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wythac
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2004
Posts: 2791
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 Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:53 pm Post subject: License plate light on engine cage? |
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Just discovered that I will not be able to use the VW decklid license plate hood and light on the back of my buggy.....header and exhaust are too close to it, and would obscure the plate if it was hung there anyway.
I've seen plates hung from an engine cage, mounting one there is no big deal, but I would also like to have it lit. It is the law in my state, probably not necessarily enforced unless someone was looking for a reason to pull me over.
Any examples of how to do this out there? I've looked at relocating the plate hood, and that ain't doin' it for me. I could french something into the cage bars, but that will weaken the cage, so I am not crazy about that solution. |
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1badfrog
Samba Member
Joined: April 09, 2004
Posts: 71
Location: Bossier City, La.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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I'm using a bracket I made and my top bolts have lights that shine down on the plate. I'm not running a rear bumper, at least not till I build a cage, but I would still use these lights. Here's a pic of what it looks like ...
Bruce
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72 beetle - 1600
69 baja - 2007 (sold) |
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glutamodo 
The Android
Joined: July 13, 2004
Posts: 26320
Location: Douglas, WY
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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Those lighted bolts look pretty slick!
My Baja came with a lighted licence plate frame, with the light at the bottom shining up through a lens. It was pretty cheap though and eventually melted. And now that I think about it, I'm wondering if the previous owner had installed it upside down, probably so.
I was looking around online to see if there was anything similar still made, not seeing much except this sort of thing that Whitney sells.
Well, they make things like this, but considering the source, not sure how good the quality is:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Product/Pr-p_Pr...late+light
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Dale M.
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2006
Posts: 20379
Location: Just a tiny bit west of Yosemite Valley
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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They make LP frame with its only mini light built in.... It's a "custom/show' car thing....
http://www.speedwaymotors.com
910-50135
910-50731
910-50139
910-50175
Also root around on Speedway site for lighted bolts and other brackets and stuff... Try searching on the site for "license plate"..
Anyway you get the idea..... Many things out there at all different prices.... And don't limit your search to any one site...
Dale
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All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...
Last edited by Dale M. on Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:23 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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JiI
Samba Member
Joined: February 18, 2006
Posts: 1845
Location: Michigan
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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I have a fanbelt cover on my Manx and I mounted a shine-down light/ license bracket to it. Off center a touch but it is clean and only one wire to hook up.
Jeff |
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zancat
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2008
Posts: 51
Location: Ramona, California USA
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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Hot rod guys use bolts to hold the plate on that have little angled LEDs that serve as the plate light(s).
HTH,
Zancat
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Ghoti
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: Rollin' in 541
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:46 pm Post subject: |
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On my Baja I used spade connectors so that my cage was easily removed. I just tapped into a wire for the running lights at the firewall and used the same lighting assembly as pictured above.
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Ghoti
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: Rollin' in 541
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| zancat wrote: |
Hot rod guys use bolts to hold the plate on that have little angled LEDs that serve as the plate light(s).
HTH,
Zancat |
Ooh. Good idea. Any links?
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OH SNAP! |
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Mongo63
Samba Member
Joined: February 15, 2007
Posts: 1358
Location: prison city, IL
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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There's a cool as hell 4" angled billet housing that has 7 or 8 white l.e.d.'s in it for motorcycles. Diameter is about that of a sharpie marker and costs around $75. I have one on a custom I built some years ago, I'll get some pictures and see what they cost now. I buy them through Drag Specialties/ Parts Unlimited, if anyone here wants one I'll split cost and list with you.
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clonebug
Samba Member
Joined: January 29, 2005
Posts: 4027
Location: NW Washington
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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Kind of tough to see but here is mine.
I think I just got mine from the local Napa Store.
I welded a small piece of angle iron to the cage and bolted the license plate holder/light to it. I then hooked power from the taillight wire.
Clonebug. |
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Ghoti
Samba Member
Joined: May 30, 2007
Posts: 760
Location: Rollin' in 541
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| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 11:24 pm Post subject: |
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| clonebug wrote: |
Kind of tough to see but here is mine.
I think I just got mine from the local Napa Store.
I welded a small piece of angle iron to the cage and bolted the license plate holder/light to it. I then hooked power from the taillight wire.
Clonebug. |
That's probably better than what I did: I drilled right through the tube and mounted the assembly through those holes. 
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zancat
Samba Member
Joined: July 30, 2008
Posts: 51
Location: Ramona, California USA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| Ghoti wrote: |
| zancat wrote: |
Hot rod guys use bolts to hold the plate on that have little angled LEDs that serve as the plate light(s).
HTH,
Zancat |
Ooh. Good idea. Any links? |
The guy that works for me was telling me about them. I think this is what he was talking about:
I found this with a google search:
http://www.taillightking.com/index.html
I have never dealt with them...
Zancat
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wythac
Samba Member
Joined: August 02, 2004
Posts: 2791
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:14 am Post subject: |
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| All good ideas, thanks. I am having to refab my engine cage today (exhaust interfered with the one I bulit around my earlier system), and I am going to make sure I snake some wire down it for whatever I end up putting back there. I'll put a few extra wires in for real backup lights at the same time. |
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Glasser
Samba Member
Joined: September 18, 2007
Posts: 1640
Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
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Glasser
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Joined: September 18, 2007
Posts: 1640
Location: Calgary Alberta Canada
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lostinbaja
Samba Member
Joined: December 19, 2004
Posts: 4036
Location: Frankfort, Illinois
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 7:46 am Post subject: |
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The name to search for is "Lite n Bolts" I was running them on my Manx until the State Police pulled me over...."License plate light is not bright enough" The plate has to be visible from a certain distance and 2 of the Lite N Bolts were not bright enough for him. Since then I have been running with no lights on my plate and haven't been bothered since, that was 3 years ago. 
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speedbuggy
Samba Member
Joined: June 06, 2006
Posts: 20
Location: San Dimas, CA
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| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:39 am Post subject: |
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| #DEI-030310 Lite'N bolt @ Summit Racing $21.00 |
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jettago
Samba Member
Joined: April 07, 2006
Posts: 13
Location: Wickliffe, Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:09 pm Post subject: |
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Summit Racing ones...
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glutamodo
The Android
Joined: July 13, 2004
Posts: 26320
Location: Douglas, WY
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| Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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| What if you used those light'n'bolts on both the top and the bottom of the plate, I wonder if that would be enough light to satisfy the cops. |
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retterath
Samba Member
Joined: July 19, 2004
Posts: 661
Location: SW Washington state
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| Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:43 am Post subject: |
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I was once pulled over for "burned out license plate light", but when I got out of the car to fix it, they were both lit. 
I think that's mostly an excuse to pull people over at random. . . |
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