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Hot Rods Glass Blue Dot Lens

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by KDarrin, Oct 24, 2018.

  1. KDarrin
    Joined: May 19, 2017
    Posts: 269

    KDarrin

    Can you install them on your hot rod..

    I found a few at the shop.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  2. Check your local laws, some are more strict than others, some cops are more strict than others. I've ran them for years hassel free although local laws say police and firefighters are the only ones allowed to run blue lights.
     
    chryslerfan55 likes this.
  3. Run 'em. I've had them on my '40 for almost 30 years. If a cop pulls you over for running blue dots, they must have all of the crackheads, hookers and murderers incarcerated already.
     
  4. i.rant
    Joined: Nov 23, 2009
    Posts: 4,322

    i.rant
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    1. 1940 Ford

    Always enjoy when swade41 comments.:rolleyes::D
     
    Slopok, Bandit Billy, brad2v and 3 others like this.

  5. akoutlaw
    Joined: May 13, 2010
    Posts: 1,265

    akoutlaw
    Member

    Yeh, one of the best avatars on here! It's hard to stop staring at it.
     
    swade41 likes this.
  6. typo41
    Joined: Jul 8, 2011
    Posts: 2,571

    typo41
    Member Emeritus

    Focus Guys focus on the question,,,,
    There was a question???
     
  7. I am sure they are illegal in the People's Republik of Kalifornia, just about everything is illegal here. I have been running them on my '36 Willys for 25 years, no problems.
     
  8. Think they are illegal here too but have run them on my Shovelhead since 2001. There was action to change the law but I never kept up on it.
     
  9. 31hotrodguy
    Joined: Oct 29, 2013
    Posts: 2,698

    31hotrodguy
    Member

    I believe they are technically illegal here (or at least that is what I have been always told) but I’ve seen plenty through out my life.


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  10. 2935ford
    Joined: Jan 6, 2006
    Posts: 3,843

    2935ford
    Member

    If I have 'em, I run 'em!
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  11. Model A Gomez
    Joined: Aug 26, 2006
    Posts: 1,695

    Model A Gomez
    Member

    Ran them for years with no problems, supposedly illegal here but never been stopped. Think it's like a lot of other things where they don't bother you if you aren't doing anything stupid.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  12. There not legal in Arizona. Moved from Montana (legal) to Arizona and I was stopped.
     
  13. Guys run blue dots up here with no hassles even though illegal
    The cops get there undies in a knot over blue lights , when guys change out there parking lights or turn signal bulbs etc.
    But like everything policed..... you get a cop having a bad day it’s jyst an excuse to get pulled over.
     
  14. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,547

    5window
    Member

    Not legal in PA. Of course, you an run anything, but why give a police person an excuse to stop you and look for more infractions. Not that cool.
     
    chevy57dude likes this.
  15. They've been legal here since 2002. With that said, I had a set on my avatar but took them off as they can be confusing for some morons out there. With the relatively small taillights on most early-'50s-back cars, having some idiot mistake them for a driveway reflector because of the off color isn't something I want to test.

    Another requirement that most people aren't even aware of is every vehicle is supposed to have a reflector on the back that's visible from 300 feet away when light hits it (this is a DOT requirement). That's so your car doesn't disappear at night if the lights go out. Generally built-in to the OEM taillight lens, installing blue dots can defeat these on some cars. But many vehicles don't have these built into the lens for styling reasons; think about how many you see (mostly late-models but many vintage ones too) that have red reflectors installed separate from the taillight lenses.
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2018
    loudbang and lothiandon1940 like this.
  16. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,624

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    I had a pair on my '55 F100, nice center-post job install on the Ford 'shields', then added the chrome script Ford across the top of the lenses.
    There was a special 'Cruise' in Santa Clara on El Camino Real, to Sunnyvale, (4 miles) so then-girlfriend Joey and I wiped the truck off, and cruised down to El Camino.
    Turned left into street machine and custom traffic, drove the slow first bolck, suddenly, a white Sunnyvale city cop pulls in behind, another one alongside! ('Felony stop'???)
    I pull over, traffic pulls slowly by...I get out, the back car cop is out, we meet with the other two from alongside (then he cut in diagonally, 'cop power park'...they teach offensive parking at the academy)
    "It's your taillights..." He asked for drivers license, registration, before 'insurance check'.
    "These blue dots are illegal, only Police Emergency vehicles can have them, it's for identification..."
    I acted SO surprised..."Gosh, Officer...I just moved back from Wyoming, all the cars there have them, for snow visibility...I'm told 'snow blindness' causes more accidents than any other single factor, so I put 'em on there PRONTO!"
    The cop was taken aback..."Never heard of that...but I'll let you go, you should change them..."
    "I have the others at my shop, I'll do that!"
    Well, I did put my stockers back on, just to avoid any other reason to get stopped.
    When I got back in, Joey asked if I got a ticket. I told her, "Naw, I 'snowed' 'em."
    True story. Like the rest.
    About the reflector issue: It IS mandatory to have a reflector(s) on California cars.
    Can't imagine anyone NOT putting one on there...hell, they can't WAIT to hang that ONE foglight on the front of an otherwise clean machine...
     
    Jim Bouchard likes this.
  17. Jim Bouchard
    Joined: Mar 2, 2011
    Posts: 1,042

    Jim Bouchard
    Member

    They are illegal here in California but that hasn’t stopped me! I’ve ran them for 30 years.

    I love the warm purple glow the glass ones put off.

    I’ve been pulled over several times over the years for them. Sometimes it’s better to get a fix-it ticket for that rather something else bigger or more expensive.

    One time coming off the freeway at dawn in my 46 business coupe going to the big three swap meet in San Diego, I got lit up from a Chippy. Young guy, so was I, walks up and says he pulled me over for these taillights. Said he’s never seen anything like ‘em but knows their illegal. I told them they were stock and I was going to the swap meet and I was looking for a set of lenses that didn’t have them in there as I “didn’t like them” and I knew I could probably get a NOS pair at the meet. He said yes, for sure do that and he won’t write a ticket ‘cause he knew I wanted to change them. I laughed as I drove away thinking the frenched 49 Ford taillights weren’t stock and I wasn’t gonna change anything!!!!

    Two weeks later I was at the Del Mar State fair and a CHP in uniform (they had a booth) walks up behind me and says “did you find those lenses you were looking for?” I was shocked he remembered me


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
  18. ............OOPS!:eek:
     
    Jim Bouchard likes this.
  19. Atwater Mike
    Joined: May 31, 2002
    Posts: 11,624

    Atwater Mike
    Member

    I still have the cool shields with the blue dots and the chrome Ford script in my desk drawer. Looked at 'em last week, thought maybe I'd put 'em back on.

    Then my engine mount broke, went full throttle, startled me a little. In traffic.
    Wonder what all those folks I drove past woulda thought, me on the brakes @ wide open throttle...brakes on, smokin' rear tires...slowing at the stop sign, then storming down the frontage road!
    "Hey! That bastard's got BLUE DOTS!"
     
  20. I may pick up a set for the '59 although my current lenses are new. I dig the look and the cops don't even give me a sideways glance anyway.
     
  21. you must have fox tails on your antenna too.AND white mud flaps..Get in style guys.Dont be a square..
     
  22. Slopok
    Joined: Jan 30, 2012
    Posts: 2,922

    Slopok
    Member

    Half of the new cars I see seem to have headiltes that have a blueish hue to them!o_O
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  23. About time we had another blue dot thread.
     
    lothiandon1940 likes this.
  24. I've had them on my 1940 Oz Dodge since 1974, these are original glass Lee Cats Eye Tailights, came in the original box, although about 10 yrs ago I did replace the blue dots with a new pair as the steel ring around the dots had gone rusty, have kept the original dots in a safe place, would have preferred to just swap the rings but it didn't seem to be an easy swap...........and yep, here in Oz 1940 mopars ALL got 1940 Plymouth taillights so the Lee ones for a 1940 Plymouth fitted straight on...........and haven't had an issue with the police although have been booked for speeding 4 times in since 1974........lol...........andyd
     

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  25. denis4x4
    Joined: Apr 23, 2005
    Posts: 4,203

    denis4x4
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Colorado

    72C02216-E520-4292-8409-EEE0FE1A486E.jpeg

    Legal in Colorado. Third brake light is designed to go into a 2” receiver.
     
  26. 26hotrod
    Joined: Nov 28, 2009
    Posts: 1,151

    26hotrod
    Member
    from landis n c

    I got blue dots on my 26 coupe and never had a problem. I painted the inside of my tail light buckets the brightest white paint I could find.(2 coats) I installed brite light bulbs from RON FRANCES and they are BRITE. Just thought I would pass this along...……..
     
  27. If you run LED tail lights, blue dots will be black (don't pass the single wave length light in LEDs).
     
  28. Kind of humorous. Start a new thread and old timers point out it's been done a hundred times B4. Revive an old thread and old timers will point out the thread is 45 years old. I know, I am one of the worst old timers for doing that.
     
  29. 5window
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 9,547

    5window
    Member

    Yeah, I like those BRITE lights from Ron Francis. Seem to work ok with plastic lenses,too. I like LEDs, I guess, but NOT in a HAMB car. Use LEDs, you might as well make the housings out of Billet.
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2018
    scotty t likes this.

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