Series 1 Station Wagon Indicators

[101RRS]

Can someone explain to me how the indicators on a series 1 station wagon work?

At the rear do they work through the tail light globe or the stop light globe. An if through the tail light globe does the brake light globe switch off when the indicators are on?

At the front - I assume it works through the parker globe - if the parker light is on I assume the indicators just interrupt power to the parker.

How is all this controlled - is there some sort of module that does all this?

Thanks

Garry

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Hi Gary

It depends upon what type. The NAS blinkers have a module that sits between the switch and the lamp that cuts the side or tail light signal and allows it to flash. It is worth noting that the front side lamp fittings for the NAS use double pole/single filament fittings not the ones that have two filaments (like the stop tail).

On the British type they mainly used trafficators but also used either a separate lamp (rear) or a double filament fitting (front). so a stop tail lamp fitting with a clear or opaque white lens. (Which means you flash from 5W to 26W in white, not amber)

There are modern after-market fittings for some of the British cars of the 1950s that have both a clear globe and an amber globe for the blinkers. But have never seen them in the L-489/1 suitable for your S1 Land Rover.



Doesn't stop you making one yourself.

[JDNSW]

Blinkers did not become a legal substitute for hand signals in Australia until the mid to late 1950s, so I would be very surprised if any Series 1 Landrovers came from the dealer fitted with them. (Trafficators were not legal either, despite many UK origin cars being fitted with them)

Many Series 1 Landrovers were fitted with after market blinkers after these appeared on new cars from the mid fifties onward, and especially after they became compulsory for new cars about 1960. My Series 1 (traded on a 1958 Series 2 in 1964) never had them. I fitted blinkers to the Series 2 shortly after I got it. Its replacement, the 1961 2a, had blinkers from new.

John

[101RRS]

It depends upon what type. The NAS blinkers have a module that sits between the switch and the lamp that cuts the side or tail light signal and allows it to flash. It is worth noting that the front side lamp fittings for the NAS use double pole/single filament fittings not the ones that have two filaments (like the stop tail).

On the British type they mainly used trafficators

By NAS - I assume you mean North American Spec? Aussie SW were of course Brit spec but I can see the NAS system working OK except it would be difficult to see the red indicator flashing when the much brighter brake lights were on - hence I assumes that the flasher would be on the brake light rather than the tail light. I don't know about the Tickford Station wagons but I don't believe trafficators (by that I assume the turning flags) were used on the station wagons.

Blinkers did not become a legal substitute for hand signals in Australia until the mid to late 1950s, so I would be very surprised if any Series 1 Landrovers came from the dealer fitted with them.
John

Thanks John - you are totally correct for "normal" series 1s but as far as I am aware the SWB Station Wagons being the top of the range vehicles came with indicators that operated through the tail/stop lamps. They did not have an indicator stalk on the steering column but a switch on the dash just to the right of the center instrument cluster.

Cheers

Garry

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Hi Garry,

Yes you are correct NAS = North American Spec, however to correct myself, I believe during Series 1, it was "North American Dollar Area" (NADA).

If you watch the rear of US cars when the blinkers are on, both the stop and tail lamps flash, or at least they extinguish intermittantly. It has to do with the modules fitted and may be that it opens the vehicle ground link (why they need two pole globes in the front). Perhaps one of our US colleagues can explain further.

Diana

[123rover50]

UK Tickfords had Trafficators housed in the rear of the front mudguards.
Export Tickfords had double filament bulbs in the Lucas 488,s

Keith

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Keith

Did the Tickfords use the L488s?

I wonder why they went to the smaller lens L489 in the later models. Perhaps it was that one was a side light and the Tickford a flasher.

Diana

[123rover50]

Yes 488,s both ends.
Here is a page from the Lucas 1950 Station Wagon parts list.

Keith

[digger]

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

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

[JDNSW]

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

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

I think this has always been the case - for example, right when blinkers were first legal, in the late fifties, the Chevrolets with horizontal fins were fitted with extra lights under the fins for the blinkers.

As I commented above, for most (if not all) of Series 1 production blinkers were not legal to use. They became legal shortly after I did my driving test in January 1958.

John