran the wiring to them. Is it possible to drill through them and into the main cabin and then run the wires behind the molding in the car? If I can I am planning on running another set of red LED strips one on each side facing the back and tieing them into the break and turn signal system. I think it would be a good mod to go along with the third break light mod.

[jawn101]

Just was thinking, I saw a guy who installed LED strips in the decorative vents on the sides of the car. I am not sure how he ran the wiring to them. Is it possible to drill through them and into the main cabin and then run the wires behind the molding in the car? If I can I am planning on running another set of red LED strips one on each side facing the back and tieing them into the break and turn signal system. I think it would be a good mod to go along with the third break light mod.

Possible, sure... but I'm not sure how that would look. Hard to envision. But right under the louvers is a threaded cap that the seatbelt mount bolts to. Easy access to the cabin under the rear interior panels. Just watch out for water tightness if you put a hole there, and be sure you don't compromise the fiberglass as I'd assume the area around the seatbelt should be as strong as possible.

[Spittybug]

I have thought about the same thing. I just wonder if the visibility is good enough from behind for the lights to actually be of any benefit. For directional blinkers, they should be orange, but do they have to be I wonder?

[jangell]

For directional blinkers, they should be orange, but do they have to be I wonder?

Many modern cars have red turn signals, sometimes doubling with a tail light. I personally find it annoying, and prefer separate colors for tail light and brake lights vs. turn signals (and separate lights for the brake light and tail lights), but that's me.

Point is, I don't think you'll be violating DOT rules if you use red lights for your turn signals.

-- Joe

[Dangermouse]

cars equiped with indicators in their side mirrors are usually red LEDs also when seen from the rear,

https://encrypted-tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8P2ranlRRFJkZO3sMcGK0qaZsdI_tY EpynZ5mGIyBux9xVMqn

but always orange when viewed from the front

http://samsmotor.com/bin/minihome/upload/3068/manager/upload/LED%20side%20mirror-d.gif

(iirc, Farrar was looking at doing something similar to the side mirrors.)



Anyway, from Wiki, so it must be true:


Turn signal colour

Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red. Amber front turn signals were voluntarily adopted by the auto industry in the USA for most vehicles beginning in the 1963 model year, though front turn signals were still legally permitted to emit white light until FMVSS 108 took effect for the 1968 model year, whereupon amber became the only permissible front turn signal colour. Presently, almost all countries outside North America require that all front, side and rear turn signals produce amber light. In North America the rear signals may be amber or red. American regulators and other proponents of red rear turn signals have historically asserted there is no proven safety benefit to amber signals, though it has been recognised since the 1960s that amber turn signals are more quickly spotted than red ones. International proponents of amber rear signals say they are more easily discernible as turn signals, and U.S. studies in the early 1990s demonstrated improvements in the speed and accuracy of following drivers' reaction to stop lamps when the turn signals were amber rather than red. A 2008 U.S. study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) suggests vehicles with amber rear signals rather than red ones are up to 28% less likely to be involved in certain kinds of collisions, and a 2009 NHTSA study determined there is a significant overall safety benefit to amber rather than red rear turn signals.

There is some evidence that turn signals with colourless clear lenses and amber bulbs may be less conspicuous in bright sunlight than those with amber lenses and colourless bulbs.

[dvonk]

Until the early 1960s, most front turn signals worldwide emitted white light and most rear turn signals emitted red...

interesting. my 1958 Buick has clear front turn signal lenses. i put orange bulbs behind them, but i wonder if they were originally white...

[dustybarn]

interesting. my 1958 Buick has clear front turn signal lenses. i put orange bulbs behind them, but i wonder if they were originally white...

Same with my '63 Triumph. My parts car, though, which had a serial number about 1000 later, had amber front turn signal lenses.

[jfirios]

I see a lot of trucks with that Fire light installed in their rear bumber which acts as another long break light and then flashes each half for the turn signals and that is all red. i don't think there is a DOT thing to have to have your signal lights amber. But Yes, so I can drill a small hole through the luver into the car, run the thin LED wireing and re seal it with a water proof sealant. Again, I saw a guy when I was at the dmc shop and he had it done but was hooked to a switch so that they can get turned on as accent, show lights. The new led strips are insanely bright and at night would light up just fine. I am thinking those one on each luver and the third break light mod would look pretty cool.