Round Tail Lights for an S3
Discussion
I think the early Esprits had Fiat X1/9 tail lights with the change to Rover 3500 lights coming somewhere around S2. I always liked the Rover tail lights and thought it was clever they used them one way up on the Esprit and the other way up on the Excel! (The Stevens redesign had Toyota tail lights. They polished out both the word Toyota and the E-marks for North American cars but UK cars wore their Toyota lettering with pride!)
Personally I think the poorest Esprit tail of all is the very last model with round lights. However, the Corvette rears may work reasonably well on an S3 if you like that style. You need to be careful which generation of Vette you look at as the lighting has significant variations; in particular the cars have always been built for red indicators in USA and any amber euro indicators have been something of an afterthought. The Rover units contain a lot of lamps so you may find you need 6 Corvette lamps to cover everything, three on each side!
Personally I think the poorest Esprit tail of all is the very last model with round lights. However, the Corvette rears may work reasonably well on an S3 if you like that style. You need to be careful which generation of Vette you look at as the lighting has significant variations; in particular the cars have always been built for red indicators in USA and any amber euro indicators have been something of an afterthought. The Rover units contain a lot of lamps so you may find you need 6 Corvette lamps to cover everything, three on each side!
The lights are from a 90 Vette and I'm reworking the entire Rear Panel and Spoiler, not just fabricating Surrounds to cover over the holes.
There will be two lights per side, with a spacing of 50% of the diameter of one of the lights between them.
If you start playing with the original design on a computer and take it take it back to a Clean Slate, you quickly realize that Rear Panel Design has been made Excessively Busy in an attempt to Camoflauge the Ill Fit and MisMatch.
There will be two lights per side, with a spacing of 50% of the diameter of one of the lights between them.
If you start playing with the original design on a computer and take it take it back to a Clean Slate, you quickly realize that Rear Panel Design has been made Excessively Busy in an attempt to Camoflauge the Ill Fit and MisMatch.
you'll need: running lights, brake lights, turn indicators, and reverse lights. i'll assume the brake lights just brighten the running light. if you use superbright LEDs, instead of lenses; the turn indicators can double as reverse lights. just alternately tile the diodes and cap the whole mosaic with a clear fresnel lens.
Actually, one choice that I considered was the LED Light Kits they have for the 90 Vette...
I cancelled them off the list because I find them too bright and I'm trying to do the project in such a way as to leave a resonable doubt in the mind of those people uneducated on Lotus as to whether or not the lights are factory.
I just felt that the LED lights would scream "Kit Car"...
But you do bring up a good point...the entire lighting package, including Front and Side Markers, has to be changed.
Once again, the Front Bumper is being redesigned to have a Curved Face that will follow the Nose Piece and Spoiler.
Any suggestions on the appropriate Lights would be appreciated.
I cancelled them off the list because I find them too bright and I'm trying to do the project in such a way as to leave a resonable doubt in the mind of those people uneducated on Lotus as to whether or not the lights are factory.
I just felt that the LED lights would scream "Kit Car"...
But you do bring up a good point...the entire lighting package, including Front and Side Markers, has to be changed.
Once again, the Front Bumper is being redesigned to have a Curved Face that will follow the Nose Piece and Spoiler.
Any suggestions on the appropriate Lights would be appreciated.
One of the reasons that I chose the Vette lights was that they were Not Multifunctional.
Molding in a Seperate Back Up Light Recess into the area of the License Plate is not only easy, but I think it will look Cleaner and alot more OEM.
The License Plate Opening for the European Plates has alot of area and therefore creates alot of options.
I am now to find some lights that are Curved and will work in the Front Bumper.
Molding in a Seperate Back Up Light Recess into the area of the License Plate is not only easy, but I think it will look Cleaner and alot more OEM.
The License Plate Opening for the European Plates has alot of area and therefore creates alot of options.
I am now to find some lights that are Curved and will work in the Front Bumper.
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