Recently got a steal on a legit 78 RHD rx7.
Has some unique quirks compared to the US sa.
The light switch has the normal (off)-(parking light)-(headlight light) positions. But also has a pull switch next to the hatch popper for parking lights(picture of headlight with P in the middle).
Just wondering if anyone knows what the purpose of this switch is compared to the parking position on the headlight switch??

 

Is it maybe a bit dimmer on the parking lights with the weird switch?

I ask because back in the day, folks parking on crowded streets would leave the parking lights on for the duration, just sitting there glowing, some Euro thing, maybe JP too. Anyway it would use a lot of power, so maybe your special switch is for a lower power setting, different bulbs. In any case, cool.

 

ive had several german cars where you could turn on the parking lights on just one side or the other. i don't know about Japan, could be something like that

 

If you look at the front signal lens assy in the bumper, in the JDM it has TWO bulbs, and the lens is bi-colored yellow and white (the internal housing is also split). The white lens is the parking lamps, operated by your switch, perhaps with the side and rear lamps too?

Stu Aull
80GS
Alaska

 

The front lense has 2 bulbs. One parking light and one blinker(also the side marker blinks). But the switch turns on the tail lights as well as the front parking light.

 

The parking light switch does not turn the cluster/interior backlights on. Just the front markers and tail lights. I guess that's the difference.
Pics for fun...lol

 

As someone else stated, in some Euro countries (Germany, for example), their laws require that vehicles parked on the street have to have 'A parking light' which is typically mounted on the driver's side rear corner, is red, and is illuminated at night - only when parked on the street.

This allows drivers to see vehicles ahead and drive AROUND them rather than run into the back of them. Very common to see a line of cars all having a single red light on that corner that then lines the edge of the roadway.

The JDM spec light housing may have accommodated this, or could have used a separate set of wires to power that ONE bulb in the driver's side rear brake setup. That one bulb would burn for days on 12v power. Some cars even had a separate light housing that sat below the bumper with a tiny flashlight bulb in it that could be turned on from inside.

Here are the JDM spec front markers which the other guys are talking about: