Back up lights

[RHDSP15C]

Anyone know the correct positioning for these lights on the P15 sedan ?

I believe there was some kind of template that came with the kit.

[greg g]

Centered between the taillight and the splash pan. if only one on the drivers side.

[Plymouthy Adams]

My car has holes in the gravel pan for back up lights..no lights with the car..I found this pair of U.S. 400's at a swap meet in Charlotte

[greg g]

the ones if have seen were flush mounts on the body, I believe the ones Tim has are either after market or later model. Hve seen similar mounted as tim describes.

[RHDSP15C]

My lights are Guide B50 and flush mount below the tail lights, they have rubber blocks marked left and right hand to suit contour of the body. My first thought was to mount them central with the tail lights but I have seen a Dodge which has the lights offset about an inch outside. I have some serious drilling to fit these things so I don't want to screw up.

[greg g]

Use the rubber piece to make a paper drilling template

[Plymouthy Adams]

Finding lights, and then mounting the lights is always a big concern because once cut..well..that is about it unless you are in the total rework stage as it is. I offset mine a bit as I thought it was a bit more eye-appealing.

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[Young Ed]

Tim What kind of lights are those? They look like the Porsche lights on my 51.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Ed...we have a winner...these are Hella brand...the rear housing is that of the 356 Porsche, these were found mounted on a Renault R10 I understand...slightly different than the VW series. Due to their shape and size I found them more in line with the theme of the rear lights..

[Young Ed]

Have you had them on yet? Even on my 6v 51 its like daylight behind you when you turn them on! The PO of my car said not to try and start it in reverse(clutch in of course) because the drain will be too much.

[Plymouthy Adams]

They are now sucking 12 volt energy...standard elements. They do light up nicely though when tested during the making of my wiring harness. I do have them fired from a relay...combo neutral/reverse switch in the tranny will last longer this way.

[knuckleharley]

T..... I do have them fired from a relay...combo neutral/reverse switch in the tranny will last longer this way.

<<

Can you please explain that to those of us who think electrical stuff is powered by smoke?

[greg g]

A relay is a like a minature starter solenoid. So you can power a heavy load with a minimal draw switch, as the switch merely powers the relay. The relay takes battery power through its magnetically conected contacts to the load.

So headlights, fog lights, accessory horns etc, can benefit from full power without running the circuit through a long path and through a switch thus reducing the resistance of the circuit. So a typical set up like Tim is talking about, the reverse switch on the tranny would only power the relay, short run of wires and low draw. The relay when engergized by the signal from the reverse switch would then take power from the battery (or a terminal strip/fuse block) and send it through its contacts back to long run back to the lamps. Say you wanted to wire some driving lamps on your cycle. the easy way would be to mount the lamps so they are grounded, then run a length of wire from the pos battery post of from the hot side of the ign switch through a toggle switch to the lamps. Would it work sure. Would the lights be as bright as designed, porbably for a while. then the switch gets a bit corroded from the elements, the conections to the lamps get damp a few times and start growing the green stuff copper is so fond of, and the battery post get a bit loose from the Harley hop at idle. Then the resistance builds and pretty soon the switch is getting hot, the wires start to cook insulation and the bulbs aren't much brighter than X mas tree bulbs. What to do? rewire the circuot again unsing new stuff or rewire it through a relay. Switch gets powered runs to relay, relay is mounted to be grounded or has a ground wire.

Relay gets power from some where hot conected to one of its terminals, the other terminal feeds the lamps. When the switch gets thrown it powesr the relay, the relay gets power through it lighting the lamps. Results in two short run circuits with a nice big wire powering the lights and a smaller one powering the relay, keeping the switch cool. Most relays come with a little chart telling you which wire to hook where and whether they are self grounding on need a wired ground.

And electrical stuff s powered by smoke, cause everyone agrees once something happens to let the smoke out, the thing usually doesn't work no more.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Thanks Greg...was tied up in a production meeting.....

[62rebelP23]

what? don't you have a jar of MoPaR original equipment 6v smoke? don't try to use that newfangled 12v stuff.... a have a quart jar of Plyal, but most of it's been used up refilling the wire on my '52.

[Norm's Coupe]

My lights are Guide B50 and flush mount below the tail lights, they have rubber blocks marked left and right hand to suit contour of the body. My first thought was to mount them central with the tail lights but I have seen a Dodge which has the lights offset about an inch outside. I have some serious drilling to fit these things so I don't want to screw up.

As Greg mentioned, the lights are supposed to be centered between the tail light and the pan for the correct location. I might also mention that the brand name Guide was for GM cars, so the lights you have are from a GM car of the same era. Mopar backup lights will say Mopar on them. The only other aftermarket backup lights used by Mopar dealers were made by Auto-Lite and DoRay and were round and smaller in diameter than the original factory Mopar lights. Guide also made GM's traffic light view finders, inside rearview mirrors and compass among other GM accessories.

[knuckleharley]

Greg G wrote: >>Results in two short run circuits with a nice big wire powering the lights and a smaller one powering the relay, keeping the switch cool. Most relays come with a little chart telling you which wire to hook where and whether they are self grounding on need a wired ground.<<

Thanks! I think I almost understand that. Or at least understand it well enough to know I need a relay.

[greg g]

send me a PM if you have specific questions I can assist with.

G

[Plymouthy Adams]

your standard Bosch minature relay that is common come in two configuartions..30 is load supply and 1. 87 is load NO contact 2. 87a is used if relay has NC contact...85 and 86 is control volatge...most application use ground for contol (86) with 85 tied to 30 for supply voltage. This is off the top of my head....you can mix and match as your circuit demands.

[greg g]

Ya mean like this??? You could use 87A to power an ejection seat that would fire with your reverse lights. Or you could power each lamp seperately through its own wire. Of course you would reverse the battery if yer runnig pos ground.

[BobT-47P15]

Don't need no backup lights.......would rather just guess. Keeps things more exciting. Gives you an excuse when you back into someone's car....."oh, sorry mister, I couldn't see your Cadillac Escalade sitting there, no backup lights It's just a small dent anyway."

[Plymouthy Adams]

Yeah..to match the one he leaves in your head....lol