Mart's Sparks: A turn signal tip from Mart's Garage. Easier than I thought!

[Mart]

When I was setting up the lights on the 41 pickup I discovered a type of bulb I hadn't even seen before. They are ideal for converting an existing park light to turn signals. You never know, this little tip just might help somebody doing the same job.
If looking for these look for ba9s and then look for amber and 23W. (not 21W as I say).

Mart

https://youtu.be/wBlORE5fXdI

[tubman]

Pretty neat, but I have a question. How do you actuate the parking light function in the new headlights?

[Mart]

It's just a separate bulb in the headlamp unit. The older sealed beam units have a clear window for the pilot light to shine through.

[flatheadmurre]

Do you have amber turn signals in the rear or using the brakeligts ?

Usually you can run white front and red rear with no emergency flasher or amber all around with emergency flasher.

Amber front and red back or white front with amber back over here gets me a ticket from the law

[Mart]

Here I'm running those bulbs on the front, and all red lamps on the back, but with separate bulbs for brakes and indicator. So no fancy relays or switches.

It sounds like your lighting regs are a bit tighter than here in the UK. On such an old vehicle no hazard flashers would be expected. To be honest, I never really thought about it. The same bulbs are available in clear if need be.

Mart.

[tubman]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

I mean, do you have to take the usual parking light lead and reconnect it to a fourth terminal on the headlight unit?

[Mart]

Yes, more or less, the parking light feed must be routed to the new parking light in the headlamp unit. The flasher in the old park light location gets a new feed assuming flashers were not fitted before.
Mart.

[flatheadmurre]

You are not alowed to run hazard or even have the option if white/red here.
You probably get away with it if you don´t cross the path of mr Grumpy...

[Mart]

Never heard any mention of it here, but who knows? It may exist as a regulation but I never heard of it. I can see the sense in it, but never heard of it.

Mart.

[19Fordy]

Mart, That is really great. Thanks. I would like to install directional signals in my 40 coupe that's been converted to 12v. Maybe, in one of your videos you could explain what you did to install directional signals in your 41 in conjunction with your new and improved headlight bulbs. Thanks.

Thanks also for sharing your discovery.

[HDowse]

Mart,
Great video! What is the replacement headlamp unit you substituted for the originals?
The new 21 watt bulbs are 12v. Are you running 12v or 6v? Keep your tutorials coming.
Thanks,
Hunt

[Aarongriffey]

Great video Mart. Thanks very much.
But why not leave everything the way it was and just put in the sealed beam headlight units with the directional light bulb in them? Or are indicators in the headlights illegal where you live? They are legal here in taxafornia and some late model cars have the indicators in the headlights.
Thanks again for posting. Good tip. I will get those scooter bulbs for my MG TD park lights and use them as indicators since it has never had indicators.
In CA left hand drive cars older than ‘56 don’t need indicators. But I do.

[Mart]

I don't like those indicators in the headlamps. I don't think the contrast between the indicator and the headlamp is great enough . Probably ok in daylight but probably not good enough when the lights are on.

I tried that on my 33 and didn't like it, but that was a home made job.

Just personal preference, I suppose.

The object was to show an alternative that some people might not realise existed.

Mart.

[Mr 42]

Originally Posted by flatheadmurre

Do you have amber turn signals in the rear or using the brakeligts ?

Usually you can run white front and red rear with no emergency flasher or amber all around with emergency flasher.

Amber front and red back or white front with amber back over here gets me a ticket from the law

On a pre seventies car here in Sweden you can have Amber or white i front or amber or red in the back.

I used indicator light in the head lamps for a year, almost got killed, No one understood i wanted to turn.

So I have separate indicator in the front now :-)

[paul2748]

Are the bulbs LED"s?

[flatheadmurre]

Originally Posted by Mr 42

On a pre seventies car here in Sweden you can have Amber or white i front or amber or red in the back.

I used indicator light in the head lamps for a year, almost got killed, No one understood i wanted to turn.

So I have separate indicator in the front now :-)

I wish the law was like that...

It says turn signals should be amber...86- with side turn signals...

On a -75 car or car imported as "moving item" you are alowed to run white front and red back.

But you have to run either combination...not mix it.

Sorry Mart for poluting your thread

[solidaxle]

Anything for 6 volts?

[Mart]

Originally Posted by solidaxle

Anything for 6 volts?

Not that I know of.

[Graeme / New Zealand]

I personally don't like red at the back...no pr*ck will take any notice of them here in those little Ford tail lights (as we use amber rears now since 50s) so I mounted two Ford back-up lights on the gravel pan and converted them to indicators with orange 6v VW bulbs and a piece of clear orange plastic from a kitchen cleaner bottle behind the globe to give it extra brightness. I converted the front park lights to dual fillament 6v using the stock white lens. I used a 7 wire Signal Stat switch that also has emergency flasher capability