Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

People have been trying pop-up roof lights off and on since the 80s. Doesn't seem to really have taken off at any point. Which, IMHO, is kind of puzzling. You'd think some form or another would have caught on even as a cult favorite styling element, but nope.

Well, some ideas take time. For instance, every decade or so people have tried a convertible pickup truck, it seems Jeep has finally pulled it off.
 
Well, some ideas take time. For instance, every decade or so people have tried a convertible pickup truck, it seems Jeep has finally pulled it off.
 
People have been trying pop-up roof lights off and on since the 80s. Doesn't seem to really have taken off at any point. Which, IMHO, is kind of puzzling. You'd think some form or another would have caught on even as a cult favorite styling element, but nope.

Likely due to the aerodynamic implications. At first all the OEMs probably thought that hidden headlights would be a great aero benefit and they could run all their testing with the lights down and get better fuel economy, which was probably true at first but then the EPA caught on and forced them to take a harmonic average of lights down and light up.... and those lights up are TERRIBLE in the up position.

But that's just my guess as an aerodynamics engineer for an OEM.
 
I would think the roof lights would not be for on-road use, like most. Not sure if that nuance escapes the EPA though.
 
Likely due to the aerodynamic implications. At first all the OEMs probably thought that hidden headlights would be a great aero benefit and they could run all their testing with the lights down and get better fuel economy, which was probably true at first but then the EPA caught on and forced them to take a harmonic average of lights down and light up.... and those lights up are TERRIBLE in the up position.

But that's just my guess as an aerodynamics engineer for an OEM.

I wasn't thinking about OEM, but aftermarket. Things like these:
go-rhino-sport-2-bar-toyota-tacoma-up-close.jpg


Those would not be subject to EPA regs or anything like that. I vaguely recall a Smittybilt or something similar that had popup light installations in the late 80s as the first one someone tried but I only ever saw one a couple times. Of course, there's people that homebrew retractable/popup light installs, but they're all few and far between. Every so often some style bar or roll bar maker tries it again, or tries a different take on it.

By the way, that specific bar does have an optional modern take on popup lights.

I don't expect this to really go viral in the truck community. Which is a shame.
 
Last edited:
I wasn't thinking about OEM, but aftermarket. Things like these:
go-rhino-sport-2-bar-toyota-tacoma-up-close.jpg


Those would not be subject to EPA regs or anything like that. I vaguely recall a Smittybilt or something similar that had popup light installations in the late 80s but I only ever saw one a couple times. And of course, there's people that homebrew retractable/popup light installs, but they're all few and far between.

The Ford Performance chase rack for Raptors has a pop up light bar. https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-19007-A

bu7a1AM.png


O7lLiA0.gif
 
The Ford Performance chase rack for Raptors has a pop up light bar. https://performanceparts.ford.com/part/M-19007-A

bu7a1AM.png


O7lLiA0.gif

Sadly, while Raptors are very popular around here, I've never seen any of them mounting that rack and this is the first I'd heard of it. Makes me wonder how popular that rack is or isn't nationwide - and I'm leaning more towards 'not'. Again, it'd be a shame if so, because I like the idea.
 
Likely due to the aerodynamic implications.
Doubt it, mostly due to the lights on my Xterra, they are factory off road flood lights that stick out of the air damn permanently, so it's not like they improve aero in any way. I suspect it's more due to the fact that it would be more moving parts that could break for no real benefit. Like the lights on the X came with plastic covers on them that you remove by hand, not much to break and lights are still protected when not in use.
 
Huh?

SiluZJYm.png


Those are nowhere as bad as the pop-ups I posted on the last page
 
Right, and at that point why make an expensive, more complicated, more prone to failure aerodynamic shape if you can't claim the full aero benefit?
 
?‍♂️ pretty much what I said up there, doesn't make much sense to make it more complicated, would be cool though :p
 
Maybe not as bad, but still not great, not to mention the general boxiness of the car itself.
To say the Xterra has the aerodynamic properties of a brick is insult to the guy who designed the brick.
 
I really doubt That the guy that designed the brick ever took aerodynamics into account.

Oh, now I see.
 
To say the Xterra has the aerodynamic properties of a brick is insult to the guy who designed the brick.
It’s pretty great at anything over 70 taking foot of the gas slows the car down quickly enough that I don’t have to use brakes.
 
Maybe not as bad, but still not great, not to mention the general boxiness of the car itself.

Not great, not terrible.

It’s pretty great at anything over 70 taking foot of the gas slows the car down quickly enough that I don’t have to use brakes.

laughs in Jeep Patriot
 
Anything over 70 requires WOT since I added my roof rack, bumpers, armor, and off road tires.
 
Top