Thread: Series 1 Station Wagon Indicators

Originally Posted by chazza

As a small boy I distinctly remember some cars with flashing red (brake) lights - because it was rather unusual - in WA. I am not up with my Holden models but the FE? is the car I remember.

This may have been a case of someone modifying their own car of course, but if anyone knows Holdens well; what did they use in the 1950's for indicators?

Cheers Charlie

My memory says the first with indicators was the FB. Before that Holden drivers used hand signals, the same as everyone else. It is very likely that some owners fitted blinkers to the FE and FC using the existing lights, hence the red rear blinkers, but I doubt these were ever legal in any state (quite possible though - rules differed a lot more between states in those days!).

John

Thanks for the comments - here is the response I got on another Landie forum.

"Series One station wagons uses 12v 21/5 watt stop and tail bulbs in both front and rear lamps. In normal conditions the flasher system flashes the 21 watt filament in the front / rear bulb on the side selected. The flasher switch is a special one that has both the flasher circuit connected and the brake lights. With the flasher switch in the off position the brake lights are connected together and work as normal when you operate the brake.
When the flasher switch is operated , say to LH Flash position, the LH brake light is disconnected from the brake circuit and used as the flasher instead. The RH brake light works as normal. The side lights ( parking) operate as normal. LUCAS made a relay DB10 which will do all this a well but Land Rover used the LUCAS PRS7 switch instead. Rover Part 2643702. Hella also do a similar switch which will carry out the same function."

So it would seem that it is the brake light filament that flashes.

This is the switch panel - it has the switch for the indicators and the switch for the interior light.



Thanks

Garry

Originally Posted by JDNSW

My memory says the first with indicators was the FB.

John

Hello from Brisbane.

My late Dad bought a new FC Holden ute and it didn't have indicators - other than the arm out the window. That might have been a 'Special' vs 'standard' thing. However, I don't recall my granfather's EK having them either, but it might have. The first Holden we had with indicators was a new EH ute, but I am pretty sure the EJ already had them as standard.

I think VW beetles were probably one of the first mass produced cars on Australian roads to have flashing indicators.

Cheers,

Originally Posted by S3ute

Hello from Brisbane.

My late Dad bought a new FC Holden ute and it didn't have indicators ,

Hello again, for what it is worth I actually meant FB...............

Been years since I owned or drove a Holden, which might partly explain the basis of a few other recent posts about the company's future.

Cheers,

The EK definitely had them - The first company car I drove was one of them in 1962.

The first car I struck with Blinkers was the Renault 750 (known elsewhere as the 4CV), which had the blinkers on ears on the 'C' pillar, so that they could be seen both in front and behind. That was in, I think, 1952, owned by the parents of one of my school friends. VW at that time, and for a number of years after that, had trafficators, but VWs were almost unheard of in those days. And neither blinkers nor trafficators were legal substitutes for hand signals.

John

Originally Posted by digger

Im fairly sure a flashing brake/tail light is not a legal indicator.

In australia (now) it must be an amber lens.

Hi Digger,

There are some fairly modern Ford Mustangs, lhd fully registered in NSW that have RED flashers below the waistline of the car that run sequentially across the rear of the vehicle (from the centre) to the direction the vehicle will turn.

Must be a special exemption under the Free Trade Agreement

Like these:
http://www.americanmuscle.com/mustan...ghts-9904.html

Bob

My growing up in Qld in the 50's I can remember that with Holdens FE/FC Specials had Flashers (red via the stop filament) with it an optional extra on "Standard & Commercials" right up until 1961 when flashing indicators became standard and also standardised nationwide as Amber, NSW Vehicles had them in a rear Amber lower lens within the light body, this carried onto the FB/EK commercial range, the EK sedans & wagons were the first model fitted with flashers as standard equipment.

The Chevrolets of 59 were fitted with "Teardrop" rear flashers which were from 41/42 US pickups,later US vehicles had their red lens rear flashers either supplemented/replaced with generic 2" (50mm) surface mount lights

It is only now, as historic vehicles are some of these reverting to red rear flashers.

There were Lucas aftermarket semifore light kits for Series 1's which used the Rover steering wheel hub switch,or the Morris Minor series 1 toggle switch on a supplimentary dash panel

A popular thing with older vehicles is to fit motorcycle flashers to the front and rear bumper mount bolts.

cheers

Originally Posted by UncleHo

...
There were Lucas aftermarket semifore light kits for Series 1's which used the Rover steering wheel hub switch,or the Morris Minor series 1 toggle switch on a supplimentary dash panel

...

cheers

I don't know that they were after-market trafficators, rather they were optional extras.

In the post 1948 80" the trafficator mounting blocks were a standard part of the 80" windscreen frame and trafficators were standed equipment on British Army 80"