Hot Rods High or low tail lights

I know it isn't any of my business; but the windows on your sedan look really tall; especially the back one.

 

Opinions are like,,, well you know so here's mine.

I'd leave them at that height and recess the body panel around the light and sink half of the width, not length but width into the side of the body.

 

Looks like a farm implement mounted that way.

You could add one of those LED strips you can get at O'Reilleys in the back window for visibility. Thats what I did.

 

Looks like an afterthought sticking out like that, doesn't look like you thought about lights until the end of the build. I don't really think hi or low matters anymore, they will be looking at their phone when they hit you anyway. Flush mount looks much better, looks like it was part of the build and was thought out if you want them hi. Frame mount looks more correct if they are low. Aren't you glad you asked for opinions?
JMO,
SPark

 

I don't like 'em sticking out like that. If your fenderless, recess 'em into the body. If running fenders go with '39 Ford tail lights. Definitely get the LED version. The most important rear lights are the brake lights. The junkyards are full of LED 3rd brakelights that you could integrate into your rear window.

I'm running '39 Ford LED's and an LED 3rd brake light in the rollbar. Very, very bright!

 

Thanks for all the replies. No it was not a after thought. The base that normally mounted on a Plymouth was easy to fit contour of body. I'm not finishing off rear with a cover over tank right away. I'm not really hip on flush mounted lights unless it's right. The 37 ford with short stand looks like it's very common and has the look. Low but cool. It's typical on a build that the little things make or break and make the whole package flow.

 

Bingo! Where they are now, they look like an after thought or a "Oh wait.... I forgot the tail lights!" moment.

 

Bingo. Evidently Fred knows tail lights as well he does the headlights in his avatar.

 

Well.... not quite. On my last T bucket, I used Model A tail lights and used what ever brackets would fit, to attach them. And that's what they looked like. A rushed hack job.


Never again!

 

I vote lower and flush mount.

 

On the chassis.

 

So.............. I'm bored so I did a tally for everyone's vote:
Stay where they are- 5
Higher- 0
Lower - 19
Lower and tighter to the body- 3
Where they are, tighter to the body- 5
Your decision - 2
Your windows are too big- 1
Put a light strip in the rear window- 1

Looks like go low is the winner by a landslide.
( or buy more tail lights)

 

I like the lights. It fits the hot rod look. I personally would likely drop them down just a bit to line up with the high point of the fender reveal. Please don’t add a third brake light, and make it look like a street rod.

 

Those that say don't put in a third brake light, let me throw this out for thought.....

Most people are conditioned to look for that third brake light. They have been used on everything now since the mid 80's, there are lots of drivers on the roads that have never seen many cars without them. Now, I know there is always a certain amount of inattention present in most of today's drivers, but they are so used to seeing that eye level light come on, they don't pay attention to the lights on the corners.
You can hide them pretty good so that they don't stick out like a sore thumb. And for those that say they aren't traditional, just look at the rear end of a 46-48 Lincoln or Plymouth. My 47 Lincoln has a center trunk mounted brake light, it was the ONLY brake light it had, the outside lights were tails and turn signals. The all in one turn signal switch was still down the road a bit so they couldn't put the brake lights in with the turns and tails without another bulb. With the GM column, I now have them all combined in the factory housing, and the original brake light is the third brake light now.

If somebody wants to say it looks like a street rod, that's fine by me. At least I will know I've did what I could to keep from getting rear ended.

 

The criteria is not high or low. It is high, or hit.

 

This is not a theory, This is happening in real life.

The texting teenager that caused me to have to replace the back of my Falcon did not know that cars were make without three brake lights. She had no ideas that I was braking. She just thought that I had my lights on.

For drivers who got their licenses in after 1987, three lights means car stopping. Two lights means car going down the road, with its lights on, and it means you are likely to get hit. It is especially bad when our lights are small, dim, or both. Often, our brake lights are dimmer than a modern car's parking/running lamps.

Yeah, I don't like what that leads us to, either, but there it is. Protect your ride from idiots, folks.

 

If your going to keep those lights I think they would look better down low. If your set on lights up high have you considered something more streamlined?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

Personally, I like the look of tail lights mounted low. Realisticly, in my neighborhood, chances are 50/50 that if you are rear ended, it will be by a lifted one ton diesel pickup, with a front bumper suitable for moving the Titanic in and out of port.

 

Go with what ever but's a smile on your face.

 

I think I'd run them about 4-5" lower...just above that character line. If I still didn't like em, I'd go with a pair of 39 ford or 50 Pontiac lights in the rear panel. Or maybe do a 3/4 french job with the Plymouth lights sticking out of the rear panel about an inch.

 

I have to go with Seb, about half way down from where they are now.
Hell, pull up behind it about 10 ft back in your daily and see what you can see from there or from 15 feet.
I have my tail lights below the tailgate on my 48 and the ones that complain about them are the cops with their bright ass headlights that claim they can't see the lights. Painting the inside white and running brighter bulbs helped there but they are going back up higher this go around.

 

Another vote for low mounting.
Run open headers so people will notice your car.

 

Low..............................cool
High.............................awkward.

 

I would put them just below the character line and horizontal. Find something that wraps around the corner. Maybe the bottom half of a 47 Cadillac or a 49 Buick tail light. These might not fit, but you get the idea.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Maybe a farm use sign would be cool with the high lights. HRP

 

My thoughts also, or maybe actually flush in the character line, if such can be found. Some of the 80s Buicks had a long, narrow vertical tail light that might work.

 

The tail light theory of "use as many as possible and put them where they can be seen" doesn't mean a thing, if the person behind you isn't paying attention. Not being old enough to know cars were once made with no 3rd brake light is bull shit. They were NOT paying attention.... period. You could have a 1,000 watt flood lamp on the ass of your car and if the person behind you is texting (distracted) you'll get hit.

Ruining the looks of your car, to compensate for a small group of idiots on the road, is a knee jerk reaction to the situation.

 

Keep it low or look like this guy.

 

My opinion?
Well now, I'm not getting into the debate about high or low. I think they too wide for the car. In traffic at night, they will blend in with the surrounding lights and people won't think they are on your car. The lights need to be inside the outline of the body.

Grab a chair, and sit on the driveway with yourself centered 20' behind your car at night. Have the car in your garage with all the garage lights on. Mount the lights at eye level so you can see them both. If the style of light you chose doesn't look right in that position, find a style that does. Gene