Fog light

[Issug987]

I was looking to add a fog light to the BGT, decided to modify one of the two reversing lights, I now have one white reversing light and one red fog light...

[Not_Anumber]

That looks really neat. Are you adding a visible or hidden dash switch for the lamp ?

[Issug987]

I got a Lucas fog light switch (Morris Marina HL) it's an identical fit in the centre console, it does need a mimic indicator, so you don't accidently leave it switched on...

[Bumpa]

I hope you have mounted the fog light on the offside of the car (driver's side). I think that's a requirement.

[Issug987]

The fog is on the RH the reverse is on the LH

SCHEDULE 11
PART I
Requirements relating to obligatory rear fog lamps and to optional rear fog lamps to the extent specified in part ii
1. Number:

One
2. Position–

(a) Longitudinal:

At or near the rear of the vehicle
(b) Lateral–

(i)Where one rear fog lamp is fitted:

On the centre-line or off side of the vehicle (disregarding any sidecar forming part of a motor bicycle combination)

There is also not requirement for illumination type (LED or incandescent) or Wattage, so as the position and housing are the same, this would be compliant.

And I have been stopped a couple of times for not wearing a seat belt, when I explained the car doesn't have one and is not legally required to be retro fitted, most plod don't even know the regulations themselves.....

[George Wilder]

Seat Belts

Here is the RAC's view of the law regarding seatbelts in the UK....

"Essentially, if your vehicle has seat belts you legally have to wear them.

It's unlikey your vehicle will not have seat belts unless it's a very old classic as it’s been a legal requirement in the UK for seat belt anchorage points to be fitted in the front of all new cars since 1965, and for front seat belts to be fitted to all cars since 1967.

The law was also changed in ‘67, requiring all cars manufactured since ‘65 to be retro-fitted with front seat belts.

By 1987, all new cars sold in the UK legally had to have rear seat belts fitted too – but most manufacturers were already fitting them as standard.

The law changed in 1989, making it a legal requirement for children travelling in the back of cars to wear seat belts, followed by another rule change in 1991 which dictated adult passengers must also wear seat belts in the back of cars.

With front and rear seat belts a legal requirement for all new cars for 30 years – and legislation dictating that they must be worn since 1991 – wearing a seat belt ought to be human nature to anyone when getting into a car in the UK."[/i]

|So according to the RAC as manufacture of MGB GTs only started in late 1965 all MGBGTs in the UK must have front seat belts and the user wear them except those very few manufactured in 1965.

[Not_Anumber]

Unfortunately my GT is too young to feasibly get away without front seat belts. Its been so long since I stripped out the interior I cant remember if it has any provision for rear seatbelts.
As part of the EPAS conversion I temporarilly have an MGF steering wheel with AIRBAG misleadingly written on it. Clearly there is no SRS system to connect it to but it would be interesting to know what laws its presence may violate if any. Someone jokingly suggested I should keep it and wire it up to a dash switch to manually operate the event of an accident.

[Ian F]

I hope there are no explosive materials inside the steering wheel!!

Ian F

[Not_Anumber]

Quite likely so, I haven't yet braved defusing the airbag.
Its safely electrically isolated though so short of catching fire theres no chance of the airbag going off.

Come to think of it that could class as a new type of driver safety aid. If the car caught fire whilst the driver was asleep then the sound of the airbag going off would be guaranteed to wake them.up.

[Allan T]

Anyone thinking of adding rear fog lights might well consider the lowest reflective areas of the rear lens clusters.

Fitted here, when not in use they're invisible.

In use, they mark the width of the vehicle.

If you're working on a Roadster you can use the redundant wires in the loom intended for the GT heated rear window.

And your reversing lights are left intact.

Later cars have two blanked rocker switch spaces - though last time I checked the matching fog light rocker switches including a warning light were NLA.

Good luck!


Allan