Shite lights

[MiniMinorMk3]

Thunderbirds are Go!

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

[MiniMinorMk3]

15 minutes ago, SEATMad said:

I've always had a thing for the Nissan Skyline rear light design from the R31 to the R34.

 

 

I think Nissan were influenced by Mr Ferrari.

[MiniMinorMk3]

23 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Spaceship Civic was a bold styling move. I think the cooking versions look better than the Type R with the centres tinted

 

 

The first series Ferrari 365 GTB/4 had a perspex cover over the lamps before it went to pop ups.

[MiniMinorMk3]

And did the Ferrari influence the SD1?

[bunglebus]

On 25/03/2024 at 11:52, bunglebus said:

New Kia Kona with rear lights in a very strange place - ideally placed to get broken in a minor bump

Quoted from another thread - is this a terrible idea or genius? Easier to replace a lamp unit than do bodywork repairs...

[Volksy]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Quoted from another thread - is this a terrible idea or genius? Easier to replace a lamp unit than do bodywork repairs...

It's easier to live with a scraped bumper than have to replace a light unit.

[bunglebus]

41 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Thunderbirds are Go!

 

Sequential lights are great - shame they don't meet UK regs. Don't know how Audi (and everyone else now) gets away with the current indicators on their cars

[bunglebus]

I know the MK1 Focus has its fans but I'm not among them. Don't like where the rear lights are (but everyone copied it), no doubt done in the name of safety/visibility - but then they hid the reverse and fog lights right at the bottom of the bumper

[Tenmil Socket]

31 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I know the MK1 Focus has its fans but I'm not among them. Don't like where the rear lights are (but everyone copied it), no doubt done in the name of safety/visibility - but then they hid the reverse and fog lights right at the bottom of the bumper

I wasn’t a fan when it was first released but wouldn’t have it any other way now. Just look at the sexy arse of the MK1 Focus RS!

[shampooefficient]

5 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Sequential lights are great - shame they don't meet UK regs. Don't know how Audi (and everyone else now) gets away with the current indicators on their cars

IIRC it's something to do with EU type approval trumping UK law for what they can do with new vehicles. 

[willswitchengage]

First generation Tatra 603. Three lights!

 

[D.E]

Introduced on the Lexus IS, the barry boys quickly copied them.

 

[MrBiscuits]

Manually operated by a lever inside

[bunglebus]

16 minutes ago, D.E said:

Introduced on the Lexus IS, the barry boys quickly copied them.

 

I was going to post those myself, looked good on the Lexus and awful on everything else.

Another I remember being unusual was the late 90s Astra with clear lenses, the diffusion being done by the reflector instead

[Missy Charm]

21 minutes ago, D.E said:

Introduced on the Lexus IS, the barry boys quickly copied them.

 

Truly the Burberry baseball cap of the automotive world.

I've always thought the 'ring' taillights on the Mk3 Mondeos were cool.  

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, MrBiscuits said:

Manually operated by a lever inside

Ooh the Saab Sonnet is the same!

[gm]

dunno who the tit in the hat is !

 

 

[Barry Cade]

11 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

The first series Ferrari 365 GTB/4 had a perspex cover over the lamps before it went to pop ups.

The US market didn't allow covers over lights, so they went to pop ups. See also 240z, E type XJS,Alfa spider and W114 and W123 Mercs. Even the mad Citroen SM lights were not legal there. The American regs for lights were a bit mental back then, and some are even today. No lamps on a moveable panel, which is why Insignia estates, and various Audis have 2 sets of rear  lights, and the mini got lights that weren't on the bonnet. You could only have round or rectangular lights too, so pretty much everything had 5 3/4 or 7 inch sealed beams. Side markers were mandatory after 72.

[Barry Cade]

4 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

Truly the Burberry baseball cap of the automotive world.

I've always thought the 'ring' taillights on the Mk3 Mondeos were cool.  

Except when you had to fail them on MOTs because 1 of the 3 bulbs had gone, and tail lamps have to be symmetrical..😆

[caffeine]

Speaking of 'rings' - The FIAT Brava already has a mention, but I think the three door ‘Bravo’ variant, to my eyes, had more distinct tail lights with the glowing 'rings’ almost disembodied within the smoked light cluster, I remember these looking ultra -sleek and modern back in the mid-‘90s, seemed a slice of exotica among the hordes of Ford Escorts.



A similar aesthetic featured on the next incarnation of the Bravo in 2007, with its ‘turbines’

[Leyland Worldmaster]

The original Plaxton Panorama rear lamps always struck me as rather unique!

http://www.sct61.org.uk/index/body/px/zztjh685m

 

 

 

[chaseracer]

12 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

I've always thought the 'ring' taillights on the Mk3 Mondeos were cool.  

They always reminded me of a millennial Ford Consul mk2.  If you squint a bit*...

[Leyland Worldmaster]

BMW Z8 tail lamps were innovative at the time it was launched; still an attractive car now!

 

[Barry Cade]

Just had a horrible memory about 90s headlight covers that were a thing back then.. not morettes, but a bit plastic with 2 holes in them. Can't remember the name or find a pic... anyone?

[Barry Cade]

20 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I know the MK1 Focus has its fans but I'm not among them. Don't like where the rear lights are (but everyone copied it), no doubt done in the name of safety/visibility - but then they hid the reverse and fog lights right at the bottom of the bumper

When following these at night, I always think of the 5 on a domino. 

[Urko]

On 19/09/2024 at 10:17, danthecapriman said:

It’s another thing modern cars just can’t ‘do’ imho!

Cool lights and attractive design is an old cars only thing I think.

Mk1 Granada’s always looked fantastic.

The mk1 & 2 estates weren’t as attractive but obviously that was largely unavoidable with the tailgate, but even on them, they had a slightly angled inwards shape I always liked.

I loved the lights on my Dad's 1973 and 1976 Granadas - the rear lights had an extra tail light bulb each side which was quite rare - also there was a clear lens on the inside  on each side so the boot was illuminated when the tail lights were on.

The headlamp/indicators were used on Duple Coaches for a while I think? 

The 1973 GXL had weedy tungsten headlamp bulbs, but the front foglights were h1 halogen.

[bunglebus]

15 minutes ago, Barry Cade said:

Just had a horrible memory about 90s headlight covers that were a thing back then.. not morettes, but a bit plastic with 2 holes in them. Can't remember the name or find a pic... anyone?

I remember those, stick on covers to Max Power up your 1.4 Escort 

[Urko]

On 19/09/2024 at 11:21, bunglebus said:

The old Brava had a very distinctive rear light setup

They used similar lights on the C too but morphed into a slightly odd blob, a bit like when two fried eggs join together in the pan

I've seen the Brava ones on a fairground ride!

Those Merc ones used to be called "the peanut lights" by our local dealer.

[bunglebus]

The covers. Yum