Custom LED taillights...

[Doober]

... another little project I was thinking of doing. At first I'd thought of using the trailer-style waterproof LEDs you get at most trailer supply stores/Autozone/etc...

Then I started looking into LEDs and LED strips, turns out they make waterproof versions, but they're a little pricey. I'm thinking of finding some broken '81 taillights (or '78s) and using the housings. The plan would be to mount them behind smoked plexiglas, and the light pattern would be similar to the Regals/GNs, with an amber strip in between the two red strips... I'm still in the thinking stage because I'd need a slightly dimmer strip for the running light portion though. It's likely the reverse light housing/lens would stay since it's clear, and I could just get a plug-in LED bulb for that.

 

[BMR Sales]

I think its a bad *ss idea, LED tails look so much better that standard bulb tails. Not to mention they light up faster and are a hell of a lot brighter!

 

[mean78malibu]

I was going to do it in my 78 by just replacing the 1157 bulbs with plug in LED's but it was too expensive for my liking (6 bulbs!). Let us know what you come up with, sounds like a innovative project.

 

[Ribbedroof]

Use 2 strips each side for taillamps, and 2 more for brake. Something late model I was behind had them set up that way.

 

[Doober]

I was going to do it in my 78 by just replacing the 1157 bulbs with plug in LED's but it was too expensive for my liking (6 bulbs!). Let us know what you come up with, sounds like a innovative project.

This will probably wind up costing more overall than those bulbs :lol: I've used the plug-in bulbs, but I'm not too thrilled with the light pattern they put out.

Use 2 strips each side for taillamps, and 2 more for brake. Something late model I was behind had them set up that way.

I was contemplating maybe going with 3 strips on each side, the center being for running lights and a strip above/below for brake/turn signals.

 

[DFWMalibu]

I am doing the same thing....... I have hundreds of 6.5 oval led( trailer lights ) I have some that have 60 led's a peice I was going to epoxy them into the rear of the TL housings....... I didn't know that anyone else would be interested in this....... Led's use milliamps and will use alot less power than incandescents

Chris K.

 

[Doober]

Have you checked these out too? Not sure if you've seen them, but it's more expensive than the LED lights if you already have 'em :lol:
http://www.spaghettiengineering.com/comersus/store/grand_national_page.asp

 

[jazzbo]

Have you checked these out too? Not sure if you've seen them, but it's more expensive than the LED lights if you already have 'em :lol:
http://www.spaghettiengineering.com/comersus/store/grand_national_page.asp

I saw those awhile back when I was looking into them. Those are awesome. Just wish they werent so expensive.
I am still looking for just replacements for the bulbs. just plug in play. I saw some spider ones at one time. They were spring loaded so they would fit in the bulb hole but once put in they opened up to be bigger. Havent seen those in a while

 

[Doober]

That's an interesting concept :-k

My recommendation... don't get those plug-in ones you see at Autozone. They don't do a good job of lighting the taillight housing. Get a set like you see on that spaghetti engineering site:

It will do a much, much better job at lighting the lens. I have a set of those Autozone-specials in my Sonoma, and instead of lighting the housing you just see a 1½" dot.

 

[jazzbo]

That's an interesting concept :-k

My recommendation... don't get those plug-in ones you see at Autozone. They don't do a good job of lighting the taillight housing. Get a set like you see on that spaghetti engineering site:

It will do a much, much better job at lighting the lens. I have a set of those Autozone-specials in my Sonoma, and instead of lighting the housing you just see a 1½" dot.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/r3/spider-led-light/

These were the ones I was talking about