Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

I decided to strip the l/h door as the paint was very bad.
I was surprised to find that someone had done an expert repair to the bottom of the door. Invisible on both the outside and inside.
However, they had decided not to repair the front 150mm of the door bottom and it was now a bit frilly with rust around the edge.
I have cut out that front corner and made a new door skin repair section and inner corner part.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

My roof/gutter repair went quite well and im pleased with the result.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

Ive been driving around in the truck the last week after completing my bodywork repairs.
Its the school holidays and the roads are horribly busy.
Ive been feeling a bit vulnerable mixing it with all the traffic so I decided its time to supplement the trafficators with flashing indicators and flashing led trafficators.
I purchased some amber glass lenses and the side lights have now become indicators. I carried out a bit of surgery to the back end with a hole saw and fitted new units there.
It was all quite straightforward although if you want to retain the trafficators you have to use 2 flasher relays or you will end up with the trafficators flapping up and down which, whilst amusing, serves no useful purpose.
http://www.loopybunny.co.uk/A30/Images/ind_a30.jpg

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

I can see from the picture above that I need to investigate why my bonnet catch isn't holding.
I definitely shut it before I set off for this trip.

Keith D · Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2021 2:30 pm Post subject:

I think using both the trafficators and flashers together are as safe as you can make it when driving in busy traffic.

I would love to be able to do the same with my A40 tourer, but I have no door pillars of course, so I can't.

That ute's a fantastic looking car Mike. The separate tray looks so much better than the one piece Aussie ute body.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby

If I remember correctly, my MG TC did not originally have any indicators; which for 1949 I would have thought was behind the times especially as pre War midgets had traficators.

T series cars exported to the USA coupled the stop lights as indicators which I have never been very keen on.

When my Father in Law wired my Austin A30 for flashing indicators, he didn't have the trafficators flashing as well because he said it would be too complicated to do. I just took his word for it.

alastairq · Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby

I considered doing the brake/indicator conversion on my Swallow which has the same kind of D lamps as the MG but I discovered that such a retro fit would have been illegal in the U.K.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

On 2 occasions this year I have stopped at traffic lights and a car has pulled up alongside and I've been told that my brake lights aren't working.
I've gone home and checked them and they were working fine!
I put this down to the characteristics of old cars with long stroke engines.
If you want to slow down you take your foot off the accelerator and you slow down. In my modern car if I do this, very little happens for a long time.
So I think that often, I don't actually use the brakes very much which is the cause of the problem.
Having said that, my next job is going to be to add some additional brake lights for extra safety. I don't think the ones I've got show up all that well in daylight.
I reckon I can hang something under the rear bumper without having to drill any extra holes.

Miken · Joined: 24 Dec 2012 Posts: 544

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 822 Location: Northern MA, USA

Flashing trafficators:
I think Peter Scott has the solution to incorporate flashing indicators with trafficators. Peter?.....

Combined red rear brake & turn signals:
In the US there is a conversion kit to allow US cars with combined brake & turn lights to be used with Euro-style trailer lighting with separate amber turn lights. It should be adaptable to the A30 or TC wiring.
_________________
Mike - MVPeters at comcast.net
2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7119 Location: Edinburgh

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/festoon-bulbs.php

Also: http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk/LED%20Lighting.htm

I think there are two sizes of end caps now so my comments about squashing them are probably redundant now.

Peter
_________________
http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

Keith D · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 2:41 am Post subject:

Mike,

Some years ago a study was made about how noticeable brake lights were to following cars. The results showed that higher mounted brake lights were seen better and resulted in far fewer rear end shunts.

Perhaps you could mount a wide, thin brake light at the top of your rear window inside the cab. Being higher it would be seen easier than an extra light low down under the bumper.

Keith
_________________
1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
1999 BMW Z3
Its weird being the same age as old people.
You are either part of the problem or part of the solution

alastairq · Joined: 14 Oct 2016 Posts: 1954 Location: East Yorkshire

I am with Miken regarding usage of the brake pedal!

If a following driver has a problem with my not using the pedal, they're too darned close to begin with.
_________________
Dellow Mk2, 1951 built, reg 1952.
Fiat 126 BIS
Cannon special [1996 registered. Built in 1950's]
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Ford Pop chassis, Ashley 1172 bodyshell, in pieces.

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6319 Location: Derby

No Constable, you can't have an MG...where would you put the dog?