Converting Fender-top Parking Lamps 
to Turn Signals on a 
1959 Mercedes-Benz Type 220S Ponton coupé 

The fender-top parking lamps on my 1959 Mercedes-Benz Type 220S Ponton coupé were originally intended to illuminate one side of the car or the other when parked on crowded European streets at night. This practice is long since out of date (and such lamps were never used in this country). My coupe has a small toggle switch under the left side of the dash that can be clicked left or right to select the lamps on either side after the main light switch has been turned all the way counter-clockwise (one click left of the off position). Sedans with fender-top parking lamps have a similar setup. 

I've often thought that those useless lamps should be put to work somehow so I converted mine into blinking turn signals. It turned out to be simplicity itself.

First of all, it doesn't matter if you have juice to the parking lamps at present. What does matter is that the bulb is good and the parking lamp sockets are in good, clean shape and can carry current. Just follow the steps described with the pictures below and you'll have an extra turn signal blinker. 

I should mention here that, by plugging the wire to the lamp into the opposite end of the junction box, the parking lamps will light up along with the headlights rather than blinking. That's OK but hardly as useful as an extra blinker.

Marvin Huey
Huey Gun Cases, Inc.
820 Indiana St.
Lawrence, Kansas, 66044
785-842-0062
www.hueycases.com
hueycases@gmail.com

Photo 5. After cutting the positive lead, insulate the end of the wire coming from the 
parking lamp switch and strip the insulation from the other cut end of the same wire

Photo 6. With the ignition on and one side of the turn signals flashing, find the 
circuit in the junction box that carries the current. The continuity tester will flash with the current.

Photo 7. Plug the positive lead to the parking lamps into the junction box 
(whether top or bottom) to send the flashing current to the blinker