Opening the Amber Turn Signal to make into white 4" foglights??

[paul.catherine]

Hi all,
I wanted to replace my Amber Hella Turn signals in the front into foglights and move the signaling to the front corner marker lights (probably keep those orange rather than goning clear, seems ok on a yellow GT)...

So I can likely figure out the wiring issues to move the blinkers to the corner (I have yet to find a thread on this, or a tipsheet?), but when I pulled the amber Hella from the front grill, I was stymied by the little rectangular metal keeper that hold the amber bulb/shell into the chromed ring frame - any trick to backing these press-ons off the little hold-in-place nibs around the glass' edge? They seem bent (pun intended) on staying well in place despite all sorts of screwdriver, knife and needle-noes prying... and I hate to clip off the nipple each are pressed on....

BTW, other than generic glass replacements to clear, are here any replacement recommendations? Even more cool would be if there were a two filament bulb where the bright filament could illuminate the fog, and the dimmer one could be "orange" and stay right there in the housing as a turn signal?

Thanks for any advice!

Paul
37 Yellow GT
Flagstaff AZ

[BQS4]

Paul;
You can go on the German Ebay and hopefully get a set of these:

Opel GT Zusatzscheinwerfer Original bei eBay.de: Oldtimer-Teile (endet 22.08.09 21:41:04 MESZ)
Which will end up being expensive, or I have heard that Harley Davidson has a light for their bikes that fits very closely into the bucket unit. Or you can pull the units and just put small round fog lights from HELLA, PIAA, CIBIE, MARSHALL, or whoever.
As for converting the side marker, or "banana" lights, that has been done by a couple of people.

[paul.catherine]

Thanks Gene - so I went across town to check out the Harley Store just now, and happened to pass a Checkers Auto, and whipped in for grins - and found 4-inch aftermarket halogens, so I'll try those in the GT's OEM rings (if I can get the little retention clip buggers loose from holding in the amber Hellas' lips...)

Thanks again!

Paul
73 Yellow GT
Flagstaff AZ

[ungermm]

[QUOTE=paul.catherine;199990]if I can get the little retention clip buggers loose from holding in the amber Hellas' lips...)

I know what you mean. Not really too though to get them off once you get the hang of it. The little rectangular metal clips are just pushed onto their post. To get them off you just rock them side to side with a couple small flat screwdrivers wedge beneath the clip and sort of walk them out of the post. Be patient, sometimes you can break one of the little clip wedges.
Jerry

[Redskinsjbs]

You could be patient, OR, you could go to the hardware store and buy 10 new ones before you start . . . then patience is no longer a factor!

[heimue]

Originally Posted by BQS4 Paul; You can go on the German Ebay and hopefully get a set of these: Opel GT Zusatzscheinwerfer Original bei eBay.de: Oldtimer-Teile (endet 22.08.09 21:41:04 MESZ) Which will end up being expensive, or I have heard that Harley Davidson has a light for their bikes that fits very closely into the bucket unit. Or you can pull the units and just put small round fog lights from HELLA, PIAA, CIBIE, MARSHALL, or whoever. As for converting the side marker, or "banana" lights, that has been done by a couple of people.

Every time the topic comes to this, I have to post my 0.02 to it. The German "additional lights" are NOT fog lights, and they are NOT "driving lights". They are HIGH BEAMS. Of course they fit the housings of US-GTs, but do not use them as your everyday driving lights. You will blind everybody in front of you, and the traffic on the oncoming lane, like with any other high beams you have.

Dieter

[paul.catherine]

Originally Posted by heimue Every time the topic comes to this, I have to post my 0.02 to it. The German "additional lights" are NOT fog lights, and they are NOT "driving lights". They are HIGH BEAMS. Of course they fit the housings of US-GTs, but do not use them as your everyday driving lights. You will blind everybody in front of you, and the traffic on the oncoming lane, like with any other high beams you have. Dieter

Fortunately I found 4" aftermarket Driving lights at a Checkers Auto store that went in well and look nice...

Thanks!
Paul

[paul.catherine]

Originally Posted by paul.catherine Fortunately I found 4" aftermarket Driving lights at a Checkers Auto store that went in well and look nice... Thanks! Paul

While I was there I also found some nice marker light options in LED lights... Having read a few threads about converting to LED tail lights around here, my eye was caught when at Checkers I saw a pair of submersible Boat Trailer all-in-one LED tail lights for ~$50....

After some Dremel-tooling I had two brilliant red tail lights (that have a running and stoplight option), and the red LED side markers built in to the boat lights, went into the red rear side markers on the GT.. and the white license plate LEDs in one the boat units went into the dome light inside the Opel, instead of using it as a license plate illuminator on the GT, since that would require two white LED sets... I thought of putting it in the backup light, but instead I put a small halogen in the backup lamp to get alot of aft lumens back there vice LEDs. The amber rear turn lights (and license plate lights mentioned) remain incandescent... for now... til I find orange boat lights ...

But not to stop there (how could I?!), I got a red LED underbody strip there too... so for $16, I now had red 3rd brakelights that sit perfectly on the upper interior black molding of the rear window, facing aft of course.

Then, since my new Halogen Drive lights stole the front turn signal location (though it looked cool when I plugged in the hazard blinker lines to the front new drive lights ... ), while at Checkers I also got 4 amber LED trailer markers, and after more Dremeling, and buying the Euro front amber marker covers for the GT, I put these 2 pair (10 bucks per or so) amber LEDs in up front - 2 pair per corner, one as running lights, and one as turn blinkers (having run the line up from the now-driving-light assemblies). It all is MUCH more visible - and very nice on the battery...

The best part was how much money I saved using boat trailer/marker kits and some "Dremelized plastic" a-flying... And the lights look great - alot more visible at the rear for sure!

...and the great wire that came with the boat kit serves now as wiring for other projects....

Paul
Flagstaff AZ
73 Yellow GT