Tear drop rearl ight lens

It appears my lenses are basicaly melting (they are plastic)due to the heat generated from the bulbs I have checked the Stoddard website and see they replacements in stock.
Does anyone know if these are glass to avoid the problem all over again? Glass I would assume is the preferred lense?
In the meantime the clutch slave cylinder has been replaced (sent by SAW) and the car is just a blast to drive.

Stuart
Do you have pictures of the car finished? I would love to see it.

Stuart: All of the lens are plastic. The problem is the replicas are running 12VDC while the originals were 6VDC. Bulbs burn brighter...lens melt. There are lower wattage bulbs available at auto parts shops. I found 18/6W bulbs. The problem seems to be when the brake light is left on for an extended period. I was really concerned when I converted to beehive tail lights, so I am using LED bulbs that a fellow SOC member recommended. www.Autolumination.com I just had a wheel alignment done, where the brake lights were on for 20 minutes and the lens were warm....not hot.

Chuck

Lambors judt detailed it and will be taking some pictures.
Chuck tank you very much for the tip. Will report results.
Stu

I am about to try these. A little pricey but should save the lenses. I would think the Light Tower or Light Tower II should work. I've tried others that didn't.
http://superlumination.com/1156_1157.htm

Hi Chuck. Have you actually installed a set of the LED lights and tested them? They are bright and generate negligable heat, but I understand that there is a problem with them; they are directional. Mounted on the angle of the Speedster's rear fender area, the beam tends to point up, making them hard to see. This was a warning that I received when I considered them.

My current solution is using a lower wattage 1034 bulb in place of the more common 1157 and using some reflective material on the top side of the lens. So far, the results look pretty good. The downside is, of course, that the less bright bulbs are not as visible as the 1157's are.
Hoss

This hawkens back to the posts a few months back about the IMPORTANCE of a 3rd brake light. For the sake of safety you NEED to have one. LED versions that fit under the grill do not affect the design of the car and illuminate very well. Drivers are not used to looking for brake lights since in the last 20 years they have been prominent on all modern cars. So you need to LIGHT up when you hit the brakes.

The LEDs that I am using have 18 LEDs on the face and 6 LEDs that face rearward towards the reflector and they light up the entire lens. Use red LEDs for lights in a red lens, as the the clear LEDs are missing part of the light spectrum and don't work as well behind a red lens. The photo below shows the brake lights on using the LEDs.
My wife says that she can see the lights just fine when she has followed me.

Chuck

That looks pretty bright to me. Do you use LED's for the signal lights too and do they show up well when the brakes are being applied? I agree with Mike's statement that a third light, especially mounted higher than the teardrops, is a good idea. I have a third light also which is an LED mounted in the license plate light frame (where the "backup light" would normally be found). I have been told that this shows up well also, but I think the higher mounting, in the grill, would be even better.

The LED's I supplied the link for are not directional. I've tried the directional ones and you are right, they don't work well.

Yes, the LEDs are being used for the turn signals as well and are plenty bright.

Ron: Some of the LEDs can be rather large. Check the dimensions of the bulbs. I was limited due to the shape and size of the beehive lens.

Chuck

Ok got the new lenses from Stoddard. They shipped next day to me and they couldn't be nicer.
I am hoping to get different bulbs Friday but must admit I know nothing about bulbs so the string has confused me a bit (sorry for being so dumb on this)re; LED versus regular bulbs, and the 1100 series bulbs I think 1156 & 1157.
What is the difference between these adn will the 18/6 do the job without melting the new lenses? I don'y have a ot of choice here n Sun valley with 1 auto parts store in SV and 1 in Haily. I am kinda doubting that they will have LEDs (not that know what hey are???)
Thanks for the education cause I don't know what I don't know here.

I have had a long conversation with Steve at SAW on how to prevent this melting of the lenses but I am not sure that it will help on some of the cars out there now. I believe the melting occurs is hot areas, lights on, foot on brake and turn signal flashing. Not an uncommon situation. It is worse when amber lenses are used on the tail lights because it forces the turn signal to the amber section and concentrates the heat. On my IM (all red), the turn signal blinks on the inside bulbs (near license plate). I believe SAW will change its rear light pattern using a GM technique. Steve prefers the all red option to dissuade melting. 1156 and 1157 are tail lights options that have been around for maybe 50-60 years. I believe 1156 is a single filament bulb and 1157 is double filament (say tail and brake or tail and flasher). LEDs are great but may be large and directional. They get larger when trying to overcome the directional thing. Staying with incandescent may be your best bet. Now, if they melt you know where to get new ones.

Charles thanks for your help. Appreciate it.

I had the same problem. I finally drilled 2 air vents inside each unit to help the heat ecape. 2 new lens problem solved. its been a year.

Barry,
Will the same holes that allow heat to escape also allow moisture to get in? I'm thinking particularly of corrosion of the reflector and the contacts.

Not a problem . I found a pair rubber elbows that fit in the holes but still allow air movement.
Also as a standard procedure. I put high temp sillcone grease in the bulb pockets to repel moisture.

It's no longer a issue.

Barry could you provide a littel more detail on where you drilled the hole and the ruber elbows.
This problem is compounded out here by a constant 85 - 95 degrees in the summer. Moisture in the high desert is rarely a concern so I not all that worried other than possible condensate maybeb.

Finding a rubber elbow is simple.

Use spark plug wire boots with a peace of white plastic hose pointed into the engine bay, maintianing a upward angle. I drilled a hole for the hose through the side walls of the engine bay. high and dry.

With the fixtures removed ,drill the hole on the top side of the fixture as rearward from the face of the unit as possible to insure it will allow clearance back into the car body, WHEN YOU REINSTALL IT.

The hole must also be directly over the brake light bulbs as possible and use silcone caulk to seal the boots into the outside of the fixtures.

After you reinstall the fixtures you can test and then install the new lens.

One correction !!!

I forgot that I have found a better sealant. Try black urethane gutter seal, at the boots. It's very hard to beat.

So my problem was a bit more complex than I first thought. Steve at SAW helped me thorugh it, but it turns on tha I had a wire that had ri=ubbed and worn at the brake switch assembly.
I had thought the running lights were wired to be n with the car on. Wrong!!!! It was my brake lights which were staying on which is why my lenses melted.
Problem solved, (I hope) so I don't hink with the newer bulbs the new lense wil melt.
Thanks to all for the help.

Based on the experience of others, I think you will find LEDs for a tear drop will not work as well due to the tight placement (directional in tight areas) of the bulbs.

LEDs will work on Hives. But may cause a glitch with your turn signals. An E-bay LED outlet sells a connection to reduce this possible glitch.

My NLA hives have never melted a lens, FWIW. I've used the bulbs that came with it, higher wattage bulbs, and LEDs.

I for get where I saw them.

They now also offer Leds that are mounted sidways on the bulb base that do work in the tear drops . I'd done did my mod before they were avalible. thank for reminding me t i will dig back threw, some of newer cataloges and try to find them again.

Im thinking it was Speedway Racing or Springfield Streetrod.