I like the "Wig Wags" that pop out from in between the Cab & the Bed, they look Wicked!

 

eBay has arrow-shaped led's that stick onto the mirror. Search "mirror turn signals" under Parts & Accessories.

 

"Wig Wags" ???

 

There is a conversion done on the explorer forum. The remove the glass, scrape tiny spots of the reflective stuff off, glue LEDs on, wire it up and go.

I don't know exactly where it is on there though.

 

I looked at the Mustang mirrors I have and it looks almost like I would have to break the mirror out to get to the back side. Maybe that's the whole idea so that you end up with nice new mirrors. Jag

 

Wig-wags= the early British cars and some VWs had little metal flags that swung out with the turn signals. In the cars they were built into the rear door post. Sorta like mechanical versions of the old fashioned hand signals we had the learn and use in Driver's ed. (Which everyone stopped using as soon as you passed your license exam. Not much fun to have to roll down your window and stick your arm out into a -20*F snow storm in mid winter in Buffalo!)

 

Hay, Jag Red 54, I just read this post and your question about where to buy LED lites. I just bought some from Tognotti`s on Fulton ave. They have a display on their counter. Hope you fuid what your looking for.
Gary

 

I investigated this concept about a year ago. I wanted to stay period correct though. The lights aren't that difficult. Hiding the wires was the issue. If you could figure out how to make the mirror arm a hollow "tube" you could be on to something. And then you need to transition from the arm to the door. Once you get inside the door, it would be a piece of cake.

Tim

 

PS--If you figure it out, I'd buy them! Go for it!

 

A custom LED blinker mounted in a mirror is very feasible. Outfits like Newark and Digikey stock literally thousands of different LEDs. (Radio Shack's selection is pretty limited.) Some have very narrow viewing angles, less than ten degrees. Some are very small, tiny chips that you need a magnifing glass to see yet put out lots of light.

The high end approach is to create a custom printed circuit board and use tiny surface mount LEDs. Express PCB has a service that lets you lay out your own board with software you download from them and get the board built by them. Three boards for under $100. You would have to solder the LEDs on, etc., but it's way more accesible to the common man than it was a few years ago.

The low end approach is to connect groups of 7 or so LEDs in series to come up with "stacks" that add up to 12 volts. A 12 volt zener diode can be placed in parallel with each stack to protect against over voltage conditions. The stack will act just like a regular bulb. The wiring is NOT complicated; if you can rewire a dash or a set of taillights, you can do this, it's just smaller. Place the LEDs anywhere you want in the mirror (or where ever) and off you go. There are LEDs with right angle packages like this that might work:



This one is about 1/8" square. The leads can be cut or bent to suit. You could glue a bunch of them to a piece of whatever and put them behind the little windows that you make in the reflective aluminum coating on the back of the mirror.

Cal

 

Thanks guys, Tognottis is probably the easiest source for me, so I'll try them first. On the stock mirrors it would be difficult to have them bored for the wires. That is one reason I'm wanting to use the electric Mustang mirrors. I should be able to hide everything behind the mirror. I'm thinking of affixing the row of lights to inside the top of the housing so that they would not blind the driver but would be readily visable to people behind me. If I can get it to work, I'll post pix. Thanks, Jag

 

I can hardly wait to see how it all comes out

Good luck with it
Bobby

 

Here's an ebay store I have bought leds from:
http://stores.ebay.com/ShowlightSupply_W0QQssPageNameZstrkQ3amefsQ3amesst QQtZkm

He has a lot of super bright LEDs in various colors and configurations.
Be sure to check out the slow and fast blinking 5 led strips.

 

Wig Wags???? what............... I think you mean semiphores, and they make a real cool touch to most rides. Most vintage VW shops have them available. Some "phores" have the red lens in rear and an amber in front, and I have even seen a manually operated version that blinks when it is lifted up ( out ) when not wired to the column. Not to handy to use the pass side in a wider vehicle. The semiphore is the unit that gave me the idea for the exterior door handle in the Model A.,,,lift the " phore" and the door opens. Pics on request. I also recently saw a pick up with phores behind the rollpan and used as hidden tail lamps. Anyway, I went to far off for now. Jon