Europa TCS Tail Lamps

[Kendo]

I'm confused. My 1974 Federal TCS has tail lamps with the orange top half, like picture #1 (if they stay in order). But RD Enterprises calls these European style tail lamps. Pic #2 is what they call Federal lamps. Looking at the schematic for my year of car, I see Reverse (expected for the white section), "Indicator and Brake", then "Rear Lamp". That would drive the three bulbs I have in the fixture.

Now I know Lotus doesn't hold consistency as a deep corporate value. Do you know what the story is on this, what they "should" be, or any clues on what's going on?

[Kendo]

Berni29, new Federal car, introduced in https://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=6493.msg69872#msg69872 shows the solid red lenses. But googling Federal TCS gives examples of both lens types.

[BDA]

Federal TCs came with red/white tail lights. The European TCs, I believe, all came with red/white/amber tail lights.

[jbcollier]

Federal spec were archaic and specified that the brake and tail lights work off the same bulb.  Thus the lens being red.  Euro spec had separate tail light (red) and turn (amber) bulbs.

[Kendo]

I wonder if in 1974 the feds were starting to update the requirements, since my car has the amber lights. I noticed my 2001 truck has amber lights, too, as well as the red brake lights

[4129R]

The wiring for Federal car rear indicator and stop lights is very different involving a DB10 relay.

There are 2 bulbs in Federal rear lamps, a reverse bullet bulb, and a stop and indicator dual 5W/21W bulb, which doubles as a tail light bulb. The lens is red with white for the reverse light. They also have red rear side repeater lights inset into the body.

European cars have no DB10 relay, different wiring, 3 bulbs, a stop light and side/tail light dual 5W/21W bulb, an indicator light bulb, and a reversing light bulb. The lenses are mostly red, with white for the reverse bulb, and orange for the indicator bulb.   

[Bryan Boyle]

I wonder if in 1974 the feds were starting to update the requirements, since my car has the amber lights. I noticed my 2001 truck has amber lights, too, as well as the red brake lights

Or, someone somewhere along the line swapped out the old bases, ran the wire directly from the stop switch to the red bulbs, the existing wire to the amber, and the reverse to its proper place which effectively bypassed the DB10 relay.  I've done it on all the cars I have owned.  Amber directionals get attention.  After doing that....it's easy to eliminate the DB10...and I used the extra lead from the engine room to get my electronic tach signal up front rather than snaking another lead.

In 1974, as JB says, the federal specs were archaic (H4 halogen headlights were not DOT approved, either...my '65 beetle failed NJ state inspection in '76 because I had fitted Marchal headlights and they were 'too bright, let alone the pair of Super Oscar spots mounted on the front bumper...lol) and one bulb had to do double duty. 

If you have the single bulb (and reverse) base, you need the solid red lens.  If you've the two-bulb base, as it was in the rest of the civilized world, then the amber/red lens is what you want. 

FWIW, the first thing I did was swap the single bulb base and lenses for a spare set of rechromed double bulb bases and NOS split color lenses on 3291R.  Like the look better. 

[Kendo]

Well, my bases have three bulbs, so maybe someone bypassed the DB10, which by all accounts sounds like an improvement. The car is currently at the painter's, so I can't check on what is up with the DB10.

Bryan, where did you get the bases re-chromed? That's my main issue: they are fairly pitted, making me cringe at putting them back on the freshly painted car.

[Bryan Boyle]

Well, my bases have three bulbs, so maybe someone bypassed the DB10, which by all accounts sounds like an improvement. The car is currently at the painter's, so I can't check on what is up with the DB10.

Bryan, where did you get the bases re-chromed? That's my main issue: they are fairly pitted, making me cringe at putting them back on the freshly painted car.

Had mine done at a shop called Nu-Chrome in Fall River..but the commonwealth EPA closed them down a few years ago.  Chrome shops are dirty and full of really toxic chemicals...Issue with the bases are that they are pot metal...so require a lot of prep.  Looking over my invoices for the job, they cost me over 300 each to do.  But well worth it. (excuse the cigarette pack in one of the photos...been clean since '09...)

[Kendo]

The internals of my lamps look like Bryan's, with that divider between the two colored sections. So I guess I have Euro tail lights on my Federal car for some reason.

And yes, my local chroming shop closed up years ago. I had to drive 2 hours to the state capital to get my bumpers chromed.

[Kendo]

Bryan, how much did you have to strip down the bases for the re-chromer? It looks like the wires are out in your picture. could they mask the rest? I'm sure each shop has its own requirements, but I thought I'd see what your experience was.

[Bryan Boyle]

Bryan, how much did you have to strip down the bases for the re-chromer? It looks like the wires are out in your picture. could they mask the rest? I'm sure each shop has its own requirements, but I thought I'd see what your experience was.

Bryan, how much did you have to strip down the bases for the re-chromer? It looks like the wires are out in your picture. could they mask the rest? I'm sure each shop has its own requirements, but I thought I'd see what your experience was.

What you see in the first photo is how I got them back.  Pretty much "just the metal base".

I stripped the bases down to bare metal.  Including taking the reverse light bits off (the bakelite insulator was cracked anyway, so remade it from a piece of scrap ABS that I had left over from when I used the sheet to repop the wheel arch close bits).  Had to drill out the rivet holding the bits together...and reassembled it using #4 stainless screws and nuts.  I left the bulb bases in (but removed the wire(s) attached to the base connections. Figured it wouldn't hurt to also expose them to the chroming process; practice bore out that it came back ok.

I did have to retap the mounting fittings on the back, since the threads were chromed too...IIRC, I brought them out to 10-32 and used stainless screws to mount back in the body, as well as retap the lens mount holes (6-32 with, again, stainless screws to hold the lens on with new gaskets and rubber bases.

HTH

[Kendo]

Thanks Bryan. I'll have to strip mine down and see what the re-chroming place has to say about it.