Hawk fender lights-signal monitor ??

[starlightchamp]

On my 63 Hawk restoration, I just got to checking why the small, lucite.
spears on the front of fender were not lit. I found both bulbs dead and wires not
hooked up. It will be an easy repair but led to th idea-why not hook up to
the signal lights and have them flash to give indication of turn ? This is
such an obvious modification I'm sure some one has done this, but my search
for same yielded zip. i would need a high intensity 12 volt bulb to replace the
GE1445 bulbs and preferably amber colored. Anyone hear of doing this ? Have any info
on the change before I reinvent the wheel ?

,,,Dick

1950 Champion Starlight
1963 Hawk GT
Santa Barbara
CA

[John Kirchhoff]

Good idea, having those guys blinking at you would save you the embarrassment of driving for an hour with the direction light on! Sounds like a good idea to me. Other than a little rewiring, the only thing that may come up would be the interval between flashes depending upon how much juice your new bulbs would draw. If they flash too quickly, simply get a heavy duty flasher intended for vehicles pulling trailers and you'll be set to go.

[55s]

Maybe no one has made this modification because those fender spears look fantastic in the dark, and I'm sure they make the car look faster.

[studegary]

You use the word, "restoration." That is why you should not change the function of those lights.

Gary L.
Wappinger, NY

1959 DeLuxe pickup (restomod)

[N8N]

It actually would be possible to make them function as repeaters, without getting rid of the parking light function. If you isolate the base of the bulb from ground and then connect the "ground" to the turn signal wire for that side, the fender spear will function similarly to a GM side marker from the 70's - it will be on with the parking lights, and follow the turn signal when the parking lights are off but blink opposite them when the parking lights are on. (I think in the context of a GT Hawk, it would actually be "taillights" - IIRC the parking lights do not light with the headlights but the fender spears are connected to a separate wire in the harness connected to the "T" terminal of the headlight switch, so that they will be on with either parking lights or headlights.) I've done this on several old VW's where the side marker does not function as a turn signal repeater; the way some people drive they need all the advance warning of my intentions they can get. I haven't gone so far as to add sidemarkers to my '55 yet, but if someone were to hand me some of those little tiny side markers that Chrysler used one year in the late 60's (1968?) I'd be tempted, at least in the front. Or maybe I could mod a '64 "R1" fender badge to function as a turn signal repeater as well? that would actually be kind of cool, in a really frivolous, extraneous sort of way.

If you do this, however, make sure that you do a good job of isolating the bulb base from ground. If it grounds itself somehow after doing this mod, it will short out your turn signal circuit, which is kind of counterproductive.

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

[StudeRich]

What Nate said exactly! Thanks Nate, you saved me the trouble of trying to explain it in my poor electronic language! That's definetly the way to go. As others have said, you do not want to dissable the original function of these way cool '63-'64 only lights!
There is no reason to over complicate this and try to make them dual filiment, because you can make them stay on as normal, and then alternately TURN OFF to flash for a turn as Nate said. That is exactly how I am planning to wire my '63 GT!
One very small detail: Nate, did you know that Hawks are not wired as you say to light the fender marker lights with the Parking OR Headlights! They are coming off of the headlight wires ONLY!

StudeRich
Studebakers Northwest
Ferndale, WA

[starlightchamp]

Thank you all for the opinions, comments and wiring suggestions. There are several
problems to overcome that will take some experimenting. The present #53 bulb does
not have enough illumination for day time use. I will bench experiment with other 12 volt
bulbs. Cndidates are LED,Krypton,Xenon andHalogen. Bulb generated heat must be controlled
so as not to melt the Lucite. The resistance must be such that the flasher will still function.
The bulb must fit in the current enclosure. When, if, I get this sorted out, I will post the change for those interested in using the fender lights as additional safety devices rather than just pretty ornaments.
...Dick

1950 Champion Starlight
1963 Hawk GT
Santa Barbara
CA

[sbca96]

Chances are, heat wise, an LED will be your best bet.

Tom

[N8N]

I don't think LEDs will work without some serious wiring kung fu; perhaps even relays would be the easiest way to use LEDs (use an unpolarized, i.e. no diodes inline, relay coil in place of the bulb filament and then just feed the LEDs from ACC power or similar.) the trick I tried to describe relies on being able to feed current both ways through the bulb filament. Here's a table that shows some bulbs with the same base as a 53:

http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...nal_bulbs.html

here's a better explanation of what I was suggesting (why didn't I look online first?)

http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...rkerflash.html

I don't think you will have an issue with the turn signal flasher; I've done this before with 194 or W5W bulbs (5 watt wedge base side markers) with no issues. Most of the aftermarket flashers sold are of the "heavy duty" variety anyway (they tolerate a wide range of current draws and still flash. this can be good or bad depending on your goals.)

good luck,

nate

--
55 Commander Starlight
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel