So I made the switch to LEDs
#595045
01/26/10 09:15 PM
01/26/10 09:15 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912 Athens, Greece
Pyper70
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912
Athens, Greece
|
I thought they were pretty cool til I decided to give it another shot with an LED array. The picture below shows the luminescence of an LED bulb with 36 LEDs in a 360 degree rotation. The 1156 on the RIGHT side of the tail light was adequate but not SUPER!... I invested in some 1.25" x 1.25" 36LED Super White PCBs for 2.99 a piece and hooked them up in series for a test run and the results were astounding. I know the lights are crooked behind, it was a test run to see the "red" and how much of an impact it had. The following picture shows the tail light without the red lenses on. Those suckers sure are bright. Not a bad investment either. I am going to order a few more sets as these were test runs. I'll make a U shaped channel out of aluminum, paint it silver or fake chrome-in-a-can and run small sheet metal screws on the top and bottom of the housing so they are all in perfect line with each other.
Last edited by Pyper70; 01/26/10 09:16 PM.
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Stew4706]
#595047
01/26/10 09:55 PM
01/26/10 09:55 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050 Texas
GoodysGotaCuda
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
|
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050
Texas
|
Looks great, unfortunately we 72+ ebodies have minimal room in the tails. I just did this swap on my rears for $50. Came out pretty good. I am trying to figure out what to do with the front. I was thinking panels like yours, but they are hard to find in amber. Pretty good/stock looking pattern in person. Planning on doing the fronts? Or just rears? What site did you buy those from?
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: GoodysGotaCuda]
#595048
01/26/10 10:26 PM
01/26/10 10:26 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912 Athens, Greece
Pyper70
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912
Athens, Greece
|
I put in the Amber 1156 LED bulbs up front, those are fine because they are just signals. The trunk, dome, map light, Console courtesy light, and dash instrumentation lighting has already been purchased. The rear panels were bugging me and they needed more luminescence...I bought them off the Bag straight from Hong Kong. Buying it from the US would have been a 300% markup plus shipping, better to go straight to the source. What is the available diameter to work with in the Cuda's tail lights? Have you looked at Motorcycle Brake LEDs?
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Pyper70]
#595050
01/26/10 11:25 PM
01/26/10 11:25 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050 Texas
GoodysGotaCuda
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
|
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050
Texas
|
Quote:
What is the available diameter to work with in the Cuda's tail lights? Have you looked at Motorcycle Brake LEDs? ]
The ones i installed are about 3" in diameter.
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Pyper70]
#595051
01/27/10 12:17 AM
01/27/10 12:17 AM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,449 So Cal
Sinitro
master
|
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,449
So Cal
|
Quote:
I thought they were pretty cool til I decided to give it another shot with an LED array.
The picture below shows the luminescence of an LED bulb with 36 LEDs in a 360 degree rotation. The 1156 on the RIGHT side of the tail light was adequate but not SUPER!...
I invested in some 1.25" x 1.25" 36LED Super White PCBs for 2.99 a piece and hooked them up in series for a test run and the results were astounding. I know the lights are crooked behind, it was a test run to see the "red" and how much of an impact it had.
The following picture shows the tail light without the red lenses on. Those suckers sure are bright. Not a bad investment either. I am going to order a few more sets as these were test runs. I'll make a U shaped channel out of aluminum, paint it silver or fake chrome-in-a-can and run small sheet metal screws on the top and bottom of the housing so they are all in perfect line with each other.
You mite want to check out... www.superbrightleds.com
They supply a very, wide range of LEDs for automotive applications and are not the typical off-shore stuff. We build show cars for CES, SEMA and various magazines and have used their products with good sucess. Also when using the LEDs be sure to double-check the diameter of the bulb hole in the housing as sometimes there are clearance issues.. Additionally note there are specific flashers to be used with LED bulbs, as they are of lower resistance..
Post back if you have any specific technical questions..
Just my $0.01..
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: 69MOPE]
#595052
01/27/10 01:36 AM
01/27/10 01:36 AM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050 Texas
GoodysGotaCuda
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
|
5.7L Hemi, 6spd
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 25,050
Texas
|
Been pecking away at my search. Finding out what I want to do where. Looks like a #67 bulb is the most common in "LED-land" versus trying to find the #97 LED replacement for my license plate light. I have to look at it and see what angle it will sit to figure what style bulb to run. The white 1156 reverse lights and 194 side markers are pretty straight forward, I think they install at about a 45* so something in a scattered LED pattern would be best. Dome light and some footwell lights are pretty straight-forward. I think my front turn/park lights will end up being a replacement bulb rather than a LED panel. Hard to find a decent sized panel with the low/high circuits. Dash lights will be replaced with a green led panel that will shine down on the gauges like stock. Trunk and under hood lights maybe... headlights and road lamps will go to HID. I like my lights.
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: GoodysGotaCuda]
#595053
01/27/10 06:31 AM
01/27/10 06:31 AM
|
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 283 N.E. England
Roppa440
super street
|
super street
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 283
N.E. England
|
I just don't like them.
I fitted LEDs to my Challenger and no way do they glow as evenly or as soft as the original lamps. To avoid hot spots (and to get them bright enough) you need an even spread of the LEDs over the whole surface. Then they still don't look right to me.
I am going to put standard stop/tail lamps back in. One thing I might change though is to paint the reflectors gloss white instead of silver. I have heard this gives a nicer and more even glow to the lights.
2002 Chevrolet Corvette 5.7 LS1
2011 Alpha Romeo Giulietta Veloce 1.6 JTD
Because running a Mopar in the UK is getting TOO expensive!!
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Stew4706]
#595058
01/27/10 03:30 PM
01/27/10 03:30 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912 Athens, Greece
Pyper70
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912
Athens, Greece
|
The ones in the picture above are 1156's...so they are always on. That pair will be on the inner most of each tail light closest to the trunk key as that was factory. I have to get my hands on 1157's which are Hi-Lo LEDs and then there will be a pair of those in each bank (middle and outside) of each tail light. So in essence I will need 8 total for Hi-Lo (tail light and braking) and 4 total for the standard tail lights. I am thinking about integrating a sequencer like the 69 Mercury Cougar had so there is directionality for turn signals which I think is pretty cool. If I do that then I have to swap the inner most 1156 LEDs to the 1157's so it shows directionality. I am no electrician, I am just takin this as I go and its a steep price to pay (about $160)
Anyone ever done a sequencer conversion for a classic Mopar?
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Pyper70]
#595059
01/27/10 03:32 PM
01/27/10 03:32 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912 Athens, Greece
Pyper70
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912
Athens, Greece
|
Dtedler...the video doesn't appear..
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Pyper70]
#595060
01/27/10 04:07 PM
01/27/10 04:07 PM
|
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 182 Columbia, Missouri
dtedler
member
|
member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 182
Columbia, Missouri
|
Link fixed and photo added. Sorry for the delay.
Another alternative is to go to youtube and search for "73 challenger LED tail lights".
Last edited by dtedler; 01/27/10 04:08 PM.
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: dtedler]
#595061
01/27/10 04:34 PM
01/27/10 04:34 PM
|
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912 Athens, Greece
Pyper70
OP
master
|
OP
master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,912
Athens, Greece
|
NICE!!...
Did you make those yourself?
Family owned 1969 Charger R/T DualQuad 440/727/GVO/3.55s
|
|
|
Re: So I made the switch to LEDs
[Re: Pyper70]
#595063
01/29/10 02:50 PM
01/29/10 02:50 PM
|
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5 North Carolina
chargercrazy6870
member
|
member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 5
North Carolina
|
Quote:
Anyone ever done a sequencer conversion for a classic Mopar?
How good are you with a soldiering iron? You'll have to use some 555 timers (or a 556) for the delay.
Sequential tail lights
There is a picture there of the circuit set up -- I think it is correct. Read up on 555 timers and you should be able to understand how it works, then you can apply it (change delays, etc.).
|
|
|
|
|