pre-porkpie rear lights function

[JonE]

Looking at the "little" barrel-shaped rear lights and pre-1930 wiring diagrams, some appear to be twin filament but I presume with no brake light function.

Do people convert these for modern brake light use... and if so, how?

[Rick F]

Looking at the "little" barrel-shaped rear lights and pre-1930 wiring diagrams, some appear to be twin filament but I presume with no brake light function.

Do people convert these for modern brake light use... and if so, how?

I have them on my '29 Special. More years ago than I can remember I obtained a pair of nice brass twin filament/offset pin bulb holders and fitted them in the base plates - I cannot remember where they came from, but it was probably a good old-fashioned "proper" scrap-yard. The installation was straightforward and the brake light runs via the conventional later switch (Seven Workshop) attached to the brake adjuster rod.

Initially I ran the car with conventional filament lamps, but have since converted to LEDs. The lamps have the original small lenses, but with the LEDs behind them show up well.

[JonE]

Perfect answer thanks! Did you have any issue with height of led - I presume its just a conventional 'bulb' (sic) rather than a little light board?

[Rick F]

The LEDs are a direct replacement for BAY15D 21/5W offset pin bulbs - available from Peter at CDRC Ltd (see Cherished Suppliers page), Took all of five minutes to fit!

[Stuart Joseph]

Good evening all. I have had many CAV & Lucas AT201 rear lamps, some fitted with single contact bulb holders and some with double. I have always believed that cars fitted with these lamps did not have brake lights (did the RN - over to you Dave Mann?) and the double contact was for live and earth whereas the single contact was earthed through the bulb's metalwork.
I have bought double contact bulb holders from some of the auto electrical suppliers but I have had to enlarge the hole in the AT's body.

Regards from the creative county - Staffordshire

Stuart

[Mike Costigan]

I agree, Stuart; I don't believe the AT201 was fitted to any car with brake lights. Single filament double contact bulbs were the norm certainly well in to 1931. I think the single contact fitting dates from 1932 at the earliest, possibly 1933; brake lights were introduce in October 1933 when the lamp unit was changed to the larger 4" diameter (BG197 in the Parts List), which I think took two separate bulbs rather than a single double filament bulb.

[Tony Press]

I agree, Stuart; I don't believe the AT201 was fitted to any car with brake lights. Single filament double contact bulbs were the norm certainly well in to 1931. I think the single contact fitting dates from 1932 at the earliest, possibly 1933; brake lights were introduce in October 1933 when the lamp unit was changed to the larger 4" diameter (BG197 in the Parts List), which I think took two separate bulbs rather than a single double filament bulb.

Or buy a reproduction Lucas AT201 from Paul Beck, take out the plastic lens assembly and replace it with the original faceted red glass and plastic side light.

These have a two pin socket and correctly wired provide stop and tail lamp with the appropriate 6 volt 5 / 18 watt bulb.

Cheers, Tony.

[JonE]

I agree, Stuart; I don't believe the AT201 was fitted to any car with brake lights. Single filament double contact bulbs were the norm certainly well in to 1931. I think the single contact fitting dates from 1932 at the earliest, possibly 1933; brake lights were introduce in October 1933 when the lamp unit was changed to the larger 4" diameter (BG197 in the Parts List), which I think took two separate bulbs rather than a single double filament bulb.

Or buy a reproduction Lucas AT201 from Paul Beck, take out the plastic lens assembly and replace it with the original faceted red glass and plastic side light.

These have a two pin socket and correctly wired provide stop and tail lamp with the appropriate 6 volt 5 / 18 watt bulb.

Cheers, Tony.

good thinking! I'm presuming by repro AT201 you might mean the "better visibility" version here ?https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/products/288-container-rear-lamp-type-l582... do I assume that the top of an old one will screw onto where the plastic top comes off? Those ones do seem sensible but destroy the vintage look.


I'm still sure how many undertake the brake light conversion on pre'31 cars i.e. is it generally seen as unnecessary because we shouldn't really be using brakes where at all possible?!

[Tony Press]

I agree, Stuart; I don't believe the AT201 was fitted to any car with brake lights. Single filament double contact bulbs were the norm certainly well in to 1931. I think the single contact fitting dates from 1932 at the earliest, possibly 1933; brake lights were introduce in October 1933 when the lamp unit was changed to the larger 4" diameter (BG197 in the Parts List), which I think took two separate bulbs rather than a single double filament bulb.

Or buy a reproduction Lucas AT201 from Paul Beck, take out the plastic lens assembly and replace it with the original faceted red glass and plastic side light.

These have a two pin socket and correctly wired provide stop and tail lamp with the appropriate 6 volt 5 / 18 watt bulb.

Cheers, Tony.

good thinking! I'm presuming by repro AT201 you might mean the "better visibility" version here ?https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/products/288-container-rear-lamp-type-l582... do I assume that the top of an old one will screw onto where the plastic top comes off? Those ones do seem sensible but destroy the vintage look.


I'm still sure how many undertake the brake light conversion on pre'31 cars i.e. is it generally seen as unnecessary because we shouldn't really be using brakes where at all possible?!

No - Rear Lamp 288a - https://www.vintagecarparts.co.uk/produc...-rear-lamp

This is very similar to the original with out that big plastic lens.

Tony.

[Rick F]

There are some "original features" that have to be sacrificed for the sake of safe driving - and period lighting, or rather the lack of it, is one of them.

Personally I would not dream of taking any old car out onto today's roads WITHOUT a pair of brake lights. It's bad enough expecting today's motorist to interpret a waived arm as a signal indicating a change of direction without having them shunt you up the hacienda because they didn't see your non-existent brake lights.