Side markers/lenses

C

cpa7man

New member
The GCR says you can remove body side moldings. It is silent on the side marker lenses. I guess this means you must leave the stock lenses. I'm repainting and thought this might be a good opportunity to bondo over these useless side markers.

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Paul Pineider
ITA 05 (Soudiv)

WTB - Used transponder.
 
Yes, yes, yes, and no.
smile.gif


K
 
If the side marker is actually in the molding as it is on my 2nd gen. RX-7, I think arguably you could remove it and fill the holes, especially if it is attached to the molding and not the fender. But, as we always say, the GCR does not specifically say you can - so you probably should not.
 
many years ago i was whining to brian holtz (then comp board, now bod)about constantly replacing side markers and he siad if you really squint hard at the rules you could make a case for taking the off.
i went home and squinted and came up with the same side molding logic. I however did not fill the hole with bondo. that what series stickers are for.
dick patullo
 
Okay, Dickita - I'll bite. What part of the rule did Mr. Holtz suggest you squint at?

Anticipating that there ISN'T one, I have to say that that kind of thing pisses me off a little.

If the rule is stupid, change it.

If you personally THINK the rule is stupid, and you are in a position to have influence and share opinions that people are going to interpret as binding, please have the professionalism to keep your yap shut about it.

If there IS a clause that can reasonably be interpreted as allowing this, show it to me and I'll recant.

K
 
***many years ago i was whining to brian holtz (then comp board, now bod)about constantly replacing side markers and he siad if you really squint hard at the rules you could make a case for taking the off.***

That's the kind of $hit we don't require from anyone on the CRB or BoD. These friken games they play with their pals/buddys show very POOR leadership qualitys. Example, check out the issues with the Production car roll cages.

Have Fun
wink.gif

David
 
Hey, Dick, I found this chew-sized chunk of ass sitting on the ground back there; does it belong to you? Here ya go, you might need it later on...

<grin>
 
Originally posted by dickita15:
he said if you really squint hard at the rules you could make a case for taking the off.
i went home and squinted and came up with the same side molding logic...
dick patullo
Click to expand...

kirk no biting needed. i explained the logic in my original statement. my contention is that with the side marker imbedded in the side moulding trim you could make a case that it comes off with the trim. you may disagree but belive it or not there are people who have different intepretations than you. I don't think I have ever told anyone to keep there yap shut for expressing opinions that do not agree with mine.

david. what i said was brian's entire responce. any asumption on what to squint at are mine alone. no one in a position of power was acting in any way improper. he did not even say that he agreed with the interpretation just that it existed.
 
Dick, I have a good friend that's on the BoD at this time & I don't even dream of using his name anywhere close to either site that I use relative to rules.

Have Fun
wink.gif

David

ps: He & I have very good communications about the rules per what the the written word is & per what ever someone would like to read into the written words.

[This message has been edited by ddewhurst (edited September 08, 2004).]
 
17.1.4.D.8.k. (page ITCS 18) states:

"Body side moldings, rocker panel moldings....may be removed. Resulting holes may be filled."

So....the 1st gen RX-7 has little plastic lens/body marker lights that fit nestled in and on a thick rubber side molding that is about 2" wide and 5/8" thick that is glued the length of the car.

The actual light housing never touches the sheet metal. It fits into the side molding.

What to do?

Dick...what say I protest you at the next event (unless you win or trophy!) and we run it through the process to get to the bottom of it! It would give us good practice and experience in the protest procedure.

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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by lateapex911 (edited September 08, 2004).]
 
Thanks all for the great responses.

Jake, you said it best and make a strong case. The only flaw is that when you remove the side moldings the side markers are screwed into the sheet metal. One of my moldings (by gas filler door) is off and I lost the side marker in my last race 4th of July.

I agree it is sort of grey. Are the side markers in or part of the molding? That is the question.

I'm sure I've seen 1st gens w/o side markers.

BTW- I have a 1st gen rx-7

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Paul Pineider
ITA 05 (Soudiv)

WTB - Used transponder.

[This message has been edited by cpa7man (edited September 08, 2004).]
 
Sorry, Dickita.

First, I didn't mean "you" you, I meant someone like the Mr. Holtz example that you gave. People in policy-making or rules-enforcing positions who make and SHARE nudge-nudge, wink-wink interpretations based on what THEY (not you) think the rules should be are a problem for me. You are always allowed to yap all you want.
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Second, I didn't understand that you were referring to the "same side molding logic" that bildon described. If Mr. Holtz's squinting was JUST about side markers that are built into side moldings, I can see the logic. (How's that?) I didn't get that out of your explanation though: It looked like you were trying to make a case for "squinting" that could be applied to side markers in general.

However, if I take the moldings off and then have to take additional steps to remove the markers? No go.

K

[This message has been edited by Knestis (edited September 08, 2004).]
 
Originally posted by lateapex911:
...The actual light housing never touches the sheet metal. It fits into the side molding.
Click to expand...

Not so my man. As far as I can remember, when I ripped the side mouldings off the 7, the dang side marker lights stayed in place, held in by a screw at either end that went into plastic grommets stuck in the fender so I left them there lights in.
NOTE- memory may be askewed as the last 7 I built was about three years and around five billion Coronas ago
smile.gif

Ray
 
Originally posted by moto62:
Not so my man. As far as I can remember, when I ripped the side mouldings off the 7, the dang side marker lights stayed in place, held in by a screw at either end that went into plastic grommets stuck in the fender so I left them there lights in.Ray
Click to expand...

Correct, held in place by 2 screws. I think I'm going to relocate and make almost flush.
smile.gif


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Paul Pineider
ITA 05 (Soudiv)

WTB - Used transponder.

[This message has been edited by cpa7man (edited September 09, 2004).]
 
david you are right I should not have attributed the comment.

kirk. well as i said in my second post the side moulding argument is all i could think of. you are right in that if the rule is stupid we should change it but in practicality most of the time such a small change has little chance. this may not be the right thinking but if a gray area allows me to make my life easier with out any real unfair disadvantage to my fellow competitors i will likely embrace it.

paul. my 2 cents, i think you can make a better case for removing that modifying them by makeing them almost flush.

of course i remember one car with wooden side markers taped over so you could not really tell. not legal but i did not care.
dick patullo
 
Originally posted by moto62:
Not so my man. As far as I can remember, when I ripped the side mouldings off the 7, the dang side marker lights stayed in place, held in by a screw at either end that went into plastic grommets stuck in the fender......Ray
Click to expand...

Reread my post buddy....

I said the marker lens/body didn't touch the metal, and it doesn't. The fastening device doesn't ether tecnically, although you could consider teh plastic grommet as part of the fastening device, in which case it would.

But, the part you ripped off, if memeory serves, has a thin gasket layer that goes under the light body.

(Note that this subject came up recently, when I commented to Dickita (LOL) that I needed to replace (yet again) the side markers that I had replaced after removing the trim, but had been buzzsawed of in close running.

He made the comment regarding the trim rule, and I said.."hmmm ok!"

I'm still undecided on this....



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Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
ITA 57 RX-7
New England Region
[email protected]
 
Using the Update/Backdate rule on a 1st gen RX7, you should be able to remove the rear marker lights. 79/80's didn't have them, but they did have fronts, and no molding either. However, I would think that you'd have to fill the holes with something other than racer tape to be legal
wink.gif


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Scott Rhea
It's not what you build...
it's how you build it

Izzy's Custom Cages
 
I would think this is pretty simple.

IF the marker light is inclusive of the trim AND IS NOT attached in any way to the fender, I would think you could remove it.

If you have to unscrew it from the fender before you 'pop' the trim off, then I would think you have done the no-no.

AB

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Andy Bettencourt
ITS RX-7 & Spec Miata 1.6 (ITA project)
New England Region R188967
www.flatout-motorsports.com
 
Why remove the side moulding? It prevents my competitors from buffing my fenders with their Hoosiers!!!
 
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