Adding side markers/side signals to a 66?

[taipeichris]

Hi Guys,

The other night I was driving home and almost got clobbered by a guy in a BMW who ran a red light in the fog. Somehow I saw him, slammed on the brakes and we missed each other by a few feet. (I'm so glad a got new BFGs last month). He did however swerve to miss me, hit the divider and a woman waiting for the signal to change after he hit the center median. I gave her my number as a witness and he claims he didn't see me at all.

Tonight I tried parking with the lights on and from a distance my Bronco is not very visible at night.

I am now contemplating adding 70s style side markers to my 66.

Has anyone done this to a 66? Can the front markers be made to flash with the signals?

Does anyone have a good photo or two of the fender and quarter panel with the hole for the side markers? Sin side markers installed please.

On a positive note, I'm running the old 20 circuit Painless harness so I think the wiring should be there somewhere.

Thanks guys and keep safe as the weather changes!

 

[phred]

Instead of messing with the body why not put some small red and amber leds inside the fender wheels. I’ve seen it done before and it actually looks intentional and not ghetto. Mount the leds just above the tire on the inside of the back of the wheel well. Can’t see it unless the lights are on. I’ll see if I can dig up a photo of the ones I saw.


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[Broncobowsher]

Maybe tuck them into the corners of the bumpers

 

[Scoop]

Agree with the previous comments. There should be a nice way to integrate marker lights without adding later year stock ones. IMHO that would ruin the look of a 66.

 

[904Bronco]

There are plenty of small and bright LED marker lights that could fit your needs, sounds like the biggest thing is to find a place to mount them...

 

[AZ73]

Get 2 sets of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WW24FG/ref=twister_B06XHHWPGY?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Use an epoxy or constuction adhesive to glue a piece of angle iron to the inside ends of your bumpers. Drill a 3/4 in hole in the angle iron, and pop these into it. Wire it up. They're dark enough when not on to not really be noticed behind the bumper, but put out nice light when they're on.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Those lights look pretty sweet.

 

[DirtDonk]

Those look like the ones (only in clear) that 904 put in the back bumper as backup lamps.
Vewy bwight indeed.

Those the same ones Doug?

Paul

 

[taipeichris]

Hi Guys,

I like the side markers from the 68/69 Broncos but they are reflectors only, not lights. The 70s side markers are a bit bigger and they light up too. I'd prefer to use OEM appearing side markers.

Has anyone made the 68/69 style light up?

Thanks!

 

[DirtDonk]

I've often wondered if there was a market for a newly manufactured one of those. Still with good reflectivity, but with the bulb to add to it's night-vision.

I've never pulled one apart, but it seems like the reflectors I have seen they would be very difficult if not impossible to create a lighted version out of.

Doesn't mean you can't try though...
I'll buy a set!

Paul

 

[sprdv1]

Get 2 sets of these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073WW24FG/ref=twister_B06XHHWPGY?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Use an epoxy or constuction adhesive to glue a piece of angle iron to the inside ends of your bumpers. Drill a 3/4 in hole in the angle iron, and pop these into it. Wire it up. They're dark enough when not on to not really be noticed behind the bumper, but put out nice light when they're on.

Can't beat that price either....

 

[sprdv1]

Agree with the previous comments. There should be a nice way to integrate marker lights without adding later year stock ones. IMHO that would ruin the look of a 66.

Agreed, don't mess with the original look if you can help it

 

[904Bronco]

Those look like the ones (only in clear) that 904 put in the back bumper as backup lamps.
Vewy bwight indeed.

Those the same ones Doug?

Paul

Nope Different...

https://www.quadratec.com/products/...utm_medium=compshop&utm_source=googlemerchant

 

[NATEandALLI]

Man that sucks you almost got hit but part of the allure of the '66 is that it's so much more clean looking without the goofy looking side markers/lights. I'm actually going to shave the lights off our '73. Also think about the fact that lights or no lights wouldn't have kept the guy from running the red light. Don't hack up your '66!

 

[1buckeyefan1]

Man that sucks you almost got hit but part of the allure of the '66 is that it's so much more clean looking without the goofy looking side markers/lights. I'm actually going to shave the lights off our '73. Also think about the fact that lights or no lights wouldn't have kept the guy from running the red light. Don't hack up your '66!

I'm in this boat right now. I'm putting new quarters and fenders on my 74. Neither are cut for lights now. I'm really tempted to leave them off.

 

[DirtDonk]

It's always been an easy choice for me (when I had a choice that is) to go with lights vs reflectors.
I love the old look too, but the first time I saw the sidemarker lights I was hooked. Didn't care that it was a legal requirement. I just liked the way they looked. And especially liked the look at night. Maybe I just though it brought them into the seventies but I liked the look then, and like the look every time I see one lit up at night.

The fact that it is actually a safety feature is a bonus indeed.
And to your question about blinking Chris, yes they can. I'm not sure exactly how it's done, but it should be easy enough if you have time. I believe that the cars that had that feature (mostly GM back in the day I think) had them blink at different times from the actual turn signals. Perhaps this was to lessen the load on the circuits, or just how it worked out.
Not sure but I'm sure someone here knows exactly how to wire them in.

I think it's a good feature too frankly, to have them blink. Since we don't have the modern signals that most do now that show from the side, it's a nice little modernization.

Paul

 

[Scoop]

I'm in this boat right now. I'm putting new quarters and fenders on my 74. Neither are cut for lights now. I'm really tempted to leave them off.

I left them off my 76 when I went to fiberglass body panels. I like the clean look.