Best way to modify a '68 Charger for flashers (indicators)

[limey]

Right...this possible belongs in the electrical section, but to be honest I'm more interested in the aesthetic and practical aspects of this job than getting into the the nitty gritty of the wiring...terminals...crimp-crimp solder etc.... If it still should go into Electrical, then sorry...

Basically, the side marker lights have packed up. Don't know why and I suspect it wouldn't take long with a multi meter and a wiring diagram to find the fault, but I am thinking about a major re-design of my flasher circuit.

Basically, to be legal in the UK, you have to have direction indicators which flash with an Amber bulb. The safest and most sensible way is to mount two 2" by 4" Amber square lamps on the rear valance which work in tandem with the side markers. Obviousle that is grotesquely ugly and a travesty to do to any Charger..(unless you are "Russ T" - in which you could do it while converting the Charger to RHD....LOL!)

What I currently have with my charger, is a flasher unit which causes the rear brake light bulb to flash on the relevant side...
This seems to have got the car through its MOT (Ministry of Transport) test so far, but I have a problem that when I come to a roundabout, I brake quite early as I attempt to slow a 2 ton car from 60-70 mph to 0mph. I then signal to indicate where I'm going....but NO ONE HAS A CLUE WHERE I AM GOING! because my flashers are my brake lights...

Basically, my plan is to either:
a) lose my reverse (back up) lights altogether and fit an amber bulb in there to give me some decent flashers.
b) try and find some way(??) to fit both reverse bulbs and flasher bulbs within the "inverted triangle" reverse light lens

Anyone have any views on this, or know of different/better ways to give yourself direction indicators?
I think I need to address this because while I can modify my driving (signal much earlier etc.) In between me apparently not signalling, and other road users staring at my car, sooner or later, someone is going to hit my rear quarter........
Limey

[sean68charger]

i did the loose the reverse lights option and fit amber bulbs, works well. and dosent mass the charger about too much

[Dave22443]

Well, I guess if you really wanted amber turn signals and still have reverse lights, you could always convert the "upside down triangle" reverse lights on your '68 to amber bulb directionals and you could always add a set of '69 reverse lights to the rear valance? 

[limey]

Well, I guess if you really wanted amber turn signals and still have reverse lights, you could always convert the "upside down triangle" reverse lights on your '68 to amber bulb directionals and you could always add a set of '69 reverse lights to the rear valance? 

Yeah...but then I'd have to cut my baby...
Limey

[charger Downunder]

Insall an amber coloured bulb in your reverse lights thats what i had done years ago to mine put a diode in the wiring and you can use the same light for turn signals and reverse lights any good auto electrician can do this for you

[limey]

IS that a secondary bulb, downunder? if so how do you modify the bulb holder to take it?
Limey

[charger Downunder]

Limey no second bulb  just the one buld if you can not buy the bulb in amber because they are hard to get buy some lens dye all it means is that you will have amber coloured reverse lights in Australia this is ok.

[limey]

Gotcha...I guess thats no big deal as I don't do a great deal of reversing....I save my more excessive car park  manoeuvres for my Land Rover Discovery At least that has protection bars all round heheh!
Every now and then I have to park my 18ft long 6ft wide leviathan in 15ft x 5ft UK parking spaces and it is always a trauma....
I think that is the way to go.

What about flashers on the front? I'm less worried about that, because usually the side markers are visible - ish.
I had thought about converting the front park lights to amber flashers with a Heavy Duty flasher relay to cope with the strain of all the extra bulbs....but does anyone else use front flashers?
Nick

[charger Downunder]

Same with the front if you have clear lenses use amber bulbs my 70 has amber front lenses.

[limey]

Cheers mate.....
I think I will get a qualfied sparky to do this...Autoelectrics aren't my strong suit...I can usually get stuff working, but there is a kind of "bodged and rubbish" quality to my connections... ...I spend most of my time for months sorting out bad grounds etc....
Also, factoring in the failed side marker lights, it could be a good idea to renew a few wires in that section of the loom.
thanks for the the advice,
Nick (Limey)

[Nacho-RT74]

So you can't keep a classic car as originally is in UK ? I have known some about that but don't know if also the same in Spain ( soon move to there )... I thought cars stated as Classics can keep original conditions.

I'm wondering how was on those years when you drive a classic old VW beetle or Citroen or whatever that don't have more than just a RED LENSE WITH A BULB, not more than that, no turning lights ( just a mechanical system with an arrow ), no reverse lights etc...

[limey]

Nacho - you can keep it original....to a certain extent. You have to have flashers. Like I say, my flashers are just my brake lights flashing. No real modification other than a flasher unit in the system. Technically, there is nothing stopping me from keeping things as they are, but I have already had a few close calls and want to make it a bit more safe. I guess to under stand me, you have to know what our roads are like here.


Every day I pull my charger from an on ramp onto traffic like this, all travelling at between 60-70 mph, nose to tail. I squeeze my 18 ft car into a 20ft gap, and if the driver behind me has a chance to work out that my flashing brake light means I'm signalling in, thats ok. Whats more than likely , is that he's going "F*** me! look at that car!" and trying to get his mobile phone out to take a picture....doesn't recognise my feeble signal and then has to slam on the brakes as 2 tons of Detroits finest ploughs in front of him....I'm signalling, I'm braking to match my speed to his, and I manoeuvre, but because I don't have flashers, I'm in serious danger of causing a motorway pile up.
If my car was a trailer queen I wouldn't dream of changing the wiring and bulbs...but I drive it, and it needs to be safer than it is.

In Spain however, I don't know about the rules, but I imagine they are pretty similar. Us Europeans are morphing in to some kind of super state, so most laws are the same. So you can rest assured that you won't have to modify your car too much. (Are you coming over here to live permanently, or just a few years?
Cheers,
Limey

[Nacho-RT74]

I don't care if ppl doesn't understand the original red flashing lighs as turning lights... WILL NEED TO LEARN HEHEHE. I only care if authorities care and I REALLY NEED to do it because the rules.

Here in Venezuela we run USA cars with all rear end on red lenses and also european and asian cars with red and amber lenses and everybody understand the signals.

Just in case I'm not worried about modify wiring since I know by memory my wiring... juts need to RE-ROUTE the rear flashing lights. I know how to do it without cut any wire... but I don't wanna to add uggly amber lighst not because teh amber lense, like to TRY TO ADD SOMEWHERE SOME EXTRA UGGLY AFTERMARKET LIGHTS.

2nd gens are easier to re-route the rear flashing lights since they are BEFORE the brake lights... I mean, if you have turning or hazzard lights and you press brake pedal, then lights will stay on as brake pedals... However because they are BEFORE, they are more dangerous for that reason.

On 3rd gens, hazzard lighst are AFTER brakes, and column turning and hazzard switch cuts the brake signal, so flashing lights are priority over brakes... so won't have problem with that kind of confuse

I hope to move permanently... that's my intention.