History Poll one tail light or two

My 1915 T had a single kerosene lamp in the back. I just used hand signals and never had a problem. People would just about poop their pants when i would walk out of the bar turn the lights on with a cigarette lighter crank start it and drive away.

 

if you need 2 add a removable one under frame,....

 

I sure hope this conversation remains civil, I am enjoying it.
I do understand what you are saying. Like I said before though, a traditional hot rod will never be as safe on modern roads as a modern car. Everyone draws their line as to what they will compromise when it comes to tradition and safety. Everyone who drives a true traditional car compromises safety to some degree.

Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app

 

Not so much by 1940, but ten years prior in Model A production years, congruent with depression era you bet.

 

what every one seems to be missing is that in the days of one tail light cars didnt go much over 35 mph.

 

And there weren't many around either.

 

The way people drive in Connecticut you not only need 2 taillights and signals to be somewhat visible to them you also need a 300 db horn to get their attention so they can see you flashing them the bird.

 

I've just voted for two - Safety is my biggest worry - and not so much me but all those other dummys out there. I had one on my 35 desoto and used to get the beep off many a horn till those dummies looked closer howwever that was all happening too fast . Yes I drive defensively however the modern day drivers have never heard of one taillight or how about trafficator arms on old english cars - perfectly safe in their day yet nowadays noone woud know what one was let alone recognise one in use. I see it as a concession to allowing us and our cars to live longer

 

The dumb bastards will run into you no matter how many tail lights you have. Run what you like and keep a watch in the rear view mirror is the only way to keep from getting hit. When you get hit remember to get out complaining about your back and neck pain, call your attorney, then you can quit work and build the car of your dreams.

 

A model T would go 45-60 flat out and we are talking about hot rods not restorations. The original intent was not even a resto rod, it used to be a common practice up into the '50s that I know of to just run one tail light on a jalopy.

Gary,
You actually bring up a pretty good point, motorcycles still only have one tail light as a rule. Some of them are just huge but they still only have one. So the question becomes if it is for saftey concerns is it safter to run one tail light on a motor cycle than on a car?

 

I vote two. It seems rodders like rather small lights anyway and sometimes mount them very low. I like traditional too but I'd rather avoid the traditional part that has me fixing the mangled rearend of my car cause some distracted ass didn't notice my 4 candle power penlight sized lights. I even like the third brake light idea if done with some concideration for an appropriate style, size, and location. It doesn't have to be an ugly LED stuck in the back window. If you're running 41-48 Chevy or a 46-48 Ford tailights how about one as a third brake light under the back window? I know I see late models equiped with three brake lights and many with only one working. But if you running one tailight and the bulb burns out now you have NONE!

 

I agree with RNY

 

When I see one light, I think it's a bike. But I'm also worried it might be a car - and even more so if the light is white and is tracking a little in it's lane. Gary

 

My A is a standard so it only had one. I left it at one the first few years I drove it. During the 2007 rebuild I decided to go with two for safety. As a whole, Denver metro drivers are scary at best.

 

You're a dummy........
Hotrods are supposed to have an element of danger.....silly 'beano....haha
Won't be long till we'll all be covered in BUBBLEWRAP to "protect" our precious selves.....from......ourselves......

 

Do whatcha like, but if it's driven regularly beyond 500 yards of its normal resting point, safety should come first in my opinion. I voted for two because I have a tendency to drive anything I own anywhere and everywhere. Some (most?) drivers around here seem to have a quota for passing a certain number of cars between lights, have difficulty processing numbers, like those in speed limit signs (I think they take them as suggestions for a minimum), and interpret a yield sign as a personal challenge.

I've always wondered how effective it would be if someone with a bit more electrical engineering know how than I have would make brake lights that would light up more or less depending on how much pressure was applied at the pedal. As in more pressure = brighter brake lights. Which also leads me to wonder - if the vehicle is equipped with ABS, could you get a strobe effect going when the ABS kicks in?

 

you could put a second brake light switch and additional bulb in the tail lights.

 

Actually the inertia switch that I mentioned earlier only works when under hard braking situations and makes the brake lites flash. I guess in the old days that brake lites flashed because we didn't have antilock brakes and had to learn to feather the brake peddle if we wanted to stop and steer it in a hurry.

I suppose that if you really wanted to you could put a reostat on your brake peddle so that the lights got more zot the farther the peddle was pushed.

I think that something to consider is that distracted drivers are not going to notice more lights, you could lit that sucker up like LAX on a Friday night and if they are busy reading a text or even just talking to willy on the phone they are not going to notice. I find my best defense is to opwn a car that can not only get out of its own way but reach escape velocity toot sweet so that in a pinch I can get out of the way. I learned early on when there were not as many distractions for drivers to have as many escape routes as possible in the event that someone was not going to get stopped behind me.

I guess that most of that has nothing to do with the question at hand. Maybe someone learned something from it.

 

I only ran one tail light as was original on my '46 truck. After a while, I got tired of folks telling my right hand tail light was 'burnt out'. I was given the right hand tail light and assembly by a friend for Christmas and immediately installed it.

I still use hand signals though as I have no blinkers.

 

I guess it has little to do with running a single or multiple lights, but, what I have discovered around here is that if you are waving your hand out the window people all think that something must be up even though they don't know what you are saying. I sometimes use a hand signal along with my lights even on the late model cars just because it gets everyone's attention. Sometimes I get shot at though because I don't always use all my fingers when I am waving.

 

Nice...

 

Thought you would appreciate it.

 

The more the merrier...

 

that just tells them they are number one in your book.

 

If it's a restored antique vehicle and it came with one taillamp, ok. Aros that I'm building, two taillamps. I know legally I could get away with one on my 29 Essex, but I could get away with no rear view mirror as well and wouldn't do it. Ken