[FWDLK] Blue Dot Tails

[Wayne Graefen <WGraefen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

DCG and others,

Blue dot were glass, slightly prismatic, domed lenses with chrome retaining
rings which had a diameter of about 1.25" which were installed into the tail
lenses of modified cars (hot rods and customs).  When installed in a
reasonably small lens, at night they gave a wonderful purple glow to the
whole lens.  When tail lights got quite large in the late '50s and beyond,
these blue dots did not have as much effect - there was too much red lens
for the blue to "overcome".  Eventually the supply of old glass dots was
used up and plastic ones were created to fill the market.  Both glass and
plastic are available today.  Glass is far superior.

History:  a few Classic cars of the early '30s had blue dots in their
factory lenses.  I'm thinking Lincoln, Packard and Cadillac at least did
this for 3-4 years; probably others too.  So the rodders of the '50s were
really copying the look of the great cars of the '30s.  At one time or
another most states outlawed blue dots simply because tail lights by law are
supposed to be RED.  Almost all of these laws have now been rescinded thanks
to legislative efforts of old car councils and SEMA (Specialty Equipment
Manufacturers Assoc.) citing the originality in the Classics.  However,
anyone considering blue dots had better have a spare pair of unaltered
lenses to overcome their potential "fix it" ticket.

Wayne

-----Original Message-----
From: David Charles Gedraitis [mailto:dcg@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2001 8:03 AM
To: Wayne Graefen
Cc: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:




What are these blue dots I hear speak of?

~dave
'61 Newport
'67 Kaiser M-715
'91 Toyota pickup

btw John Photakis-I have some pictures which I'll send to you tonight...