[Dunno best place to park this thread...but seems "best-viewed" in S2000 Talk]

Disclaimer: I do NOT suggest that this "stealth mod" will make your clear corners effort "legal" (that varies state-to-state so check with your own state code). But it certainly makes our cleared corners look even crisper. And it does so while still allowing you to have an amber turning indicator at the front of your car

Thread title says it all. I've been clearing corners for quite some time now both as my own service for locals and as contracted by Rick's Signature Accessories. During these many clearings, I've come to realize folks like to retain "amber actuation" for their turnsignals after having cleared their corners. So I thought I'd post this thread for others benefit .

So, what do you get when you clear corners? Well, you have some non-amber diffuser (or no diffuser for some folks likes), and the OEM turnsignal bulb behind the removed/replaced diffuser is clear. Hmmmm...what to do? Well, there are a few choices to consider after having gone through the effort to replace the diffusers. First off, and easiest, just go purchase some APC replacement bulbs from Pep Boys, Auto Zone, etc. Swap clear OEM bulbs for the replaced Amber bulbs. Now I said that's easiest. Is it "best?" Well, that depends on your point of view. IMO, the amber bulbs fill up the reflector dish behind the cleared/removed diffuser and your corners kinda look amber all over again . That wasn't exactly your intent, now was it? .

So alternative? Mask the bulb and spray paint it with Hi-Temp aluminum paint. Pics below should take you through the process quite easily . BTW, it is recommended that you reduce the stickiness of the masking tape by sticking the tape to your shirt/pants a couple times first. Just need to mask...not to stick to kingdom come! And know from my experience here...masking tape applied that is too sticky will pull the amber coating off of APC's amber replacement bulbs when you remove the tape at the end of the process. So reduce the tackiness. Got it?

Best of luck. Oh...and if you cannot find the APC ambers bulbs in your neck of the woods...consider using an orange Sharpie. Not a terrible alternative .

Okay...on to the pics!!!





References to "clock position" are asking you to imagine the front of the bulb as being the face of a clock .











At this point...it would be time to do the passenger's turnsignal bulb in similar fashion. Now I have not bothered to take pics of that effort. Suffice to say do the same thing...but in the case of the passenger's masking effort, begin the masking tape on the right side of the passenger's bulb beginning at "1 o'clock" (if you were to imagine the front of the bulb being the face of a clock) and cut the masking tape at 7 o'clock. Make sense?







Then peel off the tape and insert the bulbs back into their socket. Properly positioned, the driver's turnsignal bulb will have the amber (unmasked) portion "pointing" towards the center of the car once the bulb's wedge is inserted into its connection & that is twisted into place. Similarly, the passenger's turnsignal bulb will have the amber (unmasked) portion "pointing" towards the center of the car as well. In this way, from the front, and sides, you will be hard-pressed to see the bulb behind your cleared diffusers. But once the turn signal is actuated, the amber portion shines and reflects behind the diffuser wonderfully.





So best of luck to you should you desire to do this mod behind your cleared corners. I'm up for any questions you might have. Obviously, I realize there are folks that like to install Hyperwhites behind their diffusers, just leave the OEM clear turnsignal bulbs in, etc. That's fine. This thread is not for those interests. This thread is simply for those that want to retain an amber turnsignal indicator...but want the clear corners to look crisp when the turnsignal is not actuated.

Thanks

- Dave

 

My clock is digital.

J/K. Great write up, mabey Rick should start selling these pre-painted as an option. Thanks for the info:

(Free Bump)

 

FYI,

The 350Z has these amber bulbs as well. S2KA first found these since the APC bulbs are hard to find. I believe the part number is 26261-89969.

 

One could definitely save a few $$ by following this method instead of buying the Philliips Silver Vision bulbs. Thanks for the how-to, Dave.

 

i remember reading in like import tuner or some audio mag that Audi was makeing some bulbs that were clear when lit and blinked amber when you hit the turn signal... well im pretty sure it was Audi, but have never heard/saw any thing about this since then

 

just looking for those audi bulbs and came across this....

silver bulbs

 

Thanks...but I'm afraid I don't go through all this trouble just to save $$$ or something. The "wedge" on that Sylvania isn't the same as the wedge of our turn signal bulb. No-can-fit. Sorry, but unless you intend on rewiring the wedge connectors, finding a way to make the "new" connector *mate* to the access hole (nibs/slits), etc., the Sylvanias won't fit. And even then, I strongly suspect the Sylvania is a larger diameter bulb than the OEM turnsignal bulb...and the OEM bulb "just fits" into the access hole behind the diffuser.

Its an excellent product/idea that, similar to the advertisement, many cars are going to...but unfortunately, no one has marketed one yet for our particular wedge...yet .

- Dave

 

Great write up Dave!

If you remember when you cleared my corners we started our paint experiments thinking that a "light" coat of paint would allow the light to pass through and the bulb would glow amber. NOT. Couldn't get a light enough coat of paint that knocked the bulb color out when not lit. We used Goof Off to clean the paint from the bulb between attempts. Giving up on that process we then went to masking.

Our masking wasn't quite in the right places and I found that even when the paint dried, I could wet a rag with Goof Off and "erase" the paint with it in selected places. Just a little trick for folks to keep in mind.

 

Disclaimer: I'm referring to california laws for this post so it will vary from state to state but many states will have the same laws.

Getting amber bulbs doesn't make it "legal" though.

The clear corner mod removes the amber reflector which is also legally your front sidemarker. (The thing on your fender is referred to as the side-repeater for it only lights up with the turn signals and not when the parking lights are on).

Since there isn't an amber reflector on the front of the car, it's "illegal" (reason: people need to see your car when it's parked).

Remember that within that housing there are two bulbs, there's a 168/194 that comes on with your parking lights, and a 7440 that's for the turn signal.

In order to make this semi-legal, you would want to be replacing the 168/194 with an orange bulb, NOT the turn signal. But again as I said before, without the amber reflector it's still "illegal".

Another thing, the turn signals don't have to be "amber" in front. The front turn signals can be from white to amber. Just like the rears can be amber or red, but no white in the rears. So it IS legal to have white turn signals in front.

Last thing: I'm not here to flame up your post w1ngman. I did this mod to my prelude's sidemarkers because I wanted to have them light up yellow but still look "clear" so I painted them silver. And it's still illegal for me since I don't have an amber reflector in front.

Anyway I just wanted to clear that up and if anyone has any arguments with this please feel free to reply.


edit: another useless note: my dad's s2k has cleared corners too

 

I've considered this as a likelihood as well. I look at car after car after car on the road and there are literally NONE that have no amber up front (unless they have been modified). I'm editing my post to remove the suggestion that performing this mod will make your car "legal" as I agree, that upon state inspection (or a cop pull-over) it is entirely possible, based on the state, that performing this "stealth mod" will not otherwise make your car "legal." It IS my own personal opinion (and put into action with The Bruised Banana ), that going to the effort to retain an amber turning indicator can only "diffuse" (get it?...diffuse? ) any effort by a police officer to have issue with my cleared corners.

Thanks for that clarification .

- Dave