VW Beetle Turn Signal Lamp

Father's Day is quickly approaching and you still haven't bought anything from Dad. Well look no further!

If your dad is like any other dad on the planet, he has a fascination with cars, likely including the good old fashioned Volkswagen. You may not have the money to buy him a '53 split window Beetle, but you can definitely dig between the couch cushions to find the dough necessary to complete this sentimental gift.

Overall, it took me about 45 minutes to complete this build, including taking pictures and running to Radio Shack.

Not including tools, it is totally possible to do this build for solely the cost of the turn signal. Just get resourceful. Bust apart your old walkie talkies that don't work, harvest parts, build.

These are the parts I had around the house that made it easiest and cheapest for me to build. You can substitute, add or subtract as you please, that's the beauty of it.

I ended up not using the plug for the bulb I bought because I bought the wrong plug for the bulb.

The bulb is http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?produc...

I found this to be the best bulb as it was one of the brightest readily available, plus the fact that I immediately knew that it was rated for 4 cells.

The hardest part to find will likely be the actual turn signal. I found mine at the local Pick-a-part for somewhere about $5. I would definitely suggest making sure that the signal comes from a non-desirable year, so you don't destroy a piece that someone is willing to pay big bucks for. Superbeetle turn signals are a dime a dozen.

I made a stupid mistake and picked up the wrong plug for the bulb I bought and ended up just soldering the leads to the actual bulb, which I won't regret until the light bulb blows and I make the longest light bulb change of my life.

Using a SPST switch, an incandescent bulb and a battery holder, there is literally no way to wire this bad boy up in a way that it will not work. Therefore, if you haven't had much experience wiring, don't freak out, this is a great beginner project.

I would definitely suggest drilling a hole through the metal part of the signal and then continuing through the plastic VERY carefully as to not crack it. It's been through probably 30+ years in the sun. Then simply make sure that everything fits nicely inside the signal.

I simply put the light on top of a piece of cardboard, applied light pressure to match the concave of the light and traced. I then cut out the piece of cardboard that is to later serve as our bottom cover.

I secured the components underneath with mostly hot glue and Velcro. You can do it however you want, but the one thing that I would say is VELCRO THE BATTERIES! so that later you can replace them easily without having to rip off tons of hot glue. I also dabbed a bit of hot glue on the ends of the screws that run through the turn signal to keep them from rattling about

The last step is to fasten the bottom cover to the turn signal and break out the Windex to get rid of all of those bothersome fingerprints.

Wrap it up and give it to Dad on Father's Day.