Blue Dot Tail lights... - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

ETsC10 · 01-20-2009, 12:30 AM

I had always figured these classic Hot Rod blings would score my ‘68 a ticket or at least
a talking to but it appears my truck has come of age…

From the Washington State Legislature website concerning vehicle lighting…

Rear
Tail Lamps - Required to be on from hour after sunset, to hour before sunrise, and
at any other times when persons and vehicles are not clearly discernable at 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.020
At least two, red in color, visible from 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.050
All must be on same level and as widely spaced as possible.RCW 46.37.050
On vehicle 40 or more years old, may have a blue or purple insert,
not more than one inch in diameter. RCW 46.37.100

Hehehe..won one finally.

67ChevyRedneck · 01-20-2009, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETsC10

I had always figured these classic Hot Rod blings would score my ‘68 a ticket or at least
a talking to but it appears my truck has come of age…

From the Washington State Legislature website concerning vehicle lighting…

Rear
Tail Lamps - Required to be on from hour after sunset, to hour before sunrise, and
at any other times when persons and vehicles are not clearly discernable at 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.020
At least two, red in color, visible from 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.050
All must be on same level and as widely spaced as possible.RCW 46.37.050
On vehicle 40 or more years old, may have a blue or purple insert,
not more than one inch in diameter. RCW 46.37.100

Hehehe..won one finally.

That's cool! I'm gonna run 'em on my 67 no matter what the law says

I'm curious about the other part of that paragraph... it's pretty dark an hour before sunrise and an hour after sunset

(Unless I'm reading it wrong?)

ETsC10 · 01-20-2009, 12:45 AM

wow you type fast! ...just WA being WA I guess? Crazy; why just 40 yo vehicles?

texanidiot25 · 01-20-2009, 12:49 AM

Different gov't regs 40 years ago. Would be silly to force older vehicles to have the same regs as newer cars.

67ChevyRedneck · 01-20-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETsC10

wow you type fast! ...just WA being WA I guess? Crazy; why just 40 yo vehicles?

6 minutes ain't too fast

ETsC10 · 01-20-2009, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

6 minutes ain't too fast

putin up da poll...sides, I'm typing in the dark..

67ChevyRedneck · 01-20-2009, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETsC10

putin up da poll...sides, I'm typing in the dark..

So, you're surfing for more than truck parts, eh?

Aarons72s · 01-20-2009, 01:07 AM

What vehicles I have seen them installed on seem to look cool and don't seem to have any real distraction from the rest of the tailight. Now don't get me started on some of the newer tailight designs or some of the lower end aftermarket tailights.

ETsC10 · 01-20-2009, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

So, you're surfing for more than truck parts, eh?

CG · 01-20-2009, 02:06 AM

Sorry Ellen...I never was a fan of em. But...who really gives a rip what I think...lol.

Longhorn Man · 01-20-2009, 07:33 AM

i ike them, and I think it's cool that WA lets you do it. Here you can only have them on motorcycles

ChevLoRay · 01-20-2009, 07:48 AM

I like 'em. The purplish glow that one sees is definately retro. At least we have plastic lenses in which to install them, instead of the old glass lenses of our (mine, at least) fathers.

As to when taillights, or any vehicle lights should be on, it seems that whether or not you turn your lights on in the general area of sunrise/sunset, is determined by your own eyesight instead of what the law says. In driving a school bus, and during the times around sunrise, I see a number of folks who don't have any lights on. Yeah, I see them, but there might be someone who has really bad eyesight who doesn't see them and BAM! I also know that the following statement that "see and BE seen" isn't gonna phase a lot of people but it's true, when it comes to vehicle lighting. You may be able to see just fine, but blue dots or no, someone else may not and end up in your truck bed!

theyammieguy · 01-20-2009, 09:19 AM

I've actually never seen them installed on a vehicle.

primered_junk · 01-20-2009, 10:00 AM

I love them, brings back child hood memories of the rods my dad and his buddies had. I think almost every hot rod I've ever owned has had them. They are against the law in Texas, but I have only been "talked to" once about them about 10 years ago. I say go for it, they are a classic item that will never go out of style.

Livrat · 01-20-2009, 11:53 AM

That's great I can finally legally run them!! (you can barely see them in the picture) Cant tell you how many tickets I recieved for them..(that was 30 years ago)
I used to keep a "normal pair" of tail light lenses under the seat when an officer threaten to impound my truck..

suville · 01-20-2009, 01:31 PM

Got ticketed for them once (in WA)took it to court asked the sludge to show me the RCW, WAC, or in general the "Law" concerning this
"infraction" he spent about 15-20 min. looking thru the regs and finally slammed his hammer down "Dismissed" Wohoo dont win to many. Been runnin em since on my Harley and the Burb. Havnt been hasseled here in Idaho for em .....yet!

ckhd · 01-20-2009, 01:50 PM

This is where they'd nail you in AZ:

28-931. Lamp colors
A. Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.
B. Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.
C. All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except that:
1. The stoplight or other signal device may be red, amber or yellow, except on a commercial vehicle, as defined in section 28-2231, the stoplight shall be red and the other signal devices shall be red or amber.
2. The light illuminating the license plate or the light emitted by a backup lamp shall be white.

ckhd · 01-20-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suville

Got ticketed for them once (in WA)took it to court asked the sludge to show me the RCW, WAC, or in general the "Law" concerning this
"infraction" he spent about 15-20 min. looking thru the regs and finally slammed his hammer down "Dismissed" Wohoo dont win to many. Been runnin em since on my Harley and the Burb. Havnt been hasseled here in Idaho for em .....yet!

Idaho statutes say almost the same thing:

TITLE 49
MOTOR VEHICLES
CHAPTER 9
VEHICLE EQUIPMENT
49-910.Color of clearance lamps, side marker lamps, and reflectors. (1) Front clearance lamps and marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.
(2) Rear clearance lamps and marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.
(3) All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except the stoplight or other signal device, which may be red, amber, or yellow, and except that the light illuminating the license plate shall be white and the light emitted by a back-up lamp may be white, amber, or red.

-- just so you know in case a cop that read the book pulls you over.

My '68 was originally sold in Mountain Home. Is there a Chevy dealership there still? Wonder if they have the records still...

biggreen292 · 01-20-2009, 05:27 PM

first things i replaced in favor of LED's, what can i say, i'm 26, LED is my generation

mine were down in the reflector part so they're fully legal, dont have the effect theyre made for though with no bulb behind them.

HoupPhotography · 01-20-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckhd

This is where they'd nail you in AZ:

28-931. Lamp colors
A. Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.
B. Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.
C. All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except that:
1. The stoplight or other signal device may be red, amber or yellow, except on a commercial vehicle, as defined in section 28-2231, the stoplight shall be red and the other signal devices shall be red or amber.
2. The light illuminating the license plate or the light emitted by a backup lamp shall be white.

I have them on my truck and haven't been stopped yet, (knock on wood). I actually bought new lens's with the dots already installed from "Grumpy's"

rodstored-72 · 01-20-2009, 11:08 PM

i have them as well & have not had any problems....... i have even been stopped by johnny law & nuthin' said to me about them.

*chevy29267truck* · 01-21-2009, 12:01 AM

i may get some too

**special-K** · 01-21-2009, 07:02 AM

A friend here in MD lost his truck over them (mostly due to the nature of the smoke in the cab.Back in the`80s two friends were in a`70 C/10 with blue dots hauling thier bikes to the motocross races and got pulled for the blue dots.The joint they were smoking didn`t help.

They are illegal here,yet kids get away with running these pointless blue lights at the w/s washers that shine at you coming down the road.Go figure.All blue lights on anything but a cop car are illegal in my state.

I think they belong on vehicles that were customized in the`50s.They serve to brighten the teeny tailights on vintage cars.

eightbanger · 01-21-2009, 12:26 PM

No probs in the UK...SO FAR!

Mike J · 01-21-2009, 01:45 PM

I have set but they arent installed yet...

View Poll Results: Blue Dots Anyone?
Love them	80	55.94%
Hate them	23	16.08%
Don't care	32	22.38%
What's a Blue Dot?	9	6.29%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 143. You may not vote on this poll

01-20-2009, 12:30 AM	#1
ETsC10 Hand Crafted C-10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Burien, WA Posts: 5,180	Blue Dot Tail lights... I had always figured these classic Hot Rod blings would score my ‘68 a ticket or at least a talking to but it appears my truck has come of age… From the Washington State Legislature website concerning vehicle lighting… Rear Tail Lamps - Required to be on from hour after sunset, to hour before sunrise, and at any other times when persons and vehicles are not clearly discernable at 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.020 At least two, red in color, visible from 1000 ft. RCW 46.37.050 All must be on same level and as widely spaced as possible.RCW 46.37.050 On vehicle 40 or more years old, may have a blue or purple insert, not more than one inch in diameter. RCW 46.37.100 Hehehe..won one finally. __________________ . Forum Guidelines and Rules Buying and Selling Code of Conduct Become a Board Supporter! Truck FAQ Ellen... the boards artsy-fartsy, eclectic, truck-lovin' gal-member... Last edited by ETsC10; 01-20-2009 at 12:32 AM.

01-20-2009, 12:45 AM	#3
ETsC10 Hand Crafted C-10 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Burien, WA Posts: 5,180	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... wow you type fast! ...just WA being WA I guess? Crazy; why just 40 yo vehicles?

01-20-2009, 12:49 AM	#4
texanidiot25 Eat My Rust Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 3,362	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... Different gov't regs 40 years ago. Would be silly to force older vehicles to have the same regs as newer cars.

01-20-2009, 01:07 AM	#8
Aarons72s Registered User Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: oklahoma Posts: 10,670	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... What vehicles I have seen them installed on seem to look cool and don't seem to have any real distraction from the rest of the tailight. Now don't get me started on some of the newer tailight designs or some of the lower end aftermarket tailights.

01-20-2009, 02:06 AM	#10
CG BlahBlahBlah Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wa. Posts: 19,791	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... Sorry Ellen...I never was a fan of em. But...who really gives a rip what I think...lol. __________________ … … … … … … … … ... … … … … … … … … … … …

01-20-2009, 07:33 AM	#11
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,693	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... i ike them, and I think it's cool that WA lets you do it. Here you can only have them on motorcycles

01-20-2009, 07:48 AM	#12
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... I like 'em. The purplish glow that one sees is definately retro. At least we have plastic lenses in which to install them, instead of the old glass lenses of our (mine, at least) fathers. As to when taillights, or any vehicle lights should be on, it seems that whether or not you turn your lights on in the general area of sunrise/sunset, is determined by your own eyesight instead of what the law says. In driving a school bus, and during the times around sunrise, I see a number of folks who don't have any lights on. Yeah, I see them, but there might be someone who has really bad eyesight who doesn't see them and BAM! I also know that the following statement that "see and BE seen" isn't gonna phase a lot of people but it's true, when it comes to vehicle lighting. You may be able to see just fine, but blue dots or no, someone else may not and end up in your truck bed! __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.

01-20-2009, 09:19 AM	#13
theyammieguy accepting donations Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: houston tx Posts: 521	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... I've actually never seen them installed on a vehicle. __________________ 1999 Yamaha roadstar 1600 chop. (in progress.) See my builds here>http://s113.photobucket.com/albums/n238/nickrp_2006/ "Ya'll can go to hell, I'm going to Texas." David Crockett

01-20-2009, 10:00 AM	#14
primered_junk ASE master tech/machinist Join Date: May 2008 Location: Blue Mound Texas Posts: 303	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... I love them, brings back child hood memories of the rods my dad and his buddies had. I think almost every hot rod I've ever owned has had them. They are against the law in Texas, but I have only been "talked to" once about them about 10 years ago. I say go for it, they are a classic item that will never go out of style. __________________ "I sit here and I pray in my broken down Chevrolet....."

01-20-2009, 11:53 AM	#15
Livrat Member #1049 Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Troy Montana Posts: 3,940	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... That's great I can finally legally run them!! (you can barely see them in the picture) Cant tell you how many tickets I recieved for them..(that was 30 years ago) I used to keep a "normal pair" of tail light lenses under the seat when an officer threaten to impound my truck.. Attached Images

01-20-2009, 01:31 PM	#16
suville Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Mtn. Home, Idaho Posts: 906	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... Got ticketed for them once (in WA)took it to court asked the sludge to show me the RCW, WAC, or in general the "Law" concerning this "infraction" he spent about 15-20 min. looking thru the regs and finally slammed his hammer down "Dismissed" Wohoo dont win to many. Been runnin em since on my Harley and the Burb. Havnt been hasseled here in Idaho for em .....yet!

01-20-2009, 01:50 PM	#17
ckhd Registered User Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: St. Johns, Arizona Posts: 2,660	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... This is where they'd nail you in AZ: 28-931. Lamp colors A. Front clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color. B. Rear clearance lamps and those marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color. *C. All* lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color*, except that: 1. The stoplight or other signal device may be red, amber or yellow, except on a commercial vehicle, as defined in section 28-2231, the stoplight shall be red and the other signal devices shall be red or amber. 2. The light illuminating the license plate or the light emitted by a backup lamp shall be white. __________________ my 2¢ - t.i.o.l.i. Bowen 1968 K20 fleet 1969 K10 swb fleet 1972 K10 Suburban 1972 C10 lwb step 1992 K1500 'burb 1995 K2500 'burb 1997 C1500 'burb 1999 K1500 2000 K1500 'burb Why do I own so many Suburbans? Last edited by ckhd; 01-20-2009 at 01:50 PM.*

01-20-2009, 05:27 PM	#19
biggreen292 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: manchester,nh Posts: 44	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... first things i replaced in favor of LED's, what can i say, i'm 26, LED is my generation mine were down in the reflector part so they're fully legal, dont have the effect theyre made for though with no bulb behind them. __________________ http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b3...fleet041-1.jpg 71 custom camper/20:292/saginaw, my first pickup 83 cutlass cruiser:307/th250c, lifelong project 96 caprice 9C1:LT1/4L60E, police package 83 buick regal estate: buick 350/m20 69 bel air:250/m21 Last edited by biggreen292; 01-20-2009 at 05:29 PM.

01-20-2009, 11:08 PM	#21
rodstored-72 chevy truck fan Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gilbert, arizona 85298 Posts: 1,975	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... i have them as well & have not had any problems....... i have even been stopped by johnny law & nuthin' said to me about them.



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01-21-2009, 12:01 AM	#22
chevy29267truck Account Suspended Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Alva Florida Posts: 668	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... i may get some too

01-21-2009, 07:02 AM	#23
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,863	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... A friend here in MD lost his truck over them (mostly due to the nature of the smoke in the cab.Back in the`80s two friends were in a`70 C/10 with blue dots hauling thier bikes to the motocross races and got pulled for the blue dots.The joint they were smoking didn`t help. They are illegal here,yet kids get away with running these pointless blue lights at the w/s washers that shine at you coming down the road.Go figure.All blue lights on anything but a cop car are illegal in my state. I think they belong on vehicles that were customized in the`50s.They serve to brighten the teeny tailights on vintage cars. __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~

01-21-2009, 12:26 PM	#24
eightbanger 454 MAKES IT ROAR Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Essex, U.K Posts: 2,701	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... No probs in the UK...SO FAR! __________________ Nigel. An American living in a British body. 1971 Chevy Cheyenne 10 454 "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty" - Thomas Jefferson No more pain. 03.12.60 -- 12.28.10 http://www.youtube.com/Eightbanger

01-21-2009, 01:45 PM	#25
Mike J vw guy & now c-10 guy Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Louisville,KY Posts: 483	Re: Blue Dot Tail lights... I have set but they arent installed yet... __________________ '68 long fleet Finally made some progress on the build!!! My Build Thread

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