Skip to main content

Closed83 replies

Brighter tail lights revisited

Lane AndersonLane AndersonMt. Pleasant, SC Supporting Member
It's been a while since we last discussed the various options for brighter (usually LED) tail lights, and I have a few questions, so I thought I'd start a new thread. Recently My friend Mike was following me in his Healey on a sunny day while I was in the Speedster. He thought that my brake lights were not working, but they were just washed out by the sun. I have additional brake lights in my license plate surround as well as under the engine grill. None of those were visible in the sun. The fact that my car is read makes them wash out even more, although the euro-style lenses I have make the brake lights actually orange. At night the back of the car lights up pretty brightly, although I wouldn't mind some more illumination, but in the daylight it is simply inadequate for today's distracted drivers. I am considering one or more of the following options to improve the situation:

1. Replace the backup light over the license with a red LED brake light like John Hallstrand has.

2. Replace the standard tail light bulbs with LEDs from a place like superbrightleds.com or autolumination.com.

3. Look into the culayer-style solution, although that is probably not compatible with the replica lights.

4. Find a nice chrome red taillight like I've seen on some 50's and 60's racing cars. These look like slightly smaller driving lights but have red lenses and could be fitted with LED lights. Some hot rod shops have some that might be suitable. I would mount this to the rear bumper like a rear-facing driving light.

5. Other solutions that any of you might suggest.

Do any of you have experience with any of the above? I'd like to compare notes. Surely some of you have tried a few things since this was last discussed?

Calling Alan Merklin: At one point you were pursuing a solution like culayer, but for the replica housings. Whatever happened to that?

Formerly 2006 Beck Speedster (Carlisle build car), 1964 Beck Super Coupe

Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Lane AndersonLane AndersonMt. Pleasant, SC Supporting Member
It's been a while since we last discussed the various options for brighter (usually LED) tail lights, and I have a few questions, so I thought I'd start a new thread. Recently My friend Mike was following me in his Healey on a sunny day while I was in the Speedster. He thought that my brake lights were not working, but they were just washed out by the sun. I have additional brake lights in my license plate surround as well as under the engine grill. None of those were visible in the sun. The fact that my car is read makes them wash out even more, although the euro-style lenses I have make the brake lights actually orange. At night the back of the car lights up pretty brightly, although I wouldn't mind some more illumination, but in the daylight it is simply inadequate for today's distracted drivers. I am considering one or more of the following options to improve the situation:

1. Replace the backup light over the license with a red LED brake light like John Hallstrand has.

2. Replace the standard tail light bulbs with LEDs from a place like superbrightleds.com or autolumination.com.

3. Look into the culayer-style solution, although that is probably not compatible with the replica lights.

4. Find a nice chrome red taillight like I've seen on some 50's and 60's racing cars. These look like slightly smaller driving lights but have red lenses and could be fitted with LED lights. Some hot rod shops have some that might be suitable. I would mount this to the rear bumper like a rear-facing driving light.

5. Other solutions that any of you might suggest.

Do any of you have experience with any of the above? I'd like to compare notes. Surely some of you have tried a few things since this was last discussed?

Calling Alan Merklin: At one point you were pursuing a solution like culayer, but for the replica housings. Whatever happened to that?
FM Former Member
The third brake light from the late 90s Taurus/Sable wagons has been discussed here before. If I remember right, the contour was perfect for the turtle-back above the decklid.

Somebody actually did that.

I'm going to use a pair of Lucas 1130s (like MGTDs and Morgans use on their fenders); one for backing up, the other as a third brake light. Both will appear to have clear lenses, but the SuperBrightLED company you mentioned has inserts for them that drop right in. One will be red, the other white.

They're on my to-do list this winter, too.
Michael McKelveyMichael McKelveyAnn Arbor Supporting Member
Culayer won't work with our replica lights. The wiring is different. I guess you could rewire things to make them work. I don't know if they fit otherwise.

I think my LED lights are bright but I have never followed myself. If you haven't done anything by Carlisle you can follow me there.

It might be a problem having amber brake lights. People don't expect that. Maybe you can swap sockets so brake lights are red and turn signals are amber.


Attachments

Hide
Images (2)
  • Tail Light LED
  • 3rd brake light
Bob: IM S6Bob: IM S62016 Intermeccanica S6 Supporting Member
I'm having Henry put Lucas beehives on my car, as they are larger than the NLA beehives, are made of glass, and have a deeper base. Apparently, they are a little brighter than the NLA beehives (and don't melt from the heat of the bulb).

Still, that is not much light for modern driving. The car also has a third brakelight mounted in the air intake grill, for what it is worth.

Just my two cents worth.

Jim KellyJim Kelly2013 SAS coupe-Fiji
Culayer LED brake lights DO work with our replicas. Jim Franzen, the owner, is a very accommodating guy who enjoys having his products work on replicas as well as original 356's. I e-mailed him with the specs for my SAS coupe that's being built. He e-mailed the builder, they both had some input, with the result being LED's designed for the tear drop lights with replica wiring. He made some very minor design changes to accommodate modern wiring.

This is a small American business run by a guy who's smart, hardworking, and also a car guy. Win/win.
Jim KellyJim Kelly2013 SAS coupe-Fiji
There are several manufacturers of LED replacement-type auto bulbs, with much of it Asian junk. Problem is that, unless LED's are facing toward the viewing profile, they don't offer much, if any, improvement over standard incandescent bulbs. Thus, the novelty of Culayer, who installs them flat on the viewing surface for efficient illumnination. Some LED's are so energy-efficient that a more sensitive flasher unit needs to be installed to know when the turn signal is on.

There are other substitutes for LED auto bulbs: halogen, krypton, tungsten, and other exotic gasses and filaments. There are the usual tradeoffs: useful life of the high-tech bulbs can be as low as 20% of the hourly life span of traditional incandescent bulbs; heat is always the culprit of increased lumens, and getting them to fit in older housings may not be worth the effort.

Polishing up the housing and reflective surface, replacing the standard bulb with a new one, and cleaning up the contacts can often offer surprisingly increased illumination. Old, undersized, worn wiring with corroded connections also leads to dim bulbs. Be wary of placing a much brighter bulb in a housing with a plastic lens, due to increased heat. Best case = melted lens, worst case = vehicle fire. If you are going to upgrade your lights, check actual voltage at the fixture first. You may be surprised at the voltage drop.
srblowersrblower Supporting Member
Hi guys, just to give you what I did. I have a UK spec car - different arrangement but does use red for side/stop and amber for indicator. I replaced all my normal bulbs with LED replacements. It took time to find the right ones, i.e. some LED's too big, sometimes I used a red LED for stop and tail. It was a best fit selection process. I had to use an electronic flasher unit as the LED's use so little power, the standard flasher thinks the bulbs are blown. It solves a lot of problems as the life of the LED's are so long and the heat generated doesn't melt the plastic lenses.
Lane AndersonLane AndersonMt. Pleasant, SC Supporting Member
Mike, it looks like you used the 1.8" cluster for the outer light, and the 1.25" unit for the inner one. Since you said that you used pigtails, I assume that means that you did not use the 1156/1157 bases. I would think that would be a direct plug-in, but I wonder if there would be clearance issues with those. The pigtail would allow a lower setting, but would require custom work including removal of the sockets from the tail light assemblies. Can you fill me in a bit on what you did there? Also, what did you do to create the brighter reflector?
Michael McKelveyMichael McKelveyAnn Arbor Supporting Member
Lane, the end of the pigtail has a piece that replicates the base of a regular bulb. It just gets inserted in the socket like a regular bulb.

I didn't do anything to the reflectors. I assumed they wouldn't be doing much since the LEDs were pointing straight back.

I stuck them in place with epoxy putty, the kind that comes in a bi-color stick you knead. The large one is stuck in place directly and the small one is first stuck to a C-shaped metal shim I got at the hardware store. I ground the edges of the shim a bit. The large one makes a little contact with the chrome bezel but that doesn't seem to be a problem. Maybe it would be possible to mount it in a little deeper.

I was a little disappointed I couldn't use the large size in both locations.
Lane AndersonLane AndersonMt. Pleasant, SC Supporting Member
Dang, that was easy!

I ordered the same lights as Mike, and they were on my doorstep the next day. A little fabrication of some holders from cut-up Coke cans and the double-stick tape that came with the lights, and things are MUCH brighter. I have the Euro-style lights with amber dual-intensity for the turn signals and brakes, and the difference there, while significant, isn't as much as for the red running lights. Those, frankly, are waaaay brighter, even in the sun.

I think I'll live with this a bit before I decide whether to add another dedicated brake light.

Thanks, Mike! I owe you an artery clogging egg sammich.
Lane AndersonLane AndersonMt. Pleasant, SC Supporting Member
First here is the special, custom-made aluminum LED cluster mount. The second shows my dirty little secret.

On the third, I have re-installed the original bulbs on the driver's side for comparison. I'll take a couple more pics this evening when it's darker. The difference then is more pronounced.

Bruce, I don't have part numbers, but it is easy to order on the website Mike listed above. The dual intensity lights are 1157 replacements, while the running lights are 1156 replacements. When you select the bulbs the site will ask you to pick color and mount type. Choose the pigtails.

I am still considering a rear foglight for those deluge situations. The Bosch and Hella lights, which are the best looking ones, are quite pricey at ~$150. I might go with a hot rod light that looks similar but costs <$50. We'll see.

Attachments

Hide
Images (3)
  • LED_0037
  • LED_0038
  • LED_0040
Michael McKelveyMichael McKelveyAnn Arbor Supporting Member
I posted the website near the top. Here is is again:

http://www.customdynamics.com/motorcycle_led_bulbs.htm#Genesis_LED_Clusters_

Scroll down to 1.25" Diameter Replacement Cluster and 1.80" Diameter Cluster.

When you click Add to Cart you will have the opportunity to select the
configuration you want - 1156 or 1157 and Amber or Red.

Choose 1156 of 1157 based on the bulb you are replacing and Amber or
Red based on your Tail Light Lens.
Gordon NicholsGordon NicholsMassachusetts 1993 CMC Supporting Member
Marty asked: "Where would this rear mount fog light go?"

If you want it Euro compliant, then it would mount on the left side of the rear bumper, even with or to the left of the tail light cluster, and below the tail light. Typically, they were 3" X 4" in size and slightly brighter than the normal tail light (to denote it as a rear fog lamp).

Many Euro cars available here have them incorporated into the normal tail light, such that the left rear light is somewhat brighter than the right.

I've never seen round ones, only rectangular, although there may have been round ones on British cars.
Next
Post Content
Remove This Ad

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×

Access to this requires a premium membership.

Supporting Member

Please help keep us running!

Supporting members have donated about $4.00 a month ($49.00 US per year) paid annually.

  • Priority support
  • Removal of inter-page (between thread) advertisements.
  • Access to Build Manuals
  • Access to Knowledge Base
  • Access to Supporting Members events.
  • Access to Leveraged Group Buying from site Merchants.

AUTO RENEW: You membership will auto-renew after 12 months. If you prefer not to auto-renew, you can cancel your premium membership at any time and it will remain in effect until the end of the 12 months. To cancel, sign in at SpeedsterOwners.com and navigate to: (Your User Name)  > Premium Membership.

PLEASE NOTE: Your credit card will receive a charge from CROWDSTACK PAY, the payment processor, not SpeedsterOwners.com.

$49.00 per 12 Months (plus tax if applicable)
×