What Tail lights Would Work on a 240Z ?

[Dan Juday]

I plan on running NO side marker lights. However, if the law insists I too have been eyeing oval lights. One interresting shape is on the new ford full size trucks with duels. The duel fender extentions have these cute little oval marker lights. They are the same shape and come in both red and amber.

[Guest gprix1]

And yet another idea:

http://dragonmotorcars.com/order_form.html

[spotfitz]

Is it me or are parts of the pic "enhanced".

Not that I don't like the rear tail light treatment, but something about the pic seems off.

I have been watching this post since the beginning and am intrigued by some of the ideas represented and have considered some ideas in the past, not realizing some of the scope that maybe required for such an adventure. I hope to post some of my own ideas in the near future with autocad, if some are familiar. Thanks for bring up such a subject, Sleek Z. I watch with admiration.

 

Hidden in the background and observing...

[Sleek Z]

I've been looking at side light markers. I want a flush, sharp oval shape, that would look good with the lines of a 240Z, and offer low wind resistance. I'm going for the smooth look. -geotek

GeoTek

 

I agree with you that such ovals, if in proper scale might work well as flush marker lights. I've entertained the same line of thinking several times myself. However, ovals could also fight the visual lines of the 240Z if their curves do not match the roof and fender/cone lines harmoniously. Too large or too small could also be awkard. Seems to me that side marker lights and rear tail lights, both carrying an oval theme might work even better to tie a new, updated theme together. Add oval tail pipes and maybe that would also work if in just the right scale and spatial balance can be maintained but it could get very "oval cluttered" as well.

 

The one thing I'd be cautious of would be of getting too carried away with ovals or round lights to the point that necessary visual counter point details, such as rectangles and squared off detalisl are erased that might be necessary to give S30 body look finished balance. Nissan's 70's look of squared off bumper tip ends and rectangle marker lights being examples of the design sense in vogue in those days that reflects that type of thinking.

__________________

 

Owen,

 

Good job on those red panel and tail light overlays. Pretty good tinting over the silver. Nice to see those kind of subtle experiments in "what if?"

 

What I like to do is start with a photo of a brightly painted , silver or white car, desaturate the paint selection and build up 10% to 40% color overlay fills to achieve a smooth credible paint look. You can also use PhotoShop's light effects tools in an adjustment layer above to enhance the glossy paint look even more.

[zero]

just saw this somewhere, they are lights from the japanese toyota chaser.

[Sleek Z]

ZERO,

 

That was an interesting find. Not too crazy about the large white back up lights on the top, but the whole tail llight swapped in pretty decently, it appears. Not many Chaser tail lights around here to find, but maybe a few of our fellow Hybridz'ers in Japan will have more to say or show?

 

 

For myself, my mind will not rest about several questions related to this thread. One thought I have about both new designs and construction techniques that might look good on S30 cars, while still managing to look fresh and updated, is concerned with utilizing correcly scaled and complimentary lens refraction patterns as a strong part of any custom tail light design.

 

Pretty hard to illustrate what I mean (I spent half a day of failure dinking around in Illustrator this morning), but today, I assembled a test web page layout that hopefully will fill up with many examples of non Z car tail light lens refraction patterns in the coming months. Now I need to start roaming around the Bay Area and junk yards with my camera to see if I can build up a pattern library suitable for both my visual thinking and hopefully, some of yours as well. If you want to take a peek at the type of ilbrary concept display I a working on please go to http://www.zparts.com/showcase/taillight_showcase/nonz_gallery/550h/TLsamp_91vw-81Isuzu.html

 

If any of you are keen on the potential of refraction patterns as part of the design and want to submit a few close up digital photos of what you find in your area, please send them to me at zcarphotos@attbi.com. One way to get good pattern photos is to have direct sun high over over your shoulder hitting a tail light refraction area at just the right angle and it will light up the whole pattern inside quite clearl without overlaying a lot of ugly sun light glare on the outside. Photos of internally lit up tail lights in shade aproximately 30-45 minutes before sunset also work out pretty good if lit area does not overexpose.

 

-- Sleek Z

[Boobala]

1995 Mazda MX6:

 

Depending on scale these might work. (with ther addition of backup lights)

[JoeinCA]

Dont let this thread die! I know there are alot of good ideas out there that can give alot of people new ideas at how to make thier car a one of a kind...

 

If only i were better with photoshop... i did something to my program so that every time i load an image it comes up almost completely black, except where the photo is overexposed...

 

any help? i have a wicked idea that i can't illustrate, it's annoying!

 

Anyways, keep up the good work guys, I think we are on the verge of finding a great way to add more class to our z's.

 

Have a nice day,

Joe

[blueovalz]

It's not fancy or elaborate, but it is what I spent the last week on.

[jeromio]

Kinda makes it look like a Maverick.

[Sleek Z]

joeinCA

 

Don't worry, The thread is not dead yet. I've been contacted by several around the country working on "surprise" solutions, some inexpensive, others, "sky's the limit" (I think he's serious 'cause his wife voted for the idea', but I'll let him speak for himself when he's ready). I think that now that so much discussion has occurred on the topic there are many now in their garages and/or in graphic programs trying to work up solutions, that they don't have time to post here. You know, "enough talk, more action" types of thinking. As i stressed to several Hybridz members wanting to start cutting and chopping instead of carefully planning out a strong design or plasible swap, "solid thinking, inspired designs,carefull preplanning, and liberal willingness to experiment ", usually lead to the best custom solutions in the end. Perhaps many ointerested in this topic are up to one or more of those actions at the moment?

 

 

For myself, I've started to investigate some fringe ideas related to this thread that have always been my pet interests. One is that of finding ways to reform tail light plastic or cast/forge my own with refraction patterns more appropriate to both the 30 year old S30 body design or flared Z and any custom tail light design that that particularly strike me as "YES". Not much to report yet, but I've published a first experiment that shows I have a long way to go. Links to my designs and experiments can found in my FIRST EXPERIMENTS section at ZPARTS.COM

 

Terry, you've already done quite a bit of work.. I wish I could quickly knock out a fiberglass panel idea like you have. Recessing into the panel certainly seems a wise direction. If you take a dead on rear shot back aprox 15-25 from rear and send it to me, I might be able to add some realistic paint color over lays with 3D lightting to enhance what you've achieved so far. If I get some time, I'll first try on the photo you have displayed here to see if it works.

 

I was wondering whether you've ever considered any kind of thin, (black?) horizontal gille-like panel stretching across the back tail light area with tail light cut outs sections similar to some exotics that could pickup on the vent and louver themes elsewhere on your car?

[blueovalz]

151 posts and still strong. Eric, here is the straight rear shot, but closer to the car than I think you can use. I'm still toying with this idea, and being I've not permanently changed anything significant on the back sheet metal, I can try different ideas. The grilled or textured panel is under consideration too, as is other things. But this was too easy (3 days worth of quick work) to make this, so it was too tempting to resist. I'm thinking of splitting the lights horizontally, of a grilled pattern on the panel, short vents, etc.

[Guest Big Phil]

Eric,

There is an article in one of my Street rod type magazines on how to bend your own taillight lenses using scrap material and a heat gun. I will dig thru my magazine collection, scan the article into my computer and email it to you. I'll be out of town until next Wednesday but I'll get it to you by next week.

Phil

[Owen]

Eric,

If you could post that article or email it to me, I would also be very interested in it.

 

As for the refraction patterns, I saw in some local store a lens repair sheet kit that had the patterns in them. Maybe this stuff can be plastic welded to the body of your custom lenses? I guess it would depend a lot on the shape though...

 

Owen

[tsumner]

Terry, That looks simular to my thoughts about the 67 camaro taillites . I think the camaro lights are 12-14 inches long,what are the dimensions of the lights you used? Thanks, Tom

[blueovalz]

12" X 4"

[Guest Aaron]

Terry, you are a magician with the glass.

 

I like the Toyota Chaser lights, however I wonder how they would fit/look if they were flipped over and swapped sides. That would place the point of the lights (currently at the inside bottom) at the inside top, and put the large clear section across the bottom. Possibly more pleasing to the eye.

 

I personally like the look of the late model Cadillac (Seville?) LED tail lights. From a distance, they appear to be a bank of tightly placed LEDs covered by a lens with no refraction pattern in it. I do not think the light as it is would look good on any generation Z; however, I would like to inspect the light bank to see if it could be trimmed/reshaped/added to. If so, it could be reshaped and a new colored cover made to fit whatever design is desired.

 

AN

 

P.S. Is this now the longest tread of all time?

[Owen]

AN,

I was thinking the same thing. The longest thread of all time! Or maybe there's a couple of L6 vs V8 bashing and thrashing threads that went on longer. Or maybe the pledge of allegiance thread???

 

Anyway, I like those newer Caddy lites too. Until I saw one with some blown LEDs, then it just looked like crap. I bet you have to replace an entire assy. just for one blown LED.

 

Owen

[spotfitz]

Just this morning I spotted a brand new Q35 infinity and it had some rather interesting rear led lights on it. The thing that doesn't help is they are rap-arounds, but after seeing some of Sleek Z's experiments, using these may be a possibility. The shape seems appealing to the eye, but how it would look on a Z remains to be seen.

[Sleek Z]

Big Phil,

 

I'd very much like to see that article on forming plastic taillights. By all means, please send it to me at eric@zparts.com If you xerox the text sections and mail them to me I might be able to OCR the article for my Tail Light Customizing archives and send a copy to Owen as well.

 

Terry, I've hacked away at "repainting" your rear view photo of your tail light section and found that I over estimated my Photosho skills in that dept. I am sending you my first experiments, but think I will have to trace your image in Illustrator first and then take it back into Photoshop to get the realistic shading and gloss paint finish I had hoped for.

 

Question: What types of businesses in a large city might sell medium sized (4' x3') steel sheet metal panels similar in grade & thickness to Z car body panels suitable for hammer shaping experiments? I want to buy a few if they aren't too costly just to play around with.

 

For the sake of just experiments, are there "grades" of panel steel that would "harden" less from hammer work and remain soft and pliable longer than others?

 

Any suggestions for types of steel panel or sources for such in the SF Bay Area would be appreciated.