Lowlight Rear Lights – Being Seen

[John Moxon]

Anyone who owns a Lowlight will identify with this post as most will have experienced the wrath of other road users who have no damn idea where you want to go...left, right, stop, go??

Owners of Split and Oval Beetles have the same problem…poor rear lights. Couple with that 6 volt electrics and sooner or later you’re going to get into trouble.

On our trip to the Hessisch Oldendorf Show in Germany this summer I had a minor tiff with a motorist approaching a motorway junction. Long story short, I wanted to pull across right, he wanted to go left and sat on my offside ¾. I signalled but the sun was shining and he couldn’t see what I wanted to do…after much tooting and waving of fists we continued our separate journeys.

At the next stop my mates in our 4-car convoy told me my lights weren’t working…I showed them they were.

So what are we to do?

Here we have the offending lights…the ones here, like my own are US spec, all red. There is a European version, which is amber top, red bottom. Both spec lenses have the same shape, double and single bulbs.

My lights are set up as, Top: Side light and Brake Light – Bottom: Direction Indicator.

From a U.K. point of view this compounds the problem, in that everyone on U.K. roads would expect to see them around the other way i.e. Top: Direction Indicator – Bottom: Side light and Brake Light.

Why do I have them like that? Because in the UK the sidelight and brake lights are a twin filament bulb and the only place you can fit a twin filament bulb on a Lowlight is under the top convex lens.

That leaves the Direction Indicators under the Bottom flat lens. This lens is thick, lets less light through and with 6 volt is less than useless for an Indicator.

That’s my problem and it must be the same for other U.K. Lowlight owners.

The obvious solution for the Indicators is to fit extra lights on or under the bumpers…which is what I intend to do…see the mock-up picture below:

These are EMPI Micros…they’re cheap, inconspicuous when not in use and of a reasonable quality.

So why the post if I already have a solution?

I’d like to see some options, I’d like to see how this affects other countries and I’d like to think we could come up with some modern LED solution as they have for Split and Oval Beetles.

I'm not too worried about additional Brake Lights as they have had quite a bit of forum space in the past...just do a search. Otherwise all contributions welcome.
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John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[InSaNeBoY]

would an array of LED bulbs fit in there? Could pack a bunch of bright LEDs tightly together, could be bright enough under the stock lens.
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2015 Jetta S
1998 Chevy AstroAWD

*ghialess*

[Gary]

[John Moxon]

Yeah I think these are well known: http://www.highspeedmotors.com/Webled.html

These would probably fit under the top convex lens but the space under the bottom lens is very restricted.

I agree with cleaning the 6 volt terminals...nearly all 6v electrical problems can be solved with a piece of sandpaper. The main trouble is that thick bottom lens.
_________________
John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[1960bus]

I added these ugly lights (they were much bigger than the website photo made them look) for the trip to Hessich. I was nearly hit several times changing lane in the rain soaked Autobahn on the way to Bad Camberg the year before so decided to ruin the look of the back of the car (it's especially bad as the car is the same colour as the road). They are clamped with number plate clamps and rubber pads onto the bumper. The plan was to find some original hella reversing lamps under the bumper and fit orange bulbs but I didn't get round to it. I've had to use my arms sometimes if when I really thought someone hadn't seen me.

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Dan

1958 Ghia Vert
1960 RHD Deluxe Microbus
1966 RHD Devon Kombi

[ghia4mea]

What about an LED strip behind the engine cooling slots? They would be unseen until you stepped on the brakes and they would be higher than any of the stock or bumper mounted lights.
If you have trouble with LED's because they are for 12 volts, I will mock up a strip here and pass on the resistor values and diagram for you to make your own.
Custom made strips are actually better because you can configure it in any shape you want and add as many as you like.

[John Moxon]

[John Moxon]

[InSaNeBoY]

[Gary]

[John Moxon]

[InSaNeBoY]

that's just the general idea... There are generic arrays that could work maybe. heck I bet you could take one of those bulbs you posted and take it apart and make it fit

I don't have a low light and have never seen behind the lens so I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here... just throwing out some ideas. But if I did have one I'd prefer to have the lamps stock looking as possible and not have to tack on more of them.

oh and the 356 ones are $200 smackers, not cheap... same guy makes custom boards maybe ask him? maybe there's a market to make a whole batch of them?
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2015 Jetta S
1998 Chevy AstroAWD

*ghialess*

[Gary]

Yeah, John. Since your primary job description is, "Walking the dog", I'm certain you could fab something similar to what is being made for the 356 crowd.
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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943)

[John Moxon]

[Paul_Revere's Ghia]

[John Moxon]

If you turn that 356 cluster 90 degrees it's a lot like the Lowlight.

If we could have two sections, (top and bottom) with two separate concentric circles of LEDs they could act as a universal fitting for UK, US and European spec lighting.

UK: Incators - top...Side and Brake - bottom
US: Indicators and Brake - top...Side - bottom
Europe: Not sure what configuration they use?

It would just be a simple task of which two wires you connect for each cluster.

I'm sure they could be made to fit all Ghias, not just Lowlights.
_________________
John.
Judson Supercharger Information on The Samba
My 1958 Shorrock Supercharged Karmann Ghia
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

[gimpy60]

Guys , I use a rust remover gel to clean those corroded terminals. I just put a little in the cap off the bottle & dip the offending part in for a few, then rinse with water. They look brand new afterwards......JP
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How the hell ya spost ta fix it, ya don't even know how it works boy

[Shorrock]

I have been thinking along the lines of an LED bar right at the top of the rear window. Single row with the LEDs separated to allow for turn signal operation. If I was putting time and money into the project this is what I would do. I have followed a couple of fellow VWs that had similar treatment and could not believe the difference in awareness and alert. Our cars sit very low and I don't think most people look down any more if ever especially over here. I always signal with my arm as well just to try and get the other drivers attention.

[John Moxon]

[Wiggy]