check out these tail lights

[pope]

Hey all,
This is a 10 minute ROUGH spider edit to try a different looks. Cut the top bumper bar and lower the license and its lights.
Pope

[Danno]

nah, I just don't think you can do that with the bumper. It would look wayy to weird in 3-D, It might look ok in the straight on rear view, but it just stiucks out wayyy to far to look right for chopping any of the top off. besides, I don't think it would hold right either.

[manoa matt]

Wow a two pager, I didn't know that these tail lights were such a hot button issue.

When I was at Mark Allisons's shop he had a car up on a lift that had the rear bumper cut like that. It can work, and if done right it actually looks pretty good. I like the last picture with two lights, reminds me of a Ferrari or a 70's vette, three seems too much. Middle pic looks like an insect or alien. I'd like to see a version with two lights, and no bumper.

Those round lights might solve some of the problems with the stock lights. Better housing to body gasket seal, no chrome veneer over a plastic housing that bubbles and flakes, fewer lenses to replace.

[TJC]

Actually, I always liked the later spider's angular lenses (it would be better if they didn't come with amber turning signals). I thought it fit more of the rear fender's angular shape modest fin-type shape. I wonder what those lenses would look like with the pre-75 split bumpers and lower license plate?

[racydave]

I picked up some old bumpers last summer. They need a re-plate and Im scared to price the plating. But none the less, the old tubes be comin off. Im thinkin about removing the lip on the rear,and makin the back one pannel. The older fiat lenses do look better. Ive daydreamed about new taillights, even looked at cars while commuting...surfed, looked at parts on the bay. I do like the recessed round pairs, I think Opel hade some...And if I actually do all that, Id have to re-paint my car??? But, I might consider the Euro version? ( Fiat lenses )

[pope]

Hey Danno,
It would not be a kit you buy and bolt on in an hour if thats what your looking for. I involves some thought and design skills. Of course it would work. The bumpers have to be tucked in the body more by reducing the length of the bumper shocks. The bumpers have enough strength at the point where they bolt to the shocks. I did not say it was an easy project. That drip edge would have to be cut off also to smooth the back.

By the way, show us some pics of what your like in back lights.

Pope

[Danno]

Anyway, I'm not about to complain about anybody's work, because I'm finding what a pain it is to get it to look right. Here's two of the lights on the rear, there will be 4 when said and done. you can see a piece of metal bolted on the left, that was an idea (originally) that I thought I might try in brushed stainless steel. Changed my mind. Then there is the beginnings of the filled right, notice the trunk lock is gone, too.

here are the lights:


surface mount, so if it looks dumb with that shape of light then I can pull them off and work with something else. I'm not sure yet. we'll see how it looks with the body work where it should be. I just had to get something on there so I could drive it.

[So Cal Mark]

I agree with Matt about the two light look. One of the new members, pintopower, owns the Spider with the cut bumper. It looks good, but the lic plate was moved lower also and now the rear panel looks quite plain. The owner agrees and is looking for an emblem or something to fill the space

[TJC]

Now these taillights are reaaaaal nice and the Corvette Rondine's design was the inspiration for the Spider, anyway (it's sitting next to a Gamma, if I'm not mistaken):

[pope]

Hey, can someone get ahold of Pintopower and get him to put a pic of the rear of the spider on here?
Did he move the license plate too low? Its a delicate balance.

This is a simple rear end
Pope

[pope]

Introducing the Rondine Spider. Hey if the Corvette Rondine sold for 1.7 million then...

Now the bumpers look Fat and heavy. I think the stock tail lights look like Tammy Fay Baker (R.I.P.) with all her Mascara. Big, protruding, and heavily outlined, and lacking any sex appeal. Its just that they have been around so long and we are so use to them that its like an ugly girlfriend. You cant say anything bad against her because shes my ugly girlfriend.

Pope

[So Cal Mark]

it is a clean look, but very 50's ish IMHO. The Rondine is very cool but looks dated. Pintopower will be at our event on Sat, so I'll get a pic of the rear treatment

[Joe Clemente]

I dunno,

Just my own taste I guess, and to each their own but the round tail lights are simply offensive. They neither update the car's looks nor do better at retroing the Spider than its own lights. They just lack all congruity with the Spider's lines. The Rondine lights look good, but on the Rondine.

I've often tried to speculate just how the factory would have chosen to deal with the car's styling cues had the Spider continued into the 90s and on. I thought that perhaps more flushly mounted versions of their existing lights might be a logical idea, not unlike the marker lights on the 79s and newer. There's a photoshop project.

[cecat]

I did the round tail lamps on my brothers 74, since it's not mine. It's similar to picture #3. It came out good, will post some pics soon, but here are some pics i found of other cars that i had in my picture collection:





Late,
George

[mdrburchette]

The blue one doesn't look all that bad, but I'm with Joe on this one. I prefer the stock look.