Tail light LEDs

I am not where I have the vendor name or model number for the LED arrays I used in mine, but I thought they were a significant improvement.  I did not have any issues with the flashers.

Lane and I used these:

http://www.customdynamics.com/...enesis_LED_Clusters_ 

Got it.  I guess I'm interested if anyone out there uses the plug and play LEDs that just screw right into your existing 1156 or 1157 sockets.  Maybe that's just too easy.  But I really like easy.

The ones I used had pigtails on them that plugged right into the existing socket.  I used a cut-up Coke can to make metal plates for the LEDs to rest on.  It was truly very easy to do.  Mine looked like the Ones Mike showed, but the name seems different.  It's been a few years so I could be wrong.  I'll look for a receipt when I get home.

Phil, I purchased some plastic 3157 GM sockets. These are 2 filament, but required a little cutting and grinding to make them fit our Spyder taillights. They go in with a 3 tabs at 120 degree intervals(or thereabouts). I also purchased some red and amber LED lights, as I did them all. Then replace your flasher relay with one designed for LED use. That way you don't have to worry about loads and extra resistors and such.

I also put LED bars in the top of the grilles, really lights up the rear of the car when braking.

Pretty sure they are on my build page on FB.

Phil, would these work from CUlayer... not inexpensive but Bob has them on his IM.

Culayer

FYI, they are plug and play.... on my IM teardrops the builder uses some smarts to brighten the light output when you brake during the daytime by lighting more of the leds during the day and he has two light levels during the night. 

Anyway, you can email the guy to confirm it's functionality. 

Here is why these lights are a cut above, but then you get what you pay for on these IMHO   .... text off the site. 

Model 356 LED Taillights

The Model 356 LED Taillight modules are available for the Porsche 356 ‘teardrop’ taillights in both 6-volt and 12-volt versions. The Model 356 taillights are sold as a set of two LED circuit boards that install easily behind your existing taillight lenses without modifying your OEM Porsche taillight housings.

What makes the Model 356 LED Taillights so effective is that we use seventy-two high-brightness LEDs in each set.  Unlike incandescent lamps, LEDs only emit light in one direction.  Most commercial LEDs are generic bulb replacements and as such most of their LEDs point in directions that do little good for the Porsche 356.  To make our high brightness LEDs more effective we point all 72 LEDs at the drivers behind you.

A safety feature of our Model 356 Taillights is that during daylight driving (headlights not on) the Model 356 slaves the running light LEDs to the brake light LEDs for 50% more lighting power during daylight (sunlit conditions), arguably when your taillights need to be at their brightest. When the headlights are on (night driving) the brake and running lights revert back to working independently of each other (normal taillight operation.)

The Model 356 is sold as a set of two (driver’s and passenger’s side) LED taillight modules.

The LED taillight modules use your existing taillight lenses, bezels and taillight housings.

90-day 100% satisfaction guarantee.

This product if for aftermarket use only and has not been DOT certified

Features:

• 72 High rightness LEDs per set
• Voltage regulated to provide optimal LED intensity regardless of fluctuations in your system voltage.
• 6-volt models have independently biased LEDs, meaning no “Christmas tree light” failures where one failure knocks out a string of LEDs.

At the time I did mine, the CUlayer lights were wired for original 356s and not for our replicas which are wired differently.  They may now make a replica version or your car may be wired differently than mine.  I just urge you to be sure that they will work for you wiring scheme.

550 Phil posted:

Got it.  I guess I'm interested if anyone out there uses the plug and play LEDs that just screw right into your existing 1156 or 1157 sockets.  Maybe that's just too easy.  But I really like easy. 

@550 Phil Doc, I bought LED lights to replace the 1156 & 1157 bulbs @ Pep Boys (probably available at most parts & accessory auto store). They looked pretty much like the one's you posted. They were $20 for 2. 

The base of the LED lights were a bit shallow for the bulb socket (base not making contact with socket contacts). I merely accessed the bottom of the bulb socket and used a screwdriver to tap the contact base a bit closer to the top of the socket. Inserted the LEDs, Voila! No issues with flashers & nice @& bright.

Hope my description (from the Bizarro world of Musbjim of simple fixes) makes sense.

I'm not at my computer to insert pics of my LED remedy.

Thanks everyone.  Jim your post was the one I remembered as simple plug and play.  Going to research a few more posts like Danny's Facebook post.  I don't want to screw up my electrics.  Just want the simplest solution to get a little more light to my tail lights.

After reading a few more posts I think I know what to do.  Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.  I think I can just switch out my current bulbs to the red LED bulbs I posted.  But this will likely result in the rapid flash situation.  So I will also need to find my flasher relay.  Should be pretty easy.  Just follow the clicking sound.  Then replace my flasher relay with a comparable LED relay.  Won't see my car for another couple of weeks so I'll get on it then.  Thanks.

The new led bulbs that are available everywhere are an easy fix for sure ... do you have a third eye ?

I just find our lights are so small that something that is flashing as in a third eye on braking and anything else I can do to brighten things up is what I want

just saying

Michael McKelvey posted:

At the time I did mine, the CUlayer lights were wired for original 356s and not for our replicas which are wired differently.  They may now make a replica version or your car may be wired differently than mine.  I just urge you to be sure that they will work for you wiring scheme.

Good advice for speedster teardrops

beehives are plug and play

Phil:  Infollowed in the footsteps of my “brother from a different mother”, Musbjim, and just went to Autozone and got some 1156/1157 bulbs.  Jim has a relatively new VS, I have a relatively old CMC.  My LED bulbs popped right in with zero plug-N-play issues.

Remember, though, buy the LED replacement in the color of the lens it sits behind.  If the lens is red, get red bulbs.  If you’re replacing the front directional (amber) bulbs, get amber LEDs.

And finally, if you install the LED bulbs for the directional circuit and the flasher, she no blink no more, Autozone also carries some LED ballast resistors (something like 10 ohm, 5 watt or thereabouts) that you install from the directional light wire to ground.  That should cure it.

Gordon

Could I just change to an LED compatible flasher relay like this one?

https://shop.advanceautoparts....BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Sure!

I didn’t because my system depends on using an original VW flasher - Typically over-designed and not easily replaced - so I went the resistor route.

Thanks again Gordon

Phil, I hate to say it, but a Vintage 550 isn't wired like all these Speedster folks.

I'm pretty sure Greg uses a 2 prong flasher relay. Find yours, or call him. Then order an Audew LED flasher relay from Amazon in the configuration you need. No Mickey-Mouse wiring needed, just get the amber and red bulbs you need and the relay. You should be done in less than an hour.

I HIGHLY recommend adding an LED light bar in the top of each grille. You can wire them for stop only or turn/stop. Big time difference in people's reaction time to your brake lights. I noticed how much quicker they hit the brakes behind me once I added them. I got them from Summit and they were about $8 each.

This one?

https://www.amazon.com/AUDEW-E...rcycle/dp/B011BTMDQM

I will confirm with Greg.

First things first.  An hour for DannyP is probably a half day for me.  I'll get to the light bar.

I text Greg.  He said 3 pin.  Man Greg responds fast after he builds you 3 cars.

I have the light in the grille and added a device to make it flash.  I think the flashing interval gets longer and longer until it is continuously lit.

I installed the intelligent version to flash the third eye from Kahtec.com but you can even get one that will flash all the lights you have in the back when you hit the brake. 

Some other sites for motorcycles have out of space lighting as well. 

FOR EVEN MORE ATTENTION.... You can even get a circuit that will handle 30Amps and hook it up to your horn so that the high beam headlights flash when you honk the horn.    Anything is possible this day and age... Period correct no, attention getting for sure. 

After so many years, are there any new alternatives to LED tail lights?
I'm still on the waiting list and wanted to ask Carey to hook me up.