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Fender top directional

68R/T

68R/T

I got drunk and swallowed my teeth, now
After re-assembling my '68 SeeDan it was found that I need new bulbs for the fender top directionals. Someone on ebay is selling them for $20 a pair and new lenses for $54, which I find absurd. [smilie=2:

I'm hoping that just maybe..........someone may have some in their stash that they may be willing to part with. According to my research this style was only used on '68 Cudas & Coronets. (and some early '69 Coronets.

This is the style that I'm looking for, if all you have is the bulb assembly, that's fine;

[ATTACH]16259._xfImport[/ATTACH]
 
I know back when I restored my 68 Coronet rag I could not find good working fender turn signals. I had decent housings I got rechromed...but eventually modified a set of fender indicator lenses from a 73 mopar. Had to hand file down the lenses tofit the housing...then open up the fender opening a tad...then make a small braket to use the stock studs and hold the new guts up in the housings. Worked out pretty good...you couldn't tell that they were no original...since they mount up behind those inner splash shields.
 
I thought just the bulbs were replaceable on those. The brass threaded bases are the same as what's on the hood signals from that '71 Sport Fury hood I had. I haven't monkeyed with them yet, but I know the local CarQuest has quite an assortment of tiny bulbs like that. Some of them have been there since before I started there in '87.
 
Problem with them is not the fact you can't replace the bulbs...it's getting them apart to do so. I have had a few sets in the past, and not one of them came apart cleanly...hence the reason for my adaption. ;) The dirt and grim gets up and in the threads, and the plastic lenses get very brittle. By the time I applied a bit of torque to the bases the lens would usually crack, or the plastic threads would crumble.
 
Maybe that's why there's so many of those small bulbs that have been in stock for 30 years. :D
 
I know I have the bulbs. I will have to look into lenses, I might have a set from a '72 charger if they will work for you. I will dig for them this weekend.
 
thrashingcows said:
Problem with them is not the fact you can't replace the bulbs...it's getting them apart to do so. I have had a few sets in the past, and not one of them came apart cleanly...hence the reason for my adaption. ;) The dirt and grim gets up and in the threads, and the plastic lenses get very brittle. By the time I applied a bit of torque to the bases the lens would usually crack, or the plastic threads would crumble.
Click to expand...

I can get them disassembled to the point of removing the bulbs & lenses, but I can't get the bulbs out of the lenses. I have a good collection of many different size bulbs that I could probably adapt but I need to find some amber plastic to make lenses. :hmmm:
 
I noticed that the ones on my waGOON are styled very similar to the '68 'Nets. Figuring I could maybe adapt bulbs & lenses from a Volare/Aspen set, I went ebay shopping. It seems that the Volare/aspen sets are even more rare. :doh:
 
Let me get some close measurements to make sure that I can make the insides work......[smilie=g:
 
If they'll work I'm pretty sure I have a decent set you can have.


On another point, DCF I found those centers again, I have your addy and I'll toss them in the mail Mon or Tues.
 
Diplomat_Wagon said:
You don't mean these ones do you?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-Fender-Turn-Signals-/171095586283



If so how many do you want? :D
Click to expand...

After precise measurement :toot: it has been determined that the AspVolare ones are about 1/8" wider. Without disassembly it looks like it should be pretty simple to adapt. :hmmm:

If you can spare a couple with working bulbs I will pay you highly. :liar:


GyratingBovine said:
Wish I had done this mod when digital cameras were around....would have taken lots of photos of what I did.
Click to expand...


No need to fret, if Dippy sends me a couple I will document the modifications. :shifty:
 
Now from what I can remember you obviously have to file down the lens to fit within the housing. Then I think I had to cut and trim the gasket/bulb socket....they are all one piece if I remember correctly..and originally go on top of the fender and the chrome housing screws down over top. This is where the little bracket came in. I kept the original housing and gasket for on top of the fender...then used longer screws so I could make a small sheet metal bracket that would slide over both studs, and then had a hole in the middle to allow the wire to slip through, and just small enough to grab the body of the light socket and keep bulb and socket up inside the lens.
 
and this right here is why i LOVE the way caddy did it...they had fiber optics that ran to the headlight low headlight high and turn signal...in the rear there was one on the rear shelf with 2 optics to the tail lights.....simple and impossible to go bad unless something chewed the optics
 
here are a couple pics of what I have, if they will work for you PM me an address and I'll send them off to you with a couple bulbs.20130811_122645.jpg20130811_122654.jpg20130811_122706.jpg20130811_122713.jpg
 
I'm pretty sure that I could make the lenses work but the problem lies with those bulbs. Mine are some oddball screw-on base. Those appear to be standard push-in's. I would need to fabricate something to hold the sockets & bulbs in place. :hmmm:
 
Do you know what the bulb number is? have a bunch of old stuff that came from a closed auto parts store.
 
68R/T said:
I'm pretty sure that I could make the lenses work but the problem lies with those bulbs. Mine are some oddball screw-on base. Those appear to be standard push-in's. I would need to fabricate something to hold the sockets & bulbs in place. :hmmm:
Click to expand...

That's why you need the black gasket/bulb socket assembly as well. Then you could do the modification.
 
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