Rear lights

[Tiki-Al]

Hi,

As my bus is a Yank import and i like the look of the all red tail lights i'd like to get a pair but will they pass a UK mot? Pic below:

 

[Araon]

not wired up as yank lights....

 

[Tiki-Al]

hmm yeah the indicator would flash red instead of yellow so i cant see how they would pass the mot? even with a yellow bulb they would look red wouldn't they? just saw them on status and thought they were cool!

 

[Araon]

they are cool....keeping mine and either converting the reverse lights to indicators or another option....

 

[slammedresto]

Hi,

As my bus is a Yank import and i like the look of the all red tail lights i'd like to get a pair but will they pass a UK mot? Pic below:

##

i always keep my red lenses on

wire up the reversing lights using orange bulbs as indicators, you need to run extra wires from front to back, but well worth it for the look i think

 

[Tiki-Al]

so what do you then use for a reversing light :?

cheers guys

 

[slammedresto]

so what do you then use for a reversing light :?

cheers guys

dependent on the year of your bus, you dont legally need a reversing light

so i do without

 

[Tofufi]

Red rear lenses are only legal on cars first built before 1st sept 1965.

My beetle was made on the 3rd sept 1965 :roll:

Anyways, no they won't be legal. Just swap em over come MOT time if you are worried.

 

[Clem]

Hi,

As my bus is a Yank import and i like the look of the all red tail lights i'd like to get a pair but will they pass a UK mot? Pic below:

##

i always keep my red lenses on

wire up the reversing lights using orange bulbs as indicators, you need to run extra wires from front to back, but well worth it for the look i think

WHS ^^

 

[slammedresto]

Red rear lenses are only legal on cars first built before 1st sept 1965.

My beetle was made on the 3rd sept 1965 :roll:

Anyways, no they won't be legal. Just swap em over come MOT time if you are worried.

if they are just a stop light and the indicators are seperate, ie converted reversing lights, then the red lenses WILL be legal

they would only be illegal if you kept the indicators and stop lights in the US spec

 

[Tofufi]

Red rear lenses are only legal on cars first built before 1st sept 1965.

My beetle was made on the 3rd sept 1965 :roll:

Anyways, no they won't be legal. Just swap em over come MOT time if you are worried.

if they are just a stop light and the indicators are seperate, ie converted reversing lights, then the red lenses WILL be legal

they would only be illegal if you kept the indicators and stop lights in the US spec

I meant to say red rear indicator lenses :wink: (I always miss out the most important bit what I'm saying, makes me useless at Pictionary...)

The US spec have different wiring too, not just the lens colour. So fitting UK lenses to a USA wired bus won't make it correct alone.

Basically, after sept 1st 1965 you must have orange rear indicators. Before that, they can be red or orange.

 

[Tiki-Al]

thanks guys, it's been totally changed to UK spec so it has one lens with orange at the top and red at the bottom. So I think im right in thinking i can do what most of you say by making the reverse lights the indicators (rewire) and take the bulbs out of where the current indicators are... job done.

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Amber led bulbs will flash amber through red lenses and will pass an MOT.
See my resto thread in the gallery.

 

[andewilson]

my 72 beetle had all red rears with blue crystal dots in. they looked great and it never failed a mot with them on (just a **** load of other stuff). when you mot your bus, have a set of uk spec lenses just in case.

when i mot my golf i have a boot full of stuff thats needs to be refitted but if the boss isnt about they simply get a co2 reading from another car so i dont need to refit the cat

 

[strongy]

so what do you then use for a reversing light :?

cheers guys

dependent on the year of your bus, you dont legally need a reversing light

so i do without

you dont legaly have to have reverse lights on any car whatever the year

 

[mIKe cAIn]

ive ran the red lenses since i got my bus and swap over to amber for mot, thing is sometimes drivers behind dont know what you are doing, for instance turning right and they go to overtake you :shock: which is not good esp as my bus is LHD. so im about to wire up some mototcycle indictors and put them on the jailbars in the rear window with amber flashers :mrgreen:

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

For those questioning the rules, here is the mot testers handbook...
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_150.htm

And as I said, Amber LEDs, available online, from shops, I got mine from the auto jumble. Have the same bayonet fitting as standard bulbs, take 2 seconds to put in, job done. (and they are brighter than normal bulbs)

 

[AxlFoley]

I have heard that if you use a green bulb, idealy an LED bulb, with red lenses it will flash amber, never tested the theory though!

 

[Tiki-Al]

For those questioning the rules, here is the mot testers handbook...
http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_150.htm

And as I said, Amber LEDs, available online, from shops, I got mine from the auto jumble. Have the same bayonet fitting as standard bulbs, take 2 seconds to put in, job done. (and they are brighter than normal bulbs)

Did you not find that they flashed quicker than standard bulbs?

 

[ProfessorWheeto]

Did you not find that they flashed quicker than standard bulbs?

The ones I fitted don't. If they do its not noticeable. Think it might be a problem that affects modern cars more?

I have heard that if you use a green bulb, idealy an LED bulb, with red lenses it will flash amber, never tested the theory though!

If you fit a normal green bulb it should flash amber. Not sure where you'd get a green bulb to fit though, and painting them isn't really ideal.
With the LEDs you fit the colour you want it to flash. Talking to the guy who sold me mine I nearly bought white stop/tails but he advised me I needed red ones. He lost me at the point where he talked about brightness and filtering colours :lol: