project 1980 Austin Princess

[vulgalour]

Krujoe those are excellent suggestions all, and it is nice to see some sexy cars in this thread.

 

Now here's a bit of a wild card for you.  Noticed the Fulvia in the unit and realised I rather like the rear lights.  They're also on a fairly flat panel that is slanted in a similar way to the Princess.  Haven't measured or tried them out on the Princess yet, but I do intend to.

 

 

Of course, if they do fit and look ace they're definitely going to be difficult and expensive to source, that's how these things work.

[purplebargeken]

Somehow I thought the boot lid was straight along that lower edge, didn't realise it had a lip. 

[MikeKnight]

He looked to see how much Fulvia rear lights are.

 

£100+ per side, from Europe.

 

Oh dear.

[vulgalour]

For the right set of lights I'm willing** to spend obscene amounts of money.

 

 

 

**but probably not able

[KruJoe]

Oof, yes!

Those Fulvia ones slant at the correct angle for the side of the car too. It's just a shame they don't have integral reflectors.

I know, Angyl, you could screw a pair of those massive triangular trailer reflectors to the mud flaps!

[Asimo]

Somehow I thought the boot lid was straight along that lower edge, didn't realise it had a lip.

 

Ambassador tailgate confusion?

[tooSavvy]

 

TS

[vulgalour]

First up a useful rough blank template.  I'm considering debumpering so I'm going with a bumper-free template.

 

 

 

 

Next, a rough mock-up of the Fulvia lights.  They work rather well, which is entirely expected because they're difficult and expensive to obtain.

 

[derskine]

 

Phwoar

[vulgalour]

XD

[derskine]

 

Volvo 340

[vulgalour]

Someone suggested Alfetta lights, which amuses me because the Alfetta looks a lot like a Princess from certain angles (no really, it does).  Can't use the whole rear units, they're too tall and this happens.

 

 

But if you only use half of them... ooooo

 

They're a lot of money too, even more than the Fulvia lights, but they do look even better.

[mat_the_cat]

You can get LED 'bulbs' which have both red (for fog) and white (for reverse) emitters. Aimed at people who have only one reverse and fog light unit, but want to have two of each. That way you could get round the fact there appears to be no fog light in the Alfetta units (I do like the way the angles match - if only the outer edge of the Princess lights did so!)

 

Ironically, I have the interior light unit for an Alfetta, but that's of no use to you...

[PhilA]

I would suggest Cadillac Sedan De Ville rear lights from the mid nineties, but they seem to command a high scene tax.

 

 

....or possibly cheaper, Dodge Diplomat lights, turned upside down..?

 

[vulgalour]

@Mat:  Alfetta lenses, as it turns out, are a mere £60 a pair for reasonable ones.  I'm going to check with Chesire Alfa to see if he's got some for a bit less and to see if he can get me some measurements.  Might get lucky.  LED lights behind would be the best solution too, I can get all the lights I need into it then.  The bumper can go back on and I can fit the smart stainless bodied fog lights under it and a reverse light can be cunningly applied somewhere, of that I'm sure.

 

@Phil:  From what I remember, I found the Caddy lights too long.  I'd looked at some earlier 70s squarer ones early in my ownership with the car to do this job.  The Diplomat lights are awesome, they'd likely do the full width, but the wrap around at the side would be really difficult to work into the Princess' lines, as would the slope of them, which is a shame because I like those a lot.

 

 

So far, I think the Alfetta lights are most winningest.

[mouseflakes]

My final effort (for now...)

 

Honda Z. A nice, cheap and easy to source way to get back almost to the original look. Don't ask me why.

 

 

[robinmasters]

First up a useful rough blank template. I'm considering debumpering so I'm going with a bumper-free template.

 

[vulgalour]

Beedlee-beedlee-beedlee

[vulgalour]

Quite apart from the Z lights being practically what's on the car and therefore not really an improvement for me, they also have an annoying curve to them.  I like the shape of the lens surface though, better than just been plain and flat, and Z's are brilliantly quirky.

 

[KruJoe]

To he honest, you're not gonna get much better than (the previously suggested) Viva lights.

 

 

They're 'period', have the right sort of angles for you... 

 

 

...and you could use two sets (cut up) to run the full width, perhaps integrating the fog and reversing lights.

 

 

Best of all, you won't have to turn them upside down!

[Asimo]

French-in these bus-style round lights?

 

 

Anything will fit with enough wob! These are Lucas sealed beam headlights and Ford Thames sidelights Isoponed into my Autobianchi

[320touring]

Solution
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/corvette-c3-REAR-PANEL-/131325222954?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item1e9397e02a

[Des]

I've noticed a few modern shit vans and cars on the road today with tall narrow rear lamps,maybe something out there that could be quite natty once flipped sideways.

 

 

[panhard65]

You could always go retro how about frenched 2 cv or cheaper still land rover lights.

A very cheap option as these are mounted inside baked bean tins then brazed into the rear panel and covered in lob. You could always put a smoked perspex panel over the top to hide them. Very cheap to do and very 70's custom car.

[Noel Tidybeard]

smooth the rear and put mk1 sherpa bumpers on- two stones, one bird

[tooSavvy]

 

a 'photjobbie' of lights (capri) I fitted to my Moggie....

 

 

.... it was a J reg PostOffice auction disposal... loved it! >> put a car engine in (dumped the 10P hole fuel restrictor) and skimmed down the head!!

 

Banded steel 14" rear/ banded 13" front (bought them modified to order from... Scarborough Racing Developments - anyone remember them?)

 

* the front bumper is off a scirocco (rear).

 

 

TS

[vulgalour]

You can also purchase '59 Caddy lights and frenching tubes and I do love pretty much any '59 American rear light.  There are many good ideas here, I am spoiled for choice.

[vulgalour]

Take one decidedly tired nodding tiger.  After a couple of years in the car all the fuzz had shrunk and cracked and lifted, looking worse still than even here.

 

Apply some paint from a pair of rattle cans - Ford Velvet Purple and Citroen Polar White - before applying finer details with acrylic paint and hey presto!  One super tacky parcel shelf accessory that is utterly unique and matches the similarly unique dashboard.  Not sure why it looks very blue in some of these pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to see it in action?  Here you go.

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab16/volksangyl/Serendipity/20141025-04.mp4

[Timewaster]

Ye gods! I will have nightmares tonight.

[vulgalour]

It's the face, it has such a creepy face.