Thread: Project $ 3 K Is Underway

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I'm heading over to the shop in a little while, and may take another look at the turnsignal thing. It wouldn't take much to put them on there, and I do have a couple of neat looking ones for the front that I got when I bought the one T bucket project.

You guys make a good point.

Don

Here's somethin' Jim Sibley did a while back, mounted on stalks to the rear frame section. '37 Ford or '39 Chev housings would be good for something like this.

Not a bad idea, Bob. I have a few of these old lights laying around. I kinda had my heart set on using just the single large one in the center, with my license plate under it, but I nothing is set in stone. I am going to install a flasher under the dash so that if I decide to do it I will have that taken care of.

Thanks for the tip,


Don

Don if you use some inconspiuious lights on the outside corners of the frame you could still use your big brake light. There is nothing saying the brake light has to be in the T/S circuit

That's what I am thinking. I can just put some small single bulb lights in there for the turnsignals, and they would not be real noticable.

Thanks,

Don

I haven't posted here before, but I have lurked for a while now, and I feel like I need to interject a little.

Here in Michigan, it is not required to have turn signals, at least on a motorcycle. I know this because I BUILT a motorcycle a few years back. I have had to argue with cops about it, but when they try to get in the book to find te citation code its not there. It also was not part of the assembled vehichle checklist they give you when you apply for title. Having said that, I do constanly have to hand signal at every turn. Did I mention I'm 25?

Anyway, I would leave the turn signals of if it were me. And I've used rain-x in the past in place of windsield wipers... works great.

Smashingchuck---Congratulations on building a motorcycle!!! Thats a big accomplishment for someone 25 (or any age). I have owned a number of hotrods over the years, a few of which were roadsters like Don is building. My previous hotrod before my current roadster pickup was a 27 roadster. My signal light flasher burned out, so I drove the car for 2 weeks using hand signals. Ten times in two weeks I slowed down and stuck my arm straight out, to indicate that I was about to turn left into my driveway. Five of those times, people behind me pulled out and passed me from behind just as I was about to turn left.---Signal lights may not be a fashion statement, but people just don't see an arm signal, or don't know what the heck it means!!!!

Brian
I live about 9 mi. from Smashingchuck and with all the police around here you don't want to attract to much attension. State , County, and city police all in same area.

We realy shouldn't pirate this thread Don may want to use it again some day

Hey, you guys are welcome to borrow it anytime you feel like it.

Don

Run signals. If your trying to find out to run them or not then I say run them. You don't need huge lights or nothing, get something about 3 inches in diameter in LED and put them in a nice place. No point in using hand signals and all that crap just because you dont want to use turn signals and think it will be cleaner or easier to not have to wire them. Get some, put them on and be done with it.

I quite agree with Shawn and Brian. What I've used in the past are truck riding lights, about one and a half inches long by about half an inch wide, they're unobtrusive (not in-your-face,) are surprisingly bright, and cheap as chips.
Great thread Itoldyouso, I'm really enjoying it, and am always looking forward to the next instalment. Thank-you.

johnboy

Don besides truck lights, you might want to pick up a bike catalog or wander down to the local Harley dealer and look around. There a lot of neat lights (especially aftermarket) that are small and would fit right in on something vintage looking. I've set aside a set of Harley V-Rod front turn signals for my 37.

Thanks John, and all the others who gave input into this turnsignal thing. You are all right, and yesterday I picked up a three-way switch and flasher and plan to build them into the dash today when I go to the shop. I thought it over, and we always preach safety, so why should I be above that mysellf? I have a couple of nice little bullet lights for the front, and will dig around in my stash to see what I can come up with for the rear. I have some time on the lights, as I won't be to that stage for a while yet.

Today I am going to try to wrap up the dash wiring so I can slip the body back on and do some other tasks, like the steering box and brake pedal.

Thanks again to everybody for all the great ideas and suggestions.


Don

Before we completly get off the subject, your comment about the 3 way switch got me thinking (ok so that can be scary ).

The 60 to 61 (?) Chryslers had a dash mounted turn signal switch (it was held with an elecromagnet until a small cam lower on the column broke the circuit).

My wifes 90 Le Baron convertable also had a dash mounted turnsignal switch (don't know how complicated that wiring is). I would think either either should be able to be adaptable to a a rod dash without too much work.

I'm just throwing that out there as food for thought in case someone can use it for their project.

Yeah, I had an Austin Healy that had a toggle mounted right in the center of the dash, worked real well. This one is going to go in my steering column drop because I still want to keep the dash as devoid of things as possible for that competition bare bones look.

Since I am going to run turnsignal lights that are separate from the brake light, I will only need to run 12 volts to the flasher, then a wire to the center of the 3 way switch, and finally a wire from each of the outside terminals on the switch to either side of the car. When I flip the switch the pulsed signal will flow to the switch and then on to the appropriate side lights. I will put two small led lights on the column drop as indicator lights to tell me when the lights are flashing. (even though I'm getting older I don't want to be driving for mile after mile with my turnsignal light flashing away )

If I were going to incorporate these signals into a brake light circuit it would be a little more complicated, as I would have to wire it to interupt one brake light or the other. I have that setup on my '27, using '47 Chevy taillights. This one will be a piece of cake though.

Don