VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Turn Signals - 6 Volt

I finally got my turn signal all hooked up and have a problem. Everything works, both right and left, front and back, but only the Right Brake light comes on. It appears to me it must be in the turn signal controls ? This is on a 1940 Chevrolet 2 Door Town Sedan. Any Ideas would be welcome.....
Thanks...
Wes Marquis

I bought a 7 wire turnsignal kit from Chev's of the 40's. The power to the brake lights is supplied through the wiring in the turn signal. If you have both left and right rear turn signals working and one of the brake lights working, it would seem to me that you have a defective turn signal unit.

That's my two cents worth.

Rich

Thanks Richk, That's what I think and it's a seven wire from Chev's of the 40's.

Wes Marquis

I agree, I think you have a bad control unit.

Hi All, Okay, I must have missed this memo, Big Time! When did the law's change,if they did, requiring turn signals on all older cars?? And, which, turn signal unit, would be the better one to put on my 37 MD? Thank's,
_________________________________
Joe's 37

The signal laws are different for every state. In some states the hand signals are grandfathered in for older cars but they ae no longer practicle or safe.

If original appearence is not necessary I would suggest installing seperate lights front and rear on your 1937. Unless you installed diode type tail lights the 1937 tail lights just don't show-up during the day. The alternative in the front would be to install a pair of amber fog lights and use them for siginals.

Thanks for the response and just to close the loop, I just talked to Chev's of the 40's and they are sending me a new unit free of charge. I hope this one is not defective...

Wes Marquis

Joe,

I don't know about Wisconsin, but in Colorado, they are not required, nor are seat belts, even though we have a seat belt law. The way it works here is that if it was not required when the car was manufactured, you don't need them. However, I have turn signals and three point belts in the front and two point belts in the rear. It just makes good sense to me, besides, my wife would not ride in the car until I got the belts installed.

The turn signal unit I installed was a snap. I have the same type of car you have. I used the parking lights mounted on the fenders for the front and only had to add one wire to the rear to complete the setup. I noticed in the picture of your car that you don't have the lights on the fenders, but you can still use the parking lights in the headlights for the signal lights.
Rich

Hi Rich & Gene, Thanks for the reply's. I did some asking around at our Wisconsin DMV today, and they said basically what you just told me Rich. But when the kids take their road test here, they are required to do the hand signals on their road test. What type of turn signal unit did you install Rich,7 Wire? I just got the park lights. But, it will have to wait until spring before I get them on. Rich, will I have to get a different bulb sockets for the park lights, and tail lights? Also, did you find those 3 point seat belts at chevys of the 40s? Thanks, Joe.

From my experiance the accessory front fender lights make very poor turn signals. I installed double contact sockets in mine and 1154 bulbs. I used the 21 candle power filament in the bulb for the turn signals and they were next to impossible to see in daylight. Then I switched to the fog light style and there is no doubt as to when they flash, day or night.
There again, I would advise anyone that has installed turn signals (or just their brake lights) to see how visable they are in the sunlight. You may be surprised.

I used the fog lights for the signals on mine too. Boy, those things are bright!

Gene, Right now I have a pair of, B-L-C 5-3/4" seal beam fogs, on my car. At the moment, their both burnt out! Do you know where I can pick up a pair? This sounds like a better idea for turn signals. Or do you have to have, bulb type fogs, for this to work? Thanks,
____________________________-
Joe's 37

Joe,
I have sealed beams and one was burned out and I got a new one at Parts America. Mine work fine with the sealed beams. I did wonder about that but they work fine. I just took the old light with me and they could still cross the numbers.

The fog lights I have are the correct 1939 lamps. They are bascially the same as the 1937-38 Chevrolet (Guide) fog lights. For some strange reason Guide used double filament head light bulbs in them and only the upper beam filament was used for the fog lamp. The wire to the low beam filament is not connected but the wire on the back of the socket. I used that low beam not hooked up filament for the directionals I have the 32 candle power now for the fog, as original, and the 21 candle power filament for the directional. This way I have use of the fog also.
The point being the flasher is designed to work with tow 21 CP buls (one front and one rear).I don't know what the sealed beam candle power would be (probalby 32 CP) and may make the flasher speed a little slow.
I have 2 BLC lamps as you have (not on a car). One has a clear sealed beam and my father had the lamp on his 1942 and later I had it on my 1941 (55 years ago)....A few years back I bought a lamp just like it at a swap meet but it has an amber sealed beam. That lamp I would sell. I may also have just a sealed beam laying around, will have to check it out.

Joe,

I too have the Chev's of the 40's 7 wire turn signal unit. I don't know what type of bulb I am using, but they are bright enough even in daylight.

As to seat belts, I bought them on eBay. When I had the interior out of the car, I modified the top attachment point so I could attach it to the pillar betweem tht front and rear doors. It was not very hard. To install the belt attachment points under the car, I just drilled at the appropriate location and then installed a piece of 1-1/2" x 1/8" steel strap about 2 feet long. For the side attachment points, I was able to use a frame bolt in four locations.

I don't recall what brand my fog lights are but they are not guide, so they only have 1 filament and I only use them for the turn signals. They don't seem too fast, actually about right. Gene has the ideal set up, I wish I had a set of original guides like that.

ED, are you using 6 or 12 volt fog lights? Thanks,
___________________________
Joe's 37

Rich, If your bulbs are that bright, I wonder if their either #1154's or halegen's. How did you wire up your two wire park lights? Ive yet to install mine. Waitin, for warmer weather! Thank's for the info Rich, Joe.

Have you tried your local NAPA store? I have found a lot of common stuff there for older cars. Beamer

Joe,
Mine are 6 volt amber fog lights.

Joe,

They are not halogen bulbs. I just don't remember what they are.

They are a snap to wire. Just connect the wires from the new "parking lights" to the wires for the left and right front turn signals. It is very straight forward.

The instructions on the turn signal kit are easy to follow.

Rich

Thanks guys, for the info. As far as the Napa stores up here go, I swear their on the tail end of the store chain. They almost never have what I need. But I will look around for the fog lights this week.
____________________________
Joe's 37

Gene, If you have those amber seal beams {5 3/4"}, Id be interested in them! Please send a PM if you want to sell. Thanks, Joe.

Hi to all, Does any body know what other bulbs will fit into the sockets on the accessory park lights, other than the 1154s?. The reason I ask is because, when I changed from the 12 volt bulb to 6 volt 1154 bulb, duel filament, the bulb itself seems to be to big, or long, that it hits on the glass lens where you cant put it back together. Maybe I'll have to change the socket and the bulb type. Any body have an idea about this? Thanks,
___________________________________
Joe's 37

Got It!! Was able to gently tap the bulb socket back further, in the metal reflector, to let the #1154 bulb clear the lens once it's back together.
____________________________
Joe's 37