These pages are devoted to the 1991 3000GT VR4
All Pictures can be clicked on to enlarge
  It is recommended you read and familiarize yourself with this whole process before starting
Turning Snake Eyes Mod
 Cost $12, plus your labor (3 or 4 hours)
This modification was inspired by the group and having everyone asking how to do the snake eyes mod.
There are everything from digging under the dash, disconnecting wires and rewiring, to removing the
Circuit Breaker. Of the two I favor the Circuit Breaker because when you do not pop up the
headlights, your vision is drastically reduced. At least with the Circuit Breaker the mod is easily
reversed. Although this mod will not give you snake eyes that are as bright as using the headlights, it also
doesn't have the chance of too much heat build up in the pop up headlight bucket It works all the time at
night without any thought from the driver. It also solves the problem of those who travel to foreign
countries that require white turn signals in the front of the car without buying new turn signal lenses. The
total cost of the Mod is about $12 if you have all the tools. As everyone knows I don't consider tools in my
mods because they can be used over and over again. Most of my repairs and mods involve very little cost or
get by on as little funds as possible
Ok, lets get into this one and see how we like it huh? If you are impatient I suppose you know you can go to
the bottom of the page and see what the finished product looks like,,, hey,,, get back here!!
First we will remove the reflector from either side, doesn't mater where you start. In the picture below I have
removed the reflector and have the parts laid out and have already drilled a 1/4 inch hole in the desired
position on the car. Pay no attention to the fact I have also removed the headlight door and mechanism as
I have to consolidate photos for more than one process. Note on the reflector that I have already drilled
and expanded the hole in the bottom to accomodate the light bulb. The turn signal socket is not going to be
installed into this hole as there is insufficient room inside the housing for the bulb to go completly inside.
Instead we will be installing the socket in the car body with a snug fit by drilling the proper size hole and
feathering it to fit tightly. If you have never removed the reflector, there is only one bolt towards the center
of the car from each side that bolts down a tab connected to the reflector. Use a #10 metric socket to
remove it. Once the bolt is removed raise up the tab side enough to get your finger tips under the reflector
front and then push the reflector back down down on your fingertips and it will pop out the pin from the
holder which is the little white plastic square to the left of the turn socket in the picture below. Note the
1/4 inch hole drilled through the black part. This should also be center of the hole in the reflector.

Turn Signal Socket
 
 

First drill and enlarge the hole in the reflector. I drilled an initial hole 1/4 inch in diameter and then used my moto
tool to enlarge the hole. Be very carefull not to let the drill or the moto tool bit to touch the front inside the
reflector or you will never get inside it to even try and touch it up or fix the marks. Shown below is the moto
tool , bit and reflector after making the hole.
 Note position of the hole in the reflector below as this is about the only place you have enough clearance
for the bulb and be sure to position the hole in the same place on both reflectors so they look uniform. After
making the hole you can vacuum out the inside of the reflector fairly easily

Reflector With Hole Bored in Bottom
 
 

Going back to where I started up above, place the reflector in position and check to see you measured
correctly and the hole is in the center of the reflector hole. I have placed a photo below of this, but you
have to look closely because of the fractal properties of the lens to see the hole below.
 

Alignment Shown of Both Holes
 

Now we are going to drill a 5/8" hole using the pilot hole as a guide as shown below. There are
two layers on top then the bit will drop down about an inch and you must drill through the next
level also. If you have bought a different turn signal socket than the one I did, just make sure you
drill the correct size hole. They should all be pretty standard
 

Drilling of Large Hole
 

Once the hole is drilled you need to feather it a little on the sides where the bumps that the bulb
uses as a guide and anchoring channels. You do not want it fitting loosely. You want it to be a
tight fit. I tapped mine in with a hammer and they fit fairly snug. Do not tap it in yet, just test it for
snugness. It should get pretty snug with about a 1/4 to an 1/8 left to go in
Next we want to prepare the socket for installation. I added 18 inches or wiring to each leg
using the solderless connectors provided then taped the entire length of the wires with electrical tape
and left about two inches exposed at the end. Photo is shown below. I used extra wrappings of tape
at the solderless connector area
 

Wire Loom Prepared
 
 

 Next remove the marker light on the side of the car by removing the little metal cover at the front end
of the marker as shown in the photo below taking care not to pry out below the metal cover and
cracking the marker/lens mount. Remove screw and slide marker light out and forward to release it from
the back clip. The bulb socket comes out of the marker housing by a small turn  to unlock it. There is no
need to unplug it from the socket

Removing Screw Cover

 Next we want to determine which wire is the marker light and which wire is the turn signal.
I installed a red wire and a blue wire, but this does not really matter. They can even both be black as long
as you know which is which. I used the same wire as I did for the malibu fogs. #18 Lead Wire.
This is actually beyond manufacturers specifications for the turn / marker lights
  To test which is which, place one of the wires on a battery terminal and the socket housing
on the other terminal as shown below. With this test I have determined that the blue wire is the
dimmer side of the bulb and therefore the marker light. This leaves the red wire as the brighter side of the
bulb and therefore the turning light.
 

Testing Light to Determine Turn and Marker Filaments
 

Next install the new socket in the hole in the car while fishing the wire into the side marker light area.
Note in the photo below that I have removed the prongs that normally would have mounted the
socket and I have left the ground terminal on the side. You do not need it, but it can be used for mounting
or a ground if you wish or if you need it later when the socket might lose the friction ground. Note
the ground terminal fits neatly in the grove contour of the bucket
 

Socket Installed
 
 

Next we move to the wiring of the new socket to the existing wiring for the turn / marker lights.
Strip a section of insulation or using an automatic wire stripper, cut and push the insulation back
on the two outside wires in a staggered manner to prevent them from contacting each other when
taped together  The center should be black and is the ground as shown below. Turn the marker
lights on. Touch the lower brilliance wire which in my case was the blue wire to each of the two
wires and the one that lights the newly installed bulb is the one you want to solder it to. The other
wire gets soldered to the other outside wire (the brighter one or the turn signal light) Note the bulb in
the new socket is lit in the upper right of photo
 

Testing out Connections
 
 

Solder the wires in place. The progress should look like the photo below

Soldering Connections
 

Now test the installation and make sure everything is lighting correctly. Next wrap tape around each
individual solder connection as shown below
 

Taping Each Individual Connection
 
 

Now bring the two wires together and retape the whole assembly back to manufacturers
specifications as shown below
 

Final Taping Of Connection
 

Reinstall side marker / turn lens and housing, install reflector (trim if needed to clear bulb)
and your project is complete This mod along with the Malibu light mod adds an interesting effect
to the vehicle front lighting and gives various different effects. Remember when the headlights
were on before the reflector was normally not illuminated in conjunction. Now it will be, adding an
interesting effect. The marker lights can be used in conjunction with the malibu lights / add-on
fog lights for another effect. Let us not forget the original fog lights in conjunction with the
headlights and snake eyes and also all of them at once which is a very intimidating effect on
someone ahead of you at night.
 

Though I have not got it outside to take some night shots because I have just finished the
mod, here are some preliminary photos of the snakes by themselves and with the Malibu Fogs
taken in my basement Snakes come on with the running lights. They also flash bright when the
turning signals are on

              Snakes                                                                              Snakes With Malibu Lights
New Turn Signals IlluminatedNew Turn Signals With Malibu Fogs Illuminated

,,,,,Personally if my opinion counts this looks more like a snake than anything to me,,,,

Realistic Snake's     Can you see his Eyes Surrounding his Pupils??
 

To Get an Idea of what the turning light looks like, here's an animated gif file I made and no the car does not
move because of this mod,, it's just hard to get exact location shots without using a tripod
I might also add there isn't another VR4 under this one. Wish it could be that simple :-)


 
 

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Photos and text Copyright John C. Adams  Use prohibited without authorization.
For questions send e-mail.   Last Update  3/1/99