<VV> Late Model Amber Rear Signals ?

[Hugo Miller]

Same in Great Britain - we did away with that dual-function in the 50's. 
What puzzles me is that the circuitry is much more complicated with this 
antiquated system - you would think they would modernise and simplify at the 
same time. The other thing I dislike about American standards is that they 
don't have the cut-off dipped headlight beam. It looks like everybody in 
America is driving on high beam - that is the very first thing I noticed 
when I drove in the States! European cars have a sharp cut-off at the top of 
dipped beam so it doesn't dazzle.



-----Original Message----- 
From: Arlette Pat & Carl Kelsen via VirtualVairs
Sent: Thursday, August 2, 2018 10:58 AM
To: Virtualvairs Virtualvairs
Subject:  Late Model Amber Rear Signals ?

G’day everyone,
I have been interested in American cars since childhood. For me that’s now 
nearly 60 years! I have a real passion for US cars and the most part I 
believe US car design has led the automotive world (particular during the 
immediate post second world decades of the 1950s and 1960s).

That said, I have never understood why American cars (including the 
Chevrolet Corvair) insist on using their red tail / stop lights also as ‘red’ 
turn signals! A far safer arrangement is to have seperate amber turn 
signals. In fact Australian Design Rules (ADRs) have required rear amber 
turn signals since 1959!

The well known and highly respected Corvair Expert Mr. Larry Claypool wrote 
a tech article ( a copy of which appears in volume three of the CORSA 
Corvair Technical Guide) covering the conversion off late model backup 
lights so as to allow for rear amber turn signals. This conversion used the 
stock reversing white lights also as amber turn signals by have two globes.

I am doing my best to understand and follow Larry Claypools directions. 
Larry suggests in the abovemerntioned article that using two stock rear lamp 
housings I should cut off the flanged portion from one so that only the 
“bucket” where the globe socket plugs in remains. Then cut out the bottom of 
the bucket on the second rear lamp housing so that it’s ‘open-ended’. Then 
attach the two parts so that a double length long housing is made that will 
accommodate two globe sockets rather than just one.

I have done the above cutting but I have not found that the two parts, (the 
buckets) don’t fit perfectly. The buckets have a slight tapered shape and 
the tapper travels in the wrong direction to make for a good fit. I think I 
may have to take these parts to my preferred body shop guy and see what he 
can do with them.

But before I do, I wondered if anyone has attempted this conversion or if 
Larry Claypool himself is reading this post, then perhaps he might give me a 
little more information? In particular I would love to see photos of a 
converted late model ‘double plug’ tail lamp housing.

I can’t see that I have incorrectly cut the two taillight housings, but 
seeing photos of how they should be cut would at least confirm that I am on 
the right track with all of this work.

Alternatively, I wonder at times if there are any new LED light conversions 
that would enable both amber turn signals and white reversing lights from 
the existing backup lights. LEDs are something I know little about!

Sorry for the lengthy email. Would interested if anyone could add anything 
to the above?

Regards from Australia (down under)
Carl Kelsen
RHD ‘65 Monza convertible








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