Re: [FWDLK] Blue Dot Tails

[brian <xm2cars@xxxxxxx>]

DCG et al,

BTW, those blue dots are gorgeous in 57 Dodges!

And do have those originals handy for any judging you might run into at shows.
Sometimes the judges just don't understand how much nicer a magenta light looks
over the standard OE red. They even seem brighter too!

Brian
57 D500s in MI

Wayne Graefen wrote:

> 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  Almost all of these laws have now been rescinded thanks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...