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Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 7:22 am
by Tk41774
I've had my 1958 Minor 1000 for about 10 days, so I'm still getting to know her. It has one clear spotlight and one yellow one, neither of which are wired into anything. I don't believe they are standard (although they don't look out of place) my question is if I was to wire them up, what should be their rightful purpose?
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20250101_142633.jpg (1.12 MiB) Viewed 6061 times

Re: Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 9:03 am
by philthehill
The clear spotlight is to improve forward visibility. The yellow spotlight is for use in fog. The yellow lens is considered to improves visibility through the fog as the yellow light does not reflect off the fog particles as would a white light.
Both lights are period and are a useful addition to the car and a bonus for the driver when driving in poor weather conditions.

Re: Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 9:53 am
by geoberni
As Phil says, they are not 'standard', although they may have been fitted by a Dealer at the time of purchase.
They would have been on separate switches, the white Spot Lamp to supplement the quite poor 1950s Headlamps High Beam on the open road, the Yellow being a Fog Lamp, aimed lower on the road. :tu1:

Re: Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 11:08 am
by svenedin
They look in nice condition and as Phil says they are proper period additions. If you do not wish to keep them (I would) then you could sell those for good money. Have a look in the cabin for their switches or where switches may have been mounted. If the switches are missing you would want to find something in period. You can get nice crackle finish toggle switches with period labels.

Lovely car by the way. Welcome to the board and the Minor community. Enjoy!

Stephen

Re: Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 12:56 pm
by King Kenny
Nice car. I wired mine as in this diagram. They only go on when the lights are on main beam. You may wish to wire each light separately.
Wire Relay wiring. MM 1000.jpg
Wire Relay wiring. MM 1000.jpg (50.33 KiB) Viewed 6003 times

Re: Yellow and clear Spotlights?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2025 6:49 pm
by philthehill
I would suggest that the fog light is wired to illuminate only when the headlights are on dipped setting and has a in line switch so as the fog light can be switched off when it is not foggy and you want only the dipped lights to work (plus main beam of course).