# Traffic light viewer

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Created:** [July 14, 2019, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356 "2019-07-14T04:23:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![mperry\_153483](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@mperry\_153483](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mperry_153483)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356/21 "2019-07-18T00:37:19Z")

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Non-inflammable. 😃 If it’s spraying fuel in the exhaust pipe? In the old days, guys would install a spark plug in the tail pipe, hooked to a coil & momentary switch.

My uncle (2 years older than me) was showing the same stunt, got rolling, cut ignition as he gave it gas and yanked the choke. When he switched on the engine there was a huge bang and the back of the car lit up.

3rd time, he neatly split the muffler at the seam. The ride home was in silence, except for the rumbling exhaust. How to explain this to granddad?

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 1:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356/22 "2019-07-18T13:22:39Z")

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> [@mperry\_153483](#):
>
> If it’s spraying fuel in the exhaust pipe?

For $2.00?  
Even in the '50s, that would have been unnaturally cheap for a length of fuel line, clamps, wiring, and an igniter of some sort.  
I think that this “accessory” was actually some kind of streamer-like device that was clamped to the tailpipe.

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**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356/23 "2019-07-18T17:28:57Z")

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Yes, just tassels, like you have on the handlebars of your Schwinn

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/c/5c83819229d0643b5251d3390e7a536b8929589d.jpeg)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356/24 "2019-07-18T18:09:19Z")

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Hmmm, Grandpa just put the bike together for his Grand Daughter and is trying it out?

Having read many JC Whitney ads and deciphered the hype, yeah I agree they were just some kind of “non-flammable” streamers. I never noticed an ad though for balloons to mount on the wheels to make that blub blub blub sound though, but maybe it was there somewhere.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mperry\_153483](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@mperry\_153483](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mperry_153483)\
**Post date:** [July 18, 2019, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/traffic-light-viewer/144356/25 "2019-07-18T19:45:53Z")

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I don’t know about that kit, but the ones in the late 50’s were  
simply a piece of exhaust pipe, or a screw in fitting, and a  
switch. All other parts were up to the hotrodder to supply. Most  
didn’t have a fuel spray, but I remember one being installed.  
(Never saw it work, and that was probably 1958.)

This is how they do it today.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VHQ8E9q5x8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VHQ8E9q5x8)

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