headlamp tape

[kingofthering]

why do those old vintage race cars have those strips on their headlights in an x pattern? I see them a lot on old vintage cars such as a Austin-Healy Sprite and i am wondering about what they are made of.

[deffenbaugh03]

Yea I've always wondered this too I always just assumed it was so if they hit someone and they break the glass it doesnt fall out.

[Matra et Alpine]

got it.
ANY car on a race track with breakable lights - either glass or plastic MUST have them taped up to limit the spread of shards in the even of an accident.

Club89 used to always provide our own tape with Club89 logos for our trackdays as so many of us would drive to many of the tracks :D

[johnnynumfiv]

I replaced the head lights with piece of sheet metal :D
For the turn signals I just used painters blue tape.

[Matra et Alpine]

I replaced the head lights with piece of sheet metal :D
For the turn signals I just used painters blue tape.
If you do that over here then you are no longer eligible to race in some of the "road car" classes.

[johnnynumfiv]

What if you put the sheet metal in place of the glass, but leave the buckets?

[Matra et Alpine]

What if you put the sheet metal in place of the glass, but leave the buckets?
needs to be "working lights".
HAve some put in simple bulbs behind perspex sheets to get teh weight down ? some do :D

[coolieman1220]

and u add weight.

[Matra et Alpine]

and u add weight.
confused :) where ?? Safe glass weighs more than metal :D

[coolieman1220]

the metal idea. but yeah plexi glass i guess would work but prolly isn't street legal

[Matra et Alpine]

the metal idea. but yeah plexi glass i guess would work but prolly isn't street legal
a sheet of 14 huage in place of a headlight unit is a LOT of saved weight :D
even in place of a piece of safety glass on it's won it's a winner weightwise -- glass is heavy :D
Not street legal and a sharp scrutineer will question it, so it's seldom worht doing and IF tried you better have yoru backup option so you're allowed to race :D

[johnnynumfiv]

I should take out my turn signals and make them just like the head lights with the sheetmetal.

A little off topic, but would you choose louvers or a hood scoop over the carbs matra?

[Matra et Alpine]

I should take out my turn signals and make them just like the head lights with the sheetmetal.

A little off topic, but would you choose louvers or a hood scoop over the carbs matra?
Well it depends on how you like to keep the look "original".
In it's day Brit cars raced with louvers.... BUT I reckon a decent early 60s "Le Mans" scoop would look better, but might not feed the carbs well :D
What carbs are you running ?? Got a shot of the engine bay ?

[johnnynumfiv]

I got MG B SU's on it, going to be switching to mikuni's in the spring along with a new motor if time permits.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/4374/dscn26031pi.jpg

[Matra et Alpine]

yeah goign to be pretty pointless with a scoop as you are really wanting to pull air from the front via as big an opening as you can get - thankfully you've no need for sump guards etc so with exit louvres you will pull air in through rad and below easily. A scoop won't get you air to those filters effectively ( If the'yd been down-draught I would switch :D ) ). It will effectivly pressurise the rear engine bay to deliver the air so is possible but may need larger than elsewhere. We've never found the MGB get short of air, are you sure you need it ??

How "original" do you want things to look ?
You coudl do a neat bonnet opening/scoop liek the mercs used to run at Le Mans in the fifties, which was offset and at the front of the bonnet, so ensuring route-1 air to the carbs.

[charged]

why do those old vintage race cars have those strips on their headlights in an x pattern? I see them a lot on old vintage cars such as a Austin-Healy Sprite and i am wondering about what they are made of.
We put clear contact on our race car headlights, if you dont the scruts wont pass it.