ToplessZ Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 Leaves the back looking a little naked maybe if they were placed higher... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 How about the sequential taillights from a late 60's Cougar? You know the ones that had 3 lenses and blinked from the middle to the outsides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Posted July 23, 2002 Share Posted July 23, 2002 ToplessZ, looking "naked" is fitting with your screen name. I agree though, not enough detail that makes the eye linger and wander as if looking at that Ferrari previously posted. I posted some pix in my thread but I think we're overloading this with pictures??? Right click on mine and you should be able to get the properties, copy the web address and paste into another browser address bar. Owen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueovalz Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Eric brought out some good points on developing a well-rounded rear end (not like my wife's). His Saleen example it wonderful. Unfortunately, it is truly a mid-engine design, and as stated, form follows function well in his example. With the Z, to place some 3d horizontally oriented articles on the rear will enhance its proportions, but my concern would be at what point does it portend to be something that it is not. Attached is a photo of a Mustang rear end I made back in '82. I used Ford truck lights turned sideways, and tinted the reverse light lenses red (the top and side curvature of these lenses matched well with the profile of the rear panel). Then I used aluminum 1" slats (A/C building vent duct cover) for the bottom part of the rear (painted flat gunmetal gray) to take up some space, and again emphasize the horizontal aspect (being the integrated spoiler AND the vertical stripes made the rear look taller and narrower). These vents resembled the venting used on some mid or rear engined cars, but being it is not such, I was a bit concerned that I was drifting away from a concept I strictly believe in, and that is form should follow function. Very rarely will one be criticized for too many functional exterior amenities, but frequently one will be criticized for a few none functional ones. One more thing to add before I terminate this long post is the effect of any graphics or paint on an otherwise plain panel. Applied correctly, lines and colors of choice can be used to eliminate large broad and undeveloped areas on a car, and in this case, the rear panel. Even the simple task of insetting the light "panel" instead of making it flush with the rest of the rear panels will greatly enhance the cause of breaking up this large area into 3 (if you use a spoiler) or 2 distinct horizontally oriented panels (no spoiler). Then you can work on each panel to find what can fit in them correctly to break them up functionally (exhaust, lights, plate, aesthetic grill of some sort, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LT4Justin Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 Well, after spending hours scouring the net, I've finally found what kind of tail lights I'm going to go with on my 71... The size and shape are scaled almost perfectly for the S30 body... although the style is a little antiquated, I still think it wouldn't clash too terribly with a slightly modernized Z. I'm not sure how much fabrication work will be required, but I think they'll fit into the stock ight panel without too much customization needed... so what're your guys opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 ProfessorRog or ZERO I love the work you've both put up under this topic. I'm in the middle of my convert. convertion on my 83 and have always pictured my 280 with the same rear end as the 2001 vet C-7? My girlfriend just got me the Adobe 7.0,but I'm not yet familiar enough with it to make anyting worth while. Is there any way I could con one (or both) of you into puting up something like this for me so I can get a better minds eye? Professor, I realy liked the last pic you posted. the shape of the rear was exactly what I want,but with the slots on the bottom left and right hand sides like the new vets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 LT4Justin, "you're a goddamned genius!" (To quote one of my all time favorite movies!) I laughed when I saw that! I must say I feel much like your comment, although I'm not sure if you were just joking or felt its alright to leave the stock taillights be...mods are cool too though! Terry and Eric, your discussion of breaking up the rear of the car, the need for horizontal "features", etc. rings true for me. Eric, I'd really like to see some sketches of this triangular layout of round lights. Sounds interesting. At the MD Z club cruise-in I attended this past weekend with my car (first time the club had ever seen it), the president of the club - someone who absolutely LOVES stock Zs - was complimenting my choice of painting the rear filler taillight surround panels the same color as the car. He said he'd been suggesting that to owners for years and really liked the look. That's kind of different than ADDING things to break up the back end, although the undulations of the panel do that well enough, as does my diminutive bumper, even though it's body color. I just thought it was interesting that someone who is very into STOCK Z's liked that "updating" touch on the rear panel and it kind of fits in with some of the rear styling topics being discussed in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ProfessorRog Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 well I figured since most ppl arent going to have as modified of a rear end as that guy I'd change my idea up a bit and put it on the back of Dan's car, oh i changed the color also http://www.geocities.com/the1professorrog/Car.html lemme know if the link doesnt work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ProfessorRog Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 ok try this one out or the link http://www.nmesoft.com/temp/280z/idea1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ProfessorRog Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 carl i just banged this out, lemme know if its what you were thinking of, its the same link i just added the vetteZ pic http://www.geocities.com/the1professorrog/Car.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 That is sweet, too bad Pierre didn't think of it when he built his car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 ProfessorRog YES!!!!!! Thats exactly what I wanted. I knew it would look good,but I just couldn't get it to scale in my mind. If thats what you come up with just "banging something together",its scarry to think what could happen if you took your time. Zero, I'd love to see your pic,but your link isn't working. Could you try that one more time? Thanks again, Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gprix1 Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 About a week ago Dan Judy was talking to me about Rav4 tail-lights. He was trying to describe them but I just couldn't really picture it. Well since then I've seen some on the road and it is starting to grow on me. The shape looks perfect for a Z. This is a 2K model, I think the '99 model is the same. Anyone want to try that with Photoshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ProfessorRog Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 well, i could probably slap different tail lights in there all day but it wont be true to life unless i can find something with the same proportions in both pictures, e.g. some tail lights may look like they fit perfectly but in reality may be bigger or smaller and not exactly what you were expecting if i had dimensions i could probably swap em in there and have em look about the same as they would in reality, otherwise im just eyeing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ProfessorRog Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 i kinda like those rav4 lights though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Credit where credit is due. Ernie, a.k.a. RacerX, first proffered the idea of the Rav4 taillights to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratedZ Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Until after reading this thread I had no plans modifying my tail lights as I'm quite satisfied with it's looks not to mention the difficulty level of this mod kind of scares me. BUT I'm totally digging the round look....it just looks at home with the Z's body lines. Hmm...this will be something I will be pondering about. In the mean time check out http://members.tripod.com/zphreek/id33.htm Maybe a cheap alternative? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleek Z Posted July 25, 2002 Author Share Posted July 25, 2002 The joint's been jump'in around here the past several days, both with part out and shipping duties as well as a steady stream of ideas and comments coming in about this tail light discussion. In response, I have been working on developing a series of S30 rear view templates made up of over 10 "what-if" layers of details in Adobe Illustrator that I hope to post up to my website for others to use as background templates for their own design and what if thinking. Hopefully, 6-10 templates will be published this evening. Yesterday, Hoover (wild IMSA 550 hp L6 turbo & Prima Donna fame) stopped by to measure up my Fairlady ZG for his newly purchased Fairlady external mirrors and we and another HybridZ member worked over some ideas and shot the sh*t for a good time. Today, Dan Juday stopped by to review all the tail light templates and experimental ideas I have been working on and to debate where to draw the line on custom tail light efforts. I made my case again for "renewing efforts to "think outside the box" more when designing custom tail lights and about turning more toward building them from scratch as opposed to looking for other models to swap from. Look for more "hot and bothered" Dan Juday posts on subject after a few days go by, MAYBE?? Dan?? Terry Oxandale has been sketching out some new thinking and has sent me some samples that we both may refine a little more and publish at his site or mine after concepts stablize on some practical themes. I'll try to have the templates up tonight and maybe some other crude designs of my own to show Pete and company if time allows. QUESTION: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted July 26, 2002 Share Posted July 26, 2002 Don't get me wrong Eric, I'm not dismissing your concepts on making fully custom taillights as opposed to adapting lights from another car. It's just a far greater degree of difficulty. Now you not only need to be a designer/artist in metal (or fiberglass, or both). Now you need to be able to do all that plus form plastic, understand light refraction, get DOT approval.... It's all fine and dandy to brainstorm about working without boundaries, Horatio. But for those of us that are actually going to attempt this we have to be realistic. What can a fully employed husband with two kids and no time on a limited budget do with the parts that are available? Personally, I think one can do a quite nice job with some of the off-the-shelf lights that are out there in the yards. After all this is "Hybrid"Z not "Made From Scratch"Z. Our cars are full parts from other cars. That's the spirit here, "Will it fit, is it better, is it cool?" There are very few here like Terry O that can design and build a beautiful fender from nothing but glass and resin. The rest of us are hackers trying our best to make good choices and hoping to get lucky. Well, my "items" arrived today. If I think I got lucky I'll post some pics in the near future. Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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