1980's rear numberplate "infill panel"

[TRW]

Autoshiters,

What is the name of those red read panels that went on the back of cars such as the Manta, Capri, XR3i, SAAB Turbo etc etc.

They had the model of the car in black writing. If you fitted one you had to move the numberplate down to the bumper (along with lighting) 

They were usually fitted along with Moss alarms, rear window louvres, the backflash sticker, Richard Grant bodykits etc etc.

I can't for the life of me think what they were called? I know Ford officially sold them under the RS accessories as I remember seeing a Granada with a bodykit and one of these things as a child local to where I lived.

Thanks.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Zender?

[Isaac Hunt]

IIRC, Tailblazer. I sold loads of them In the 80's when in Automitive Parts retailing.

[TRW]

Trailblazer panel! That was it.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Some of the colours in them tended to fade away after a while.

[Isaac Hunt]

Tailblazer panel! That was it.

I always thought they were a bit naff really, but they were alll the rage. The other good seller was the grille with the two driving lamps installed.

 

With a few quid, you could take a smart XR3i and really Barry it up in a mornings work. Tailblazer, Backflash, Driving lamp grille and if you were really flush, one of the shite bodykits.

[Zelandeth]

Decor panel was the usual term on the Saabs.

 

Fun fact: The ones for the saloon version of the Classic 900 are worth a bloody fortune.  Hatch less so, but the saloon ones have been mega rare pretty much since day one.

[uk_senator]

Also known as a "Heckblende" in German, they were massive there.

[Tayne]

Autoshiters,

 

They were usually fitted along with Moss alarms, rear window louvres, the backflash sticker, Richard Grant bodykits etc etc.

 

 

 

 

I think you'd have to be a SCRUBBER to want one of them.

 

[sierraman]

I think they were called Flashbacks. Pics anyone?

[mk2_craig]

Backflash was the term for the red decals you could get for the rear window I think? There was quite a range, GTE TURBO UNO METRO XR3 PANTHER RIO etc

[bunglebus]

Crapi;

 

 

Look at me in my XR3;

 

[Lord Sterling]

Trailblazer:

 

 

Backflash:

 

 

Pics from the 'net.

[JeeExEll]

^ Aye, Tailblazer and Backflash.

Sounds like two mid 80s superheroes.

 

The name Lazerline comes to mind for some reason, maybe a variation on one of these or one of the manufacturers.

You could get ones which said '1600' which folk actually put on their cars.

One local lad 'inherited' his dad's car and put "INJECTION" on the rear window. It was a 305 GRD saloon.

[Isaac Hunt]

Autoshiters,

What is the name of those red read panels that went on the back of cars such as the Manta, Capri, XR3i, SAAB Turbo etc etc.

They had the model of the car in black writing. If you fitted one you had to move the numberplate down to the bumper (along with lighting) 

They were usually fitted along with Moss alarms, rear window louvres, the backflash sticker, Richard Grant bodykits etc etc.

I can't for the life of me think what they were called? I know Ford officially sold them under the RS accessories as I remember seeing a Granada with a bodykit and one of these things as a child local to where I lived.

Thanks.

Richard Grant..........that was it, couldn't for the life of me remember that. An XR3i with a Tailblazer, Back Flash, Rear Window Louvre, twin lamp grille, Richard Grant Bodykit and a Sparkrite AT100 or At120 infra red remote control alarm and you were top Barry in town. Slick 50 oil treatment so that if you forgot to check your oil and ran out, engine would be fine eh Barry. By this time Barry had run out of money so a stero upgrade was probably a Harry Moss unit. They were fun days in the car parts business though, bling bling made the till ring ring.

[fordperv]

The other good seller was the grille with the two driving lamps installed.

 

 

Hella twin light grilles are fantastic

[Pillock]

I had a massive problem with some of the Tailblazers as a kid. Let me explain.

Capri as shown above. Fine, absolutely fine. The lights were already rectangular, and the end of each was red so the tailblazer could be one solid colour. Same goes for loads of others, such as this BX one I found

 

So then you get the next type, which is where there are two colours present at the inner edge of the clusters. We can stick with the BX for that, post-facelift, when the clusters went two tone.

 

 

That still works. That's fine. But then we enter dodgy ground.... an example is the 309 one.

 

 

As you see, there's two at the inner edge of the lights (the reversing lights stop a little short) but only red is carried across. It needs amber at the top, it looks stupid. Peugeot even knew this so when the opportunity came to facelift the 309 they gave it "hockey stick" red portions meaning this approach would work. 

 

It can't possibly get worse that that, can it? YES IT CAN.

 

What the....? You've joined up the only bits that aren't red, with some red. That would literally look OK if it was four inches higher but no, they didn't put a cutout in for the key so it has to go there. AWFUL.

Of course my argument falls apart on occasion, if you follow the rules of taking the innermost colours across this car would appear to have a five foot wide reversing light so I think amber is the right solution in this case.

because it does look a bit weird otherwise

[Pillock]

Oh, and there's a special place in hell reserved for people putting a Mk4 Escort tailblazer (which is flat) onto a Mk3 Escort with ridged lights. Awful, awful people.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Bizarrely, my first car - a 1977 mk1 Golf - had a heckblende fitted when I bought it. The number plate was loosely screwed on the piss, just above the rear bumper. It looked horrendous. First thing I did was bin the thing.

Ironic really, as they are worth solid money now.

I can only assume that the 70 something previous owner of my old Golf was way cooler* than the 17 year old me, back in the early 90’s.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I once bought a silver Capri 1600 S that had a rear window back flash fitted upside down, I didn't notice when I paid my £75 ,in the dark ,for it.

 

It was the right way up when you opened the hatch and looked at it, presumably how it had happened.

Didn't matter as I only wanted the carb, struts, diff and steering wheel, what a waste.

[Bren]

Lazerline made (very good) car alarms.

 

I bought a backflash from a bargain bin in halfords for my first SD1.

 

1991 was a long time ago.

[Pillock]

I once bought a silver Capri 1600 S that had a rear window back flash fitted upside down, I didn't notice when I paid my £75 ,in the dark ,for it.

 

It was the right way up when you opened the hatch and looked at it, presumably how it had happened.

Didn't matter as I only wanted the carb, struts, diff and steering wheel, what a waste.

Or had it been upgraded to a 1900 engine?

[Zelandeth]

Let's not forget the early Saab 9000...which had all the colours right the way across.

 

 

... actually looked pretty cool I thought - except for the fact that they faded so quickly that I reckon they used disappearing ink as the pigment by mistake.

[Pillock]

Yes the Saab 9000 absolutely got it right.

[Pillock]

Actually what other factory efforts were there? I can think of Audi 90 and wasn't there a Charade too?

[Tamworthbay]

That Saab is gopping, they always did things in a strange way but it was usually good strange, that wasn’t.

[Zelandeth]

I remember a VW Jetta (on an E plate) which had one between the tail lights, number plate having been relocated to the bumper.

 

However the original number plate lights (in the bootlid I think) were still there, so it out the panel up at night.

 

I don't *think* that was deliberate...

[Richard]

I remember a VW Jetta (on an E plate) which had one between the tail lights, number plate having been relocated to the bumper.

 

However the original number plate lights (in the bootlid I think) were still there, so it out the panel up at night.

 

I don't *think* that was deliberate...

 

It was advertised as a feature by the Tailblazer people.

 

Actually what other factory efforts were there? I can think of Audi 90 and wasn't there a Charade too?

 

[Richard]

[Timewaster]

^ Aye, Tailblazer and Backflash.

Sounds like two mid 80s superheroes.

 

The name Lazerline comes to mind for some reason, maybe a variation on one of these or one of the manufacturers.

 

Mitchell Marketing were the purveyors if I recall.

 

They also did other quality products such as Arthur Daley dealer sets, stick on bullet holes and magnatax disc holders.

 

Isaac, did you ever read CAT magazine? For some reason I thought about Ray D'ator's column the other day. I don't think his identity was ever revealed.