Trafficators

Discuss anything Morris Minor related.
Forum rules
By using this site, you agree to our rules. Please see: Terms of Use
Post Reply
Firefly
Minor Friendly
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2022 6:28 am
MMOC Member: No

Trafficators

Post by Firefly »

I have a 1960 four door and it has Trafficators on it but also has indicators on the wings.
I am about to start doing it up as it has been stood for several years .My question is should I do away with the indicators and just get the Trafficators working or do I get both working ?
don58van
Minor Addict
Posts: 759
Joined: Sun Feb 01, 2009 6:24 am
Location: New South Wales, Australia
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by don58van »

In today's road environment, trafficators are an anachronism. Most road users will not have seen trafficators being used. They will not understand their meaning nor will they be attuned to watching for them to mysteriously appear from the middle of the car. I would support their restoration as a historically correct fitting but only as an addition to modern indicator lamps.
My tuppence

Don
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by MorrisJohn »

My four door saloon only has trafficators, albeit they’re modified with flashing LED bulbs to make them easier to spot. They’re much more effective in the dark as they’re more likely to be seen. It can be a little tricky at times, but the car is used in finer weather on urban roads, country roads and motorways. I think the trafficators on the four doors are better spotted than the lower ones on two doors.

I like the fact my car is original, but I also accept indicators are safer (although lots of brand new cars seem not to have them!).

You could use small motorcycle indicators mounted below the rear bumper if you want a reversible option and don’t want to drill holes in new wings.

It really depends on what is important to you in terms of originality/safety, your intended use for the car and what traffic conditions you routinely drive in.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
KeithL
Minor Fan
Posts: 449
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 9:06 pm
Location: Worcestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by KeithL »

Our 1959 Traveller has both working trafficators (non-flashing) and modern indicators front and rear. I can't see a downside to having the trafficators so I would keep them.

ManyMinors
Minor Legend
Posts: 2752
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:41 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Trafficators

Post by ManyMinors »

I have both on my car. I wouldn't want to drive it as often as I do without flashing indicators on the busy roads of today but I wouldn't want to discard the trafficators either. You can wire them to 2 seperate switches or together on the same switch using 2 flasher units. The choice is yours. I would only consider trafficators on their own on a car which is seldom driven and just driven locally. They were hopeless on the motorway even in the mid 1960s :roll:
myoldjalopy
Minor Legend
Posts: 2518
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:32 pm
Location: Kernow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by myoldjalopy »

I too have both fitted. I think it preferable to having two seperate switches as you don't always want the trafficators to come on every time you signal (possible breakages, plus they don't always return properly when overtaking at high speed!). I sourced a vintage switch and fitted it on a specially made bracket under the dash.
nutsandbolts
Minor Friendly
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2021 3:56 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by nutsandbolts »

A few years ago I had an Austin 35 van with only trafficators fitted, although great as a part of history they are not good for signalling as has been mentioned. I would keep them but also have the indicators. I used to use hand signals alongside the trafficators and people thought I was on drugs with the looks I got. Most of todays drivers do not understand hand signals or look for trafficators.

I remember the offside one used to hesitate deploying when switched on, a good thump on the 'B' post used to do the trick.
the most unreliable part of a car is the nut holding the steering wheel!
User avatar
geoberni
Minor Legend
Posts: 3565
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:19 am
Location: North Leicestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by geoberni »

My SII, when I got it, had been modified with a 61-63 Wiring Loom, so the DB10 'Flashing Brake Light' style indicators, but on top of that they had modified the lighting so that:
a) the headlamps now included the side lamp, leaving the sidelight to be made Indicator only with an Amber Lens
b) the rear flashing feed from the DB10 had been fed to 2 new amber indicators on the rear with a new line from the Brake Switch to the Brake Lights!
c) the Trafficators were still there, but no electrics due to the Wiring Harness change!


I've reinstated the Trafficators, fitting them with LED/Flashing lamps
I've fitted Amber LED lamps to the front indicators, with clear lens
I've fitted Red Lens to the rear indicators, connecting them back in parallel to the fitted DB10 system, giving me double the brake/indicator lamp each side.

You can see the effect at the rear here, where I was experimenting with LED lamps https://youtu.be/zHTzLepE6-A

The Trafficators are wired from the same switch, but with an override, allowing me to disable the Trafficators if I wish. As myoldjalopy said, I didn't want to have them deploying at speed and getting damaged.
The way I achieved this was to include a couple of relays; one double pole relay would have been neater, but they're not very common in the automotive world.
I also added a hazard switch to the system.
Trafficator Circuit.jpg
Trafficator Circuit.jpg (94.96 KiB) Viewed 2739 times
Basil the 1955 series II

Image
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by MorrisJohn »

geoberni wrote: Wed May 11, 2022 3:36 pm My SII, when I got it, had been modified with a 61-63 Wiring Loom, so the DB10 'Flashing Brake Light' style indicators,
If I ever fit them that’s the way I’d like to do it too. DB10 flashing brake light system, with clear lens indicators where the sidelights currently are. Very sympathetic upgrades. Not a job for this year though.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
Firefly
Minor Friendly
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2022 6:28 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Trafficators

Post by Firefly »

What a great response thank you everyone. I think I will get the trafficators working for the historic side of things.
I will keep the wing indicators as the Morris will be used a lot.
ManyMinors
Minor Legend
Posts: 2752
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:41 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Trafficators

Post by ManyMinors »

I'm not sure that the DB10 flashing brakelights idea is much more clearly visible or understood than trafficators quite honestly, so I certainly wouldn't fit that to a car which didn't already have it.
Another point for a 4door saloon or Traveller fitted with trafficators is the fitting of seatbelts. My 4door car had no seatbelt mountings and it was a bit of a challenge to make a suitable/comfortable upper fixing while retaining the trafficators. What have other owners done - or have you elected not to fit belts?
KeithL
Minor Fan
Posts: 449
Joined: Mon May 24, 2010 9:06 pm
Location: Worcestershire
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by KeithL »

We don't have seatbelts in our Traveller.

MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by MorrisJohn »

Same as Keith. Trafficators, no seatbelts. Would be interested to see a photo of how you mounted yours ManyMinors, out of curiosity.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
Grabsplatter
Minor Friendly
Posts: 28
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 4:27 pm
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by Grabsplatter »

My '58 two door has trafficators fitted with flashing LEDs, and they certainly appear to be immediately understood by all (which they never were with the original non-flashing bulbs!). It also has flashers which I only ever use for turning right at roundabouts, as the trafficators are outside the field of vision of cars approaching the roundabout from my left. I'm intending to have the current flashers removed as replace them with the '61-'63 style which uses the sidelights and brake lights as indicators, but they'll still be very rarely used.

Hardly anyone knows trafficators now, but everyone knows what a flashing orange light means, wherever it's mounted. Convert the trafficators to "flashicators" and enjoy the best of both worlds.
ManyMinors
Minor Legend
Posts: 2752
Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2014 9:41 am
MMOC Member: No

Re: Trafficators

Post by ManyMinors »

MorrisJohn wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 10:56 am Same as Keith. Trafficators, no seatbelts. Would be interested to see a photo of how you mounted yours ManyMinors, out of curiosity.
It is a compromise of course because you can only fit a mounting either below or above the trafficator - which is what BMC did from 1961 onwards. Above is too high and the belt rubs the side of your face or neck. Below is too low and the belt can come off your shoulder :x . I welded a mounting into the pillar leaving just enough space for the trafficator still to be removed/replaced. This mounting has 2 captive nuts welded to it. A mounting bracket was then fabricated from some old seatbelt kits I had and is bolted through the trim panel into the captive nuts which should be reasonably secure. The seatbelt (either inertia reel or static) can then be bolted through the remaining hole in the top of the mounting bracket pictured which gives a slightly higher mounting position. It is still not ideal and I may still find a better way of doing it in the future but, for now, this works OK. If I didn't want to retain the trafficators I would simply weld a seatbelt mounting into the pillar half way up the trafficator position.
Attachments
4door seatbelt mounting.JPG
4door seatbelt mounting.JPG (124.82 KiB) Viewed 2568 times
MorrisJohn
Minor Addict
Posts: 721
Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2015 9:41 am
Location: Glasgow
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by MorrisJohn »

ManyMinors wrote: Sat May 14, 2022 11:45 am
MorrisJohn wrote: Fri May 13, 2022 10:56 am Same as Keith. Trafficators, no seatbelts. Would be interested to see a photo of how you mounted yours ManyMinors, out of curiosity.
I welded a mounting into the pillar leaving just enough space for the trafficator still to be removed/replaced.
Thanks for sharing this. Although I plan to leave mine as is it’s interesting to see creative solutions.
A bad day with my Volksie still beats a good day at work!

https://www.glasgowmoggies.com
Rustynuts
Newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2023 7:40 pm
Location: UK
MMOC Member: Yes

Re: Trafficators

Post by Rustynuts »

Unfortunately, most motorists wouldn't have a clue what trafficators are, and they are probably not very visible to cars following you. I would never use trafficators without also employing hand-signals, which begs the question as to how visible a left turn hand signal would be, assuming you have a right-hand drive car.
Post Reply