best way to add turn signals

[cole18cars]

Hi. I have a 39 Ply P8. Pretty much original. I was wondering what is the best way to add turn signals? I have seen some on Ebay, but wonder if this is the right way to go? The look pretty much a off shore product. Thanks.

[Captain Neon]

I think if I were to do mine again, I would have done a couple of things differently. Right now, I have the more typical double filament bulbs in the the parking lights and double filament bulbs in the tail light assembly. The turn signal itself is merely a switch, just buy the one that you like the looks of the most and that you think will offer you the best service.

If I were wiring-in a new set of turnsignals, I would wire my foglights also as turn signals as well as putting amber bulbs in a matching pair of back-up lights wired as signaling lights. I'd wire the taillights into the brake light too. I may still do this some day, but right now there are other things that I want to do with my car. If I were doing a new set of turn signals and running all new wiring, I'd take the few extra minutes to give myself a few more lights. I'd even consider swapping out some of the bumper bolts for ones with LEDs for even more signal lights.

Too many modern drivers can't see our smaller marker lights and expect all three lights to work as brake lights. I don't know how many well-meaning folks have taken the time to tell me that two of my three brakelights are out.

I've got LED replacement bulbs in my tail, but don't think they are any brighter than regular incandescent bulbs. Dunno if '39 Plymouth had an available back-up light or how well two back-up lights from a P15 would fit on a '39.

[greg g]

The easiest way is to wire seperate lights to a switch. You don't need to buy a dedicated signal switch if you don't like the look. You can buy a good quality double pole, double throw toggle switch powered through a flasher and mount it in the positioin of your choosing. I have added motorcycle turnsignals to the rear of my P15, (I have wired my running lamps to work with the brakes) these I got for 10 bucks for the pair at a shop out of their parts bin. Just swapped the 12v bulbs for 6v. Jut remember to buy non LED types.

One side of the switch goes to the right side light, the other pole for left. center is off.

[grey beard]

I'm pretty dumb, so it takes me a lot longer to learn things than most folks. What I did was buy double contact 6-volt LED tail lamp bulbs from Superbrightleds.com and put these inside my pickup tail lamp bodies. I painted the housings white inside to reflect the most light possible, and bought white LED's.

These things were harely visible to me in my shop, sitting on the bench. The tail lamp lenses with the Dodge scripts are quite dark red glass, and not much light came through.

Sooooo, I complained to the vendor. A very nice older lady told me I was totally wrong to order white bulbs for red tail lamps, and told me I needed red ones to behind red glass. This one still stumps me, but I went along with her story and ordered two more RED LED bulbs for my tail lights.

WOW! What a difference. Can't understand this, let alone explain it adequately to anyone, but that made all the difference. Now my 6-volt tail lamps rival any 12-volt truck lights of the same size for daytime visability. I am very pleased with the results, and do not feel I need any extra lamps on the back or front of my truck for safety. Besides, I almost never drive the vehicle in bad weather, when visability might be poor.

I like the idea of wiring the signals into the fog lights. If I am ever able to find 6-volt amber sealed beams for mine, I think I will do this. Presently, the bulbs are disconnected 12-volt bulbs, just fer pretty, what?

Anybody need an extra pair of WHITE LED bulbs that don't work behind red lenses? They're indexed pin double contact 6-volt bulbs and are NOT polarity sensitive - will work with either neg or pos ground. They'd work fine up font, behind white parking lamp lenses.

[randroid]

grey beard,

It's been thirty years since I studied Astronomy, which is largely studying what light waves do and applying that to what you see, and although I wouldn't have thought of it myself it makes sense that a red LED would work best behind a red lens. Red light is emitted at a different wave length than a blue light and that's the driving force behind a rainbow. A white light emits every color in the spectrum, and a red lens will filter-out all wave lengths other than red, hence the loss of so much visible light. If you began with only red light, which is all a red LED emits, then theoretically all the light emitted by that LED will be visible, hence the availability of 100% of the light emitted. For the same power draw you get more visible light. A white lite would look as bright behind a clear lens as would a blue light behind a blue lens.

-Randy

(If I made any errors in the last paragraph they are minor because the theory is basically correct and I'd rather not be asked to defend my statement because I answered the question. Lord, last Friday I was put in the custody of a Federal institution for fifteen hours, most of which I needed to spend on my back, during which a particular part of my groin was removed. I would prefer to not say what it was that was removed.

In a totally unrelated story, in a local newspaper last week there was an article stating that local dairymen had asked for high level assistance in find the cause of the death of numerous cows, and the only thing the local Veterinarians could offer was that somebody had to slice at least 8" of something from somewhere.

At least they didn't take away my P-15, although it has been called that.)

[Don St Peter]

I added turn signals to my 40 Ply ( restored to original ) and used my existing park lights ( front ) for the front turn signals, using a red bulb. It renders the park lights useless which they are were already, but maintains the outside light configuration original.

Works Well

Don

[Plymouthy Adams]

restored to original would mean no turn signals ..

[Don St Peter]

Tim:

Restored to original, but added safety items such as turn signals and safety belts.

Thanks

[greg g]

our friends in the POC used to deduct points from a car being judges which had signal lights and seat belts, when they were non factory items for the year. Several years ago they become enlightened and decided discontinue the deduction for these and other Safety items.

Who knows pretty soon they may become enlightened on within the family engine swaps, disc brakes, and OD transmissions also.

[38plymouth]

On my 38 p6 I added the turn signal switch but mounted it on the column under the dash so it's barely visible. I used the stock rear tail light/brake light so you don't see anything added on. I tried 6 volt amber fogs in the front but they hardly light up when they flash. I think I'm going to wire up the front parking lights that are inside the headlights. I still need to get amber paint for the bulbs so I can try it. It should work good with the headlights off, when they are on I doubt they will show much. My goal was not to add any goofy looking aftermarket lights on the car.

[Plymouthy Adams]

even in that light Greg, last I read on these issues is that they "recommend" that th e lights, if added, should be of the style that while on display can be "quickly removed" or hinged and able to tuck under a bumper and out of site

I believe in safety features..but never ever invest in the word restored..I have never seen a restored card outside of a concours even..and some of them are questionable..

[cole18cars]

Now I,m thinking that is not going to be as easy as I thought it would be. I have amber fog lites up front and was going to use these as the turn lites. I have the dual filament bulbs in the rear lites and head lites. If this whole procedure does not produce the brightness necessary for other drives to notice, is it worth the effort? I,ve heard there are no 6 volt LED lites available? Plus it takes a long time for the 6 volt flasher to warm up enough to acctivate the lites. The signal assembles I,ve seen are 7 wire with a 3 prong 6 volt flasher, is this correct? Help me. Thanks

[greg g]

there are 6 V pos led's available, you need to get a flasher built for use with led's.

The sevenwire switch is the most common, the third prong on the flasher is usually for operating a single dash indicator repeater.

You can also do a search for Bright 6 V incandescents. So if you had dual filaments already it shouldn't be a big issue.

[Captain Neon]

I had problems with low brightness and fast flashing that all but rendered my turn signals useless. While keeping everything else 6v (bulbs, flasher, wires...), I installed a 12v converter and the higher voltage coupled with the lower amperage gave me brighter lights and a slower flash rate. It passed Missouri inspection with flying colours.

As a friend of mine if fond of saying, "You can't fix 'stupid'." Sometimes one can only do so much to satisfy drivers out there. I recommend adding turn signals, and most people have good luck with the aftermarket kits out there. The foglights, back-up lights, taillights wired as secondary brakelights are all things that I have considered for the future, and would perhaps have done when I wired them 20 years ago. The 12v converter is my latest improvement and has made a big difference in the functionality of my turn signals. As far as the brake lights, no one ever complained to me that they didn't know I was slowing down to stop just that I didn't have brake lights at the corners as they were accustomed to. Simple ignorance on their part. Except for MoPar's innovation of a high-mounted rear brake light in the '40s, I can't recall any one doing the same until mandated by government regulations in the mid-80s.

[Captain Neon]

I added turn signals to my 40 Ply ( restored to original ) and used my existing park lights ( front ) for the front turn signals, using a red bulb. It renders the park lights useless which they are were already, but maintains the outside light configuration original.

Works Well

Don

It is my understanding that one cannot have flashing red lights on the front of a civilian vehicle, even turn signals. Only emergency vehicles are permitted to use a front mounted flashing red light. You may want to change that bulb to an amber unit.

[Captain Neon]

I,ve heard there are no 6 volt LED lites available?

You were misinformed. As stated in Dave Erb's (greybeard) post of 27 July, there are 6v LED replacement lights available that fit into the standard sockets. They are available from SuperBrightLEDs.com. That's where I got mine. As far as the flasher situation, as long as you have one regular incandescent bulb in the circuit (L&R), your foglights, the standard 6v flasher will work with LED lights in the tail and parking lights. A set of back-up lights can also be wired as turnsignals in the rear. There are also bumper bolts with an LED mounted in the center that work with 6v systems. I received a set as a gift last year, but only tested them for 6v, and never installed them. Pete Anderson (blueskies) has them on his '50 Plymouth. I can't recall the vendor. Perhaps some one else will pipe up about a source. Some guys wire the LED bumperbolts as marker lights when they turn on the headlights. IMHO, both look cool when lit.