shaving 69 reflectors

[threeonthetree]

what do you guys think about shaving the 69 chevy reflectors and welding in some metal.
any pics of it?

[Longhorn Man]

personally, i think it looks funny
plus, a real sharp police officer can give you an equipment violation ticket, or, if you have a safty inspection, you can be sent home without a new sticker since they are federally mandated since 68.

[special-K]

You`re good to go with historic registration,though.Looks like you went ahead and did it,huh?

[LONGHAIR]

I don't know about that one Andy?
They are Federally mandated for the manufacturer, that does not necessarily mean that they have to me maintained/retained by the end-consumer.
As long as you have a functional turn signal on the front and rear, I think you can get by w/o the ones on the sides.

[special-K]

I think of all vehicles out there,these trucks are the best to "fill" those holes on since within the same body style some had no side markers,some were only reflectors,and some were lights.A cop would have to be more technical than I`ve ever seen to cite on that one.I think most cut slack on older fixed up stuff,too,unless you`re getting wild.Then,they`ll use what they can to pile up violations.Most cops out there now are too young to know their vehicles from back then.I`ve run into this with seatbelt nazis,a few times.

[kev2809]

technically there is supposed to be side reflectors. BUT, if the truck didn't come with them, then I don't think you need them. my 67 only came with fender badges and that's it, so its staying that way. I think you will be fine by shaving them. just when you shave them primer the whole fender and not just that spot, so its not obvious. but they still prob wouldn't know

[mclairmo]

I bought some pre-cut panels to weld in off of Ebay but have not welded them in yet. They look real nice, though. Just be sure to rust proof the back of the patch that you ultimately use or it will rust.

[special-K]

BTW,shaving is removing a body feature to make smooth.Filling is...filling.

[XXL]

Don't get your legal advice on Internet forums.

[Naterman35]

I say go for it. I did it on my truck and i really like it. I didnt spray anything on the back until i took my fenders off but that was only a few days after so no big deal. TAKE your time welding them in. I used a spray bottle and did 4 tacs them sprayed with water to cool then did another 4-6 tacs then sprayed again. Making sure everything had cooled before hitting it with the welder again.

[ebfabman]

If you want to shave the side markers.......shave away!

[Naterman35]

Heres Mine

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by XXL

Don't get your legal advice on Internet forums.

Why not it doesn't cost anything

[Longhorn Man]

he already turned his fenders into scrap metal.
Saying that a federal DOT required item isn't needed is kinda stupid.
Would he get away with it, almost certianly.
Does that mean it is legal? No.
Saying he can legally remove them is as silly as saying he can remove his headlights and strap a mag light to the hood.
I just figured he should at least know. Some states would actually catch this on an inspection... some areas of PA are known for this kind of crap. I got sent home frrom an inspection station in texas for having the wrong UPDATED seatbelts in my old truck. DOT regulations are DOT regulations. I DO DOT inspections at work. I know what sticklers they are... I have to be one myself.

Like i said, its all moot anyways, he already warped his fender to where it is worth its weight in scrap anyways.

[Shane]

that fender isn't scrap ... about 15-20 minutes with a hammer and dolly would repair it just fine

[kev2809]

so what about the 67's that dont come with any side markers or reflectors? and i only say he doesnt need them if it didnt come with them. obviously in 1967 they didnt require them

[Longhorn Man]

the topic is a 69, since they weren't required in 67, then they don't need them on 67's

[kev2809]

ok, what would happen if he put a 67 front clip on? could he still fail inspection since the actual truck is a 69?

[Naterman35]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

he already turned his fenders into scrap metal.


Like i said, its all moot anyways, he already warped his fender to where it is worth its weight in scrap anyways.

Its extremely EASY to do without warping a thing... It just takes time....

Its adding a custom touch to a vehicle... that doesnt mean it should just be scrapped. Take your time and skip weld. Cool the panel and it comes out good. Not warped. then when you grind the weld down also take your time cuz you can warp it there to.

[XXL]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

Saying he can legally remove them is as silly as saying he can remove his headlights and strap a mag light to the hood.

Why do you get to say who's silly? Because you're staff and have 76,000 posts?

Your status as a "DOT inspector" at work does NOT make you an expert on automobile regulations.

And the TOPIC WAS posted as "what are our opinions on the aesthetics of the modification?"

[Josh]

Your best bet is to call the local DMV or DOT or highway patrol and find one of their inspectors that has a clue and ask them. Most states are gonna tell ya if it came on the truck it's gotta stay on the truck.

[Longhorn Man]

look into things.
no, i am not an expert on DOT regulations, but I do know more than 90% of the people in this thread on that specific topic. This seems obviouse.
Let me take back my initial responce, and say...
I think it looks funny TO ME.
If you look into the federal laws and regulations, you'll find it is illegal to do this, however, odds are you'll get by without.
If you were to get busted, say in a safety inspection done by your state, then you could probably use some small markers from another aplication. I believe the 68 or so cornet used some small atractive round lights that can be easily retrofitted to any application with a simple 3/8-ish drill bit.

nowhere did I say, nor imply that having a lot of posts gives me rights. Nor, did I ever say/imply that being forum staff gives me right that none of you have.
The OP asked what we think of it (and aesthetics were never mentioned from the OP) and I gave my opinion... another way of wording 'what I think of it'.. and I followed it up with info he should know.

I shall now bow out of this thread all together. Seems some think that fashon should come before law.

[ebfabman]

Hey Andy, you spell like I do

[ChevLoRay]

When these became mandatory in '68, there was a lot of backlash by some who just didn't like the way they looked. GM and FoMoCo had some of the biggest ones, while MOPAR used a small, round one that was about an inch in diameter. While I'm shaving mine, I gotta say that if push comes to shove I'll check out some MOPAR units and install them where they will only show up at night. Heck, might even put some small reflectors in the center of the caps on my wheels, as long as they are tasteful and blend in.

[mclairmo]

I agree with Longhorn Man. I believe that if someone asks a fairly broad open ended question, we should inform them of some legal or safety related ramifications of the intended modification, if relevant. I would not want someone to remove their seatbelts just because it makes the interior look cleaner or black out their headlights because it looks cooler. Same with legal issues, if the oem put it on, it was for good reason and one should look into the legality of removing oem equipment and we should inform them of same. If Federal DOT laws mandated them in 1969, you cannot remove them and be in technical compliance with the law, such as with the side marker lamps which were required in that model year. Same with airbags or catalytic convertors today. You cannot remove them and still be in compliance with the law. I would think a poster here would appreciate that information, even if not specifically requested.