What is the story with blue dot tail lights? Have searched the sight and found nothing that explains the history of them?

 

Some unknown rodder back in the 40/50's drilled a hole in the middle of a tail light and stuck a blue piece of glass in there
The fight was on - For some reason Johnny Law took great exception to this practice and have been busting folks ever since - Some states even say "No Blue Dots"
What I've found for the most part is that unless you're doing something else to draw attention to yourself they will leave you alone (Haven't drive any during this recession, maybe an income maker)

 

"For some reason" -- it reduces the visibility of the brake lights about 50%. I almost rear-ended a real nice old car because of them, and I was paying attention. Nowadays they are just a cliche, IMO, like fake lakes pipes.

 

I think they're cool . i would get them .

 

I put bloe dots in my taillights. I didn't drill thelenses to install them. My lenses are glass.
I'm running a set of old Chrysler Town and Country taillights. The housings had a small round reflector above the lenses. the old reflectors were long gone and the blue dots were perfect for filling the hole.
I had to fab up an lamp socket behind them to light them up. Mine come on with the parking lights and not with the brake lights. You can kind of see them in this pic;


Bobby

 

Personally, I've never understood the fascination. I had one on my Harley taillight when I got it, and got rid of it almost immediately. I don't understand their attraction and I don't like the way they look. Why would you want to make a red light look blue? But that's just my opinion.

 

I have them on my 64 chevy c10,most people tell me they make the brake lights easier to see. I just thought they looked cool (20 years ago) and i am the only one around here running them.Plan on replacing them with leds someday though.

 

Since mine aren't part of the actual tailight/brake light they don't take away from the visuals of the brake light or make the brake light or tailight look blue.

For me, they work
Bobby

 

"Stupid is as stupid does" I guess. I run them in my 48 and like them. Early on they were banned because of state laws that forbid using any color (blue) that was associated with emergency vehicles.

Actually the lights glow purple from a distance as the red mixes with the blue...unless the bulb is directly behind the blue lens.

Visibility is a problem with these old vehicles with any light. Drivers today have come to expect the entire rear of a car/truck to become a lighted billboard when the brakes are applied, and have quit driving defensively.

I run 12V with 2357 bulbs inside white painted buckets for increased lumens and reflection. 6V with standard bulbs just isn't safe today with or without blue dots.

I also run a 10" LED third brakelight in the back window as a concession to the idiots on the road today.

edit: they're legal in Montana on period cars - we have a legislator who is a car guy and likes hotrods

Blue dots are part of automotive history. Run them or don't, just know the limitations of any system you use.

 

When I was a kid (right after the earth cooled ), I would see these all the time, especially out in the country. The blue dot changed the color of the taillight a little, but also created a blue ring around the reddish light from the taillight lens. I suppose that this ring is due to the higher frequency & greater range of the blue light.

You would normally see these only on the right side of older vehicles that were built when a taillight was required on the left side only (I believe this was pre-'55?). Since these vehicles were grandfathered after the laws changed, the cops, at least here in Michigan, supposedly didn't hassle drivers of grandfathered vehicles so equipped - as long as the blue dot was on the right side only. But that was then, this is now. Michigan law now prohibits any light color but red or amber from the rear of a moving vehicle.

 

They came on my '49 (41-48 Ch3vy Coupe taillights),I want to also change them out for the LED Technostalgia but I will change out all three of the ones I have as I have a 3rd brake light too...

 

Those LED lights are sure gaining in popularity. Personally I'm not a big fan. I think they look alright on some of the newer cars but I'm not a fan of them on older cars. I prefer to see the nice diffused glow of the whole taillight assy instead of a bunch of smaller "dots" of the individual LEDs.

Of course I'm a bit set in my ways and I also don't like the whole "slammed" look, or air bags or super huge diameter wheels with thin low profile tires, or........

...ooops sorry guys...as Dick would say....I think I forgot my meds this morning...LOL

Bobby

 

LOL... I like the look of the old type bulbs but I like people to see me too... My current taillights are hard to see (friends have said their hard to see). I want to make some to fit into the parking lights up front and make them into turn signals also... Hope they look good on the front and back of mine when they get done! as for wheels, it depends on the vehicle that they are going on, I'm have and going with 15" on the '49

 

There are some older threads on here about how to brighten up the original taillights (other than 12v/alternator). Lining with aluminum foil, respray with white or silver paint inside the reflector, etc. and a good ground connection (running a separate wire). I'm using big round trailer-style taillights, mounted fairly high, with some of those treatments, plus 12v. They aren't the most attractive but there's no question when the brakes are on.

The problem with LEDs at this point (other than cost) is that they are very directional, like a laser (same concept and technology). That's why you see these LED bulbs with the elements arranged all around at different angles. Even with those, you really need a different lense and reflector to diffuse the light compared to a filament bulb.

I bought some of these to play around with, especially in my trailer, where battery life is a big deal. Really quite bright, never burn out, so perfect for dash, etc. (except not all are dimmable).
eBay - 10 X 194 T10 168 White 4SMD LED Light Car Indicator Bulbs

 

I plan on getting several of these: 6 Volt LED Positive or Negative Ground Auto Replacement Bulbs. They're a bit expensive, but worth the money. A few guys on the AACA forum have tried and like them.