Opinions on rear light combination

T

tomTVR

Active member
I have ordered a set of the clear rear lights from German ebay and intend on tinting back to the clear OEM look as is a popular mod on here.

I saw this elsewhere on the forum posted by DannyBoy.

3-5.jpg

Ignoring the lack of a white reversing light for a moment, I am interested in peoples opinions on how it looks. Personally I really like it, looks less fussy than standard.

If the general consensus is a 'no' then I will probably go for the choice 'four spot' set-up like this. (photo belongs to peddy)

DSC00018_2.jpg

Thanks
 
The other option is to 'red-out' the indicator spots, as per PawnSacrifice:
Lights_Rear_On.jpg

This is my preferred option, and what I plan to do to mine. Though I think I'll keep the fog light red...

Ideally, I'd like to have the whole lot red, but obviously you can't make a red lense shine white, so (throwing your thread immediately off-track, sorry!) am very interested in the repercussions that DannyBoy has had from filling in his reverse light?!

Also, what spray have people used to tint their lights?
 
Looks wise I would agree with you, but you need that reverse light.

Tweed, I used the E-tech stuff. Loads of it on eBay.
 
I feel the '4 spot' white is the way to go with the '2 spot' a nice halfway house. Not sure what you do about the reversing light on the '2 spot' version. I'd have to check if you even need one by law, but the MOT handbook does not refer to it as a requirment

The advantage of the 2 spot in your example is that you have a light car and kept the red centre light so looks in keeping
 
Re: reversing light, I have always been led to believe that if it was there as OEM then it is required by law and if not it's optional.
 
tomTVR, agree with CJ, I'm not sure about the 2 spot example in that instance. Obviously I've done 2 spot on mine but that is only because the car's silver and I wanted some more contrast and the inner lights are clear. Anything darker than a silver car and I would have gone with the 4 spot.

Tweed, not sure if you managed to even pick mine out in Wales, but the night before I took the tint off and re-sprayed lighter than the pic above - I was told when breaking and indicating it wasn't entirely obvious. Now lets some amber through but red enough for Ed to take a second look when he saw them.
EDIT: Actually, reference my comment to tomTVR about the going 4 spot on anything darker than silver, I think your merlot will be an interesting one. You can experiment - if you put the spray tint on without lacquering it will come off with acetone.
 
Mafoo said:
Re: reversing light, I have always been led to believe that if it was there as OEM then it is required by law and if not it's optional.
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I'm never a great believer in 'led to believe'. I took a look at the MOT handbook http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual/contents.htm and there is every other light covered off but nothing on reversing.

TomTVR FYI - the way I approached the conversion was to source a EU RHS lamp off ebay to match to my UK LHS. Cut the reversing lens off and then bond a UK lens in place. The graft is hidden by bodywork and the French fry and of course all lenses are original OEM colour, construction, just with a silvered 21w foglight.
 
Definatley dont need a reversing light to pass the MOT - my ford focus has passed 3 mot's with it not functioning (gearbox sensor issue) :thumbsup:
 
Kryton said:
tomTVR, strange username for a Z4 owner :)
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not really.. everyone knows a TVR owner also needs a strong, reliable car as a backup / regular drive... and the Zed's a good shout ;)
 
Found the below regarding legal requirements of the reverse light

Road Vehicles Lighting Regs 1989 deals with Reversing Lights which it defines as " a lamp used to illuminate the road to the rear of a vehicle for the purpose of reversing and to warn other road users that the vehicle is reversing or about to".

It is an Optional lamp and therefore not covered by Reg 23 which deals with the maintainance in good and working order. Schedule 14 list the characteristics:

Number - Not more than two
Position - no requirement
Size of illuminated area - no requirement Colour - white
Wattage: no requirement if displaying an approved mark otherwise one lamp not to exceed 24 watts
Tel-tale - Only required if light is not automatically activated by selection of reverse gear.

Basically, the light is a requirment for homologation purposes (hence why older vehicles don't have them at all due to manufacture before homologation rules were introduced) but as stated above not an MOT requirement at present.
 
So although manufacturers may fit one it's certainly not required to be kept or functional, unlike the rear foglight that is a clear requirment to fit, be functional, etc.

Interesting
 
I'd have left it standard to be honest.

I like the colours... monotoning it looks a bit bland in my view... that said, I have a plain silver car which lacks colour, but the sterling silver has a bit of bronze in there so losing the colour might not be as bad.

My personal fave would be facelift front and back bumpers/lights... :)

Dave
 
My personal prefence (having a silver Z4 myself) is the 2-spot with red reverse and foglight, while retaining the red third brake light. Excellent combo on a silver/light coloured car. And very interesting to note that a reverse light is not legally required for the MOT, so perfectly possible to do that...
 
hmmm, think I'll have a little play in photoshop later...

So though it's not a legal requirement to have a white reverse light, I can imagine several scenarios where not having one could be irritating/hazardous... e.g reversing out of a parking space, other driver doesn't realise you're reversing because there's no light telling her/him (nevermind the fact that you're moving backwards; never underestimate the stupidity of the masses), or waiting to reverse into a parking space, people don't see your reverse light so don't realise you're waiting for the space etc etc...

reckon I'll go for all red with 1 white spot (reverse), or perhaps 2 white spots (reverse + fog)
 
There's only one correct set up :poke:

IMG_0736.jpg


Sterling grey, clear centre, cf badges, debadged and 1 white spot for each exhaust tip

Everything else is just being in denial :)

Diffuser and stubby are optional as some get upset by such things

Right - so off to get my coat and back to my glass of vino
 
cj10jeeper said:
Right - so off to get my coat and back to my glass of vino
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see, deep down you know you need some merlot in your life :P

I'm thinking Merlot red, red centre, debadged and 1 white spot, total... jury's out on cf badges, but I'm warming to the idea (might as well get rid of that little bit of blue)
 
Owwww choices choices. I really think the 2 spots look better on the silver car but now wondering if there will be too much 'red' going on, particularly as i am definitely keeping the red centre brake light.

I have a plan for the reversing light but it might be stupid so will do some tests this weekend before posting!
 
Finished!

P4250001.jpg

to

P4250003.jpg

I have almost finished my reversing light solution, just a few teething problems I can get around.

Couple of important things to note:

Changing the centre brake light is a massive PITA without the right tools. Don't do what I did and drop the spanner. It slid down one side of the open boot lid and there's no way to get it back out without taking the entire boot of the car and shaking it out :(

Whatever you do DON'T try and spray tint on the INSIDE of the lights. Each section is not totally sealed and some of the tint ran through into the next section. Luckily I was also doing that section red otherwise the whole cluster would have been f***ed.
 
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