$3.00 a piece 4 1/8 inch round tailights in GTO 250

[Guest Anonymous]

Nate and I picked up some 4 (+) inch round universal utility tailights with 3 wire pigtails for $3.00 a piece at a discount parts store.... Here is how we installed the lights. We used a "borrowed" 4 1/4 inch hole saw to cut the fiberglass in the (2 individual) GTO 250 rear panels. We made a cardboard template to fit in the rear panel recess of the Velo Rossa to locate the first outside tail light. When the likely position was found a 3/16 th hole was drilled thru the card board and thru the fiberglass. By flipping the template over for the opposite side, another 3/16 th hole was drilled for the opposite outside tailight. Then a straight edge (tape measure) was stretched from outside hole to outside hole to locate the inside tail lights 5 inchs inboard from the center of the outside pilot holes. The 4 1/4 hole saw's guide drill was placed in the holes so the saw was flush with the fiberglass panel to outline the 4 1/4 inches with a pen on the panel to double check the alignment. The holes were then drilled to accept the tailights. What is interesting, the card board tailight template that was made to fit the Velo Rossa recess also was a perfect match and fitted the Blue Ray/Stable Works rear panel recess. The 4 lights (2 on each side)look great in the rear panel and are in proportion to the rear section ( 3 on each side would be too many. The lights actually look very similar to later model Ferrari. I never cared much for the small red paired bullet shaped utility running lights attached to the rear of the original GTOs. The Blue Ray has a recessed license plate section and the Velo Rossa does not.Plans were to make some stainless steel trim rings but the lights will look good enough without the trim and a method is to be found to secure the lights from the inside.

[boatbum]

T-Z,

 

Great idea for the template! Are the lights the kind of trailer lights that have the black plastic trim rings on them?

 

Post a pic if you get a chance. I have been thinking about going with the bullet style lights but $12 is better than $140.

 

Teo

[Guest Anonymous]

The tail lights are the ones with the 'black rubber ring" but the 4 1/4 hole saw makes a precise circle so the ugly rings will not be needed to mount the lights. We have yet to figure out a method to secure the lights from the inside but that will not be a problem. If we can get organized to take pictures ..Wag Z has offered a website for us to post pictures. I was not thrilled with the prospects of these utility lights but at the price.They are basically self contained with sealed lenses/bulbs includind pigtail with ground that the whole unit is thrown away when the bulb burns out and everybody in the parts store business has them. We cut the holes in Nate's Velo Rossa first and I liked them so much that I did mine too. (LOL.. for some reason mine look better than his after completion)As an alternative to the RX 7 trunk hinges on the Velo Rossa, the (Triumph) TR3 trunk hinges have a real classic chrome sculpted look to them and can be purchased from Victoria British. The little bullet lights that came with my Blue Ray 250 kit were basically plastic lensed utility running lights as found on every freight truck on the Interstate(s).

[Guest nezzie76]

Couple of corrections. First of all we used a 4 and 1/4 in holesaw. Just wanted to clear that up in case somebody cut em wrong and came gunning for us !

Second of all, dude, mine look better ! Maybe I won't be known as the ghetto porsche now. I think ghetto ferrari sounds better anyways.

I'm going to see if I can borrow my roommates digital camera. Otherwise I can use the scanner I just got. Don't worry, we'll get some pics up soon.

I'm just kinda waiting to get some primer on so it won't look quite so ugly.

[Wagz]

Cool! Can't wait to see the pics. I still haven't figured out what I'm gonna do for tail lights on mine...

[SpeedRacer]

Lucas (the Prince of Darkness) makes turn, stop and tail lights that look a lot like the Ferrari ones. They are used on many Cobra and Sebring (Austin Healey) kits. They are not $3.00 but a lot less than the $140.00 for the real ones.

 

Here is a site that has some pics. http://www.cobraaccessories.com/f-catpg11D.htm