How did he get this Notchback taillight look? (Page 2/2)
85fieroguy JUL 08, 09:38 PM
My favorite Fiero in Orange with silver stripes. Love the tail light mod.
theogre JUL 08, 09:44 PM

quote
Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:
I won't disagree with most that you've said but really now when driving at night when your taillights are on, why would you need reflectors? Only when the car is parked maybe? On my recent Corvette light install the taillight lens themselves reflect when turned off but I don't see a purpose in this either. As for my backup lights they now sit where the Fiero reflectors were. It looks like the guy who runs that web store on the link in this post sells a decal that covers the center section of the taillights to make it look just like the model.

Reflectors work when:
Many people Do Not turn on any lights when they should like iffy weather including ignoring NJ and other state laws says "Wipers On, HL On!"
Taillights dim or dead and owner don't know or don't care. (Don't care? Dim Often because of fool using illegal tint, covers, and more on external lights but often cause problems for lights w/ builtin reflectors too.)
Vehicles and trailers Parked anywhere.
Many times car color blend in w/ whatever background even on the road.
Often can see the reflectors many blocks away and before you see whatever attach to w/ or w/o lights on/in it.

Then add Depending on light source the reflectors may "light" same or more then the actual light in a car. Is likely part of Why rear reflectors for Fiero, Kia Soul and others are mounted lower then the taillights. Taillight are dimmer to start with and only are Full On w/ brake and turn and many vehicle now have OEM "Hot" HL. ("Hot" here mean Color Temp > 4000°K and Bright not Thermal but maybe both if has Halogen bulbs.)
Flash Photos and car reflectors make many problems for people w/o "pro" equipment too.

Important Note: Fiero and some other rear reflectors are often "dim" because dirt and exhaust get to the back side on the "diamonds" and can't clean. Any dirt on the diamonds affect plastic to air interface to bend the light inside of the plastic. (Dirt reduces or stop refractive index and light doesn't bend but absorbed in crap.) Many other cars you can clean the back and big difference in performance when done. Many Fiero w/ one tail pipe has left rear reflector way dim to dark even w/o light hitting them... This is why and doing anything to the front won't help.

Cars are only require to have 2 reflectors on back, front and sides. Front and sides are 95+% built into front turn or HL assem and side maker lights.
Most types of Trucks, Vans, Buses, RV and Trailers are required to have a lot more w/ many as "DOT approved" Reflective Tape. Some examples at the bottom of these PDFs...
Truck Bus MPV Poster http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/r...picuity/TBMpstr.html
Trailer Poster https://one.nhtsa.gov/cars/...icuity/trlrpstr.html
Habanera Hal JUL 09, 09:38 AM

quote
Originally posted by 85fieroguy:

My favorite Fiero in Orange with silver stripes. Love the tail light mod.



Thanks!
Dennis LaGrua JUL 09, 06:04 PM

quote
Originally posted by Habanera Hal:

As fieroguru said above, Paul Vargas used to make a kit to add "FIERO" in the middle of notchie tailights, but he no longer makes them (I checked).
For a different look, I removed the red and clear lenses inside the housings, cut some prismatic plastic to fit, then taped off the area to be red and sprayed with VHT red lens tint. I also spliced in an additional socket on each side for more light. Then I cut some honeycomb plastic mesh and put it all together to come up with



Looks great Hal. Really ups the look. Also looking into the Pisa Euro taillight panel. I called them and they still make them but it uses some 70's/80's Harley taillights that seem hard to match up. If I can find those lights I may go with this panel but will use three red (outers) taillights and one clear (inner) on each side for the back up lights or I can use all Red lenses and move the back up lights to where the reflectors are now located. Not many choices left for more modern looking tallights on the notchbacks.

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Habanera Hal JUL 09, 06:15 PM

quote
Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:


Looks great Hal. Really ups the look. Also looking into the Pisa Euro taillight panel. I called them and they still make them but it uses some 70's/80's Harley taillights that seem hard to match up. If I can find those lights I may go with this panel but will use three red (outers) taillights and one clear (inner) on each side for the back up lights or I can use all Red lenses and move the back up lights to where the reflectors are now located. Not many choices left for more modern looking tallights on the notchbacks.



Thanks, Dennis! I also like the concept that cvxjet proposed above. I always liked the '66 GTO tailights and that would sort of emulate them (always wanted to put a set of those in the cove of one of my LM Corvairs).