This is something I've been looking into for many years, but haven't found something even remotely suitable until recently. I've explored both the fender repeaters and the mirror repeaters, but the thing that is making me shy away from the fender repeaters is the need to drill.
The goal is to have a look like it came from the factory, similar to this:
Recently, I've noticed that these are now being sold on Ebay. This is just one example of many, and they can be found using the words "led mirror turn signal".
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-X-8-LED-Car-Tur...=item415236202b
Other than what is needed as far as routing the power supply lead, the installation is simply peel and stick double sided adhesive. Many vendors of this, and many variations.
My concerns before I even consider going this route are:
- don't want a "rice" look or one that can't pass off as being from the factory,
- does the product work as it is intended to (the only source seems to be China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, and I suspect that the Hong Kong or Taiwan supplied ones were just made in China anyway),
- extreme temperature performance of the adhesive over time (both cold and hot) - I can easily use my own higher quality adhesive than supplied with the lights
- DOT approval, or lack thereof is my biggest concern. Will I run into issues with law enforcement, like an officer having a #$%%@ day deciding to write a ticket?
The only other alternate I can see to this, that would be DOT compliant is to to the fender repeater. To avoid drilling, I have found exactly one option online (and can't seem to find a way to get this shipped to Canada). A company in Delaware makes a self adhesive surface mount signal/marker lamp:
The vehicle it will be mounted on looks like this:
On this picture, my proposed mounting location would be on the fender, just forward of the door, with the teardrop point just touching the gap between the door and the fender, so that the wire can tuck in through there, and would be just shy of halfway up between the side molding and window line, roughly where the light reflection is on this picture. Not fond of the fact the lens is amber (rather have a clear lens and amber light), but I could live with it. Concerned about the finished look, though.
If I knew for certain that side repeaters supplied OEM on other vehicles could be flush surface mounted with little or no modifications and some adhesive, I would go that route, installed in the same way as the above lamp. I like the look of the repeaters on the Saturn Astra:
Hard to see in the picture of the van, but in the front light cluster at the side, just above the reflector patch, is a marker lamp. I've converted it to combination marker/signal operation for the interim, but it really isn't too visible from the side, except for cross traffic as you're making a turn.
Curious to hear what you would do, and why? Open to other options and ideas as well.
The goal is to have a look like it came from the factory, similar to this:
Recently, I've noticed that these are now being sold on Ebay. This is just one example of many, and they can be found using the words "led mirror turn signal".
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2-X-8-LED-Car-Tur...=item415236202b
Other than what is needed as far as routing the power supply lead, the installation is simply peel and stick double sided adhesive. Many vendors of this, and many variations.
My concerns before I even consider going this route are:
- don't want a "rice" look or one that can't pass off as being from the factory,
- does the product work as it is intended to (the only source seems to be China, Hong Kong or Taiwan, and I suspect that the Hong Kong or Taiwan supplied ones were just made in China anyway),
- extreme temperature performance of the adhesive over time (both cold and hot) - I can easily use my own higher quality adhesive than supplied with the lights
- DOT approval, or lack thereof is my biggest concern. Will I run into issues with law enforcement, like an officer having a #$%%@ day deciding to write a ticket?
The only other alternate I can see to this, that would be DOT compliant is to to the fender repeater. To avoid drilling, I have found exactly one option online (and can't seem to find a way to get this shipped to Canada). A company in Delaware makes a self adhesive surface mount signal/marker lamp:
The vehicle it will be mounted on looks like this:
On this picture, my proposed mounting location would be on the fender, just forward of the door, with the teardrop point just touching the gap between the door and the fender, so that the wire can tuck in through there, and would be just shy of halfway up between the side molding and window line, roughly where the light reflection is on this picture. Not fond of the fact the lens is amber (rather have a clear lens and amber light), but I could live with it. Concerned about the finished look, though.
If I knew for certain that side repeaters supplied OEM on other vehicles could be flush surface mounted with little or no modifications and some adhesive, I would go that route, installed in the same way as the above lamp. I like the look of the repeaters on the Saturn Astra:
Hard to see in the picture of the van, but in the front light cluster at the side, just above the reflector patch, is a marker lamp. I've converted it to combination marker/signal operation for the interim, but it really isn't too visible from the side, except for cross traffic as you're making a turn.
Curious to hear what you would do, and why? Open to other options and ideas as well.