I NEED BETTER TAIL LIGHTS

Over the weekend I had a buddy behind the roadster and he said he could not see my taillights or brake lights in the day time. That is no bueno. I had LED super brites in there but they are "only" 275 lumens. The new ones are 600 lumens. I sourced them on Amazon and got them in 24 hours (I don't know how they do that with free shipping).

They look stupid but fit my 37 ford housings. It's the funky one on the right, normal 1157 mounting post in back. The one on the left is the super brite LED I removed.

They make a difference. This is running light comparison, new bulb on the left in the picture. They are sold as motor cycle lights and came with HD replacement lenses. They are wicked bright.

And brake lights/signals. That hurts even in the picture, you should see them in person. You can get a tan.

If you can't see those you likely honk at what you think is women with nice arses on bicycles only to find out they are dudes when you get closer. The problem with the new bulb thingies is they do not illuminate my blue dots. Just a dark spot on the sun.

Sooo, I need new lenses and I have a pair of nice glass lenses with dots to part with.

This is what I want, they are Zephyr style lenses for 37 ford housings. Limeworks is out of stock. I need a pair. Glass, red, no blue dots. Anyone holding?

I found some for sale in the UK but their website said they do not ship to the US. Perhaps a UK member will help a guy out? Other suggestions? You know, power of the HAMB kinda thing.

 

Had to do the same thing to one of my off topic muscle cars. Don't like the led look but it's better than getting rear ended by someone half-assedly paying attention to operating a car.

 

I'm hoping the domed lens will help "defuse" the LED light pattern.

 

Those LED lights are ugly, but they sure are bright. Bright is more important then pretty, these days.
With my 48 Plymouth I was able to get complete, plastic, replacement LED replacement lights. They look great and are bright (can't tell they are LED), but that was before Covid, who knows if a guy could buy such a thing these days.
The LED tail lights on my 49 Dodge pickup are butt ugly too. They were purchased in 2022, but there are a lot less options then they were a few years ago. With the trade deal between the US and China, the choices may be even more limited now. A large portion of LED lights originated in China.

 

Look for a Chrome Shop for over the road trucks . In your area I’m sure there’s several. Check out Iowa 80 online lights selection.

 

Take every precaution

 

I have U-P LEDs myself ,
Many LEDs if you can get around the algorithm search that repeats the same items,
How about crushed glass or small mirrors in all the empty spaces around LEDs
Or maybe crush glass inside lens itself ?

 

Put led panels behind the stock style lenses on my 55, and led bulbs in the tails on my Camaro. I've almost gotten rear ended too many times.

 

I use 1157 LEDs that have projector lenses on the end in addition to the LEDs around the body. Very bright and don't look like a bunch of LED emitters.

Still, it's tough to get the attention of that person texting in the SUV behind you. I think maybe I should add a horn to my brake lights. Or flares.

 

The fool in the SUV behind you that is texting won't see, your LED lights, your 3rd brake light, nor hear a train horn over the volume of the music (or what ever they call that noise) in his or her ride.
But, at least those that are paying attention will be able to see your brake lights on a sunny day. Most of the old lights are OK in the dark, but can't be seen in the sun light.

Here is the test!
You park your car with the back end in the sun, facing the sun, and turn on a turn signal. Then walk around the back of you ride, to about 20' away. If you can barely see that turn signal flashing, you need brighter lights. Your brake lights are as bright as your turn signals, they use the same element in the bulb. The guy following you will see only the same poor lighting you see.
That's it. Pass or fail. Protect your car!

 

Billy, Do you think these would fit in the tail light housing on my 50 pontiac?

 

They are only 2" in diameter and are shorter than an 1157. I would think so. They are wicked bright. The HAMB mods say LEDs are off topic, I think not being killed because people didn't see our small taillights is worthy of conversation. I almost deleted this thread, but I left it up for guys just like you. Light em up! Make sure people can see you. Nothing traditional about being dead.

 

Dude Im with you 100 percent. I love tradition but there are a few places I think its ok to accept improvements.

 

Well, G. K. Chesterton did say, “Tradition is the democracy of the dead. It means giving a vote to the most obscure of all classes: our ancestors.”

He goes on: “Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about. All democrats object to men being disqualified by the accident of birth; tradition objects to their being disqualified by the accident of death. Democracy tells us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our groom; tradition asks us not to neglect a good man’s opinion, even if he is our father.”

 

Is there an LED option for OE glass lenses? I did an experiment a while back with my 49 mercury tail lights and I could barely see the light with the LED bulb.

 

They peculiar in that way. Brighter but out of 6 or 7 different styles I have tried, each is different in the pattern they produce. The ones I put in the roadster above, for example, do not in any way illuminate the blue dot. The ones I removed had 3 LEDs pointed straight at the dot, they worked better than any 1157 could...they just weren't bright enough for where my taillights are mounted under the spreader bar. Most have LEDs around the sides and some facing directly out.

I had painted the insides of my lights white, I had added a reflector from a motorcycle, I had tried everything to be seen but it scary having a buddy tell you he couldn't see my lights when he was right behind me. I do down shift, so I am off the brake longer when slowing in traffic or at lights. I need to get in the habit of tapping the pedal to alert people I am slowing down. I am not a big fan of the look of the individual LED style but you can't deny the brightness.

Most all of the bulbs produced for the last 10 years are CANBUS programmed and have built in loads so your turn signal flasher will work. Always shoot for a minimum of 275 Lumens in a LED bulb. Shop Super Brite LEDs, they are reputable.

 

Add a Brake light flasher
Blinks multiple times before staying steady on ,

With thought you can add 194 Led or other in center of Blue Dot .

 

Good call on the flasher. I thought of a small bulb to light the dot. I may work on that.

 

I have 50 Pontiacs on the 32 , if you try some , please let me know if the work out . If so I’m doin it also . Thank you Mr . Billy for sharing .

 

I had a friend that had a glass shop drill glass dots and he installed , blue led in the hole . It was bad azz at night

 

@Kim Strobeck drilled a hole in the bottom of a Crown Royal bottle that he mounted on the firewall for a recovery bottle for the radiator. He said he filled the bottle with water, used a blue stone in his dremel and kept it wet. Lots of patience and it worked.

 

This thread is why I have a 3rd brake light on the 48. Many don't look down to see if there's anything period.

 

What about using some fluorescent light diffuser in the tail lights to diffuse all the red dots?

 

I found a set of those domed lenses and they do diffuse the LED light pattern from those hideous bulbs. The pictures are hard to make out as the camera has issues with the brightness from the LED's (not a bad thing, that's why I bought them).
This is running lights;

This is brakes.

That is the equivalent of four 1157's and more than double the highest LED bulbs I had found. In person, they hurt my eyes. Need a welding helmet to look directly into them. That is with the garage lights on to simulate daylight conditions. It is raining so I will take outdoor pictures later in the week as the weather improves. Huge improvement and you cannot make out the LED's at all through the lenses. Emergency flashers and turn signals, though not traditional, still work fine with the CANBUS software loaded LED's as advertised.

 

These lenses, though plastic, really do a great job at diffusing those disc lights. I wish they were a little darker red, i guess spraying them darker would sort of be counterproductive to the end goal of being brighter. They would look better when off.

 

I found this license plate frame on Amazon with a built in 3rd brake light. Took a chance, and am very happy. I think it looks better in person.



https://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Licen...B00TFN4L8K&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_m_rpt_ba_s_1_sc

 

That doesn't look bad on there. Mine above is a reverse light which I really like but turning it into a brake light would make more sense I suppose. I wonder if I could make it do both? Clear bulb for the reverse light and a red LED for the stop light. Hmmm

 

This light could be wired to be a running and a brake light but opted to not do that for more contrast.

 

After having my 356 totaled from the rear, I started adding one of these to every old car I buy. It can be wired so that half of it blinks with the turn signal, while the other half stays on for brake light. I just use suction cup mount and it's barely noticeable from outside.

https://www.brakelighter.com/brakelighter-12v-antique-car-3rd-light-p/tl-12.htm

 

Interesting.
I had an idea the other day for top down motoring, a brake light in the back of a cap like bicyclists wear. Bluetooth operation.